During Black History Month, we’re elevating the voices of Walmart and Sam’s Club associates.
Black History Month celebrates contributions and achievements made by Black and African Americans. It honors Black people who have made history, throughout history.
Here at Walmart World, we’re taking the opportunity to celebrate and honor contributions made by Black associates by looking back on lessons learned and listening to experiences shared.
Whether it’s Kathan Morgan giving back to the community beyond his store, Staci Bennett working every day to put each associate on a path to success, or Wayne McFarland Jr becoming a leader who inspires — there are countless ways Black associates are making a difference and making history.
Making History as a Leader
In our conversations with vice president and regional general manager Wayne McFarland Jr., we learned a lot about being a leader at Walmart — both a great leader and an improving leader. Because while Wayne is a well-known superstar, he admits to making a few mistakes that helped him grow as a manager.
“When you’re coming up as an hourly associate, you’re used to being an individual contributor. You’re not used to bringing your team along,” Wayne shares. “I made it a little bit about myself, thinking my individual performance would help carry it.”
For Wayne, bringing your team along and guiding others to be their best is what great leadership is all about. It’s also a key component to Black History Month. “If I continue to lead in a way where I can be a role model or an inspiration to somebody, then Black History for me is every single day,” he says.
Making History Investing in Others
As a club manager for Sam’s Club, Staci Bennett once dreamed of being a nurse. But when she realized she could achieve her goal of helping people at Sam’s, she embraced a new career path.
She prides herself on creating a place where her team can connect, belong and enjoy their work. And she commits herself to understanding associates’ ultimate career goals and helping them develop a game plan to achieve them.
"I'm passionate about owning my set of skills and passing on what I can to others. Giving is who I am,” Staci shares.
Today, Staci has a new kind of dream: hearing that the future CEO of Sam’s Club once worked in her building and knowing that she played a pivotal role in their career.
"Now that," she concludes, "would be a legacy."
Making History Through Mentorship
For associates like Dell Fletcher, building a career means building a network of connections. He joined Walmart’s Global InfoSec team after 17 years in the Marines and Air National Guard on both active and reserve duty.
Thanks to the Walmart Serves Associate Resource Group (ARG), which supports military associates and their families, Dell is part of a rich community of veterans.
“ARGs give associates an opportunity to find that sense of belonging in a community of people who have the same values, same traits and same principles,” Dell says. “I'm glad that Walmart has platforms like that to help people get connected and create that belonging.”
Dell is also part of an impressive professional network built on mentorship. “I have mentors in different parts of Walmart who give me good advice and help with my professional development,” he shares.
He now mentors several associates. “I pick up ‘hidden gems’ from my mentors and pass them on to others who need them,” he says. “There's always someone who needs help, and that's the legacy that we all strive for. No matter how high you climb, you should make sure others are climbing behind you.”
Making History In His Community
When we talked with Store Manager Kathan Morgan in 2022, he told us one of the first things he did after joining Store 7224 was host a cookout for associates and customers. The store also extended an invitation to students and staff at the local elementary school.
The picnic was one of many ways the store served its community, earning Kathan and his team a Helen R. Walton Excellence in Community Leadership award. But giving back has always come naturally to Kathan, who says, “I grew up with not a lot, and I always wanted to give back.”
Today, Kathan is the store manager at Neighborhood Market 6851 in Sachse, Texas, and he’s still giving back. He and his store associates regularly volunteer at local community events.
Reflecting on what Black History Month means to him, Kathan shares, “Black History Month motivates me to continue to strive and impact the world. It motivates me to mentor our up-and-coming generations to be great!”
Making History Together
Mentorship is one word for what Carvon Smith and Anthony Agnew share. But deep admiration might be a truer description.
They first met in 2018 at Store 940 in Westworth Village, Texas. Carvon had just graduated from assistant manager training at the Academy, and he was excited to start in that role at the store where Anthony was co-manager.
“I was just starting my salaried career and to see Anthony have that much passion in what he does — it took me to the next step. I was like, that’s who I need to be like, that’s who inspires me,” Carvon recalls.
The admiration was mutual. “I met Carvon and could hear his enthusiasm,” Market People Partner Anthony says. “His energy is infectious!”
The two men continue to invest time and attention in each other’s career growth. Anthony reflects, “I think Carvon and I are alike in the sense that we didn’t have this business professional example in our households. It was important for me to be different in the seat of leadership that I held, particularly for men of color.” Side by side, they are each growing into their very best selves — shaping themselves (and each other) into a new generation of leader.
Making a Difference
From building a professional network to building a professional legacy; from finding inspiration in mentors to becoming that inspiration to other associates; from creating a community of belonging to giving back to the community beyond their store — these are ways that Walmart and Sam’s Club’s Black associates make history every day.
