Guest Blog: 5 Tips to Recognize Black History Month at Work
February is Black History Month in the US and I’m sharing five tips to help you enhance awareness of the Black history and culture in your company.
Black History Month is an outgrowth of an effort by Harvard-educated historian Carter G. Woodson to recognize achievements of Black Americans. Woodson established “Negro History Week” in 1926, and the celebration gained popularity over time, with celebrations noted across the United States. In 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized February as Black History Month and each year, we continue the tradition of highlighting Black history and contributions in the U.S., and globally.
To make the most of your efforts to recognize Black History Month in your company, consider the following:
Create weekly themes for content.
Organize articles, videos, and resource lists around a common theme to provide a focused journey to explore Black history. Here’s an example of a themed plan:
Week 1 – Kickoff: Origins of Black History Month, Black history calendar, and highlight virtual events that colleagues can explore
Week 2 – Significant Figures in Black History: Historic Figures, Pioneers/”Firsts”, and the “Next Generation” of Trailblazers
Week 3 – Explore aspects of the Black experience in America through arts and culture: consider resource lists of books, movies, podcasts, exhibitions, cultural experiences
Week 4 – Explore Black history in the context of your company’s business focus. For example, if you work for in the healthcare and scientific space, you can focus on exploring health/science-related Black history topics, research on health outcomes for the Black community, etc.
Host a keynote speaker.
Find a speaker who can connect to topics that are important to colleagues in your company through sharing their personal perspective and lived experiences. Hint: If one of your company values is resilience, look a speaker who has overcome adversity. If innovation is a value, look for a speaker in the creative community. Consider speakers who have a historic perspective and can inspire others with their story and insights. Some examples include Sharron Miller, Adrian Miller, Claudette Robinson, Floyd Norman, or members of the Tuskegee Airmen. Bonus: Invite colleagues in your company who have expertise linked to Black history topics, or those who may be passionate about sharing their own stories to be speakers. This is another way to promote engagement in your community of colleagues.
Showcase shareable experiences.
Your programming may be focused on your colleagues, but you can extend the impact of your efforts by sharing virtual events that colleagues can engage in outside of work with those closest to them. The National Museum for African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) hosts many free, virtual events, accessible to all, as shown here.
Curate information from trusted sources.
A web search will provide lots of results from varying sources, but they may not always provide the most accurate representation of information or feature perspectives that provide a responsible, culturally aware view. Consider publications focused on the Black experience, Black voices, and sources with an informed perspective, noted expertise, or connection to the Black community. Some key sources are NMAAHC, Black Enterprise Magazine, Essence Magazine, The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The National Civil Rights Museum, and history and culture museums across the country focused on the Black experience.
Celebrate Black History all year.
While February is reserved for the national acknowledgment of Black History Month, consider how you can infuse learning and enrichment in your community of colleagues with exposure to thought-leaders, resources, and programming throughout the year linked to the Black experience. The impact of Black history is present all around us, so let us look for opportunities to highlight contributions, especially those that may be linked to the work our companies are focused on.
Here’s to a great celebration of Black history in February, and beyond!
Meet Our Guest Blogger
Bridgit Burton Brown, SPHR
Global Director, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Cello Health