Blog: "Black History Month is not a time for white employees

Maja Kosmowska, Researcher at Cadence Partners, on how white allies can contribute to Black History Month.

As laid out by the many informative blogs and articles already written, including one by our own Managing Partner (Shani Newbold), the theme for this year’s Black History Month is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’. Emphasising the importance of challenging dominant narratives as well as showcasing Black history and achievements, this year’s theme is a “movement to correct the inaccuracies, reclaim stolen legacies, and ensure that Black voices are heard and honoured”.

As a white person and colleague, it is not my place to contribute to Black History Month by writing about the Black experience or defining what Black History Month should mean to you, this can be read about via the plethora of thought-provoking content available on the internet and beyond. Instead, I seek to remind other white people that this month is not a time for us to sit back, hand over the reins to our Black colleagues and expect them to educate us and wider society on the issues of race and marginalisation. As said by Dr Nika White, “the weight of planning Black History Month is heavy and often falls on the shoulders of those who are most impacted”.

So how can white allies contribute to Black History Month? Firstly, educate yourself on the topic of Black History month, black culture and the problems faced by the community. From books, poetry, podcasts to hosted events, there are plenty of readily available forms of media at your fingertips for you to research. For book suggestions, I’d suggest the ‘Anti-Racist Reading List’. Secondly, consider whether you or your workplace have unduly placed the pressure of content creation and education during (or outside of) Black History Month on your Black peers, colleagues and friends. Then, try to re-distribute the burden through active contributions rather than passive engagement. While liking, sharing, reposting content and uplifting Black voices is an important way of showing solidarity, these acts should ideally be accompanied by more substantive anti-racist work. As discussed by Travis Albanza in 2019, it would be good for “non-black people [to] use the month as a time to interrogate their relationship with race, their complicity in the system, and how to be an agitator of it”.

If you are a senior leader in your organisation, Dr Nika White suggests getting feedback from your Black employees on what they would like to see during Black History Month, without burdening them with the act of executing those activities. The article also mentions contributing through becoming a partner or ally to a Black-owned business, investing in the development and growth of your Black employees, and working to create diversity in your company long-term. For more ways white employees can support Black co-workers, consider reading the article: “How Not to Pander During Black History Month” by Marie G-G.

Importantly, actively listen to feedback, remain open to critique and learning, don’t settle for performative activism and don’t limit your actions to just the month of October. In a survey conducted by HuffPost UK, it was suggested that “just 10% of Black women and 19% of Latinas said most of their strongest allies at work are white” compared to “Eighty-two percent of white men and 81 percent of white women see themselves as allies to colleagues of color at work”. The occurrence of racism, marginalisation, and discrimination are not confined to one month, so continue your education, involvement in local causes, and being open to critique, self-reflection and growth all year round.

The idea behind this post is not original. This message has been expressed before and will undoubtably be expressed again in the future. If you are interested in reading more about the sources that inspired and informed this post, please visit the links below.