AT&T has announced its 2020 Supplier Diversity Program, which aims to prioritize companies with diversity as a core value.  Together, AT&T and diverse suppliers will push innovation within the communities they serve.

New details show the company plans to further economic growth of diverse suppliers through AT&T Believes and other company-wide philanthropic and social innovation.

AT&T established its Supplier Diversity Program in 1968. Fast forward 50 years, AT&T has since spent more than $173 billion with minority-owned, woman-owned, service-disabled veteran, and LGBTQ  businesses, growing the program to almost 700 suppliers in telecommunications, mobile telephone services, fixed telephone services, media, and entertainment.

Key issues for AT&T and its 400 million subscribers include broadband coverage, mobile access in rural and urban communities, and digital connectivity for innovation in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

AT&T has long been recognized by historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) with engineering schools as a top industry supporter in an annual list published by Career Communications Group’s magazine US Black Engineer (USBE).

At USBE magazine’s 1993 Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA), James Mitchell, former head of the analytical chemistry research department at AT&T Bell Laboratories, was honored as Black Engineer of the Year at the STEM Conference.

BEYA category winners from AT&T include:

• Pamela B. Jackson, manager, Film Integrated Circuits, AT&T Network Systems, 1992 Dean’s Award
• Jesse B. Russell, chief technical officer, AT&T Bell Laboratories, 1992 Outstanding Technical Contribution Award
• Charles S. Brown, member of technical staff, AT&T Bell Laboratories, 1992 Pioneer Award
• Marachel Knight, AT&T senior vice president of technology planning and engineering, 2013 President’s Award
• Lai Lau, lead product marketing manager, AT&T Corporation, 2014 Technical Sales and Marketing Award
• Steven Oh, director-network sales, AT&T Corporation, 2014 Special Recognition honoree
• Marian Croak, Senior Vice President of Domain 2.0 Architecture and Advanced Services Development. 2014 Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry Award
• Shawanna Phillips, executive director, Technology and Service Management, AT&T, 2016 Outstanding Technical Contribution in Industry Award
• Tuba Aktaran-Kalayci, director of Advanced Analytics, Big Data, AT&T, 2016 Most Promising Engineer