CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH IN THE WORKPLACE
- Melissa Dailey-Newman, Leawood Chamber of Commerce DEI Committee Chair
Attention to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) at companies across all industries has grown in recent years. An estimated $15.4 billion (about $47 per person in the US) is to be spent on DE&I-related initiatives by 2026, almost double the $7.5 billion spent in 2020. (Global Parity Alliance). To encourage the inclusion of all employees and eliminate bias (conscious and unconscious), here are a few resources that provide best practices within the workplace and additional Black History Month information to share across your organizations.
WHAT IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH? Every February we celebrate the contributions, achievements, history, and culture of African Americans as part of Black History Month. Originally a weeklong celebration planned to correlate with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass (February 12th and 14th), what was known as “Negro History Week” grew over time into today’s Black History Month.
WHAT IS THE THEME FOR 2024? Since 1976, each American president has designated February as Black History Month and endorsed a specific theme. The Black History Month 2024 theme is “African Americans and the Arts. This year celebrates the key influence African Americans have had in the fields of visual and performing arts, literature, fashion, folklore, film, music, culinary and other forms of cultural expression.
RESOURCES AND TOOLS THAT PROMOTE DE&I BEST PRACTICES IN THE WORKPLACE:
Paycor Perspectives Resource Center
