2 Commitments Leaders Can Make This Black History Month

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in US history. The month also represents an important opportunity for us to seek out new sources and perspectives to learn about Black history. Parallel to this learning, we can commit to an ongoing personal and professional journey of empathy and change to help advance racial equity and ensure a more inclusive future.

To support you on your leadership journey this February, and all year, check out these resources to deepen your learning.

1. Commit to Learn: What will you commit to learning about Black history as part of your ongoing leadership journey?

• Learn more about this year’s theme for Black History Month, Resistance, which focuses on how Black Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, from America’s earliest days into the 21st century. Watch this video from The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) and consider ways you can join the movement for racial equity in the world and at work.
• Celebrate changemakers and tell the untold stories of Black history at home. Explore Black Is…2023: 75 Books for Children, Teens, & Adults from the Boston Public Library for book recommendations across genres and ages. The BPL’s list includes How We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson, as well as books by other noted authors. NMAAHC also hosts free, online events including the celebration of Black children’s movies and TV characters. Check out NMAAHC Kids Learning Together: Celebrating Frozone! on February 10, and watch the recording of previously livestreamed NMAAHC Kids Learning Together: Celebrating Encanto’s Antonio! Find additional offerings all month long here.
• Follow NPR’s Black History Month updates for playlists, stories, conversations and other special events that honor the role of Black people in history and in our society and culture.

2. Commit to Empathy and Change: What role will you play today to ensure a more inclusive tomorrow?

• Learn more about how all leaders, especially HR professionals, can take action to create a more inclusive workplace in Advancing Racial Equity in the Workplace and 3 Strategies to Help Women of Color Navigate Biases at Work. Learn how Kelisha B. Graves, educator, author, speaker and educational impact strategist who serves as the chief research, education and programs officer at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, believes employers can help Black workers overcome systemic barriers by embracing DE&I.
• Create a thoughtful plan for recognizing Black History Month at your organization. As you support this important month, consider these common mistakes that organizations make when developing their programming. Tactics you should avoid include expecting free speaking or expertise from thought leaders and placing the burden on your employees to develop and host programming themselves. And, learn from how other organizations are recognizing this month, which includes honoring Black history and maintaining a sustained commitment to anti-racism in the workplace.
• Understand how systemic disparities in hiring and other unfair workplace practices have historically affected millions of workers, particularly Black workers. Join SHRM and thousands of organizations in the Together Forward @Work initiative to address workplace inequities and to push for significant change in the world of work and society. SHRM’s platform includes original research detailing the high cost of racial inequity, tangible tools to bring about measurable change in the workplace, and thought-provoking reports and recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Racial Equity.