Throughout Black History Month, our employee-led network REACH is inviting everyone to join the conversation about the importance of black history and black culture. This year’s theme is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, which works to shine a light on black stories and the way they’re told.
We caught up with Vanessa Walder from our Partnership Helpdesk Team to hear her story:
“Growing up in England as a white British woman with a few non-white friends, I didn’t think much about racism or Black History. It wasn’t until I went to Ghana that I started to question things. I’d never been on holiday or travelled before so to live in West Africa when I was 19 was an incredibly enriching experience to say the least. Now, as a mother of mixed-race children it changes my perspective on everything. Things I never noticed before such as unconscious bias and systematic racism; I notice them now.
One of the first shocks to me was that I couldn’t find representation of my child on a birthday card anywhere?! If greeting cards are supposed to appeal to the masses – at no point did anyone consider the range of diverse backgrounds in society. Why? Do black children not have birthdays? It made me question what else could be happening – in what other systems might black children be excluded or misrepresented and why. The education system is an example.
When my mixed-race daughter was learning about slavery at school, a classmate asked her about her slave ancestry. She doesn’t have slave ancestry. She has ancestors from the great Ashanti empire of Ghana but her classmate didn’t believe her because “all black people come from slaves”.
This is what history lessons have taught her classmate. They’ve been taught limited black history which is limiting their beliefs about black people. Black History Month is a great opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate black communities and the contributions they’ve made to the world. Contributions which have been overlooked or hidden.
Did you know a black man invented crisps? Black women calculated vital trajectories to send the first American astronaut to space. George T Sampson invented the first mechanical clothes dryer and Alice H Parker patented the first gas furnace so it’s thanks to these black people we have tumble dryers and central heating. Who could live without those in winter!
Black history is world history, it benefits us all.”
Thank you Vanessa for sharing your story.
As the author of this article, Vanessa’s story got me thinking about my own childhood. When I was growing up, there were only white people in my classes at school (diversity wasn’t great where I grew up back then) so I never experienced these kind of questions – in fact I was naïve to such issues. I don’t think we were ever even taught anything about black history, which looking back now makes me frustrated given how much black people have contributed to our country’s history.
It was only when I left school to go to college that I met and became friends with people from different cultures and ethnicities. This opened my eyes to loads of amazing things (not least many different celebrations and incredible food) but also the challenges my friends faced and how privileged I was to have never experienced such things.
This is why for me it’s so important that we ALL take the opportunity to learn about different cultures and celebrate each other’s differences. Black History Month is a perfect time to do this, so what are you waiting for?
Get involved…
Remember, REACH is hosting several exciting events throughout Black History Month and everyone’s welcome! Here’s what’s coming up next week:
30 October: God’s House Tower Talk – 12:30 to 13:30 in New York meeting room
Join us for an illuminating talk hosted by Southampton’s God’s House Tower. This insightful session will explore black history in Southampton, spanning from the 15th to the 19th century. Add to your diary here.30 October: Callaloo Corner – 11:00 to 15:00 in the Atrium
Spice up your day with Callaloo Corner! Discover an array of Trinidad-style sauces and chutneys and get to know the flavours of this part of the world, celebrating a culture through its food. Add to your diary here.
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