Black Inclusion Week

What is Black Inclusion Week?

Black Inclusion Week is an opportunity for organisations to show its commitment to Black Inclusion and work towards creating an anti-racist culture. Black Inclusion Week 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 is Black Inclusion Week?

This year Black Inclusion Week will be taking place Monday 13^th – Sunday 19^th May.

Why is there a Black Inclusion Week?

Black Inclusion Week 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 Black Inclusion Week 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.

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.”

Ruth-Anne Eghan,  Inclusion & Diversity Consultant

Black Inclusion Week facts you should know

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

• Black Inclusion Week started in May 2021
• In 2022 Black Inclusion Week 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.
• Black Inclusion Week is organised by a small group of volunteers.

How to celebrate Black Inclusion Week in the workplace

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

• Amplify 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.
• Create anti-racist workplaces with the Inclusive Employers anti-racism toolkit.
• Read and share our blog on building anti-racist policies and processes for your organisation.
• 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.

Contact your account manager if you’re a member and need more support with celebrating Black Inclusion Week. If you’re not yet a member, get in touch today to see how we can help.