Honoring Black History Month in the Workplace

Black History Month is dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the legacy of the African American community — in and outside of the workplace. Fun fact: February was chosen for black history month because it is the same month as it coincides with the birthdays of President Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. Both men played a significant role in helping to end slavery. In honor of Black History Month, we're shining light on a few of our favorite ways to recognize and celebrate black history month in the workplace.

Discover New Literature

One great way to honor black history month is by picking up a new book brimming with stories and information about the African American culture. There are so many amazing books sharing experiences. We’ve got quite a few avid readers at KellyMitchell! Here are just a few that have struck resounding chords with us.

• Plum Bun by Jessie Redmon Fauset (1929) is a masterpiece written during the Harlem Renaissance.

• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison (1952): This piece of literature will make you look at general society with fresh eyes.

• Roots: The Saga of an American Family by Alex Haley (1976) is for the history buffs out there. Or, if you’re not a reader, the book is used for an adapted series on The History Channel.

• The Color Purple by Alice Walker (1982) is a Pulitzer Prize winner and an emotionally challenging read.

• The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (2017). This novel is born from the Black Lives movement and explores modern-day racism and activism.

If you have a book club at work like we do at KM, consider choosing a read this month that honors Black History!

Dine at a Black-Owned Restaurant

We’re encouraging our team members to get out and explore the African American culture in our communities. Most cultures have distinct cuisine. According to Britanica.com, “soul food” are the foods and techniques associated with the African American culture. If you’re a foodie like most of our teammates at KellyMitchell, it may be fun to show your support by trying cuisine from different black-owned restaurants throughout the month! We’ll be catering our KM-sponsored, “1st of the Month Lunch” from a local black-owned restaurant at each of our offices this week!

Our last team lunch in St. Louis was served by Steve’s Hot Dogs, a regular fan fav in STL! Steve’s Hot Dogs is a black-owned restaurant that also has a great program called #FeedthePeople. It’s an amazing program that helps those in need with customer-donated meals. This is just one great example of how we can celebrate black history month, learn about the culture, and give back to local establishments to connect our communities.

Explore Local Black History

Black history is omnipresent, meaning it’s everywhere. The thing is, you may not know where to look. You can start by exploring and asking questions to learn about black history in your industry. A platform called Blacks in Technology is a phenomenal resource that is dedicated to the increase of representation and participation of black people in tech. Last year, we shared influential black tech leaders, highlighting black tech leaders who are making major contributions to the industry.

Knowledge and connectivity is at our fingertips and all around us! KellyMitchell’s headquarters are located in St. Louis, MO — a noteworthy community enriched with black history. We also have 18 hubs across the country including our National Recruitment Center in Chicago [another city teeming with black history].

Share Black History Month Quotes

At KellyMitchell, we love to have a “question of the day” or share fun trivia facts. If your workplace culture has a similar tradition, try a Black History Month focus this month! Share quotes from famous leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. — of course, and other influential leaders such as:

• Rosa Parks

• Maya Angelou

• Michelle Obama

• Muhammad Ali

• Harriet Tubman

• Ella Fitzgerald

We love that quotes express wisdom and awaken inspiration, happiness, and motivation. Exploring inspiring leaders' quotes and their experiences is a great way to recognize black history month.

We encourage you to take time this month to honor the contributions and sacrifices of African Americans who have helped and continue to shape our nation. Sharing ways to learn about black history this month will help increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. At KellyMitchell, we are committed year-long to finding new ways to attract, retain, engage and enable a diverse workforce.

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Join KellyMitchell as we celebrate black history this month and year-round. Contact our team if you’re interested in working with us!