Black History Month 2023 

“As a black woman, Black History Month is especially important to me because it provides an opportunity to recognise the accomplishments of black women who have made significant contributions to society and that of our black women across south West London As a proud diversity professional our Inclusion work is a Gold thread in all the work throughout South West London

“Black History Month is also important because it helps to raise awareness about the ongoing struggle for racial equality. It provides an opportunity to educate people about the history of racism and discrimination, and to highlight the ways in which these issues continue to affect black people today. By celebrating Black History Month, we can help to promote understanding and empathy, and work towards a more just and equitable society.

“Throughout history, black women have been at the forefront of social justice movements, fighting for equal rights and opportunities.

“In conclusion, Black History Month is an important time for all of us to reflect on the contributions of black people throughout history. As a black woman, it is especially meaningful to me because it provides an opportunity to recognize the accomplishments of black women who have made significant contributions to society. It also helps to raise awareness about ongoing issues of racial inequality, and promotes understanding and empathy among all people.”

NHS 75 staff stories – Windrush stories – NHS South West London Integrated Care Board (icb.nhs.uk) 

“I committed myself to improving the culture of the maternity team through teaching and training, which helped to raise our profile, boost morale, and strengthen our governance structure.  

“My greatest achievement, and lifelong ambition of mine, has been to bring healthcare to communities with little or no access.  

“Since the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been able to share my skills and knowledge and work with healthcare professionals in both east and west Africa, to grant free healthcare to many rural communities. My most recent mission was to central Burundi where we treated 350 children and their families.  

“Here in the UK, I remain committed to reducing health inequalities, particularly among women with limited understanding of English or the NHS system. I share my passion chairing the Maternity Cultural Transformation Group at the trust and co-chairing the South West London Local Maternity and Neonatal System, to improve care outcomes. 

“I get my inspiration from my mum who always encouraged me to go further and taught me to never say “I can’t”.  

“She trained and worked in the NHS from 1957 until reluctantly returning to Sierra Leone in 1968 when my dad was called to serve as one of the first Sierra Leonean aeronautical engineers. My mum retired as a Lieutenant-Colonel for the Republic of Sierra Leone Military Forces, which is the equivalent of a Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer.  

“For this year’s Black History month, I celebrate my mum, how she modelled humility and strength, how she served her community at home and abroad, and how she paved the way for many more women to achieve their full potential.”

“I began my career as a pharmacist after completing my post-graduation pre-registration training year and to date, I have over 25 years of experience working within the NHS, across hospital and primary care. 

“My mother is my biggest role model. She dedicated her entire working life to the NHS as a registered nurse and as a clinical manager for a psychiatry unit in the community. She also served as a school governor until 2019 and she is still an active volunteer at her church at the age of 82. 

“I credit her with instilling in me a strong work ethic, core values, and a deep desire to give back to the community which has led me to become a school governor and a Trustee for The Sickle Cell Society. 

“I am proud of my voluntary community roles because it’s important to increase the representation of black women in leadership positions in all sectors, especially as children and young people are influenced by what and who they see around them. 

“However, it was only when I started my first position in a London teaching hospital and realised just how sparse senior black nurses’ representation was that I truly understood the significance of what my mum had achieved in her career. Especially in the absence of initiatives to improve workforce representation from that are now in place e.g. the Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES).  

“In today’s NHS, I believe that having diverse and adequate representation in leadership positions will help address health inequalities and deliver the best outcomes for the communities we serve. 

“Celebrating Black History Month is a step in the right direction. It represents an opportunity to showcase the positive contributions that black people have made to all pillars of society and increase awareness and understanding of black culture so that we can remove any barriers that are due to ignorance or fear of difference.”  

“My first job was in a private hospital which had patients from different backgrounds. I became good friends with a white senior nurse whose mother-in law was impressed that I could speak Afrikaans – derived from the form of Dutch brought to the Cape by Protestant settlers in the 17th century. Afrikaans is one of the official languages spoken by some South Africans as their first language.  

“Then in 1994, Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa which was a historical moment. Prior to his release from a 27-year sentence in prison there were demonstrations which impacted on the education of children from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. People from these communities were overwhelmingly happy to endure the long queues of black people waiting for their first opportunity to vote. 

“Six years later, I joined the NHS and worked at King’s College Hospital in London. My journey in the NHS has been a positive one. I’ve had some very supportive managers and colleagues and I find the work I do very rewarding. 

“One of my greatest achievements was being the first lead nurse for the Thames Stroke Research Network and being part of a team rolling out the F.A.S.T test training. 

“Now, as a safeguarding designated professional, I’m currently writing the first domestic abuse and sexual violence policy for staff employed by the ICB, and I also work across health and social care to stand together to tackle violence against women and girls.

“Due to no expression of interest from GPs I stepped into the role of the clinical lead when the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) programme restarted in Croydon. The IRIS programme is a domestic abuse training package for clinical and non-clinical staff in GP practices to equip staff to better support their patients affected by domestic violence and abuse. 

“Continued training and learning for your own personal development is very important. 

“Nelson Mandela once said ‘Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mine worker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another.’ 

“I remember participating in the Ready Now programme by NHS Leadership Academy which supported senior NHS leaders from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds to move into more significant senior roles. Eden Charles was one of the inspirational lecturers and he said that to succeed, we had to first reflect on who we are and how we fit into a complex system and the wider society.  

“The Ready Now programme was the catalyst for me to reflect on my own history and looked into my DNA. This was very interesting but also traumatic for me and I’m still on a journey of healing. 

“For this year’s Black History Month, I wanted to take the opportunity to share my story and support others through their journey, and thank my parents for their work ethic, commitment, and integrity, and making me the woman I am today.” 

“Igbo people are also well known for their visual art displays, traditional attire, music, dance, and dialects, and chieftaincy (local leaders). We also have a wide range of African tasty dishes including our version of jollof rice.  

“I came into the UK in April 2000 and worked for various private organisations before joining the NHS in 2012.  

“In my current role, I feel proud to support my local community in Croydon. I enjoy collaborating with colleagues to improve health and care services for our patients which is very rewarding. I particularly enjoy the sense of responsibility, team spirit and the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people from different backgrounds. 

“This is why Black History Month means a lot to me. It’s an opportunity to share my culture, my heritage, and my community, which is full of talent, resilience, and beauty.”

“This is evident in the story of the first President of Nigeria, Nnamdi Azikiwe, an Ibo man, who was considered a driving force and lifelong advocate behind Nigeria’s Independence from the British.   

“My father is a retired senior manager who worked with a French aviation company and my mother was a fashion designer. They both instilled in me that value of tenacity, resilience, integrity and self-determination which I apply to my work ethic and personal life. I am proud to be British and have a strong link to my African heritage. 

“I started my career with the UK Immigration (Home Office) and joined the NHS 16 years ago and have worked as a senior manager in commissioning, provider and regional organisations mostly delivering models of integration that join up health and social care services for patients with the most complex needs.

“As a health leader, I also wear many hats within the NHS, working as a health advocate in the community for children and young people living with hemoglobinopathy conditions to improve experiences of care. I also volunteer to peer review hospitals across the four nations of the UK. 

“Currently, working as a Deputy Director in South West London, my role is to ensure we provide and deliver safe, equitable and high quality of care to our population. 

“I have celebrated many achievements in the span of my career in the NHS but my proudest achievement was leading the National Vanguard New Models of Care for the acute care collaboration category between Guy’s and St Thomas and Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust.

“This resulted in the formation of a Foundation Group between both Trusts and more importantly, improved experience, equity of access and treatment outcomes for patients accessing cardiology, vascular and paediatric services. This was particularly special to me as I was born in Guy’s Hospital, where I took my first breath.  

“What I enjoy most about working in the NHS is the joy of being able to transform pathways and services for patients and the privilege to experience from start to finish how my work may have improved patients’ lives. I admire how resilient the NHS is and how over the last 75 years, it has overcome all its challenges. The NHS is like a second family, it has also saved my life. 

“Several female senior leaders in the NHS have inspired me and shaped my role as a leader. My role as a black woman in leadership is to continue to lift others as I climb. 

“Black History Month is a pertinent time to recognise and celebrate the strides and efforts we are collectively making towards achieving racial equity, whist raising awareness to challenge structural racism.”

“I moved to the south east coast of England and joined the NHS in 1998 working in a hospital in Hastings. I initially worked on the bank and found myself working in a range of departments and settings from Medical Records, Medical Secretarial and providing admin support within a mental health crisis response team. 

A Director saw potential in me and I was appointed to became a trainee HR officer and during this time worked hard to gain a post graduate diploma through the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. In the years to come I also gained a Masters Degree in Leadership and Management.  

“However, as much as I had a manager who supported my development, she was hardly a great role model, as she would often take work home to do over the weekend. This has stuck with me throughout my career because I believe that whilst there will be exceptions overall work should be kept separate to home life, otherwise you end up resenting either your home or work life. 

“I also believe that you should always keep striving for better, that if something’s not working, we should look at why it isn’t working and find a way to make it work. The Mayors Skills Academy programme is a prime example of this and is about getting underrepresented groups of people into good jobs.

Right now, it’s not a fair or level playing field. Not everyone does well at school and unfortunately, they are held back because they don’t have the right qualifications for entry level jobs. But there are talented people out there who work hard, show potential and have transferable skills, and so if we can think differently and remove the barriers, then everyone can have equal access to opportunities, and organisations like the NHS can thrive.  

“Equally important is how we all play a part in shaping the experience of new members of staff throughout their career, making them feel welcome, and supporting their development. Making people feel a sense of belonging is essential to building inclusive workforces.  

“I was asked what Celebrating Black History Month means to me. I feel it’s a brief moment in time when we focus on black people, culture and history from the perspective and lived experience of people who look like me. 

“It’s also a time for people to engage and educate themselves on black history. There’s more to slavery, there were civilisations and empires built and led by black people too.  

“For me, I’m still on a journey of discovery and am curious to find out more about my genealogy because, as much as history shouldn’t define you, it’s good to know where you come from and to understand history as it can help shape where we’re going.”

“As a black woman, Black History Month is simply an opportunity to enable people to reflect on their journey and celebrate what they have achieved whilst educating others in addressing race inequality. 

“I first started working as a secondary school science teacher and then moved into the NHS 25 years ago where I qualified as a nurse and midwife working in acute, maternity, community and commissioning. 

“Growing up, I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Manley, Jamaica’s former Prime Minister. I remember how he emphasised the importance of ‘Equality through Education’ and created a system that allowed education to be affordable for all, closing the gap of the class system.  

“I admired his leadership and his different way of thinking. He inspired me to take every opportunity to educate myself that over the years, I have been a Mary Seacole Scholar, a Darzi Fellow, a Nye Bevan graduate and also a Nurse Fellow in NHS England’s Chief Nursing Officer team.  

“I became Deputy Chief Nurse at Epsom and St Helier Hospital before working at NHS South West London as a Director of Quality – supporting oversight and improvement at system level in improving patient outcomes and experience. 

“One of my greatest achievements so far was being named Nurse of the Year at this year’s Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Health and Care Awards on 28 September 2023.  

“My mother is responsible for the woman I am today and she continues to impart wisdom even at 85 years of age. I admire her altruism, how she fights for the most vulnerable, and stands up for what she believes in and for what is right, even if she stands alone. I am grateful for those that have contributed to my growth and development.  

“It’s important to inspire others as we aspire and work towards our goals.”

#UBUNTU

“Both my Ghanaian parents came to England in the 1960s. My mother was a nurse and my father was an architect and after training in the UK, he went back to Ghana to design hospitals and other clinical centres.  

“My husband’s maternal grandmother came to the UK from Montserrat in 1952 during the Windrush era. She lived in Tooting and worked as a domestic at St George’s Hospital.  

“My mother is my role model. She worked in the NHS for many years and as I watched her work selflessly delivering quality care for patients, I wanted to do the same.  

“I have worked in the NHS for over 30 years working with local partners and communities to deliver a joined-up service to support our patients. My first job was as a pre-registration pharmacist at Guys and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, before moving onto Barts Health NHS Trust and St George’s University Hospitals NHS Trust.  

“So far, the highlight of my career was during the Covid pandemic when I was part of the front line vaccination programme team. I worked with so many wonderful people from diverse backgrounds across the system to deliver our services in an inclusive way. I had never experienced working with patients this way before and found it very rewarding. 

“The best thing about working in the NHS​ is the camaraderie with my work colleagues and the joy of helping patients which is a very humbling experience.  

“My maternal grandma always told me to always be proud of my heritage and never miss an opportunity to tell others about it. Learning about different cultures plays an important part to how we listen and learn from each other and from our patients, and if we continue this good work, we can deliver the best care regardless of anyone’s background, race, gender or faith.”  

NHS 75 staff stories – Sedina Agama, Chief Pharmacist in Merton and Wandsworth 

“For this year’s Black History Month, I wish to thank my parents and salute my sisters involved in women’s health especially in fertility and gynaecology.  

“I am one of the many black women who struggle with polycystic ovaries and fibroids, and I owe my health and the miraculous birth of my two children to the hard work of black, Asian and ethnic minority gynaecologists, radiologists, doctors, and midwives.   

“Thanks to them, I have two children who are most cherished role models in my life. They are unapologetically themselves, love their chocolate brown skin, take pride in their Nigerian culture and their British culture too. They heal the part of me that felt like I needed to ‘blend in’ as a child and inspire me to step into who I really am every single day.   

“As a former teacher, I have seen the development of Black History Month grow beyond painful memories to celebrating our achievements to looking forward to the future. I’m excited to see what the next generation bring to this platform and how they use it to amplify black voices from all walks of life.  

“In 2021, I joined the NHS as a Programme Manager to help develop a more equal, diverse and inclusive organisation and have already seen how the pioneering programmes are transforming the leadership and culture of the organisation. I’ve had a wonderful journey so far and am excited to be part of the creation of a truly inclusive workplace.”   

“Children were therefore born of mixed heritage and were more favourable as they had lighter skin and their less kinky hair was referred to as “good hair”. I remember being so intrigued by this that I joined in the Good Hair debate back in 2010 and [INTERNAL LINK ONLY] interviewed a number of people from black communities.

“Thankfully, as we learn more about our history, the narrative is changing and more black women are positively embracing that good hair is simply whatever is good for you.  

“This is important to me especially being a mum to a young girl who is keen to understand the world we live in and sees Black History Month as an opportunity to learn about her history – something which so many of us never had. 

“I also want my daughter to understand that you have to work hard in life, and that role models can be the everyday unsung heroes of this world – the ones who wake up every day and deliver, those who are seemingly ordinary and quite unaware of their power, but then pursue greatness each day in their decisions to keep things moving, particularly during hard times.  

“Having worked in the public sector in local government and regulatory bodies for many years, I joined the NHS in January 2023 as an Executive Assistant. I enjoy my role because even though I’m not on the frontline, I know that my contribution will positively impact the people that need to be reached eventually.

“Whether I’m on the phone or responding to an email, I make every effort to fulfilling my goal. I do this so I can feel proud everyday and show my daughter that I put in the hard work.”