Black History Month

Black History Month comes around every February in the United States and Canada. While we should celebrate the achievement of the black community year-round, this dedicated time marks a special moment in which historical lessons and events focus on the greatness of the African-American community. With diversity, empathy, and inclusion (DEI) becoming more and more mainstream in the workplace, celebrating Black History to the fullest is understood to be a must. Every employee needs to know they are appreciated, seen, cared about, listened to, and represented.

What is Black History Month?

Black History Month was unofficially started in 1915, 50 years after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That year, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH) was founded to research and promote the achievement of Black Americans and other people of African descent.

Fast-forward to 1926, the second week of February — which coincides with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass — the ASALH launched national Negro History Week. Over time, this week evolved into what we know today as Black History Month.

While Black History can be celebrated throughout the year, we’ve carefully curated a list of 9 creative Black History Month ideas for work. Is your team is hybrid or fully remote? We have you covered:

Virtual Ways To Celebrate Black History Month

1. Virtual Tour of The National Museum of African American History and Culture – Dive into the richness and diversity of the African American experience and how it shaped the USA. Starting from the history of slavery, moving through 70s & 80s pop culture, and ending with current Black artists.

2. History of Black Art – Trace the legacies of artists from the Harlem Renaissance, and learn how contemporary artists have used their work to explore ideas about identity.

3. The Music of Changemaker – Celebrate the journey of Black artists and their impact on American music, starting from the Fisk Jubilee Singers to ceiling-breaking artists of today.

4. Black History Trivia – From Spike Lee to Juneteenth to Destiny’s Child, test your knowledge about important moments and figures in Black history.

Without further ado, check out these DEI and HR expert-approved ideas to promote inclusivity in the workplace and reinforce it in your company culture!

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Ways To Celebrate Black History Month at Work

1) Stock Your Kitchen with Black-Founded Snack Brands

What’s a better way to celebrate Black History Month than filling the office snack station and serving up some of the best black-founded snack brands? The Amplify snack box features delicious, authentic, and unique treats from black-owned brands.

2) Encourage Employees To Learn About Black History In Your Area

Show your team the many contributions that black people have made to America, and encourage them to learn more. This can easily be done with the Black Excellence game. This engaging and informative quiz game will test employees’ knowledge of everything from important figures to pop culture moments. With tons of questions, you’ll have hours of fun learning all about the rich heritage that black people bring into this world, so put on your thinking cap for some Black Excellence!”

3) Support Black Founded Businesses In Your Community

What better way to show your support for black excellence and entrepreneurship than by shopping at black-owned businesses? By supporting these locally-owned shops, you will be making an impact on others’ lives as well and acknowledging the power of diversity in your community!

How to get started: Support Black-Owned Businesses in your area by using the Shop Black Owned tool to locate new spots in your community

4) Donate Time and Be A Mentor

Donating your time as a mentor is a perfect Black History Month idea for work. Seek out a young person or get involved in an organization to start mentoring. Open up the opportunity to become a mentor to the company. Let your coworkers or employees know as you find good organizations with strong track records to get involved with.

5) Start A Book Club

Reading has been proven again and again to make people more empathetic. It can be easier to understand and digest real-world issues through the lens of fiction and non-fiction because we view them from a less defensive and biased perspective. Starting a book club is a solid way to build up empathy in the workplace towards black employees and to learn more about African-American history.

How to get started: Check out 10 Must-Read Books for Black History Month to find the right book for your organization

6) Contribute To A Black Philanthropy

Celebrate Black History Month by contributing to an organization or nonprofit that helps the black community. If you’re short on the time it takes to mentor, this is an excellent way to better the world for African-Americans without a huge time commitment.

How to get started: Charity Navigator can help you learn more about picking the right cause

7) Support Black Art And Artists

Natural Woman II – Andrew Nichols

In several creative industries (such as book publishing, for example), black artists are vastly outnumbered. Celebrate Black History Month by purchasing the works of black artists. This helps balance out underrepresentation one purchase at a time.

How to get started: There are a ton of free online art galleries to access — you can start with one like Black Art Depot