- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Black History Month: Educate, Amplify, Act
- The Resources Group, Inc.
With Black History Month ending, we wanted to recap what we’ve shared throughout the month. With a growing focus on Black activists, systemic injustice, and the actions needed to rebalance the scales of justice, TRG is focusing on three ways we can honor Black communities this month and beyond: Educate, Amplify, Act.
Key Points
Educate
- Move education beyond trauma and explore stories of liberation, civic engagement, creativity, and intersecting identities in the Black community
- Learn about how Black communities have been and continue to be disproportionately impacted by systems of injustice
- Get informed about anti-racism and allyship
Amplify
- Prioritize the needs of the person you want to amplify
- Invite Black creators to be contributing writers, offer proper compensation, share content, and redirect audiences to platforms
- Utilize social media for good by following, liking, and sharing community activists
Act
- Support Black-owned businesses
- Donate to anti-racist causes and organizations
- Sign petitions to make your voice heard and hold Congress accountable
Below is how we all can participate for a more diverse and inclusive world.
Education has been a cornerstone of Black History Month since its inception, but how and what education looks like continues to evolve. Today, Black History Month education should celebrate the fullness of the Black experience. When thinking about where to start, consider the following principles:
- Move education beyond trauma and explore stories of liberation, civic engagement, creativity, and intersecting identities in the Black community.
- Learn about how Black communities have been and continue to be disproportionately impacted by systems of injustice.
- Get informed about anti-racism and allyship.
And, if your approach to education only includes one-way information sharing, that’s only part of it. Broadening perspectives through dialogues with those like us and those different from us helps us see each other more fully and internalize what we are learning in new and meaningful ways.
Here are some great places to start or continue your journey of knowledge:
Amplifying Black voices is about intentionality. Today it’s easier than ever to gather talking points and rallying cries, copy hashtags, or share memes and videos on social media. But none of that amounts to amplification unless you’ve intentionally prioritized the needs of the person you wish to amplify. Consider the following tips when setting out to amplify Black voices:
- Prioritize the needs of the person you want to amplify. Take the time to learn and understand their needs through education or dialogue.
- Invite Black creators to be contributing writers, offer proper compensation, share content, and redirect audiences to platforms
- Support Black-owned businesses. Use Color of Change’s “Black Business Green Book” directory to make it easier for you to know where to put your money.
- Utilize social media for good by following, liking, and sharing these important activists on the ground doing impressive work for their communities:
As with our Black History Month Amplify post last week, social media is a great way to show your support and intentionality. However, to avoid virtue signaling, it’s critical to show your support through actions. The bottom line: What you do is way more impactful than what you say or post.
If you’re looking for ways to act during this month and beyond, here are some resources:
- Support Black-owned businesses.
- Volunteer at local, Black-led organizations. We suggest finding something local in your community, but you can volunteer through some national originations such as Black Girls CODE, National Society of Black Engineers, and My Brother’s Keeper Alliance
- Donate to organizations like The Sentencing Project, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and the NAACP Defense and Educational Fund.
In addition, here are some questions to think of in your everyday life:
- How diverse is your social circle? Your workplace? Your neighborhood
- How diverse are your social media feeds? Do you follow a wide spread of opinions and thought leaders? Or do you stay in a homogeneous bubble?
- If you are inside an organization, how are you investing in the ideas that come from Black employees?
- As an ally, have you experienced discomfort? How can you find opportunities to move outside your comfort zone?
- As an organization, how do your public statements compare to your internal practices?
