Union CarbideNews

Dow employees recognize Black History with historical perspective on major Louisiana floods

St. Charles, LA - March 02, 2006

New Orleans WGNO News Reporter Glynn Boyd speaks about his Hurricane Katrina experiences during the Black History Program held at Dow on March 2.
New Orleans WGNO News Reporter Glynn Boyd speaks about his Hurricane Katrina experiences during the Black History Program held at Dow on March 2.
Dow employees at the St. Charles Operations facility celebrated Black History with an event on March 2nd that recognized the historical perspective of major floods that have impacted Louisiana.  The Black History program involved employees, retirees, community members and area students.

The keynote speaker for the event was New Orleans WGNO-TV Reporter Glynn Boyd.  Serving as a reporter during Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent flooding, Boyd gave a first-hand account of the devastating effects of the flood.  Boyd, who is a native of Boutte, said he fully understands the toll that hurricanes and floods can take on area communities.  Most of his family still lives in the surrounding area. 

St. Charles Operations Site Leader Nawzer Parakh thanked everyone for attending the event and spoke about the effects of the 1927 flood on the Louisiana population.  He compared the 1927 flood with the Hurricane Katrina flooding in New Orleans last fall.   Parakh also spoke on the importance of Dow’s emphasis on workplace diversity and on celebrating Black History.  Parakh said, “At Dow, we encourage employees to embrace each other’s diversity and grow through inclusion. Events like our Black History program celebrate this culture.”

The program also featured a dramatic presentation by students from Destrehan High School, and musical selections performed by the East St. John High School “Voices of Inspiration” Choir.

Dow is a diversified chemical company that harnesses the power of science and technology to improve living daily. The Company offers a broad range of innovative products and services to customers in more than 175 countries, helping them to provide everything from fresh water, food and pharmaceuticals to paints, packaging and personal care products. Built on a commitment to its principles of sustainability, Dow has annual sales of $46 billion and employs 42,000 people worldwide. References to "Dow" or the "Company" mean The Dow Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise expressly noted. St. Charles Operations is owned by Union Carbide Corporation, which is a subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company.


For Editorial Information:

Jolen T. Stein
St. Charles Operations
(985) 783-4990