5 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month in the Workplace
two friends spending time on the beach
Black History Month is celebrated during the shortest month of the year, February. This can make it hard to plan events that thoroughly appreciate the rich and beautiful culture of Black Americans. If you find yourself at a loss for ideas, do not sweat it! We have some suggestions to make your celebration meaningful to your team.
Why is it Important to Celebrate Black History Month?
Carter G. Woodson, a Harvard-trained historian, had the hopes of raising awareness of African American contributions to civilization. He and the organization he founded, now known as the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) conceived Negro History Week in 1925. Nearly fifty years later, in 1976 the celebration was expanded to a month. This provided an opportunity to honor the accomplishments, historically neglected, of Black Americans in various endeavors throughout history. (Sourced from an essay by Daryl Michael Scott, Howard University, for the ASALH)
In many school systems throughout America, celebrating Black History Month is a regular part of the curriculum. However, when we enter into the workforce, the celebration sort of dies down. That’s where you, as people strategy professionals and company leaders, come in. It is our responsibility to set the standard for what it means to celebrate and appreciate diversity in the workplace and commit to practices grounded in belonging and inclusion. Black History Month is just one of many opportunities to celebrate the various ethnic and cultural backgrounds of your team members.
Best Practices to Keep in Mind
In 2020, diversity and inclusion became a priority for many organizations. We could no longer hide from the reality of systemic racism and it empowered team members to speak up about the bias, discrimination, and/or racism experienced in the workplace. For the first time for many, the discomfort around discussing race, ethnicity and cultural difference was faced head-on. The conversation should be less daunting now, with recent communal commitment to new learning, but if it is not, the best tip I would offer is to not be colorblind. Celebrating Black History Month is about openly discussing and appreciating African American culture, and it should evoke a sense of pride, belonging, and inclusion in your team.
One team, one dream…this is a company effort
Planning your Black History Month celebration should take the effort of more than just your People team and certainly more than just the Black team members within your company. You should have the buy-in from all of your leaders and input from a diverse group of team members. Consider asking your diversity council (if you have one), or survey your team for inspiration. The bottom line is: this is more than a one-person job.
Don’t make any assumptions
Please do not assume that someone wants to be a part of the planning process just because they are BIPOC employees or persons of ‘other’ identities. When you single team members out like this, it places a sense of responsibility on them that may feel burdensome. They may also feel like the “token” team member if they are your go-to for diversity event planning. Make sure team members are aware that anyone can suggest ideas or participate in planning if they have a desire to do so.
5 Black History Month Celebration Ideas
There is certainly more than one way to share communal appreciation for black history, and now new resources allow us to plan new and mindful celebrations outside of outdated or traditional workshop training methods. The countless ways you can celebrate Black History Month cannot be fully outlined in this article, so I have narrowed down the traditional categories to work within…but with an added twist.
Bring in speakers - Many companies have now brought in activists, authors, or historians to discuss civil rights, systemic racism, and other topics around being Black in America. That is still a valuable option. However, if you find yourself looking for something different this year, try finding these speakers:
Black CEOs or entrepreneurs local to your community. Elevate their voices and celebrate their stories. This is also an opportunity for team members to learn how to overcome the common challenges of starting a business as a BIPOC or person of an ‘other’ identity.
Educators from HBCUs - Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are rich in culture and underfunded. This is a great opportunity to celebrate their history and understand the challenges they face.
Organize educational events - If your HQ or satellite offices are in a city rich with Black history, plan an educational tour or similar event. For instance, if you’re in D.C. plan for team members to visit the African American History Museum. In Atlanta, You can plan a Martin Luther King Jr. history tour. Tap into the resources within your community to educate your team members about the very city they live and work in.
Support black business - Can you cater a lunch from a local black-owned restaurant? Can you have the team collaborate and share their favorite black-owned businesses? It does not always have to be a grand gesture, oftentimes simple efforts can make all the difference and even set a precedent.
Celebrate your team members! - I cannot think of a better way to celebrate than to elevate the team members within your organization. Maybe this year you create a digital flyer to shout out Black and BIPOC employees and team members within your company, call it “ 20 things you didn’t know about…” As stated before, this should only include team members who want to participate. Try to execute this without people feeling singled out.
Practice philanthropy - Already have a company donation match? This is a great opportunity to reinforce the perk. Do not just leave it up to the team to decide where the money goes. Try choosing 2-4 organizations that you will match donations to. This emphasizes the company's genuine intention to give back.
Taking the time to reflect and learn
When the month comes to a close you are going to want to take time to reflect on the impact of your efforts. Survey the team to find out what worked, what was most impactful, and what would they like to do again? Feedback is the best tool for enhancing your programming year after year.
If you want to be intentional and thoughtful about how your company celebrates Black History Month above and beyond the typical traditional workshop training method, you will want to start planning right away!
Honoring Black History at The Rise Journey
The Rise Journey stands as a beacon of support for Black history, offering a platform that intertwines the richness of cultural heritage with the power of words and shared experiences. Through its commitment to providing inspiring spoken-word poetry and engaging Lunch and Learn sessions, we empower organizations to celebrate Black culture authentically and aim to understand the invaluable contributions made by the Black community throughout history.
Related Content:
Long Live Black America's Erased Towns
For a full list of related sessions, click here.
