***Trigger warning: mention of suicide.
We’re thrilled to have hosted another full house for our Black History Month event this year, in partnership with Inclusive Companies, which focused on the past, present and future. Alongside two excellent educational talks, guests enjoyed a powerful poetry performance and engaged with a panel discussion full of insights and actions to take back into their own workplaces.
Keep reading to find out some of the key takeaways from the day.
Our HR Business Partner, Samadora Mansaray, opened the day, sharing the meaning and importance of this year’s theme, Reclaiming Narratives: “It isn’t just about looking back, it's about shaping the future. We hold the power to redefine how our stories are told and understood, ensuring that future generations inherit the narratives that reflect their truth, dignity, and potential.”
We welcomed the talented poet and actress, Zara Dieobi, back for another rousing performance. Currently in year 13 studying English, Drama, Media Studies and History, she plans to further her education in African History at university. Zara’s appeared at local government leadership events, Black History Month events and the Inclusive Awards, to name a few. She performed a beautiful reading of a piece she wrote to- “reclaim my narrative as a Black Nigerian woman. A letter to the world saying I no longer want to be oppressed.”
Read Zara’s full poem: Click here
Next our Head of Performance Media and Analytics, Nabil, gave a brilliant talk about the power of connecting with your name and what it means to relearn history and reclaim narratives: “Nabil is an Arabic name meaning noble. And my family name, Verdickt, derives from Latin and means to tell the truth. Talking about my name helps to ground me in the present but also connects me to the very things my ancestors did. It's only when we connect to the meaning of our name, our heritage, and the greatness of our history that we can truly, deeply, and unapologetically reclaim our personal merit.”
National Diversity Award winner and Head of History at Parkview Secondary School, Josh Preye Garry, followed. He brought a bunch of his ambitious students along, giving them a chance to network in a professional environment. Also an author, public speaker, educator, historian, and leader, he delivered an incredibly rich history lesson on the presence of Black people in Britian, and the origins of racism and the challenges it presents today:
“The narrative I want to reclaim is the fact that Black history is British history. I often think that there's a big difference between the past and history. The past is anything that's happened, whereas history is what has been constructed, and those are the stories that we choose to tell. Quite often, those stories are only passed on because of power. It means that history hasn't always been passed on in the way I think it should.”
We learned about the presence of prominent African people living in Britain during the Roman Empire. About trumpet player, John Blanke, being granted a pay rise by Henry VIII. About Cheddar Man, the oldest near-complete skeleton in Britain. And Ghanaian Alhaji Grunshi, the first soldier in British service to fire a shot in WW1. And many, many more: “We’re part of British culture. We've always been here; we will always be here. When we reclaim this narrative, it's a narrative for all of us to share and celebrate.”
Last, but by no means least, George Agyemang, Associate Director of our Executive Interim team and Paul Sesay, Founder and CEO of Inclusive Companies, hosted a dynamic panel discussion. As well as sharing insights and innovative ideas on inclusion, panellists spoke on what should be done to create equitable workplaces, and shared advice and personal experiences that clearly resonated with the audience.
Deborah Harris-Ugbomah, who holds several non-executive director roles in education, healthcare, and justice spoke on supporting Black people to progress into senior roles: “We can't keep still. We've got a responsibility as parents, teachers, senior leaders, to make sure we’re creating a pathway where young people can see what we look like and see a path. To let them know how challenging it is, but also the great opportunities available.”
On working to support and uplift underrepresented voices, Serena Simon, Director of Communities at Westminster City Council said: “We have to be more trusted. We’re focused on being in the places where our communities are, not just for a day, or just to do some consultations, but being there, part of it. Supporting people in communities, whether it’s activists or food banks. Then really starting to build up relationships.”
And Stuart Love, Chief Executive at Westminster City Council talked about what he’s witnessed since the riots erupted across the country in August: “What we saw on our streets was racism. And since, what I see and hear is that our community, particularly our global majority community and staff, haven't forgotten. It's really important that, from a leadership perspective there’s an understanding and acknowledgement – and a willingness to do something about that going forward.”
We heard from Dr Heather Melville OBE, Partner at Stork and May, who spoke about reverse mentoring the Chief Executive of a previous organisation: “The first thing I said to him was that he needed to host a round table of Black businesses. I told him to visit a church, because religion is embedded in our culture. Then I told him to go to a Black-owned restaurant to experience the food. The reason for that is because many of these people who sit at the helm of organisations are so far removed from who we are and what we do.”
She was also passionate about organisations doing events that celebrate, empower and uplift the Black community all year round: “As I made my way here, I saw loads of organisations with billboards and signs up, but we want to be more than just a billboard and more than just a sentence during this time. I’m not saying forget about Black History Month. I’m actually saying, ‘by the way, I’m Black every single month of the year.’”
All of our panellists agreed that the future is bright for Black inclusion in the workplace. But that we all, collectively, have a responsibility to create it. This year’s event, set against the backdrop of a beautiful London skyline, with a room full of extraordinary people from all walks of life, brought many lessons. The importance of coming together to learn from individual perspectives while also sharing in common experiences.
The power of tackling difficult, sometimes uncomfortable conversations in order to create real, sustainable change for marginalised, underrepresented and underserved communities. And, perhaps most importantly, that the often-overlooked contributions and achievements of Black individuals in history and to this very day, deserve to be acknowledged and celebrated, not just during Black History Month, but all year round.
This year we honour and rememberWayne Brown, who tragically lost his life to suicide earlier in January 2024. Wayne was the first-ever Black Chief Fire Officer in the UK, who made significant contributions to the fire service throughout his career, and who we were lucky enough to have as a guest panellist for our 2023 BHM event.
A huge thank you to everyone who made this event possible, and all who attended. Because of you, we were able to raise over £900 for the Fire Fighters Charity in Wayne’s memory.
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