Time to speak up

I am in the process of publishing Black in White, a book of poems describing some of my experiences as a black woman working in the UK’s predominantly white corporate world for 25 years. In the various companies where I have worked, I have often been the most senior, and sometimes the only non-admin or support staff, UK-based black team member. I have encountered much positive and progressive thinking and behaviour, and worked with colleagues who simply see people first and for whom my skin colour has never been an issue. In fact, it’s fair to say that this is mainly what I’ve experienced. But I have also encountered both overt and covert racism, and have had to navigate these experiences thoughtfully, while staying focused and motivated.

Like so many other black people working in corporate settings, I have tended not to speak about my experiences of racism with anyone other than my family and close friends. Since the brand of racism we encounter in Britain tends to be less overt than in some other places in the world, it’s often harder to detect or identify with real certainty. No one wants to be seen to cry ‘racism’ at every real or imagined slight. And so we tend to stay silent. But racism chips away at self-esteem, self-belief, self-confidence, and can affect your progress and performance over time. This can be detrimental to your career, particularly in many corporate settings where you’re often only as good as your last win.

Feeling empowered

But the strength of feeling engendered by George Floyd’s murder among people in general, of all skin colours, ethnicities and nationalities, has led to a resurgence in visibility for the #BlackLivesMatter campaign. With this has come many expressions of support and statements of intent to drive and sustain change, signalling that the time may be ripe for us to speak up about our experiences of racism. I have seen many people across different platforms feel empowered to do so, and I too have chosen to share my stories.

I did briefly consider using a pen name for my book, but decided against it. That would simply be giving in to the same thinking that kept me silent for so long. Sometimes you have to stick your head above the parapet. So here goes. My hope is that as we open people’s eyes to the stark reality of the racism that many black people often face, we will also help to open minds and wipe out wrong thinking and behaviours.