As October draws to a close, organizations across the UK are wrapping up their Black History Month celebrations. While these events highlight the accomplishments and contributions of Black professionals, they also raise a critical question: Are equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) efforts sustained beyond this month?

Black History Month plays an important role in the UK by highlighting the history, culture and contribution of the Black community throughout the month of October. Many people in the UK and US felt that black history, innovation and achievements were belittled or ignored in society. In response, Black History Month was established, with the United Kingdom first celebrating it in 1987.

But while celebrations often increase activities that promote racial inclusion in businesses, the problem of translating that energy into long-term structural improvements in workplaces remains.

Moving the conversation beyond Black History Month

Why you need to celebrate Black History Month at work and how to do it the right way.

How can organizations actively celebrate Black History Month?

“The fact that we need Black History Month is an indictment on all of us that we have failed and continue to fail the Black community, as evidenced in recent years,” said Shakil Butt, founder and CEO of HR Hero for Hire.

“While some progress has been made on gender, racial equality still lags behind; Black people and ethnic minorities still face barriers to selection, promotion, inequitable employee relations and dismissal throughout the employee lifecycle,” she added.

According to Cheryl Samuels, director of people and culture at Evelina London, Black History Month is “an opportunity to educate, inform and celebrate the contributions, concerns and issues that impact people from the global majority as a result of the legacy of history.

“This is an opportunity to build a clearer understanding of the experience of the majority of people globally and how racism operates and intersects with other protected characteristics that impact the daily lives of so many.”

Samuels added that investing in real development is key to implementing changes. However, this can only happen by mainstreaming EDI within organizations through human leaders. “It is not effective to employ stand-alone EDI officers with little power and influence, especially where there is little institutional understanding and ownership of challenges,” he said.

Is it time to reset EDI?

EDI’s importance within organizations has increased in recent years, spurred by movements such as Black Lives Matter. But data from Gallup shows that the number of organizations expecting to increase their EDI budgets dropped from 84 percent in 2022 to 59 percent in 2024.

Additionally, some experts, such as diversity consultant Simon Fanshawe, argue that diversity “needs to be reset,” as stated in an opinion piece published in the magazine. Sunday Times earlier this month.

Fanshawe’s final report, written with co-author Matilda Gosling: Flying Flags and Checking Boxes – What went wrong with EDI and how can leaders fix it?The report, which included interviews with 45 leaders from the public and private sectors, including HR leaders, argues that EDI efforts often become “detached” from core business goals.

“This can be compounded by a lack of deeper understanding within organizations of what EDI can achieve. It is often viewed in isolation from other organizational activities and structures, rather than as something to be embedded into workplace culture,” the report said.

Lutfur Ali, senior policy and implementation advisor for EDI at the CIPD, said that alongside events such as awareness months: “EDI should be a strategic business priority; “It must be integrated into all operational strategies, whether it is business growth, improvement or creating a fit-for-purpose workforce.”

“True commitment to EDI includes measurable actions, including diversity goals, incorporating EDI into talent management processes, and initiatives to create truly inclusive cultures that empower all people to thrive,” he added. “Leadership should also be held accountable for progress, for example by tying executive pay to EDI targets and culture change.”

Ali also highlighted that, as “custodians of EDI policies,” HR professionals have a critical role in embedding improvements in organizational culture, human behavior, and daily operations. “This can be accomplished by providing ongoing EDI training, creating employee resource groups that align with EDI and business priorities, and ensuring diverse and inclusive hiring and promotion practices throughout the year,” he said.

Maintaining EDI throughout the year

While Black History Month encourages companies to increase their diversity efforts, Barnett Waddingham It found that less than a fifth (17%) of HR directors and CEOs said their business had introduced or invested in an equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy in the past year.

Employers said rising operating costs were causing them to reduce their EDI investments, with the majority (83 percent) citing operational costs as a factor.

But Butt noted that moving EDI beyond October requires understanding the “lived experience of the black workforce,” the challenges they face, and how racism manifests itself in their daily interactions with colleagues and managers.

“This can be done through one-on-one interviews and focus groups, but it requires creating safe platforms and a culture where people can speak up without fear of retaliation,” he added.

He cautioned that employee resource groups, although helpful, should not take full responsibility for workplace equality issues. “They can be part of the solution, but they can’t be,” Butt said.

Cultural moments like Black History Month have “historical significance,” according to Idris Arshad, chief executive of Asthma + Lung UK. He suggested that understanding the demographics of your workforce can help you identify key priorities for creating workforce awareness.

“It is helpful to develop and plan a calendar year’s worth of knowledge sharing, learning, or events based on what people need to know or be aware of. “One suggestion would be to focus on characteristics protected under the Equality Act each month,” he added.

Risk of ostentatious movement

Suki Sandhu, CEO and founder of diversity and inclusion consultancy INvolve, said every company is on a journey and has to start somewhere. “If Black History Month provides an opportunity for HR departments to increase their knowledge and understanding and look at issues related to Black representation and inclusion, then that is a positive step,” he said.

But he warned: “If a year goes by and the knowledge and understanding gained during Black History Month does not result in further action, then the work becomes tokenism.”

Additionally, Margaret Ochieng, founder and managing director of Inclusive Village, told People Management: “For HR departments that demonstrate a clear commitment to desired change and see themselves as instruments of that change, Black History Month presents an opportunity. Not just a meaningful “Not only do we interact in this way, but we also work to demonstrate leadership and role modeling with a vision of racial equality in the workplace.”

But he warned that in the absence of commitment, you’ll see “HR rushing in at the last minute” to implement some patchwork BHM initiative. “Most people can see this,” he explained.

Improving the participation of black employees

A. Report from Business in the Community, It found that black, Asian, mixed-race and other ethnically diverse employees face “injustice” and “nepotism” in interpersonal relationships due to workplace policies compared to their white counterparts. Also, a Working from TapIn It found that nearly half (47 percent) of Black Gen Z workers feel like they can’t be themselves at work.

Claudine Charles, founder and director of Blended Learning Studio, added that it is vital for the HR profession to focus on diversity and inclusion for Black employees. “Being black is a visible characteristic and even though we are classified as a protected group, many still feel vulnerable. HR professionals must recognize and understand the unique challenges faced by Black employees.

“We need to recognize that racism is still prevalent and requires ongoing attention and cultural change. However, it is important to remember that this responsibility does not fall solely on HR, but requires a collective, organizational effort.”

There are more resources on EDI Available on the CIPD website