7 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month
Black History Month is celebrated every February through museum exhibits, film screenings, and history lessons in public schools. But what about at the workplace?
While we should always recognize the achievements of the black community all year round, it’s important to use this special time as an opportunity to educate and emphasize inclusion so that every employee feels appreciated, cared for, and represented.
Leading with empathy and enacting diversity and inclusion practices foster an inspiring work environment. This results in higher employee engagement, which is great for the bottom line. If you’re looking for meaningful ways to celebrate Black History Month this year, here are 7 noteworthy ideas and activities to consider.
1. Create a Playlist for Black History Month
Our music wouldn’t be what it is today without black artists and influences. Artists like Chuck Berry, Jimmy Hendrix, Aretha Franklin, and Beyoncé are just some of the many that have shaped our culture to be as vibrant as it is today.
Creating a playlist is a fun and engaging way to celebrate Black History Month with your team. You can even make it interactive by asking each employee to share their favorite song. Once you’ve gathered their responses, make a Spotify playlist containing all their picks. As soon as you know it, the entire office will have a good time jamming to their favorite black artists.
2. Order Lunch From a Black-Owned Restaurant
Treating your employees to lunch from a black-owned restaurant is an excellent way to show appreciation while supporting your local community. It’ll introduce them to a cool new spot to eat and inspire them to carry on these practices in their own life.
If you’re hybrid or remote, you can always order delivery, send everyone a gift card, or bring the team together and have Happied plan an event inspired by Black History Month. We’ll plan anything from happy hour at a local restaurant to a multi-day retreat anywhere in the world — all while supporting black-owned businesses.
3. Book a Virtual Tour at Your Local Black History Museum
Virtual museum tours were all the rage during the pandemic. This Black History Month, book a virtual tour at your local black history museum. It’ll be like a fun field trip where your employees can learn about the valuable history of African Americans throughout the U.S.
The AAAM (Association of African American Museums) and Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture offer plenty of virtual tours and lectures for your team to enjoy. After the tour, you could encourage an open discussion where everyone can chat about something new they’ve learned.
4. Organize a Virtual Book Club
Black History Month is a month-long, which is the perfect amount of time to dive into a good book. Whether fiction or nonfiction, reading books by black authors is one of the most meaningful ways to amplify black voices. Even better if you can keep the book club going for the rest of the year!
After finishing each book, you and your team will discuss the overarching themes, things you’ve learned, and moments that stuck out to you. There are so many inspirational books by black authors out there. If you need a few suggestions, here’s a list of noteworthy options:
Nonfiction
The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander
Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine
Fiction
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
The Trees by Percival Everett
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neal Hurston
5. Volunteer at a Local Nonprofit
Volunteering with black-led nonprofits and charities is a great way to give back to the community. It also gives you and your team members a chance to bond through a transformative experience helping those in need.
Companies can provide a lot of helping hands to a project, making the results after a hard day's work all the more powerful! You can also develop corporate sponsorships by setting up internships or recruiting programs that foster long-lasting relationships with local organizations. If you want to go the national route, Black Girls CODE, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, and the National Society of Black Engineers are excellent black-led organizations to get you started.
6. Send Out Gift Bags From Black Owned Businesses
Everyone loves a gift bag! So why not kick off Black History Month by rewarding your employees with a goody bag of unique gifts bought from local black businesses? They’ll appreciate the gesture and maybe even feel encouraged to support more small businesses themselves!
To start, research the black-owned businesses local to your area, then make a list of the products and items you’d like to include in your gift bag. You can include coffee mugs, snacks, self-care products, stationery, gift cards, etc. You know your employees best, so personalize it however you’d like!
7. Carrying the Torch of Diversity and Inclusion
Black History Month is a special time of year to pay tribute to the generations of African Americans who suffered and triumphed through adversity. It’s not only an excellent opportunity to encourage your employees to raise awareness and amplify black voices, but to show their workplace really champions diversity and inclusion.
ERG (Employee Resource Group) events are one of the most powerful ways to build community at your company and empower your team to thrive and feel valued. At Happied, we create culturally relevant events that help foster diversity and inclusion through Happied planned ERG events for all ERG celebrations! From ideation to logistics to execution, we’re here to make your life easier and your events better.
