BECU Blog: Advancing Equity

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Learn about race and social justice topics and efforts to create an equitable future from BECU employees, leaders and members of the communities we serve.

Road to Financial Health 'Takes a Village'

Headshot of Pauline Hernandez, a Filipino American woman and manager of a BECU neighborhood financial center.

A BECU manager works to share her financial knowledge.

Equity and Access to a Clean Environment

Cranes and bridges along the Lower Duwamish Waterway with steam plumes from industry operations in the background. The sky is brown and hazy from wildfire smoke.

How pollution has a bigger effect on poor communities and communities of color.

Path to Equity: A Woman VP's Perspective

BECU's Vice President of Servicing and ATM Operations Shawna Thompson.

How the workplace has changed for women in Shawna Thompson's 30 years with BECU.

A Steeper Climb

Image of a woman's face on gray background.

How an SVP overcame challenges as a woman in the financial services industry.

Coming Together Over Black Coffee

Three women standing together in front of a green, leaf-covered wall with a neon sign that says "Coffee" on it. The woman on the left is Intentionalist CEO and founder Laura Clise, wearing a Seattle Sonics hat. The woman in the middle is Seattle Storm Center Mercedes Russell, wearing a sweatshirt that says "Seattle." The woman on the right is Black Coffee Northwest co-owner DarNesha Weary, wearing a "Black Coffee Northwest" t-shirt.

Learn how Black Coffee Northwest is leading the conversation on racial equity.

11 Black Finance Leaders in History

Collage of photos, some very old black-and-white photos, of the faces of Black finance leaders in history.

Learn about these trailblazers in finance.

Financial Education That Fits Native Needs

Head-and-shoulders portrait of Bethany Hawkins on a gray background. She is smiling and wearing a black suit jacket and red top.

A mortgage advisor is helping to create culturally relevant financial education.

Barriers to Indigenous Wealth

Illustration of a Native American drum.

Learn how access to financial health has been limited for Native people throughout U.S. history.
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How Remote Work Changed Working With a Disability

Illustration of a person sitting at a computer, working from home. Across the room, a dog is on a couch across below a window with curtains.

Employees talk about how remote work has helped them take care of their needs.

Different, Not Less: Employment for All Abilities

Photo of a smiling man driving a forklift and wearing personal protective equipment.

Randy Lewis’s successful effort to employ thousands with disabilities.

Feeding People for Social Change

A Latinx man and woman, both smiling, stand outside at a table covered in neatly arranged packages of food. A giant toy pepper decorates the middle of the table.

Roxana Pardo Garcia created a Latinx food bank to support her community.

Latinx Culture Informs VP's Equity Work

Photo of Jackie Martinez-Vasquez's face. She is smiling.

Jackie Martinez-Vasquez works to achieve equity for oppressed people.

LGBTQ+ Money Tips To Increase Your Financial Fitness

Illustration of five people holding a Pride flag. A cloud of comment bubbles of varying sizes, each containing a dollar sign, is above their heads, to symbolize that they are talking about money.

Get personal finance tips from BECU's LGBTQ+ employees.

The Financial Significance of Juneteenth

A Black person's hand holds a Juneteenth flag with a blue sky and clouds in the background. Text: Juneteenth Freedom Day

Learn about the barriers to financial health Black people have faced throughout U.S. history.

Why You Should Spend With Pride Year-Round

Illustration of two people walking toward each other, one carrying a Pride flag and the other carrying a scarf that says "Pride." Five icons in circles arch over them: a grocery bag, a contract, a graph with a dollar sign, a beach scene and food.

Your everyday spending can support the LGBTQIA+ community year-round.

BECU SVP: Value Differences To Open Doors

Headshot of BECU SVP Bryan MacDonald on dark gray background.

Bryan Lee MacDonald says real connections pave the way to equity.
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Pandemic Pressure: A Toll on Women's Finances

Image of BECU employee Marybeth with her husband, Jose, and their three children, (from left) Ayden, Derek and Nathan smiling for a photo outside. A rocky beach is pictured in the background.

A BECU employee shares how her career took a detour because of the pandemic.

Women Leaders Share Vision for Path to Equity

Headshots of four women.

Leaders discuss what it takes to increase opportunities for women.

Credit Unions Positioned to Lead on Gender Equity

Headshots of four women.

Credit union leaders share their experiences and ideas for closing the gap.

BECU Educator Helps Brighten Financial Futures

Headshot photo of TJ Peguero, BECU Financial Educator.

A Black financial educator empowers students to achieve financial health.

Creating Opportunity for Black-Owned Business

Headshot photo of Kesha Rodgers, co-founder of the Ally League.

Kesha Rodgers is on a quest to help local Black-owned businesses flourish.

Edgar Villanueva on Closing the Racial Wealth Gap

White text on teal background: MONEY AS MEDICINE; headshot of Edgar Villanueva

The author of “Decolonizing Wealth” works for equity and community healing.

Employee Helps Others Benefit from his Experience

Black man in a suit and tie looks at the camera.

A Black BECU employee talks about overcoming adversity and helping others.

Fund Takes New Approach to Building Black Wealth

Four Black women, founders of the Black Futures Co-op Fund, stand outside together and smile for a photo.

Transforming how philanthropy builds Black wealth and health.
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How You Can Celebrate Pride From Your Living Room

Pride flag in front of a building

Proud together: here's how you can celebrate Pride without leaving home.

A Celebration of Freedom

Juneteenth Freedom Day

We stand with the Black community in recognizing the importance of Juneteenth.