It shouldn’t be the sole responsibility of Black employees to organize their own recognition, and you’ll find that it’s transformative to have employees of every background participating and learning during Black History Month. In the spirit of inclusivity, everyone in your organization should be encouraged to participate with enthusiasm. With this in mind, let’s cover some other Black History Month-and any cultural or ethnic celebration-best practices! Make it a company-wide effort Your employees should be able to openly discuss, embrace, and be proud of their cultural and ethnic backgrounds. So, best practice #1: Don’t be colorblind. In fact, when companies downplay demographic differences, this actually just increases underrepresented employees’ perception of bias from their white colleagues and reduces engagement in their work. Race in the workplace can be a touchy subject, and many organizations try to be “colorblind” in a misguided attempt at establishing equality. Woodson Celebrating Black History Month in the workplace best practices “Let truth destroy the dividing prejudice of nationality and teach universal love without distinction of race, merit or rank.” –Carter G. Thus, celebrating Black History Month in the workplace is an excellent way to achieve that goal. Recognizing and celebrating employees’ racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds can be effective in building psychological safety and employee engagement. This attitude persists despite the efforts of diversity initiatives.Īs HR professionals, it’s up to us to set the standard of how to eradicate discrimination and bias-conscious and unconscious-and, in the process, encourage the inclusion of all employees. So, how does this relate to the workplace? There’s a plethora of research that covers the racism, discrimination, and unfair treatment that Black employees face. Woodson also hoped that the time would come when Black History Month would be unnecessary. “Since its inception, Black History Month has never been just a celebration of black America’s achievements and stories-it’s part of a deliberate political strategy to be recognized as equal citizens.” – Dr. Woodson believed deeply that equality was only possible with the acknowledgment and understanding of a race’s history, and dedicated his life to the study of African American historical research. Woodson-now appropriately recognized as the “ father of black history”-lobbied vigorously for the national recognition of Black stories and perspectives. Author, journalist, and historian Carter G. Need help getting your leadership team on board? Why do we celebrate Black History Month?īlack History Month actually started as Negro History Week in 1917. There’s so much positivity that can be celebrated in that short period of time!Īs President Gerald Ford said in 1976 when he officially recognized Black History Month, we need to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” This is a total bummer and a lost opportunity! It also doesn’t help that February is a short month.īut let’s not dwell on the negative. But as we get older, mandated education and celebration of African American history gets less common. How many of you had a dedicated African American history unit in February-Black History Month-as part of your high school curriculum?įor those in the United States, it’s fairly common for schools to recognize Black History Month.
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