- What has been your biggest inspiration? …
- What motivates you? …
- Who has served as an inspiration in your life? …
- What does Black History Month mean to you? …
- What can students, like yourself, do to celebrate Black History Month?
Five steps you should take during Black History Month — and all year long — to show up for your Black colleagues. By
“Im not Black,” a white leader whispered to me last year in the hallway. “Should I attend the Black History Month events?”
Its the number one question I have gotten asked in my time leading , Equity and (DEI) efforts when it comes to honoring and celebrating Black History Month.
In some form or fashion, white leaders will quietly approach me as we enter the month of February. Can I attend? Am I invited? Should I attend? Do I come alone? Or do I ask my team to attend as well? Is it mandatory? Who else will be there?
My response is always yes, you should absolutely be attending Black History Month events, which is typically met with a few follow-up questions: “What if I am the only white person attending? Wont that be strange?”
To all of the white leaders reading this who have the same thought running through their heads and are reluctant to say it aloud, let me share with you what I told that leader.
I certainly hope you are not the only white person attending your companys Black History Month events. Because we need anyone who is on their journey to be an ally to show up. And if you are the only one, it will give you an opportunity to feel for just a moment what many of our Black colleagues have experienced for much of their lives: entering spaces and places where they are the only one.
Because we need white leaders to go beyond signing public pledges, posting #BlackLivesMatter on their social channels and reading Robin DiAngelos White Fragility. We need white leaders to understand the experience of being Black in your organizations. Participating in Black History Month is one of many steps you can take in showing up for your Black colleagues:
Its not the job of Black colleagues to continuously educate us on the racial inequities that exist in our communities and our workplaces. To continuously place this burden on them without doing work on your own is insulting and exhausting for our Black colleagues. As someone who leads DEI efforts, I consistently get asked to provide resources, education and coaching to leaders. I remind everyone I work with that Black History Month events provide a great moment for you to understand the importance of the month, celebrate your Black colleagues and learn about issues and challenges facing the Black community.
Black history interview
On the topic of celebrating blackness, as a child, Black History Month was about researching a notable black figure and creating an A4 sized poster. My Black History Month was essentially condensed into an hour and therefore, I never quite understood the significance of this month until I was much older.
Counselling helped to delve into the root of my depression and plunge into depths that I truly believe I may not have experienced with a non-black counsellor. Not only had we broken through many doors I kept chained up in the past, but completely obliterated the entire structure of the stigma, that black women are too strong and cannot feel emotion. Ultimately, one key aspect I realised with my counsellor was that mental illness does not discriminate; I did not feel strong. After discovering this, I felt a sense of relief and assurance that I didn’t need to be okay all the time.
I have and continue to deal with depression and anxiety and although I have had depression for almost nine years, it didn’t become apparent to me what it was until four years ago. This is because mental health within my culture is non-existent; times of despair, trauma and grief are buried and never addressed head-on, which left me feeling confused and isolated. I believe this to be one of the reasons why I discovered my mental illnesses so late; my young mind not having been prepped to address these hardships. Not to say that educating myself has prevented depressive episodes, but rather it has given me the tools to discover what methods work best for me. Whilst many of us don’t appreciate labels, being able to put a name to my irrational thoughts and feelings, put me at ease. This aided me in my next line of action – to seek the right help.
After visiting my local GP whilst at university, I was put in touch with Birmingham Well-Being, who helped me find a therapist. I chose counselling over other methods because I assumed it would be easier to talk to someone who wasn’t related to me. Birmingham Well-Being reached out to a service that specifically counsels ethnic minorities, so my therapist was also black.
Most recently, the Duchess of Sussex spoke openly about her struggles with being a new mother. She highlighted the pressures of not only being in the spotlight, but the reality of undertaking the role of a newlywed and a new mother. Her honesty and vulnerability inspired me to recognise my own unrealistic expectations that I often place upon myself.
You’re asked about a moment in history that you don’t know about:
If you’re asked a question you don’t feel qualified to answer for whatever reason, you don’t have to answer it. “It’s O.K. for students to say, ‘I don’t know,’” Dr. Bentley-Edwards said. Not knowing what to say “doesn’t take away from your blackness.”
Support the Black employee resource group
Use this as an opportunity to get to know the leaders of your Black employee resource group. Go beyond attending events. Spend time getting to know them and help build the group. Step up with your budget and offer to host the next event. Step up and lead logistics and coordination for that event. Finally, step up and connect them with other leaders in their organization they might not have access to otherwise.
What if your company has never hosted Black History Month? What if there are no events to attend? What can you do? Start by meeting with leadership and your people team. Ask why there are no events, and ask what you and they together can do to change that.
Missouri History Museum – St. Louis, Missouri
Located not far from Ferguson, MO, where 18-year-old African American Michael Brown was fatally shot, an incident at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement, the Missouri History Museum seeks to deepen understanding of past choices, present circumstances, and future possibilities; strengthen the bonds of the community; and facilitate solutions to common problems.
Question:
The issues related to racial inequality in the St. Louis region did not begin in 2014 [with the fatal shooting of Michael Brown], but have been simmering since the decision to enter the Union as a slave state as part of the Missouri Compromise. How can the community recognize its history, but still move forward towards creating a more inclusive region?
FAQ
How do you start a conversation with Black History Month?
- Begin with a simple script. …
- Try starting with the Civil Rights Movement. …
- But make sure to expand beyond the familiar. …
- Read together. …
- Choose one (or more) of these actions you can take together. …
- Have dinner and a movie together.
How do you engage employees in Black History Month?
- Bring in speakers and create a space for people to listen and share. …
- Spotlight employee stories. …
- Ask team members to take the lead. …
- Volunteer your time and your money. …
- Supporting diversity in the workplace 365 days a year.
Why is it important to celebrate Black History Month at work?
