This was DCLI’s first time participating in the Charlotte Pride parade but the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council plans to make it an annual event.

More than 40 Direct ChassisLink, Inc. (“DCLI”) employees and their family members marched in the Charlotte Pride parade on Sunday, August 21. After a two-year pandemic hiatus, Charlotte Pride, the city’s largest street festival and parade, returned to Uptown Charlotte and drew over 200,000 attendees to the weekend’s festivities.

DCLI’s parade theme “Pride in Motion” was well represented by a large banner carried by employees, custom t-shirts worn by all marchers, and the company’s “float” – a Pride-decorated 40-foot chassis mounted with a specially-painted rainbow container provided by Maersk, one of the largest integrated global logistics companies in the world.

Participation in the parade was spearheaded by DCLI’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group, one of the committees that makes up the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council. The DEI Council’s mission supports the company’s belief in equality, social justice, and the fair treatment of all people which is demonstrated by fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone is valued, heard, and given the opportunity to contribute, grow, and thrive.

“Charlotte Pride is the first LGBTQ+ initiative in which DCLI has participated since our DEI Council was established in July 2021,” said Mike O’Malley, senior vice president – Government and Public Relations and Human Resources. “Being a Charlotte-based company, we felt like this was the perfect opportunity for us to show our support for the LGBTQ+ community and have some fun doing it. We plan to make our participation in Charlotte Pride an annual event.”