How to host a virtual Black History Month celebration for your remote workforce

Black History Month (BHM) is a period to create awareness and learn about the contributions of Black Americans to our country. It is also an important time for companies to show their commitment to on diversity and inclusion and start conversations around this. However, organizing a celebration for this month-long event can be daunting considering the planning needed to make it a success.

Here are some practical strategies you can implement to host a virtual Black History Month celebration.

Consider multiple viewpoints

Since the goal of the event is to celebrate the contributions of all parts of the Black community, it’s important to consider the diversity of the community. They have different historical backgrounds, varying racial and ethnic identities, and nuanced economic, social, and demographic makeup. These cultural and sub-cultural differences should inform teams to decide on which activities to include and how to capture multiple perspectives.

Try to host multiple meaningful activities the entire month

BHM happens for the full month of February. So a one-time 30-minute Zoom workshop or a single social media post will not make much impact. There should be a month-long plan for meaningful activities where teams dedicate each week to one or more events. For example, teams could invite guests to speak on Black History for the first week, host virtual trivia the next week, and dedicate the last two weeks to supporting a Black-owned business. There’s no formula for how teams should alternate between different activities, but the end goal should be to provide variety and champion inclusivity at work.

Make it every team member’s business

Just because it’s Black History Month does not mean your Black employees should be the ones giving suggestions on what to do. This should be everyone’s business. Every team member should contribute to planning and choosing the activities to cover. Teams should try as much as possible not to ask or expect Black employees to choose the activities to organize or educate colleagues. This can sometimes seem imposing and could breed tension. Teams can, however, welcome the gesture if Black employees volunteer to help organize virtual activities.

Make room to review and reflect on your diversity and inclusion efforts

Besides the activities organized to commemorate the month, teams should set aside some time to review their efforts in championing diversity and inclusion. Some important areas to review, including employee compensation, conditions of service, and training opportunities, just to mention a few. The purpose of this exercise is to identify the existence of any inequality and to start discussions on how to solve them. It also offers an avenue for teams to explore various ways of championing diversity and inclusion in their hiring, pay, and management policies.

Whatever activity you have planned to do during Black History Month, it should be treated with seriousness and careful planning. It may look like just a few small virtual events, but you’ll be surprised at how these little efforts can make an impact. Even after Black History Month is over for the year, teams should endeavor to continue supporting not just Black communities, but every minority group around them.  They should also take diversity, inclusion, and equity into their company-wide policies.