Black Inclusion Week

What is the week about?

Black Inclusion Week is an opportunity for organisations to show its commitment to Black Inclusion and work towards creating an anti-racist culture. The event hopes to achieve this by:

1. Amplifying the voices of Black people across the UK by celebrating their achievements and contributions to the UK
2. Encouraging everyone to participate
3. Empowering and facilitating action towards Black Inclusion through education and awareness raising

When does the week take place?

This year Black Inclusion Week will be taking place Monday 12th to Sunday 18th May 2025.

Why was this event started?

It was launched by Black Leaders, a community of Black professionals and allies who want to make positive and sustainable change.

Black Leaders CEO and Founder Paul Sesay said this campaign will not only celebrate Black people, but also be a reminder of the importance of “embedding a fair and just society for all.” He also hopes the week will address the inequalities and systemic barriers for Black people across all aspects of society.

Aggie Mutuma, Black Leaders’ Steering Group Lead and Inclusion Expert, also added: “There is a desire to understand, learn and change in so many ways. We can facilitate this through Black Inclusion Week, thus encouraging learning, reflection and actions towards inclusion to be taken.”

Action does indeed need to be taken because:

• Black people are the most likely to have witnessed a racist incident at work, according to the Racism at Work in the UK (2021) report.
• 41% of Black and minority workers in the UK are suffering racism on the job.
• Two thirds of Black employees experienced racism in the workplace in 2021.
• In the Black women’s experience of sexual harassment in the workplace 2024 report, 73% of respondents said that they had been bullied or harassed, with 53% reporting that they had been subject to racist remarks or racist comments made in their presence.

To protect the wellbeing of our Black colleagues and retain Black talent, it is important that organisations directly address anti-black racism and create anti-racist work cultures.

From the expert …

“Black Inclusion Week is an important week to commemorate, understand, listen, and learn. It’s a week where everyone can take part in becoming better and understanding the Black community and the many nuances within it.

We still have a long way to go in achieving racial equity in various sectors and society as a whole, black people are still experiencing racism and it’s the responsibility of everyone no matter what position you find yourself in an organisation, to speak up. Black Inclusion Week should be extremely important to senior leads with the power and privilege to make a difference in racial equity.”

Senior Inclusion & Diversity Consultant, Ruth-Anne Eghan

Facts you should know

Here are a few quick Black Inclusion Week facts to know:

• It started in May 2021
• In 2022 the event organised a campaign called #MyBlackHero to amplify black voices. There is a gallery on their website showing who people picked to be their Black Hero.
• This campaign is organised by a small group of volunteers.

How to celebrate this event in the workplace

There are numerous ways to commemorate Black Inclusion Week at work, including:

• Amplifying the voices of your Black colleagues – this can be done by inviting them to speak at events, writing blogs sharing their perspectives, or making it easier for everyone to speak at meetings.
• Read and share our blog on how to show solidarity to Black women in the workplace.
• Listen to and share our podcast discussing anti-racism in the UK.
• Use the bitesize inclusion toolkit to facilitate conversations about Black inclusion and race.

Next steps for Black Inclusion

If you would like support reviewing policies, putting best practice into action or book anti-racism training to make sure your Black Inclusion Week activities have impact every day of the year, please complete the form below and a member of our team will contact you: