Posted on: 17 July 2023
Message from Sheila Nursimhulu – Co-Chair of CNWL’s BAME Staff Network
It’s Black Leaders Awareness Day on 18 July. If, like me, you have lived an ordinary, but enriching life, surrounded by a diverse society, no doubt your life too would have been so positively and colourfully influenced by all those great human beings whose paths you had crossed, whether, they were black, white, blue, yellow or green and the importance of representation would undoubtedly have left its mark on you.
Black Leaders Awareness Day recognises Black leaders‘ contribution to society throughout history and the impact these great people have had on our lives to this day and beyond is acknowledged. This day also celebrates current black leaders and aspiring leaders of the future.
Whether you grew up in the Western world or any other corner of the world, whether we are fully aware of it or not, other people’s contributions in a faraway land would have had an effect on the lives of our forefathers, our own lives, that of our children and grandchildren and the generations to come. Black leaders come in all shapes and forms and include people from different races, gender, sexuality and those who belong to other protected characteristics.
We have no doubt been lucky to have benefitted from the leadership of great black leaders like Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Mary Seacole and Kofoworola Abeni Pratt (the first black nurse to come and work in the UK in 1946), But, we must not forget that we are all leaders in our own right. Whether you are a porter, a nurse, a healthcare assistant, a teacher or a doctor, your positive contribution, irrespective of the shape or form that it takes, helps to make positive change in other people’s lives. As a parent, you are the best leader and as a sibling, you are a leader too. We all have it in us to lead and bring about positive change and we must continue to use every opportunity to do so in our unique role as leaders. Quoting the Black author and journalist, Rene Germain, "If not you, then who" .
The importance of young people of colour to have an awareness of the contribution of the leaders before them cannot be overstated. This generation and future ones need to appreciate the contribution and sacrifices made by these great giants whose shoulders we stand on today. These young people must be aware of black leaders before them and understand that they too have a responsibility to be change agents. After all, representation in a multicultural and civilised society is a prerequisite to help break down stereotypes, foster understanding, and empower individuals to navigate within their world to feel they are seen, heard, and validated.
In that sense, Black Leaders Awareness Day is a conduit for instilling self-belief, pride and empowerment in young people of colour of today and tomorrow so that they can be the leaders they believe they can be. Children are our future and we will one day pass the baton on to them to continue the work that great leaders before them have accomplished. They need to believe that, as in the words of Dr Leanne Armitage,
“You can be the captain of your ship and master of your destiny; you can be the change you want to see” and as in the words of novelist and playwright, James Baldwin, "We are responsible for the world in which we find ourselves, if only because we are the only sentient force which can change it."
At CNWL alone, we have great Leaders of colour who are fulfilling roles at all levels and without whom the Trust will not be able to fulfil all its objectives. We salute them for their immeasurable contribution to the Trust.
The latest leader to be added to the list of CNWL Black Leaders is Nick Green, the newly appointed Chief People Officer! Congratulations on your appointment, Nick!
The quotes used in this article are all from black leaders.
I have included here a link from last year’s Black Leaders Awareness Day 2022 which the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust posted on the importance of diverse and inclusive leadership: Black Leaders Awareness Day: In conversation with John Lawlor and Thanda Mhlanga on diversity and inclusion
If CNWL Staff would like to join the BAME Staff Network, please visit Trustnet to find out how to get involved.