Black History: Centering Black Voices Every Month of the Year
/
At Outspoken, we are passionate about the power of inclusion. We believe a landscape of diverse ideas is foundational to building sustainable solutions that will carry us deeper into the 21st century better equipped for the challenges our collective future holds. This month, we’ve been excited to highlight Black voices, sharing some of our speakers’ expertise and essential contributions to our public discourse. But how can we honor Black History Month beyond February? How can we create an inclusive culture that lasts long after Black History Month?
We’re featuring a few of our speakers who are leading the conversation when it comes to the importance of diversity and inclusion in our culture: Corporate strategy. Hybrid workplaces. Employee retention. Mentorship. Cross-cultural communication—and much more. Are you committed to celebrating Black history every month of the year? Us, too. Read more below to hear from our speakers on not only why we should, but how.
As the son of a diplomat, Tayo Rockson grew up understanding the nuances of multicultural diversity while living on four continents. Tayo is a co-founder and brand strategist at UYD Management, a strategic consulting firm that empowers organizations to incorporate sustainable diversity and inclusion practices with key strategies and real behavioral change, ultimately enabling them to communicate effectively across cultures in the workplace.
How can we commit to Black History Month beyond February? Self-education and awareness. “Awareness because… a lot of people understand that what’s been in the textbook is incomplete,” Tayo said. “So that awareness has to lead to self-curriculum, that self-education. What can we do to constantly raise awareness about achievements being attached to Black folks around the world.” Listen to more in the video here. >>
POPULAR TOPIC: HOW TO CONNECT EFFECTIVELY ACROSS CULTURES
Connecting across cultures can be enriching and educational, yet also challenging. Markets, worldviews, customs and traditions often become barriers that prevent people from developing cross-cultural relationships. In this talk, Tayo provides a framework for understanding our internal and external strategies as well as several strategies that allow us to overcome barriers to connecting across cultures. According to Tayo, the type of people that know how to effectively connect across cultures do three things: they educate, they don't perpetuate, and they, instead communicate. Tayo dives into just how we all can learn to implement this framework. By the end of this talk, audiences will learn to become more self-aware of their own communication style, communicate clearly, and act appropriately with people that come from different environments both at work and at home.
READ: “Seven Biases That Drive Your Decisions at Work,” Workhuman
As founder and CEO of WatchHerWork.com, Denise Hamilton has archived the experiences of hundreds of professional women, building a library of over 6,000 videos that serve as an invaluable resource to educating Black women of all ages and backgrounds with the tools they need to succeed. She's also developed workshops and programming she's shared with women all over the country, empowering their lives and leveling up their careers for good. With her talks on the future of work and the importance of inclusion in the workplace, she is a nationally recognized leader in ally training. We asked Denise: How can we foster an inclusive culture all year? Here’s what she had to say:
It starts with accepting Black History as U.S. History that is essential for all Americans to learn about, year-round,” Denise said. “Challenge yourself to find ways to amplify the voices within this community, support Black businesses, mentor Black professionals in your work environments and commit to making changes in your life by implementing the five-foot Rule. You don’t need to be an expert in reparations. Look around your personal life and identify ways in your immediate sphere of influence that you can be more inclusive. Everybody wants to change THE world, but it starts with a willingness to change YOUR world. Look for opportunities to do that today.
POPULAR TOPIC: HOW TO BE AN ALLY AT WORK
In any organization, there are challenges and opportunities surrounding inclusion. The best just has to be brought out of you. In this talk, participants will be challenged to excavate the underlying beliefs that shape their strongly-held opinions around race and intersectionality. Together, Denise will help participants identify shared values and develop a framework for incorporating different perspectives. The goal of this deep-dive conversation is to harness differences within teams to generate creative and innovative solutions to move others to optimal performance. By aligning your teams, especially leadership, Denise helps you create a path to competitive excellence, improved morale and increase retention.
READ: “Businesses Need Stamina to Improve DEI in the Year Ahead. Here's How,” NASDAQ
As founder and CEO of career development agency I Choose The Ladder, Watchen Nyanue serves as an advocate for Black women in the workplace. She helps corporations develop—and keep—their high-performing Black female talent, sharing her expert strategies in professional development workshops, curated events, and within digital resources. As an advocate for female leadership and empowerment, her journey has been filled with more than twelve years of executive experience, where she has excelled as a proven business strategy leader who understands the importance of building relationships and elevating organizations from “good enough” to “great.”
How can corporations celebrate Black history every day? “Examine the budgets. Where are you spending money during the year? If you want to see what a person or organization prioritizes, you just follow the money. Look at your resources, talk to the Black folks who work for you, and ask them. Oftentimes we make decisions for populations and we tell other people’s stories, and the easiest way to actually get to the right answer is asking…the people who the decisions impact.” Listen to more in the video here. >>
UNFILTERED: WHAT YOUR BLACK EMPLOYEES AREN'T SAYING
Over the last year, Watchen has led conversations with brilliant corporate leaders and thousands of Black women and learned that the two groups are like two ships passing in the night. Both groups are very well-intentioned and want to see change, but there is a blockage preventing the conversations that need to happen to see impactful change. The myth that there is a way forward towards a more inclusive workplace that is strategic, but does not include having really tough conversations, will negatively impact retention rates—hard stop. But the elephant in the room is that while conversations are being had, they only go so far because, Black employees are not saying what needs to be communicated to help inform the strategy, out of fear of retaliation or getting fired. Employers aren't saying what needs to be said out of fear of saying the wrong things, being labeled, or even worse, sued. In this talk, Watchen shares her insights into how to bridge the gap between employers and their Black female employees to help companies retain their talent.
———
Outspoken Agency is a women-owned speaking agency representing leaders, founders, public intellectuals, authors and entertainers for paid keynotes, workshops and panels at in-person and virtual events. Learn more about our female founders here.