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Black History Month encourages Americans to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of African Americans past and present. Celebrating Black History Month at work is an excellent way to promote diversity and inclusion while showing your support to employees and customers of color. Creating purposeful ways to educate your employees about the significance of Black History Month emphasizes the importance of recognizing the dynamic contributions of all people to society. Learn how to celebrate Black History Month at work in a worthwhile way.
Here are eight celebration ideas for Black History Month at work. Try one or more of these to honor the holiday:
One of the best corporate ideas for Black History Month is creating an employee resource group that will continue operating beyond February. An employee resource group is an employee-led group that offers support and education about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) on a voluntary basis. Aside from providing important education to employees who might not be familiar with DEI, these groups also provide a safe space for employees of color to voice concerns and frustrations.
When creating an employee resource group during Black History Month, questions for employees are key to develop and include, as this will help you gauge the current level of understanding among the team. For example, you might ask your team why it’s important to celebrate Black History Month and how they currently work toward equity and inclusivity in the workplace.
One of the largest aims of Black History Month is to uplift and amplify Black voices and recognize the achievements and successes of Black people to promote an overarching environment of inclusion and support. A great way to do this is to invite a guest speaker to give a talk and Q&A session. Find an informed speaker who can share their experiences and insight about Black History Month and how to keep encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the year.
You can also use employee recognition platforms to amplify messages of diversity, equity, and inclusion during Black History Month. Whether high-level employees give praise regularly throughout the month or everyone is encouraged to share initiatives and activities, this can be a great way to provide recognition to Black employees, promote celebrations for the month, and build strong work relationships rooted in inclusion.
A company-wide book club is another effective way to celebrate Black History Month at work, as it encourages everyone to participate and learn more about Black history. You can cover almost anything in this book club while focusing on Black authors, from works of fiction to essay collections and theory. After each book, host a discussion where employees can talk about what they’ve learned.
“One of the largest aims of Black History Month is to uplift and amplify Black voices and recognize the achievements and successes of Black people to promote an overarching environment of inclusion and support.”
As an effective way to build equity for the Black business owners in your community, promote Black-owned businesses and support them however you can. For example, you might hire catering from a Black caterer, host a market with local artisans, or invite a local musician to play at your event.
Amplifying Black voices doesn’t have to happen just in your workplace. Instead, create a social media campaign that you can post throughout the month on your company accounts. This might include posts that promote Black content creators, advertise Black businesses, or share Black history resources.
A key aspect of celebrating Black History Month is giving back to the community. This is why donating to organizations that support Black communities and inclusive initiatives is the perfect way to honor Black History Month in the workplace. Organize a company-wide donation, or provide a list of organizations and encourage employees to donate on their own.
While implementing Black History Month office ideas, it’s important to be inclusive of everyone in the workplace. This means encouraging all members of a workplace to take part in events, whether they’re in-person activities or things they can do remotely, such as donating and sharing social media posts. It’s especially important to refrain from putting all the responsibility of coming up with ideas and planning events on Black employees. This works against DEI efforts by asking these employees to complete extra work and put in more effort than their co-workers.
These are just a few Black History Month office ideas you can try. Black History Month provides an excellent opportunity to unite your team members and celebrate the accomplishments of Black individuals. During Black History Month, communication with employees is key. Discussing the importance of the month can encourage people to participate in scheduled activities and celebrate their Black co-workers respectfully and enthusiastically. It can also help your business become a nurturing and inclusive workplace where all individuals can thrive and develop professionally. Try these ideas and sign up for email alerts from CareerBuilder for more information about open roles.
CareerBuilder is dedicated to honoring and celebrating the achievements of Black Americans throughout history. The 2024 theme, “African Americans and the Arts,” explores the creativity, resilience and innovation of a culture that has uplifted spirits and soothed souls in countless ways across centuries. Our builders have curated a list of some resources to help support and learn more about Black History Month:
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