Celebrating Black History Month by Highlighting Team Members & Partners: Brittany Scribner, Brand Ambassador/Sales Specialist in Maryland
At Goodness Growth Holdings, we pride ourselves on the diversity of our team, and on our ongoing commitment to social equity initiatives including expungement clinics, fundraising for Last Prisoner Project, and creating educational programming for our team members and communities. Diversity has been a cornerstone of our culture since our earliest days (for example we were the first cannabis company to sign the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge), and we believe celebrating the diversity among our team members and our communities makes us a stronger company and a better community partner.
Formally recognized each February, Black History Month is a time to pay tribute to the Black individuals who have helped shape the history and the culture of the United States, and who continue to shape our country’s present and future.
Black history was first recognized in 1926, when Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH, later renamed the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) announced Negro History Week the second week of February. Woodson selected that week because it included the birthday of Abraham Lincoln (February 12) and Frederick Douglass (February 14), two dates which, by that point, had been recognized and celebrated by Black communities across the country for several decades.
But Woodson wanted the celebration to be about more than recognizing Lincoln and Douglass specifically. “Rather than focusing on two men, the black community, he believed, should focus on the countless black men and women who had contributed to the advance of human civilization,” according to the ASALH. The ASALH added that Woodson hoped to see Black history and culture studied and learned on a daily basis, to the point where a weekly recognition would not be needed.
In the decades since, what started as Negro History Week has expanded to Black History Month, which has been recognized by the U.S. President every year since President Gerald Ford first declared February Black History Month in 1976. Today, in keeping with Woodson’s original vision, the ASALH suggests recognizing Black History Month as “a special tribute – a time of acknowledgement, of reflection, and inspiration – that comes to life in real and ongoing activities throughout the year.”
As we recognize Black History Month, we want to take this time to celebrate the culture, history and contributions of our Black team members and partners. As part of that effort, Goodness Growth’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council is highlighting several of our Black team members, partners, and community representatives.
First up is Brittany Scribner, Brand Ambassador/Sales Specialist in Maryland.
The DEI Council was excited to catch up with Brittany and talk about her experiences in the pharmacy and cannabis fields, why she moved away from working in opioid-focused pain management, and why Black History Month is about looking forward as well as looking back.
Tell us a little about yourself. Where are you from? Where do you live now? Do you have family you want to mention?
My name is Brittany Scribner and I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD.
When did you start at Green Goods/Goodness Growth Holdings, and what is your title?
I started with Green Goods in August 2021 and I am the Brand Ambassador/Sales Specialist for Maryland.
What made you interested in the cannabis industry?
Growing up I always wanted to help people by working in the healthcare field. I have been working in the pharmaceutical industry for 18 years as a Certified Pharmacy Technician and as a Pain Management Sales Specialist in Maryland selling opioids. Throughout my career, I witnessed the drastic toll prescription medications took on some patients. I watched how they became completely dependent on opioids and still suffered with debilitating pain. At that point, I knew it was time for a positive change. The cannabis industry has given me the opportunity to engage with patients and share cannabis testimonies.
What do you like about working with cannabis? What are some challenges unique to the industry?
I love being able to help patients without them encountering side effects that are harmful to their health! The medical cannabis industry is still new and developing. We need to have a wider variety of products to offer patients based on their individual needs.
Have you faced any challenges specific to being a Black person in the cannabis industry?
Fortunately, no! The cannabis industry reminds me of a modern-day hippie era. People are so free-spirited and exude a completely positive vibe!
What does Black History Month mean for you? How do you celebrate or commemorate the month?
Black History Month is an annual celebration of the sharing of the roles African Americans have had in U.S. history. It’s a time for remembering, exploring, and celebrating who and where we were, who and where we are, and who and where we are headed. From Garrett Morgan to Mahalia Jackson, from Thurgood Marshall to Martin Luther King. It’s about the creativity, integrity, leadership, and the opening of doors to possibilities.
What is something you wish non-Black people would know or do to be better allies?
We’ve come a LONG way, but WE still have a LONG way to go!
Are there any movies, books, or blogs you’re reading or social accounts you’re following that you want to amplify?
The movie “Hidden Figures” and the book “Becoming” by Michelle Obama.
Thank you, Brittany, for taking the time to share your story with us! Look out for more profiles of our Black team members and partners throughout Black History Month!