Organisations often resort to symbolic gestures during Black History Month, explains Susan (Picture: Susan A)
Staring at the spread of dishes on the table, I inwardly cringed.
There were pizzas, sandwiches and a sea of Indian plates on offer but nothing appealed, though not for the reason you may assume.
For a buffet that was supposed to be celebrating the cultural heritage of Black people, it seemed (to me, at least) to have woefully missed the mark.
It was some years ago and the only other person of colour, a British-Indian woman more senior than myself, was tasked with leading on Black History Month (BHM).
She had planned a staff event around food, encouraging everyone to bring in dishes from their cultural backgrounds. The only vaguely ‘Black’ plate was a Nigerian dish one white woman had made using an online recipe.
They both clearly had good intentions but I failed to see what any of it had to do with celebrating my cultural heritage. In fact, it was highly problematic for various reasons.
While Black History Month is specifically meant to celebrate the contributions of Black communities, organisations often fall short in recognising the unique experiences and contributions of Black people.
This extends beyond October (when BHM is held) of course, with organisations often missing out on opportunities to authentically celebrate and integrate diverse perspectives into their everyday practices and projects.
Black communities in the UK have very different experiences and socio-economic outcomes to other races. We face higher levels of unemployment, are more likely to have lower paid jobs, are less likely to be in managerial positions, more likely to be excluded from school and the list goes on.
Many organisations are more concerned with presenting themselves externally as anti-racist, says Susan (Picture: Susan A)
So for once, it’s not about being inclusive. It is about focusing on Black people, and conflating all people of colour is a clear sign of an organisation that either does not understand the assignment or is being lazy.
I, like many of my friends with African and Caribbean heritage, hate using food to ‘teach’ or ‘share’ my culture. Each of us has experiences where we’ve felt like pariahs for sharing or simply eating our food at work or earlier in life at school.
Some have approached our food as though it’s otherworldly, asking awkward, rude or racist questions, either directly, subtly, or unconsciously.
Most importantly, there is a thin, arguably unrelated line between someone eating my jollof rice, and them reflecting on the experiences and contributions of Black people.
It’s all part of a wider problem.
In light of our supposedly collective racial awakening in 2020 as a result of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests, companies and organisations have been scrambling to demonstrate their anti-racism and show they care about their Black employees.
It’s about the everyday actions organisations can take throughout the year, not just on specific days or months, Susan emphasises (Picture: Susan A)
Therefore, organisations often resort to symbolic gestures during designated months or occasions, such as …read more
Source:: Metro
