Black History Month 2024

In the UK, Black History Month takes place every October 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. This year’s theme #ReclaimingNarratives which underscores a commitment to correcting historical inaccuracies and showcasing the untold success stories and the full complexity of Black heritage. It’s about taking control of our stories and honouring our heroes while challenging the narratives that have often overlooked the contributions and achievements of Black individuals both in the UK and globally (Black History Month 2024).

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. 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. The 2023 update of Sir John Parker’s review on Improving the Ethnic Diversity of UK Business, revealed 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 on their boards and FTSE 250, the number of companies with ethnic minority directors continues to grow, reaching at least 60% at the end of 2022. Ernst and Young Global Limited (EY) recently reported that FTSE 250 companies are making progress towards the December 2024 deadline of appointing at least one ethnic minority director, with 79% of responding companies meeting the target in 2023 and that there are now 12 ethnic minority CEOs in the FTSE 100, up from 7 in 2022 (Parker Review reveals good progress on ethnic diversity for FTSE 250 in 2023 | EY - UK).

There are many meaningful ways to celebrate Black History Month at work from virtual events and workshops to booking influential speakers and fundraising 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 conduct recruitment monitoring to analyse the number of ethnic minorities applying for each role, success rates and any occupational segregation.

Raise money/volunteer for worthy 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:

• Black Girls Camping Trip
• Stop Hate UK
• UK Black Pride
• Keash Salon Hardship Fund
• Crisis Funding for Inclusive Publishers
• Black Minds Matter
• Black Lives Matter UK
  

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.

Sign up to Race Equality Week - Race Equality Matters - an annual UK-wide movement held during the first week of February each year, Race Equality Week unites thousands of organisations in action to seriously address race inequality in the workplace.

Sign up and use this D&I & Belonging Survey Tool (by Race Equality Matters) - an impactful, simple and affordable solution, enabling you to focus on fixing the real issues that prevent race equality in your organisation.

Both Black History Month and Race Equality Week are a time for reflection and positive change, presenting opportunities for learning and action. However, the dedication required to tackle racism and inequality in the workplace and society should be permanent and all year round.

Lizzy Turek

Client Research Associate