The way I see it, Carter G. Woodson would know what to do.
Back in 1933, when he published his seminal book The Mis-Education of the Negro, Woodson was a respected academic and a man of some prominence at a time when it was still notable for a Black man to hold such high-toned positions. The book was a strong critique of the education system’s failure to present or commission scholarship on the history and accomplishments of Black people in America, stories that “were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them,” he wrote.
In 1969, an updated version of Mis-Education was released with an updated call to action.
“The neglect of Afro-American History and distortion of the facts concerning Negroes in most history books deprived the black child and his whole race of a heritage and relegated him to nothingness and nobodyness,” noted historians Charles H. Wesley and Thelma D. Parry in the forward. Despite Woodson’s dedication, “The study of the black man is still new in this generation,” they said.
“Sadly, all of this sounds like a 2023 headline,” says Shawn Dove, managing partner at philanthropic venture fund New Profit and founder of the Corporation for Black Male Achievement. He sees the current froth about critical race theory, book-banning, and curriculum battles—specifically Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s move to ban AP African American studies in the state—as a chilling reminder of a persistent impulse. “The celebration of this year’s Black History Month arrives with heightened relevancy and implications for Americans, and a stark reminder that Black History is American history.”
I expect Black History Month to hit differently this year for additional reasons.
First, it serves as a reminder for many corporate leaders that they have reached the end of an uncomfortable grace period, a march toward culture change bookended by state violence—between the time George Floyd couldn’t breathe and begged for his mama and more recently when Tyre Nichols begged for his while being beaten to death.
Wobbling on diversity commitments is not helping the corporate cause.
“Despite promising sounding DEI statements across every sector of industry and on nearly every company’s value and mission statements, the slashing of DEI departments and female employees, particularly in tech, supports a continuing distrust among Black Americans that their lives, their culture issues, their success in leveling the playing field in American industries truly matters,” writes raceAhead reader Monique Gary, a breast surgical oncologist and medical director of the Grand View Health/Penn Cancer Network. “Companies can show rather than tell that they have an expressed commitment to the lives, future, and success of their Black customers and employees.”
For Nichole Barnes Marshall, Pinterest’s head of inclusion & diversity, Black History Month is a "moment of intention to recognize our nation’s history through today’s lens." She adds, "This can be met with performative acts of inclusion and a lack of action behind campaign slogans, or it can be an occasion to center Black employees and allies and elevate their incredible work and creativity.”
Since my call for BHM submissions, I have been inundated with your ideas, suggestions, best practices, and updates. I’m deeply grateful for all the work you’re already doing. Today's newsletter is part one of a two-part guide, and thanks to your generosity, I'll share more throughout the month.
This brings me back to Carter G. Woodson.
Woodson may be best known as the father of Black History Month, but he should be better known for what he did to get us this far. Woodson abandoned two prestigious academic leadership roles to focus on funding and leading an association dedicated to ending miseducation for good.
That's what I suggest we should do now.
Take time this month to show up for your colleagues, assess your own blind spots, and figure out what role you need to play in co-creating a world where Black employees, customers, community members, voters, patients, parents, teachers, students, and other stakeholders can thrive. Make it your job. Undertake the work with openness. Listen to celebrate and understand.
And then ask yourself: Why would I ever willingly participate in a system that prevents it?
Ellen McGirt
@ellmcgirt
Ellen.McGirt@fortune.com
This edition of raceAhead was edited by Ruth Umoh.
