Staring at the spread of dishes on the table, I inwardly cringed.
There were pizzas, sandwiches and a sea of Indian plates on offer but nothing appealed, though not for the reason you may assume.
For a buffet that was supposed to be celebrating the cultural heritage of Black people, it seemed (to me, at least) to have woefully missed the mark.
It was some years ago and the only other person of colour, a British-Indian woman more senior than myself, was tasked with leading on Black History Month (BHM).
She had planned a staff event around food, encouraging everyone to bring in dishes from their cultural backgrounds. The only vaguely ‘Black’ plate was a Nigerian dish one white woman had made using an online recipe.
They both clearly had good intentions but I failed to see what any of it had to do with celebrating my cultural heritage. In fact, it was highly problematic for various reasons.
While Black History Month is specifically meant to celebrate the contributions of Black communities, organisations often fall short in recognising the unique experiences and contributions of Black people.
This extends beyond October (when BHM is held) of course, with organisations often missing out on opportunities to authentically celebrate and integrate diverse perspectives into their everyday practices and projects.
Black communities in the UK have very different experiences and socio-economic outcomes to other races. We face higher levels of unemployment, are more likely to have lower paid jobs, are less likely to be in managerial positions, more likely to be excluded from school and the list goes on.
So for once, it’s not about being inclusive. It is about focusing on Black people, and conflating all people of colour is a clear sign of an organisation that either does not understand the assignment or is being lazy.
I, like many of my friends with African and Caribbean heritage, hate using food to ‘teach’ or ‘share’ my culture. Each of us has experiences where we’ve felt like pariahs for sharing or simply eating our food at work or earlier in life at school.
Some have approached our food as though it’s otherworldly, asking awkward, rude or racist questions, either directly, subtly, or unconsciously.
Most importantly, there is a thin, arguably unrelated line between someone eating my jollof rice, and them reflecting on the experiences and contributions of Black people.
It’s all part of a wider problem.
In light of our supposedly collective racial awakening in 2020 as a result of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, companies and organisations have been scrambling to demonstrate their anti-racism and show they care about their Black employees.
Therefore, organisations often resort to symbolic gestures during designated months or occasions, such as Black History Month, International Women’s Day, or Pride Month, to appease their consciences and deflect potential criticism from employees and the public.
Instead of engaging in meaningful dialogue and taking concrete steps to address systemic inequities, workplaces (and the wider community) will often prioritise superficial and performative actions, events, and statements that lack genuine engagement.
As a Black woman working in the predominantly white charity sector, I know this all too well.
The following year after the meal, a manager, who was a white woman, was tasked with writing a blog to commemorate Black History Month.
Her first draft was vague, asking colleagues to reflect on how they could listen more to Black people around them. She discussed what our organisation was doing to combat racism; having a non-tolerance policy to racism, a HR department staff could lodge complaints to and having online training on diversity and inclusion for all managers.
She then asked me, a far more junior member of the team, to sense-check her work and, although it did involve me rewriting the article, she was very receptive to my feedback.
I acknowledged the contributions of Black members of staff and recommended specific resources, such as books, podcasts, and documentaries, that people could engage with to learn about the histories of Black-British people and the racism we face in this country.
The problem with Black History Month is that many organisations’ are more concerned with presenting themselves externally as anti-racist, rather than using the month as an opportunity to reflect on what they can do internally.
Institutional racism cannot be solved in a well-meaning blog or social media post, but we can start by looking closer to home at what we can be doing and what we have the power to change.
It’s about the everyday actions organisations can take throughout the year, not just on specific days or months.
Black History Month
October marks Black History Month, which reflects on the achievements, cultures and contributions of Black people in the UK and across the globe, as well as educating others about the diverse history of those from African and Caribbean descent.
For more information about the events and celebrations that are taking place this year, visit the official Black History Month website.
For instance, embracing diverse narratives: workplaces could actively seek out and amplify the voices of minority-ethnic colleagues, incorporating their perspectives into storytelling, marketing campaigns, and internal comms.
Another could be to promote inclusive leadership. This could be achieved by actively recruiting and supporting minority-ethnic staff for leadership positions.
By being less focused on external optics and more focused on engaging with their Black employees, we would feel more seen and valued.
Not only that but, when organisations make blunders by celebrating with food or token gestures, they reduce the complex and rich history of Black people to a stereotype. In some ways, it can make me feel like I am only here to tick a quota and value my race, not my skills or contributions. This can be especially alienating, who are already often marginalised in the workplace.
Even when no one is looking, it is important to put a lot more thought into approaching diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the year, not just during designated months or occasions.
Many of our workplaces could do a better job consistently demonstrating a real commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace that celebrates and respects the contributions of everyone.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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