Billings’ Black leaders come together to talk respect, connection [Video]

BILLINGS – MTN News is honoring Black History Month with an honest and open conversation with four influential Black leaders in Billings, where no question or topic was off the table.

Nestled around a sturdy round wood table in the studios of KTVQ sat four of the brightest minds Billings has to offer: William and Yolawnda Henry, Clark Sturgis and Theo Johnson.

Each came to the table to discuss openly the realities and struggles of living black in Montana’s largest community, where only 1 percent of the population is African American.

The Henrys moved to Billings over a dozen years ago. William serves as the president of Be Better World while Yolawnda is the senior vice president of human resources at KOA.

“My career brought us here,” said William Henry.

While Sturgis tells a comical story of how when applying for his current position as senior director of justice and equity diversity at RiverStone Health, he thought he …