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Currently, many of us are reflecting on the contributions of Black people in this wonderful month of February. Every year we see organizations struggling to achieve the most impactful messaging and consistent action. I would like to present some ways that companies can celebrate the achievements and talent of Black people in an inclusive way without the dull inclusion training and daunting Black employee highlights.
Support Black Businesses
Access to capital is one of the largest impediments in Black business. Here’s where your organization could help:
- Collaborate with Black-owned applications, markets, restaurants and service providers to provide coupon codes for services from Black-owned businesses. (Everyone could use a massage and facial.)
- Collaborate with HBCUs to provide training and virtual speaking engagements presented by Black experts within your organization and provide opportunities for internship recruitment.
- Update your product offering or marketing strategies to campaigns that highlight Black achievements and/or work towards eliminating biases in algorithms or legislation.
Advocacy Through Your Business
Please stop asking (and indirectly forcing) your Black employees to stand on a soapbox and share their stories. Nobody wants to feel tokenized. Instead, you can consider the following alternatives:
- Analyze what the leadership on your C and D suite level looks like and create a strategic recruiting plan so that diverse candidates can be interviewed fairly, and existing employees can realistically seek upward mobility.
- Adjust your organizational scope to include local recruiting efforts to target diverse candidates.
- Research programs that offer education and business grants and resources for Black students, veterans and/or youth, and prioritize philanthropic collaboration and partner with these groups (B2B).
- Seek clients that align with your organizational ethics and support missions that target underserved communities and/or emerging populations.
As companies continue to honor the contributions of the wonderfully melanated in the wonderful month of February, they should work towards budget-friendly tactics to extend the honor year-round. Allow opportunities for open and free speech, embrace the differences of your employees, stay away from color blinding and remember, Black people are multifaceted. (We like nitro cold brews and yoga too.)
