Black History Month celebrates and recognizes the achievements and contributions of notable Black figures throughout history. It also highlights the profound influence of Black culture on all aspects of society, from music to science, to literature and the arts. It’s this recognition of a people and a culture that seeks to transcend the racist and imperial formations of the United States. It’s a reminder that the level of reverence shown during this month is something that needs to be consistent the entire year. It’s a call to action for society to continue to honor the historical journey, while also continuing to create pathways of equity and social justice for generations to come. 

In the workplace, it’s important to take this opportunity to celebrate Black employees and reflect on the way that you recognize and support their identities at work. Organizations can go beyond baseline communications about Black History Month and offer programming that both recognizes Black employees and provides education for all employees – setting the stage for recognizing Black people and their culture throughout the year.

Here at Headspace, we’re offering a few different moments for celebration and education, including:

• Black History Month Bingo: This virtual Bingo game explores Black people’s influence on music, medical sciences, English language and more, offering an exclusive prize for the BINGO winner.
  
• Racial Trauma and Healthcare Disparities Workshop: In this session, we have contracted with an external speaker who will explore the profound impact of racial trauma on individuals and communities, shedding light on the intersection of systemic racism and healthcare disparities.
  
• Black Women’s Mental Health in The Workplace: This discussion on Black Women’s mental health in the workplace focuses on topics of code switching, health equity, cognitive load, and overall well being. We will be hearing from a panel of Women from some of our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).
  
• Donation matching: Our team highlighted seven Black community-focused non-profits and connected employees to places where they could donate, with Headspace matching some donations.

As your organization thinks about ways to engage all employees in Black History Month celebrations and learnings, it’s helpful to keep a few things in mind to create an authentic, meaningful experience:

1. Celebrate Black history and the accomplishments of Black people throughout the year.
   Use Black History Month as a jumping-off point for the planning of year-round initiatives to celebrate Black people. Creating regular moments of recognition and education can help your teams feel more supported and included.
2. Create initiatives that support Black speakers and compensate them for their time.
   Recognize that the act of speaking and educating audiences is not without work and expertise. It’s important to compensate speakers and thought leaders accordingly for the work they do for your organization in educating teams.
3. Educate teams on allyship and the importance of team celebrations around heritage months.
   Black History Month is a great opportunity to educate all employees, regardless of their identity, on Black history and the accomplishments of Black people. It’s also a great time to share how other employees can be allies to their Black teammates in their everyday work – with the goal of fostering a more connected, equitable, inclusive workplace.
   
4. Ensure that initiatives are engaging and authentic to your organization and employee population.
   Not all celebrations will be right for your organization in particular. Consider your employee base and the types of events that would be the most engaging and authentic for your population. Personalizing your plans to your teams, rather than generalizing, can help ensure that employees feel comfortable participating and engaging – creating opportunities for education and deeper workplace connections.

Interested in learning about how Headspace can help you support employees' mental health – and create healthier workplace cultures for all team members? Contact us here.

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