Black History Month

[CarlottiJames]

I do not like black history month. I am a black woman, and am constantly receiving communications at work about diversity and equality and how my workplace is encouraging it. Emails about groups people can join, for BAME officers. Shadowing opportunities for BAME officers. Etc. Etc. Etc.

I am starting to find it boring and honestly don't think about my race until it is mentioned to me (constantly).

Does anyone else feel this way? Or am I on my own here...?

Posted in chat but no response so hoping for a bit more in AIBU!

Treating people equally is not necessarily fair. It’s about redressing the balance of inequality- that’s why offering people from disadvantaged groups opportunities like shadowing senior members of staff is a good idea.

I have known several BAME people at work who do not wish to participate in any groups or actions targeted for BAME people, take part in Black History Month, or any other specific equality activities. They are not criticised for this and neither should the OP be.

Fine not to want to take part. Not fine to say it's a crap idea.

I'd be interested to know how many of the posters on this thread are black; the notion of various white people earnestly telling a black woman she should be pleased about affirmative action is quite a surreal and uncomfortable one.

OP, I imagine it makes you feel the same way I, a white woman, would feel if I was offered opportunities just for being a woman. You're left feeling like you will never be truly valued for your achievements because everyone will just assume you got given a leg up. You have to do well once you're there, or you're obv a lazy arse; and if you do do well then someone is obv helping you. It's never just 'She did well cos she's capable'.

One day things will be different, I hope. We need to train the kids up.

Why can’t she say it’s a crap idea if she thinks it’s a crap idea?

I understand OP, you're given these opportunities under one big BAME banner, when really you feel like it should be all the time.

You feel like companies shout out how inclusive and amazing they're, and do these amazing policies, when in fact you would rather they offered the opportunities all the time on merit then a so called token gesture.

Where did I say it was a crap idea?

I'd be interested to know how many of the posters on this thread are black; the notion of various white people earnestly telling a black woman she should be pleased about affirmative action is quite a surreal and uncomfortable one

That was not my intention at all and I apologise if it reads that way.

I don't know if I am pleased about it or not, I just don't certain aspects of it uncomfortable and demeaning.

*find

BHM was set up in USA to address black history as it was generally left out of the main historical narrative set up in schools etc. The key word is history, about honouring and celebrating pioneering black people, historians, science etc previously ignored. That is its premise as as that I find it useful, as a teacher.

I think what you're possibly describing is being 'othered'?

Hi. I used to feel the same about initiatives for women (I'm white, FWIW), but the longer I stay in the workforce, the more feminist I'm becoming! One reservation I do have about these special initiatives like shadowing senior people, or targeted training courses, is that it can make it seem like it's about a lack of ambition or awareness or skill on the part of women /BAME employees; whereas I think much of what I see in the workplace is about structural inequality, e.g. in my workplace the profession dominated by women is graded differently from the one dominated by men - leading to a 26% pay gap between men and women, although I would say the two professions were of equal value. Similarly, certain minority ethnic groups are concentrated in particular roles. Not sure what the answer is really - quotas? I really don't know.

Fissionchips I didn't mean it as an accusation - I generally assume that people mean well rather than not! Still, it is how the thread reads to me....

Completely agree OP - it’s utter, utter crap.

And meaningless too. Who decides what’s ‘black’? And who decided that billions of people across the world all have something in common because someone has thought up a label? And one month? Just one. Then we revert to ‘proper’ history for the other eleven months?

I’d have nothing against - dunno - Libyan History Month or Caribbean History Month. Fine. But the wooliness is just ...

I can’t even with the other stuff.

I’m definitely not going to tell you, a black woman, how to feel about black history month but for me (I’m white) it’s taught me a lot and helped to counteract the incredibly white version of history I learned growing up. I think that when led by black people, black history month can be a very informative and empowering event.