Black Leaders Awareness Day 2024

Black Leaders Awareness Day (BLAD) takes place on 17th July 2024 and aims to inform and educate people from all walks of life about the cultural impact of the world’s most celebrated black leaders. Through sharing the wisdom of black leaders, both past and present, via quotes, speeches, and videos, organisations are reminded of the importance of diverse leadership where all voices are valued and heard.

Below are some of the main things to know about this important day, and how you can help to raise awareness about it throughout your organisation.

It’s an Opportunity to Share Wisdom

A big part of what makes this particular day so special is having the ability to share some of the inspirational and moving quotes that these revolutionary black leaders have made. Not only are they hugely important moments in history, but they can be applied to just about any workplace culture in regard to unity, forward-thinking, and self-reflection.

Look at sharing speeches, clips, and quotes across your team chats, emails, and other communications to make your people aware of this day.

It’s a Chance to have Open Discussions

These quotes and speeches you share may be from some of the most well-known prominent black leaders, such as Maya Angelou, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Muhammad Ali, Barack Obama, and Rosa Parks. But it’s also a chance for you to ask your team members which people of colour they admire, and for what reason.

Having open discussions about this matter helps to raise further awareness about the new black leaders who are still striving to make a difference. Whether it’s an artist, a musician, a humanitarian, or an author, the more we talk about our influences, the better we understand each other as a team.

It’s a Chance to Unify your Team Members

The people of colour within your team shouldn’t be expected to serve as any kind of spokesperson for this awareness day. Organisations have a duty to bring these important dates to the team and offer a chance for everyone to engage in a positive discussion should they choose to do so.

Days like this serve to create a more driven and unified culture within your organisation. In many cases, these small windows of communication and interaction yield some of the most impactful ideas or constructive criticisms about how you can all do better and achieve your goals.

It’s an Opportunity to Learn from the Past

The mistakes and ignorance of the past should be used as a learning experience to channel a more positive, productive future. For Black Leaders Awareness Day, this offers organisations some time to self-reflect and consider if they’re being as diverse or inclusive as they should be.

Use this day to educate, inform, discuss, but to also listen. Actively ask for perspectives on how people feel you are doing in terms of inclusivity, diversity, and the overall culture of your organisation. It’s within these pivotal moments of communication that true change occurs, for the benefit of all parties involved.