Celebrating Black History Month 2021

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

OCTOBER 2021

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

TODAY MARKS THE START OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH By Rachel Agorom Lloyd

Black History Month was originally Negro History week, created in February 1926 in the United States by African American historian Carter G. Woodson. The celebration was held annually on the second week of February as black communities celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12 and Frederick Douglas’s on February 14. Carter G. Woodson and his Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History saw fit to make Negro History Week the centre of the equation. The school of thought behind the weeklong celebration was to re-educate the African American people after transatlantic slavery, by reminding them of their contribution to the world and its history. Woodson, at the time of the week’s launch, felt that the teaching of black history was essential for the physical and intellectual survival of the race within broader society. During Negro History week, teachers and churches would distribute the Journal of the Negro History which was the official literature associated with the event.

As the week grew in popularity, black educators and Black United students at Kent State University argued that a week was not long enough and proposed for the event to last a month. The very first Black History Month was celebrated at Kent State University from January 2, 1970 – February 28, 1970. Through the leadership of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-Sebo the UK followed suit in 1987. In 2019, for the entire month, there were a wide range of events held up and down the country celebrating African and Caribbean cultures and histories, everything from food festivals to music workshops to educational seminars and lectures. In 2020, the month was still celebrated, but due to COVID-19, this was in a more reserved manner.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

UPCOMING EVENTS There are firmwide articles and events upcoming for Black History Month. Keep an eye out on Insite, Yammer and BDO'Clock News for more information.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

HISTORY

1875 Known as the ‘Father of Black History’, Carter G Woodson was born in Virginia in 1875 and was the son of former slaves. Growing up, access to a good education and job opportunities were limited, but he ended up studying at one of the few high schools for black students after saving money from working as a coal miner.

1926 In 1926 he

sent out a press release to mark the first Black History Week in the US. Throughout his life, Carter G Woodson worked tirelessly to promote black history in schools, leaving an indelible legacy.

Black History Month has been celebrated for over a century. Here, we look back at the history of its origination, to see what made it the event it is now. The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the thirteenth amendment abolished slavery in the United States. That September, the Harvard-trained historian Carter G. Woodson and the prominent minister Jesse E. Moorland founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, an organisation dedicated to researching and promoting achievements by Black Americans and other peoples of African descent. The Group sponsored a national Negro History week in 1926, choosing the second week of February in the United States to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The event inspired schools and communities nationwide to organise local celebrations, establish history clubs and host performances and lectures. Each year has a different theme. In 2021, that theme is Proud To Be.

Sources: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-54522248 https://www.britannica.com/story/why-is-black-

history-month-celebrated-in-february https://www.history.com/topics/black- history/black-history-month

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

1970 The event is expanded and since 1976 every US president has officially designated February as Black History Month in the US. February was chosen in the US because it coincides with the births of former President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass - who escaped slavery and became a key social activist. Both men played a significant role in helping to end slavery.

1987 Black History Month is first celebrated in the United Kingdom in October of 1987. In the UK, this was organised through the leadership of Ghanaian analyst Akyaaba Addai-sebo. In London in 1987, it was first celebrated as part of the African Jubilee Year, when on October 1, Dr Maulana Karenga from the US was invited to an event marking the contributions of Black people through history. Since then, October has been celebrated as Black History Month in the UK.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

TEN THINGS BDO HAS LEARNT OVER THE LAST YEAR

By Josie Woodward

The below story was written by Josie Woodward and published on Insite earlier this year following an event that took place after the anniversary of George Floyd's death in 2020. It has been included in this publication due to it excellently highlighting the continued importance of showing support and ensuring we are doing all we can. Earlier this year, BDO’s Black Lives Matter Consulting Group in conjunction with the BAME network hosted an event – ‘One Year On’ with guest speakers Chantelle Lunt and Dr. Marvin Iroegbu who talked about the developments

since the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, reflecting on the past 12 months including a look at our ongoing commitment to the Race Action Plan and, importantly, looking ahead to how we can move forward from here, and make a positive difference.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

The questions on everyone’s lips was - what have we learnt over the last year following these events? The below learnings – the answers to the above question - was pulled together by Josie Woodward, an ally for BLM and the BAME network. The importance of allies and people showing support is something that is highly valued and appreciated. It also provides an opportunity to make a more inclusive and safer working environment. It also means that progression, equality and inclusion have flourished more because the extra voices and support can turn the voice of a minority into a majority.

1. RACISM EXISTS IN THE UK Be it micro-aggressions, conscious and unconscious bias or overtly expressed racism. Although many of us will never be discriminated against based on the colour of our skin, this is an issue faced by some of our colleagues on a daily basis, which makes ‘Be Yourself’ challenging to live authentically. There is more work to be done and each of us has our part to play. BDO as a result signed up to the Race at Work Charter. Additionally BDO team members are founding members of the Black Professional Service Collection (BPSC) network. Other founder members are from PwC, EY, KPMG, Deloitte, RSM, and Grant Thornton.

2. RACISM IS NOT A FAD Our attention spans need to outlast the news cycle. Momentum needs to continue regardless of whether racism is a hot topic in the news if we are to achieve long lasting change. At BDO we hope that this anniversary will help push us forward again as a firm to continually improve, and our Race Action Plan provides a focus for action year-round.

3. STAYING SILENT CANNOT BE AN OPTION

You don’t need to be a member of Black Lives Matter, a member of the BDO BAME Network or even an active ally, although it’s great if you are. By speaking out against racism whenever and wherever you see it, rather than turning a blind eye, we can all contribute to a world without racism.

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

TEN THINGS BDO HAS LEARNT OVER THE LAST YEAR

By Josie Woodward

4. GET UNCOMFORTABLE There have been difficult conversations in the last year and there are more to come, but it is important that we become comfortable about discomfort, understanding that discomfort is necessary to make things better. At BDO we made a commitment in the Race Action Plan to produce guidance to support these conversations and our BAME network is currently working on this – more to come!

5. LISTEN AND BE HEARD When colleagues speak to you, stay quiet and let them speak, and really take the time to hear what they are saying, rather than just waiting to jump in with your own point. Sharing and speaking up should not seem threatening. BDO’s whistleblowing procedures allow us to call out inappropriate behaviour and our Listening Events have given a platform for these conversations to take place.

6. WE ALL NEED TO EDUCATE OURSELVES Most people have had very little exposure to black and minority history so it’s important to understand the daily struggles faced by some of our colleagues. By educating ourselves we can better understand these issues. It’s also important not to expect our Black colleagues will do this for us educate us, we need to proactively do this for ourselves. As a firm, we supported and shared personal stories through Black History Month in 2020. There are numerous sources of information out there and we have some great resources on our Race Action Plan Insite pages and through our e-learning to support you in doing this. Popular suggested reads include: ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ by Reni Eddo-Lodge ‘So You Want to Talk About Race’ by Ijeoma Oluo ‘Mindful of Race: Transforming Racism from the inside Out’ by Ruth King

CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

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