Black History Month 2023
Thursday, 28 September 2023
Black History Month takes place every October in the UK and focuses on the contributions that black people have made to society worldwide. Each year, Black History Month has a different theme to focus on throughout the month and this year’s theme is Celebrating our Sisters / Saluting our Sisters / Matriarchs of Movements #WEMATTER. This emphasises the vital role black women have played in shaping history, inspiring change, and building communities. Black women have been at the heart of social justice movements throughout history, courageously battling oppression and advocating for change (Black History Month 2023 - Black History Month 2023).
Businesses celebrate and acknowledge other events such as International Women's Day, Pride Month and Mental Health Week, so it makes sense to also include Black History Month. This continues the dialogue around race, identity and equality in the workplace. Indeed, Baroness McGregor-Smith’s review into race in the workplace highlight some of the challenges we still face such as the employment rate for ethnic minorities was only 62.8% compared with an employment rate for white workers of 75.6% – a gap of over 12 percentage points. Furthermore, two thirds of BME individuals who responded to the call for evidence reported that they had experienced racial harassment or bullying in the workplace in the last five years. In the 2023 update of Sir John Parker’s review on Improving the Ethnic Diversity of UK Business, reveals progress with ethnic minority directors sitting on boards and as of December 2022, the FTSE 100 had 96 companies with at least one ethnic minority director; this contrasts with 47 in 2016. Furthermore, in the FTSE 250, the number of companies with ethnic minority directors continues to grow, reaching at least 60% at the end of 2022.
There are many meaningful ways to celebrate Black History Month at work from virtual events and workshops to booking influential speakers and fundraising in order to raise awareness and educate within your organisation. Below are some of the ways to mark this event and have a lasting impact on improving diversity and inclusion in the workplace:
Evaluate and develop workforce policies and strategies - address racial inequalities at work, using the six guiding principles to help inform your strategy (Developing an anti-racism strategy | CIPD). Explore whether policies and practices are underpinned by principles that actively celebrate and encourage difference.
Use Inclusion Health Checker - this tool developed by CIPD provides tailored recommendations outlining the actions to improve inclusion in your organisation.
Identify levels of ethnic diversity using HR data - use this benchmark to explore any structural and cultural barriers that are maintaining workplace inequalities.
Prepare for ethnicity pay gap reporting - report this information voluntarily, using the relevant guidance from The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and the CIPD.
Review recruitment practices to eliminate bias and discrimination - assess whether images and language used in recruitment materials are inclusive and carry out recruitment monitoring to analyse the number of ethnic minorities applying for each role, success rates and any occupational segregation.
Raise money/volunteer for good causes - help local charities to support the Black community in your area, and improve resources for black-owned businesses. UK charities raising money for black communities include:
Arrange a talk, interactive workshop or panel discussion – by organising a facilitator or external speaker, employees can hear about thought-provoking topics. For inspiration, take a look at these profiles: 12 best racial equality speakers.
Black History Month is a time for reflection and positive change. It presents an opportunity for learning and action, however the dedication required to tackle racism and inequality in the work place and society as a whole should be permanent and all year round.
Lizzy Turek
Client Research Associate
