February is just around the corner and you're still searching for that perfect person that will rivet your company's Black History Month celebration.
However, you're still stuck trying to search countless hours to find that perfect person.
Or better yet, you have no idea where to start!
Luckily, I've got 3 resources you can check out to grab the right presenter for this occasion:
Black Speakers Collection
Born out of the frustration and confusion associated with creating a one-stop resource of Black speakers, DEI consultant and HR / culture advisor Madison Butler formed the Black Speakers Collection online portal. Butler formulated this directory of Black speakers that present on a wide variety of topics by accident. "I was tired of hearing about how companies, conferences and events couldn’t find Black speakers and then only chose us to speak about topics like race," shared Butler. The site started with just 28 speakers and has grown to over 2,000!
Black Professional Organizations
A wide variety of organizations that were founded and continue to support Black professionals offer opportunities to speak to companies about their experiences in a particular field. Some that are specific to an industry include:
A quick internet search will reveal a variety of other organizations which house memberships in the thousands. Reaching out and asking for an internal communication to source your next speaker would be a good step.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Consultants
Most companies, nowadays, have employee or business resources groups that lean towards a specific underrepresented demographic. While you may not want to burn out those that already work within your company to do yet another presentation on top of their duties, there are plenty of individuals now working in the DEI field as independent consultants that also offer speaking engagements as part of their services. Consultants like myself offer public speaking in addition to other services. I've still got room for February, feel free schedule a quick 15-minute call to get started!
Whether you're looking for a speaker just for Black History Month or for future events, keep in mind these resources. Various topics could come about that involve the intersection of Black Americans and the industries within where they work. Having this list handy will make it much easier to find a great presenter!