Black Inclusion Week 2024

13 May 2024

Black Inclusion Week 2024 runs from 13 May to 17 May. The theme for 2024 is “Empowered for Change: Building a Better Future Together.”

These are the objectives of Black Inclusion Week:

1. Make us stronger as one community.
2. Create a commitment towards change.
3. Be a celebration of Black people in society.
4. Empower all and facilitate action.
5. Connect us through collaboration.

Black Inclusion Week serves as a reminder that the challenges faced by Black people should not be forgotten. It encourages understanding, learning, and sustained efforts to make meaningful changes that will make a difference.

Black Inclusion Week is an opportunity for us to show commitment to inclusion and work towards creating an anti-racist culture. As Ruth-Anne Eghan, an Inclusion and Diversity Consultant at Inclusive Employers says:

“We still have a long way to go in achieving racial equity in various sectors and society as a whole, black people are still experiencing racism and it’s the responsibility of everyone no matter what position you find yourself in an organisation, to speak up.”

You can find out more about Black Inclusion Week on the official website.

There are a series of free online events available to mark Black Inclusion Week. For a full list of events and to register, visit BIW 2024 Events - Black Inclusion Week.

Vale of Glamorgan colleagues will be attending the Effective Allyship to the Black Community event on 15 May at 12 – 1:30pm, amongst others.

Attending one of these sessions will help expand your knowledge and understanding – learning about other people’s experiences and stories is crucial in becoming more inclusive. If you attend a session, remember to discuss it in your #itsaboutme meetings – it counts as professional learning/training.

Something else you could do is join Diverse. The Diverse Network is for colleagues and allies who want to support the Council’s mission for race equality. Diverse celebrates diversity and works to create a positive impact for Black, Asian and Global Majority communities in the workplace.

All staff are welcome to join, including school-based staff and temporary staff. You can also join as an ally.

Diverse meetings can also contribute to your professional learning. The monthly meetings include watch parties, discussing books, sharing learning, and presentations from the ‘human library’ where members share their experiences and stories. Diverse have also played key roles in Safe Space meetings and achieving Trailblazer status.

Keep an eye out for details of the next Diverse meeting.

Please complete this form to join Diverse:

Diverse Membership Form

The Council work extremely hard to ensure that we offer a safe place for people to work and to ensure that the Vale of Glamorgan area is a positive and inclusive environment. If you are concerned about discrimination or harassment, or want more information about how to report it, please refer to the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s grievance policy.