Alice Coxeter’s Post

As you’ll know, it’s currently Black Inclusion Week, and fittingly, it’s also Learning at Work Week! That’s why, for our followers keen to make the most of both, we wanted to let you know about another event on the horizon covering ‘Effective Allyship to the Black Community’. We can all benefit from learning more about allyship best practices within the workplace, and there’s no time like the present 💪 Sign up today and learn more about key topics including identifying barriers to change, promoting and recognising Black talent, distinguishing performative allyship from genuine support in the workplace, and more! https://lnkd.in/eX35w44R #BlackInclusionWeek #LearningAtWorkWeek #Allyship

The only black person in the room...It's Black Inclusion Week this week and the theme is 'Empowered for change: Building a better future together.' Based on some of my experiences this week I am reflecting on how it feels to be the 'only one' in a room and have a few questions to share that hopefully inspire your own reflections. Being the only one for me touches across race, gender and class. It's definitely not a life- destroying experience. Sometimes it feels great to be able to offer difference, represent and share an experience or a view that would otherwise not have been considered. Other times it's absolutely exhausting, imposter syndrome kicks, you second guess your contributions and you are ready to hide away. For the past 7 days I've been the only one in the bar, the only one in several meetings, the only one on the plane and the only one at two international conferences. It's a hard feeling to put into words really but I think it useful to encourage you to ask yourself, have you ever felt like the only one in a room? Or if you have created space for people to come together and create solutions, have you noticed visibly the only one and if so why is that the case? Who is missing based on who the solution is for and the makeup of your city? I had a chat with a white colleague about this the other day, as we looked around, and they'd shared that they had noticed, and asked me, how it felt to regularly be the only young(ish), northern, black women in the room. They'd never noticed it before and have since continued to. If the The Guardian analysis last year found just 4.6% of people in prominent public positions in Manchester specifically– including politics, sport, education, arts, business and health, but the cities black population stands at 14.8 - where is this underrepresentation coming from and what role do we all have to play, together, in fixing that, without complacency? Black Inclusion Week encourages the celebration of talent so if you are the 'only one', I want to celebrate you! My inner voice says - own your vibe, unashamedly fill your cup to cope when it feels intimidating, share any emotional labour with those who support you and always remember you have so much value to bring! #blackinclusionweek2024

🌟 Join Us for Black Inclusion Week May 13th - 19th! 🌟 Black Inclusion Week is taking place from May 13th to 19th - https://lnkd.in/eWQQDWEj This week-long event is dedicated to celebrating Black excellence, fostering dialogue, and driving meaningful change towards a more inclusive workplace, communities and society. Why Black Inclusion Week Matters:   Black voices, experiences, and contributions are integral to the fabric of organisations, businesses and broader communities. However, systemic barriers and inequalities persist, hindering the full realisation of diversity, equity and inclusion. Commitment:   During Black Inclusion Week, we should all reaffirm our personal commitment to fostering a culture of belonging where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We recognise the importance of amplifying Black voices, advocating for equity, equality and dismantling barriers to racism and opportunities. What to Expect:   Throughout the week, they will be hosting a series of engaging events, discussions, and workshops focused on various aspects of Black inclusion, including: ·     Panel discussions featuring Black leaders and influencers sharing their insights and experiences. ·     Workshops on allyship and creating inclusive spaces. ·     Celebration of Black people in society. ·     Networking opportunities to connect with colleagues and allies passionate about diversity and inclusion. Get Involved: We invite all employees to actively participate in Black Inclusion Week by attending events, joining conversations, and championing diversity and inclusion in their daily interactions. Together, we can create a workplace where everyone feels valued, heard, and empowered to reach their full potential. Stay Connected:   Be sure to follow Black Inclusion Week on LinkedIn for updates and announcements throughout Black Inclusion Week. Let's make this a transformative week of learning, reflection, and action as we strive together to build a more inclusive future for the next generation of our Black communities. #BlackInclusionWeek #DiversityandInclusion #InclusiveWorkplace #Belonging #Equality #registernow

It's not the companies that host splashy black history month events, or International Women's Day panels that are leading the way in creating inclusive, diverse work spaces. Don't get me wrong, those things are great, they get people talking and that's a start, but it isn't enough. Rather, it's the companies that inconvenience themselves to make sure they have a diverse candidate pool before making an offer. It's the organizations that offer child care benefits and flexible, remote work schedules that support working parents. It's the leaders who take the time to create a culture of inclusion, truly ensuring that everyone, no matter the level, feels valued and heard. There is a lot of superficial, well meaning, #DEI "initiatives" out there- but it's the companies that invest time, money and a bit of humility" that are leading the way. Do the work.

Last week was Black Inclusion Week (BIW), which is a new but important workplace initiative. The aim of which is to raise the awareness of black people in the United Kingdom, with a secondary aim of highlighting the importance of inclusion within the workplace environment. Objectives of Black Inclusion Week (https://lnkd.in/e3EKhA-w) -Make us stronger as one community -Create a commitment towards change -Be a celebration of Black people in society -Empower all and facilitate action -Connect us through collaboration In terms of the ‘be a celebration of Black people in society’ objective. Here are a few words from one of the Naimuri team, about what the week means to him..... "From a personal perspective one of my heroes is Misan Harriman and I’d like to share with you a brief overview of his story. Misan is Nigerian born and is one of today’s most popular visual storytellers, an Oscar Nominated filmmaker and social activist. Misan was the first black person to shoot British Vogue's September issue cover. Misan is also a avid mental health campaigner, particularly in the area of Neurodiversity, Dyslexia, diversity and inclusion. He is also the Chair of London's Southbank Centre and the founder of Culture3, who’s mission is to explore what web 3.0s impacts are on society. With all this being said, in order to focus on inclusion effectively, we need an understanding of the barriers to inclusion and the biases that we as individuals have. These factors can act as barriers to meaningful change, and we as individuals, organisations and a society need to understand and seek to address these issues. Here, there needs to be a desire to debate and challenge ourselves in order to affect meaningful change. We at Naimuri are committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Throughout the year there will be a series of diversity and inclusion activities initiated to promote diversity and inclusion across a range of under-represented communities. At Naimuri we believe that the promotion of diversity and inclusion should not be limited to a week per underrepresented group, but should be a permanent part of our workplace culture". #blackinclusionweek #diversityandinclusion

Great article by Jason Dunwell for Black Inclusion Week 👏 Some great insights, with the biggest eye opener for me being around the impact of the media on our bias & perceptions 👀 Take a look and let me know which parts resonate most with you 👇 https://lnkd.in/d6BZfYe4

This Forbes piece may be a year old, but it definitely has great tips that are still valuable and applicable during this #BlackHistoryMonth. Have a look at it to read up on tips to celebrate consciously and incorporate meaningful inclusion into your DEI strategy: https://lnkd.in/gAnCicYn

In celebration of Black History Month, the INNOVATION Insights team is proud to spotlight Dr. Denise L. Caleb, MEd, CME, SHRM-CP, PHR Caleb, who has been honored with a feature on the cover of "Inclusion Magazine," shines a light on her significant contributions to fostering workplace inclusivity. The featured article, courtesy of #DiversityWomanMedia, explores the resurgence of Employee Value Propositions (EVPs) and underscores their pivotal role in creating supportive work environments. Dr. Caleb points out a critical observation: the absence of inclusion can lead employees to encounter dissatisfaction and heightened stress in their workplace. Despite the acknowledged necessity of inclusion, there remains a noticeable gap in the strategic development and execution of EVPs that establish a foundation for inclusivity. Read the full article here - https://ow.ly/rC8i50QyznV. https://lnkd.in/gv5B_efB #INNOVATIONInsights #Innovation #Innovators #Employees #EVP #Inclusion #Humanresources #workenvironment

📅 Black Inclusion Week, 13-19th May. This week is about having some frank discussions about the challenges that Black people face in the workplace and some proper action to ensure inclusion moving forwards. Why the focus on Black professionals though? In 2022, the Chartered Management Institute found that 71% of employees from a Black background reported feeling overlooked for opportunities owing to their identity. A TapIn study in 2023, which surveyed 2,300 Black Gen Z (16-25 years old) individuals, found that four in five (86%) African heritage Gen Z professionals change their names on job applications to enhance the possibility of recruitment success. And, despite 85% of this group saying being authentic at work is crucial for their job satisfaction, 47% of Black Gen Z respondents said they change parts of their personality in the workplace, a practice called code switching. Black people, and women especially, face high levels of direct and indirect discrimination in the workplace, including remarks about hairstyles and comments about the way they speak, being described as ‘aggressive’. As such, Black Inclusion Week is really about highlighting these statistics and experiences, and ensuring people are doing the work to educate and inform themselves on racism and discrimination. Ultimately, it’s about providing opportunities to Black people of all backgrounds (they are all different), recognising where policies, training and initiatives need to be tailored to maximise outcomes. Please contact us on [email protected] to book our training on race and microaggressions and start the process of doing better. Learn more about it here:  https://lnkd.in/e3EKhA-w