Roshida Khanom is Director of Beauty & Personal Care Insights, EMEA.
October was Black History Month in the UK, and Mintel’s ethnicity-based worker useful resource group (ERG) Colours of Change commemorated the month with a spread of occasions. We additionally raised cash for Stop Hate UK, a number one anti-hate and anti-discrimination organisation.
Documentary evening at Mintel HouseWe kicked off with a documentary evening at our London workplace, the place we watched the BBC documentary The Colony, made in 1964, which reveals the wrestle of working-class immigrants from the Caribbean. While it sparked dialogue about the challenges that individuals from the Black neighborhood confronted in Nineteen Sixties Britain – and we have been grateful that many of those obstacles have been overcome – we acknowledged that there’s nonetheless a protracted strategy to go till we attain true equality.
DEI discussions with Hermann Trepesch, Global Diversity and Equity Inclusion Director at Sanofi.We have been lucky sufficient to get pleasure from Caribbean and Ethiopian meals in the firm of our particular visitor speaker Hermann Trepesch, who has unimaginable expertise in driving DEI practices in quite a lot of organisations, together with O2 and Sanofi. Hermann spoke to a packed viewers at Mintel House about other ways a enterprise will be extra inclusive, in addition to the enterprise implications of not doing so. Hermann gave the Colours of Change group a lot meals for thought – significantly on how we will use our location in London to assist native communities.
Black History Trivia HourWe ended the month with Black History Trivia Hour, attended by 50+ colleagues each in-person and on Zoom. While having fun with snacks from Black-owned companies, we learnt extra about Black History (in the UK and overseas), Black music and leisure – a couple of fortunate colleagues even gained some prizes!
UK Black Business ShowA few of our members additionally visited the UK Black Business Show. The subject of allyship was mentioned extensively, and the significance of not being silent in the face of injustice. From the Black Women Business Talks, we heard from C-level execs about being bolder, braver and most significantly giving your self grace. We have been additionally capable of community with the likes of Ralph Lauren and BP, in addition to hear about the challenges of constructing careers as individuals of color.
In abstract…We all have a accountability to be taught and turn into educated, and Black History Month provides us an opportunity to cease, take word and search out the information that may empower us to create a extra inclusive surroundings. However, the motion and allyship extends past Black History Month, and whereas we have been in a position to make use of this month to be taught and educate, the journey doesn’t cease at the finish of the month. As Colours of Change enters its subsequent section in 2023, we sit up for persevering with to be a drive for change. We might be internet hosting a spread of occasions, together with persevering with with our month-to-month Storytelling classes, the place members have a secure house to debate points that influence them, in addition to cultural lunches and occasions for our allies.