Program Success 3 Black HIstory 2023
As we enter another Black History Month ( BHM ), I am once again contacted by organizations looking for a DEI keynote speaker … a Black DEI keynote speaker to add to their BHM events . Despite my availability year-round , my calendar does get a bit busier in the shortest month of the year . I often remind my audience Negro History Week and later BHM was created to teach young people about the contributions of Blacks to U . S . history . These accomplishments were often relegated to a subscript about slavery and Abraham Lincoln . BHM ’ s purview has evolved to highlighting and celebrating people and events which have contributed to the soul of our country through various contributions and at times culturechanging activism .
I self-identify as a DEI practitioner of color . I make clear this designation regarding my color because I ’ m clearly aware of the fact my race creates an expectation in some employees that I do my role with a bias . In fact , after one of my workshops a white male admitted to me , “ when you walked into the room , I said to myself sarcastically , ‘ Oh big surprise , the D & I facilitator is a Black guy . However , I must admit this was the best class I ever attended at this company ’.” As a DEI leader you must be all things to all people across the company . And the reality of the situation is all humans instinctively expend more energy to those situations we have a powerful connection to … and for me it is BHM .
Carter G . Woodson , author , historian and considered the father of Black History Month ; believed , “… every man has two educators : ‘ that which is given to him , and the other that which he gives himself . Of the two kinds , the latter is by far the more desirable . What we are merely taught seldom nourishes the mind like that which we teach ourselves .”
And as the DEI Leader , I often get questions such as , “ Do we still need a BHM ?”, “ How does giving bandwidth to employees developing and implementing an event ( during company time ) benefit the bottom line ?”, “ Why is my DEI office holding an event that is exclusive to one demographic in our organization ?” My responses vary , but they all carry the following components :
1 . Because Black history has not been as in depth of a study as it should be in our education system , many employees ( of all races including Black employees ) have misinformation or a complete lack of knowledge of Black accomplishments .
2 . The history of the struggles of Black people in this country for civil and human rights has been the template for a plethora of revolutionary efforts ( i . e ., women ’ s rights , immigration status , Gay Pride .)
3 . Biases are built by misinformation . These biases and prejudices negatively impact the Black experience in corporate America .
4 . Systems , organizational cultures , company values have been built for some organizations a century or even a few decades ago under the guidance of discriminatory principles that were thought appropriate because of the subordination of Black employees .
5 . Understanding the history and heritage of your Black co-workers deepens relationships and improves team dynamics .
6 . Employees are grateful when you uplift their culture competence ( most of them are ). And when we highlight the culture of certain affinities in our organizations , these employees have a new sense of connection to the soul of the company , more likely to stay with the company , and brand their company as caring and progressive to their community .
Consequently , when nothing is done the company is branded as conservative , reactionary , antiquated , tone deaf .
see BLACK HISTORY / CORPORATE AMERICA page 30