Though it’s positive to see increased awareness and support for the Black experience post 2020’s Black Lives Matter movement, ‘clicktivism’ and ‘clout-chasing’ – that ain’t it. It’s hard to ignore the brands and individuals looking to align themselves with the cause for personal gain, and this is only elevated during Black History Month, with entities flooding their channels with performative activism, only to return to regular scheduled programming the following month. 

At New Moon, we’re champions for Black communities and culture, both professionally and personally, and we recognise that it’s imperative to find ways to support Blackness beyond Black History Month. While our NYC and LA Teams are celebrating the US’ official BHM during February, the UK formally recognises BHM in October. In the spirit of celebrating Blackness 365 days a year, I wanted to encourage a conversation on ensuring consistent support for the Black community and avoiding performative activism. Here are some tangible ways you can participate and understand your role in the conversation, as an individual or a business.

Employment and Talent Diversity

BLM saw a huge increase in the promotion of use of Black talent and diversity quotas in recruitment – the important thing is to continue promoting and following these policies. At New Moon, we have a commitment to maintaining a diverse workforce, with 40 percent of our full-time employees identifying as ethnic backgrounds other than white. Introducing a minimum quota that reflects the percentage that makes up the Black community is a key strategy for ensuring the representation of the Black community in the workplace.

When casting your campaigns, ensure representation without tokenism. Recent widespread reports that Black influencers and creatives get paid less than their white counterparts are only the tip of the iceberg, with @InfluencerPayGap on IG providing transparency on the issue. Inclusion of minority groups, compensating them equitably and listening to their stories are few of many ways to ensure the uplifting of the Black community.

Commit to the 15% Pledge

Our friends at The Fifteen Percent Pledge work towards supporting Black business and encouraging equity in retailers’ shelf-space. Launched by fashion designer Aurora James in 2020, the pledge encourages retailers to commit to ensuring 15% of their product offering comes from Black-owned business, to reflect and recognise that 15% of the US population is Black. Though US-based, the pledge is now gaining signees in the UK, with Matchesfashion being the first UK-based company to make the pledge in May 2021. We’ve worked closely with Fifteen Percent Pledge since 2020, you can read more about their mission here.

Donate and Support Black Business

Individuals can commit to the spirit of the pledge by seeking out and buying from Black-owned businesses. Black-owned businesses are twice as likely to close as a result of pressures from the pandemic, so now is an important time to support. If you don’t know where to start, a non-exhaustive list of Black-owned businesses can be found here and here.

Donations, if you’re able, are also a great way to support, this month and every month. There are a plethora of charities that support anti-racism and Black advancement in the UK. If you don’t know where to start, we’ve listed some here.

Self-Education – Reading and Watching

Educating yourself on the deep ideas under the umbrella of race studies is imperative to better understanding the Black landscape as a whole. Understanding and acknowledging terms like ‘colourism’ (bias favouring lighter skin tones) and ‘intersectionality’ (how characteristics such as race, class and gender, intersect and can create a more complex and nuanced experience) and their impact on the Black experience are important to build on the understanding of racism. You can educate yourself on key terms and phrases with these linked sources.

If you’d like to sink your teeth into a book, there are plenty of books written by Black authors which highlight the Black experience, either globally or in the UK. Favourites include So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo and The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison,

If reading just ain’t your thing, there is plenty to watch! YouTube videos like Black Art is Black Money outline the largely unrecognised Black contribution to art, or if you want something longer to watch, here are our Netflix recommendations which seek to educate or inspire. Personal favourites on this list are When They See Us and 12 Years a Slave, both based on true stories.

Petitions

In addition to donating, there are a plethora of petitions you can to support the advancement of the Black community working towards racial equity – completely free of charge.

Black History Month is not a time to jump on the bandwagon for woke points. For those wanting to celebrate Black History Month, we must understand that the Black experience and Black history is not just retrospective – we need to continue uplifting and celebrate the global Black community and Black excellence through conscious casting, inclusion, acknowledging credit and educating ourselves.

We all have a long way to go in the fight for racial equity, and only continuing the conversation will drive society forward. We hope you’ve taken something from this article, even if just a little reflection, so we can continue to uplift Black voices and experiences 365 days a year.