Black History Month Guide 2022 by alaya-benevity

Ebook

Black History Month: Meaningful ways to take action at work

Table of Contents What is Black History Month and why is it important?

How can companies celebrate BHM?

12 Ways to celebrate Black History Month in the workplace

How to kick off a campaign internally

What is Black History Month and why is it important? Black History Month is a time for everyone to come together to share, celebrate, and understand the impact of Black heritage and culture. It’s a month to elevate Black voices and celebrate the community for their contributions to society—both historically and now.

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Why is Black History Month celebrated in February? Let’s take this back to the first recorded Black History Month—well, Black History Week. In 1925, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) conceived and announced Negro History Week. The week was chosen as it saw the birthdays of two key figures in African American history: Frederick Douglass: An African American abolitionist who escaped slavery and became one of the most famous orators, authors, and journalists of the 19th century. Abraham Lincoln: The US’s 16th president who issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, and signed the 13th Amendment in 1865. Fifty years later, in 1976, the celebrations were extended to last the entire month of February in the US and Canada. Over the years, Black History Month has evolved into a widespread celebration of Black life and excellence. Since its first presidential endorsement in 1976, every US president has officially recognized Black History Month. There are also other celebrations around the world, including in Ireland and the UK—however they celebrate Black History Month in October.

Why is BHM important? Black History Month is a time to learn about Black history and culture. It’s a time to champion Black achievements, celebrate Black lives, and empower Black voices. It’s also a time to listen to Black stories and hear the lived experiences shared by Black people all over the world. It’s a time to unlearn ingrained prejudice and acknowledge the role we all play in creating an equal, just world. Black History Month is important because racism still prevails in society. It still prevails in institutions. It still prevails in the day-to-day lives of Black people, including in the workplace. In fact, research found that Black workers have higher unemployment, lower wages, and worse prospects than other workers. They’re overrepresented in low-wage occupations, and underrepresented in high-wage occupations. Education, along with institutional reform, is key for stamping out racism —BHM highlights the injustice and creates space for people to learn and grow all year round.

How can companies celebrate BHM? There are many ways in which your organization can celebrate Black History Month and there’s definitely a right and a wrong way to go about it. Here are some tips on how to make sure your approach reflects the importance of participating in BHM.

Leave time to plan your involvement There have been times where we’ve advised you that something last-minute is better than nothing at all. This isn’t one of those times. It’s essential to ensure your BHM celebrations don’t feel rushed— your involvement in racial justice should never be an afterthought. Take the time to plan how your organization wants to get involved and make sure you have ample time to pull the plan together. Get involved in whatever way you can—be that a worldwide campaign or local volunteering. Different organizations are able to support in different ways—identify how your team can best create a positive impact.

Celebrate BHM internally and externally Support for BHM shouldn’t be performative. It’s not about a favorable public image, it’s about using your influence and budget for good. Only supporting Black History Month sends a concerning message to your Black employees—that you only care when people are watching. Ensure your BHM efforts include internal participation, not just social media campaigns and other public-facing involvement. Marginalized groups know when they’re being exploited for positive press. Find out what your Black team members need from your organization— both internally and externally—and involve them in the process of making it happen.

Not just for Black employees A huge mistake that organizations make is thinking that Black History Month is for Black employees only. Of course, there may be events and opportunities specifically for your Black team members to engage with Black history and culture. However, it’s also a really key time to start important conversations around what it’s like to be Black in the given country. It makes space for people to highlight their experiences and be heard by their non-Black colleagues.

12 Ways to celebrate Black History Month in the workplace There are plenty of ways to support Black health, education, rights, and community development this Black History Month. Here’s how you can get involved.

Take action Getting involved and creating impact in your immediate community is a great way to support Black lives and growth. There are ample initiatives to get involved in across the country, and many ways your organization can take immediate action within your community. Whether you’re giving time or money, BHM is a great time to start taking part in these initiatives. Here’s where you can start.

1. Volunteer for a Black-owned nonprofit All over the country, nonprofits are working day in and day out to lead and support the fight against racial injustice. They work with Black communities to support healthcare, education, employment, and more. Here are some examples of nonprofits and how they work to support communities: African Diaspora Network: Work to engage the African diaspora and friends of Africa for the development of Africa and communities around the world. Healing through the Sound of Music: Create quality live music and theatrical performances based on a historical narrative related to social justice in order to increase awareness of the contributions of women of color in the US and abroad. Black Girls CODE: Introduces computer coding lessons to young girls from underrepresented communities through workshops and after-school programs. Organize a charity day to get people involved, and encourage employees by offering paid time off to go and volunteer.

2. Attend a march Another great way to support Black History Month is to support peaceful rallies and protests. Numbers are essential for impactful rallies, and encouraging safe participation sends the message that you’re not happy to sit around and let things continue as they are. But of course it’s essential to ensure that your employees are safe when attending events outside of work. Encourage caution and make sure everyone knows both the risks of attending and safe ways that they can show their support. This way, your team can take action to avoid any possible dangerous situations, including potential exposure or spread of COVID-19, while still showing up for the cause.

3. Donate to a nonprofit Monetary donations are part of what keeps these organizations doing the important work they do. Without funding, many of the organizations wouldn’t exist and continued monetary support is essential for staying afloat. In order for these nonprofits to support Black individuals, they must exist. Encourage employees to donate to Black-run nonprofits and further support the cause by matching donations. It’s an effective way to boost donations for the nonprofit and a simple way to support change.

Elevate Black voices Black History Month is about making space for Black voices and experiences to be heard. So next up are actions that amplify Black voices and bring Black stories to center stage. Organizations often have a platform they can use to reach a large audience—this platform can and should be used for good. Alongside this, there are also opportunities to hear from Black speakers and activists on how to continue supporting the community once February is over. Here are some of the ways you can amplify the Black voices in your community, and encourage further learning from your team.

4. Host a Black speaker Invite a Black speaker to come and talk to your organization about topics that are relevant to your workplace. This could be a panel discussion on improving DE&I hiring practices, or maybe a speech on stamping out discrimination in the workplace. There are ample topics your speakers can cover, and many ways in which they can educate your workforce. It’s also essential to ensure speakers are paid fairly for their work—POC speakers are often paid less than their white counterparts.

5. Ask a Black influencer to host a social media takeover Your online presence is a powerful tool for elevating Black profiles—use it. Invite a Black influencer to host a ‘takeover’ of your channels to discuss Black history and culture with your followers. Sharing anti-racist content to your page is a great start, but inviting Black individuals to share their experiences is much more impactful. It also provides your speaker with a place to share any important information or initiatives regarding further action. For example, a speaker may have further materials or opportunities for anti-racist action that they can push during their social media takeover. This is useful for your audience and the speaker—a great way to support Black success. Here are some influencers you could pay to take over your socials: Layla F. Saad Nova Reid Rachel E Cargle Sophie Williams Mireille Cassandra Harper Ijeoma Oleu

6. Create partnerships with Blackowned businesses Partnering with Black-owned businesses creates a lasting commitment between both organizations. Look for organizations that share your values and align with your goals so you can continually support each other. A few ways you can partner are: Provide mutually discounted prices Work with black-owned businesses Pay for Black-run workshops for your employees Whatever you choose to do, ensure you’re supporting Black-owned business growth.

Champion Black employees Supporting Black History Month publically should be backed up by internal support for Black employees. Our advice is always to think global but act local—in this instance, that includes supporting your Black employees. It’s also essential to acknowledge intersectionality when considering Black employees in your workforce. Intersectionality, as coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, refers to the way in which social identities—such as race, gender, sexual orientation, and class—create overlapping systems of discrimination and disadvantage. For example, Black women earn 63 cents for every dollar earned by white, non-Hispanic men—and this isn’t driven by educational differences alone. In fact, Black women with advanced degrees earn less on average each week than white men with only a bachelor’s degree. This intersectional discrimination isn’t just something that’s faced in the workplace. Black women live the intersection between race and gender in every aspect of their lives. The same goes for LGBTQ+ members of the Black community, and Black people who face class and disability-related disadvantages. Ignoring how Blackness intersects with other aspects of an individual’s identity doesn’t make space for adequately supporting and celebrating them. It instead provides a limited approach to creating a more equitable workplace and society, so addressing intersectionality in your anti-racist efforts is key.

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7. Share your DE&I report and efforts DE&I should be an integral part of your hiring process and organizational culture. Black History Month is a great opportunity to update your team on how you’re supporting Black talent in your workforce. It’s also an opportunity to commit to new goals moving forward— supporting Black lives doesn’t end after BHM is up. Here are some goals you could look to set: X% of management being Black X% of new partners being Black-owned businesses X% increase in mentorship programs for Black employees These are just an example of a couple of DE&I goals you can look to set, but don’t limit yourself to these. There are plenty of ways you can support your Black employees in the workplace. You can also provide a more equitable environment by requiring all management to undertake diversity and inclusion management courses. It’s then important to ensure that the necessary actions are taken following any DE&I course. This could look like an intent, implementation, and impact strategy to measure and improve knowledge application. This ensures your top leadership and team heads know how to support your Black employees in the workplace and how to remove the barriers that stop them from growing.

8. Growth opportunities Adequate opportunities for growth and mentorship are key aspects in supporting your Black team members. According to a 2021 study, Black employees are overrepresented in frontline jobs and underrepresented in management positions. Evidently, action is required to rectify this. Only 33% of Black employees report ever having a sponsor or mentor, despite 87% of companies surveyed having a sponsorship program. Considerable effort needs to be put in to ensure these mentorship opportunities are being offered to Black talent. In order to ensure transparency and accountability, it’s also essential to establish and communicate a measure of career progression within an organization. It’s a roadmap that details the stages of career progression that employees can expect from your organization. This allows them to better understand the stages of career development in your organization, and holds businesses accountable to the development promises made. You can also offer growth opportunities alongside efforts to find sponsors. Company-sponsored education encourages employees to continue their learning and grow their skillset. Offer your Black employees the chance to enroll in courses that support their growth not only in your organization but also as individuals.

9. Share Black stories and success Only 64% of Black employees feel that they’re encouraged to be themselves in the workplace, as opposed to 81% of their white counterparts. This is likely linked to the same study finding that only 55% of Black employees feel there’s trust and respect between employees. Make space for your Black team members to share their experiences in the workplace. There is, however, an important difference between people wanting to get involved and wanting people to get involved. Not all of your Black team members will want to take part in your BHM efforts—it can be very demanding and emotionally exhausting for Black people. Alongside this, it can also cause weathering—a medical term that refers to the health effects of repeated exposure to adversity, marginalization, and discrimination. Listen to what your Black employees want and need from you—if that’s peace, so be it.

Support learning Another key part of supporting Black people and stamping out racism is education. It’s essential to understand Black history and how it continues to affect life for Black people nowadays. It’s not just about learning, but it’s also essential to unlearn. The society in which we’ve been raised is systemically racist, and a racist society breeds everyday racism—racism that many white people don’t even notice. It’s just not good enough—here’s how you can support the change.

10. Educational reading Providing your workforce with resources to learn about Black history, culture, and life is essential for creating a more conscious society. During Black History Month there’s a boom of resources to help with continued learning—take advantage of this. Support your employee’s learning by buying books by Black authors and subscribing to Black-run podcasts—any way you can think to support your team’s learning. You also support Black creatives when buying their content, so it’s a win-win. Here are some books to get you started: Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall Policing the Black Man by Angela J Davis Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

These books look to educate non-Black people on issues faced by the Black community. Here are some areas they touch upon, and what you’re looking to help educate your employees on throughout this Black History Month: White privilege: The inherent advantages possessed by a white person on the basis of their race. White people have a responsibility to acknowledge this privilege and how it affects their role in antiracist efforts. Microaggressions: Indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. These are daily instances of racism that can sometimes even be disguised as compliments— think ‘you’re so articulate’ or shortening someone’s name instead of learning to pronounce it. Institutional racism: Also known as systemic racism, is the racism that’s embedded in the laws and regulations of a society or organization. It refers to the injustices faced by people of color in areas such as employment, criminal justice, housing, healthcare, and more. The racial pay gap: Despite some progress, wage gaps still exist across the world. Acknowledging and working to understand this is an essential step in the fight to close the gap. This list of areas is by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start. These four topics provide insights into what it’s like to be Black in America, and what role we all play in building an anti-racist society.

11. Show movies written, directed, and acted by Black creatives Another great resource for appreciating Black art is through movies that depict Black life. It’s a mistake to think these movies must depict the struggles and pains of the Black community—there are plenty that depict joy, growth, and excellence. Here are some movies, documentaries, and TV shows that you can watch to prompt discussion: Passing Giving Voice Moonlight Selma Tangerine 13th Hidden Figures Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom Grand Crew These movies bring Black stories forward and address issues faced by different intersections of the Black community. For more Black cinema, check out the Black Film Archive.

12. Educational excursions Take your team on excursions that improve their understanding of Black history and culture. This could be to a museum or a monument, or even an exhibition—there’s sure to be ample opportunities during BHM. You could also consider partnering with a school to ensure students are aware of the opportunities available to them. It’s essential to support the next generation, and your organization is in a unique position to highlight some of the career pathways available to them.

How to kick off a campaign internally Ok, so, you know you want to celebrate Black History Month but you’re unsure about how to go about it. No worries, here’s a step-by-step outline for how to do just that.

1. Define the campaign and create a plan You need to know what it is you’re looking to achieve and how you’re going to get there. The first step is to define your mission. For example:

This February we’re supporting Black History Month through a number of initiatives. We’ve prepared a calendar of events designed to help you take action,

and we’ll be providing opportunities for employees to donate to nonprofits that support the Black community.

A timetable is a great way to get all your plans across in a simple schedule. As we mentioned before, it’s essential to include your Black employees in your preparations. Ask what they’d like from your BHM celebrations and do your best to make it happen. Take a look at an example: MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Expert speaker

Volunteer Day

Day Trip

Socials Takeover

Movie Night

On Tuesday, we’re volunteering with a local, Black-run nonprofit to support Black people in the community.

On Wednesday, we’re taking a trip to the museum of African history.

On Monday, we’ve got an expert coming to speak to us about the racial pay gap.

On Thursday, our social media is being taken over by a nonprofit focused on improving Black people’s access to healthcare.

On Friday, we’re hosting a movie night focused on sharing Black stories through film.

This is a weekly calendar, but you can expand this to cover a larger period of time.

2. Get buy-in from stakeholders Here’s where you run your team through the ins and outs of the proposed BHM celebrations. You want to convey the importance of taking part and of supporting Black employees in the workplace. Make sure you prepare a comprehensive proposal that outlines exactly what you plan to do and what you need to achieve it. You also want to outline how you plan to implement the plan and what your desired outcomes are.

3. Communicate the plans internally and externally Now it’s time to share what you’re doing with the rest of your team and the wider world. That’s two different audiences to communicate your plans with. Here are some templates you could use to do just that. For internal communications you plan to share with your team, we've prepared a template that you can find in the next page:

Subject Line: Supporting Black History Month Of all the Fortune 500 companies, only 5 CEOs are Black. At parity with the Black population in the US for example, this should be 60 CEOs. That just doesn’t sit right with us. This [week/month] we’re celebrating Black History Month. We want to make space to learn about what it’s like to be Black in today's world, and what we can all do to support the fight against racial injustice. We’ll be hosting a variety of different events and a great number of opportunities for individuals to engage with Black history, culture, and art. We’re also providing materials to help our team better understand the struggles faced by Black people in the workplace. When? Take a look at our events calendar for the full breakdown of activities. We’ve got plenty scheduled so make sure you find the activities that are best for you. Throughout the month we’ll also be matching all donations to the nonprofits we’ve partnered with, to try and ensure our impact provides as much support as possible. We look forward to seeing everyone celebrate and learn this Black History Month. Sincerely, [Name]

You can also let people in your organization know by word of mouth and virtual updates around the workplace. There needs to be ample time for people to plan their involvement, so remember to do this with time to spare. Alongside keeping your organization informed, you also need to let everyone else in on what you’re up to. You want to prepare communications for before, during, and after the celebrations. Here’s a social media template for when you’ve got some progress to report:

This [week/month] we’ve been celebrating Black History Month, and we’re almost halfway through our celebrations. So, here’s how we’re doing so far: We’ve raised XX for our chosen nonprofits We’ve heard from XX speakers about their experiences We’ve handed out XX books for our employees to continue their learning XX% of our workforce has participated in a BHM event Thanks to everyone who’s taken part so far—if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? #BHM #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackLivesMatter #EmployeeEngagement #EmployeePurpose

You’re not looking for praise, you’re looking to raise awareness of the cause. If you’re able to, you could even consider matching customer donations made through your organization to maximize impact. Now everyone knows what’s going on, all that remains is getting the ball rolling.

4. Kick-off your campaign Kicking off your campaign is super important, and it’s a great way to get everyone excited from the word go. There are a number of ways you can kick off your campaign, so here are a few to consider: A launch party: You could hire a Black-owned catering company that specializes in making traditional food from their heritage. A launch call: To get all the organization involved no matter where they are. A keynote speech: From a Black speaker on their thoughts of BHM to frame the conversation in the best way possible. Whatever you choose to do, make a big deal of it and get people excited. Keep updating posters and ensuring everyone knows what’s up next. If that means email reminders, calendar invites, and verbal prompts, then so be it!

5. Track your impact The last step is to track the progress and impact you’ve made. Doing this manually is quite a hefty task, but here are some metrics to look out for: Number of employees participating Amount raised in donations Number of employees engaging for the first time Most engaged team eg HR, Marketing, etc You can also gather feedback on the campaign by sending out an internal pulse survey once everything’s come to a close. This will help you understand what your employees thought of the campaign, and how they’d improve it next time. If you’re looking for a succinct way to track your impact and progress, consider using an employee engagement tool like Alaya. Alaya helps not only with the reporting side of your campaign, but also with the planning and execution. You can look through their catalog of 1.5million+ organizations and set up simple donation matching to lessen the load on your finance team.

From there, you can create activities for your employees to take part in during your campaign, and allow them to access their events calendar from anywhere. You can also easily collect pictures and notes from your events to share afterwards. All of this is done on one platform, so you can focus on what really matters—creating positive impact in your community and organization. Lastly, don’t limit yourself to celebrating Black history and lives only in February—it’s key to remain engaged with anti-racism all year round.

About the authors Editor: Kalee Fox Kalee Fox is the Head of Learning Excellence at QA Ltd. QA are a world-leading tech and digital skills organization that helps many of the world's leading companies to build their tech and digital capabilities. Kalee creates internal development programs which aim to support and develop the facilitation and engagement skills of QA's delivery community. Kalee's main aim is to ensure that each individual joining a QA course, receives a great learning experience that promotes inclusivity, facilitation, engagement, and impactful learning.

Author: Ella Webber Ella Webber is the Project Manager & Assistant Editor at DSLX—a mission-driven copywriting agency for businesses. Ella creates and edits content across a range of industries and enjoys working with exciting, innovative organizations. Ella’s interested in collaborating with passionate people on a wide variety of projects, with a special interest in the future of tech, politics, and queer theory, and history.

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