Black History Month: Moving Beyond Performative Action
- Chikere Igbokwe
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Every October, organisations across the UK mark Black History Month. At its best, it’s a time to celebrate Black contributions, reflect on history, and commit to creating a more equitable future. But too often, it risks becoming performative.
Here’s the pattern: a Black speaker is invited, cultural food is shared, a social media post goes up – and that’s it until the next year. While well-intentioned, this approach does little to shift workplace culture or build lasting change.
Too often, the emotional labour of driving Black History Month also falls to Black employees. They’re the ones asked to share their stories, organise events, and “represent” the community – without additional support, recognition, or resources. This not only places an unfair burden on them, but it also misses the opportunity for the whole organisation to step up in allyship.
Why Black History Month Matters
Black History Month is not just about looking back – it’s about acknowledging lived realities today. It shines a light on systemic inequalities and invites us all to take responsibility for creating workplaces where equity, belonging, and inclusion are woven into daily practice.
When done well, Black History Month can be a catalyst for year-round allyship. But that requires moving away from tokenism and towards action that is intentional, inclusive, and sustainable.
The Role of Allies in Black History Month
For too long, Black History Month has been driven almost entirely by Black employees. This year, it’s time for allies to step forward and share the responsibility.
When allies lead on planning, resourcing, and championing Black History Month, it signals something powerful: that inclusion is not the burden of marginalised groups, but the responsibility of the whole organisation. Allies can use their privilege, platforms, and influence to amplify Black voices, challenge tokenism, and ensure the learning continues long after October ends.
Black employees should be celebrated, not expected to carry the weight of educating everyone else. That’s where true allyship begins.
Introducing the Black History Month Allyship Toolkit
That’s why I created the Black History Month Allyship Toolkit: 31 Days of Allyship & Action.
It’s a ready-to-use, plug-and-play resource designed to make allyship simple, practical, and meaningful for every employee. You don’t need to be an expert, and you don’t need to spend hours planning. The toolkit is designed so that anyone, anywhere in the organisation, can pick it up and use it right away.
Here’s what it includes:
📘 Daily Learning – Short, accessible insights on Black history, lived experiences, and allyship practices.
💭 Daily Reflection – Prompts that encourage self-awareness, conversations, and perspective-shifting.
🚀 Daily Action – Small, practical steps that, over time, create long-lasting impact across teams and organisations.
Each activity is designed to take less than 10 minutes a day – but if teams choose to engage in deeper discussion or reflection, it can take longer. The beauty is, it doesn’t matter how much time is spent. By the end of October, these small, consistent steps grow into real learning, stronger conversations, and the foundation for lasting change.
How to Use the Toolkit Daily
The toolkit is flexible and can be:
Shared as part of daily team huddles or meetings.
Sent out as an internal comms series throughout October.
Used for personal reflection by individuals who want to grow their allyship practice.
Embedded into existing DEI initiatives as a way to spark discussion and accountability.
Because it’s plug-and-play, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Everything is laid out, step by step. All you need to do is share it with your people and encourage them to engage.
A Call to Action
This October, let’s resist the temptation of token gestures. Let’s lighten the load on Black employees by making allyship everyone’s responsibility. Let’s use Black History Month as a springboard for lasting change – and let allies lead the way.
If you’re serious about building inclusive culture, start here. Ready to start your BHM journey? Contact Chikere directly.
Because Allyship isn’t seasonal – it’s culture.