Black History Month
We’re celebrating Black History Month (BHM) and embracing the theme this year of Reclaiming Narratives.
Since 1987 BHM has been celebrated in the United Kingdom each October. BHM provides opportunities for people from all of our diverse communities to promote knowledge of Black history, culture and heritage; share positive Black contributions to British society and heighten Black people’s confidence in and awareness of their own cultural heritage. The term ‘Black’ includes anyone who identifies as part of the African diaspora.
Reclaiming Narratives is more than just a theme it’s an invitation to every member of the Black community to take part in shaping how their stories are told. It’s about ensuring that their voices are heard, their experiences acknowledged, and their contributions celebrated.
As part of this, staff from across the organisation have shared their narratives about what Black History Month means to them. You can read them below. More will be added throughout the month.
Hear from Wendy, Crisis Care Practitioner
“My morning starts here getting ready for the job that I have loved and have been grateful for for the past 21 years. I have worked as a mental health nurse in many different roles with Notts Healthcare since 2003 and seen it transform in many different ways. Although this has been rewarding it has become increasingly difficult doing this job, especially in the midst of a pandemic where I’m taking part in treating people with mental health difficulties as well as coping with my own anxieties.
“My job as a Crisis Practitioner is to provide home treatment to people that are vulnerable to hospital admission but are safe to be treated in the comfort of their own homes.
“Black history month is very important to me because it is time to highlight the achievements of the Black people who have impacted positively to many people’s lives within our society. It’s also time to reflect on the struggles black people have faced in regards to racism, inequalities, negative perceptions, and negative stereotypes and the impact of this on them. We should be celebrated.
“The person who has inspired me in black history is Maya Angelou and one of her quotes that stays with me lot of the time is…
“'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
“I went to see a family that remembered me and how I treated them 10 years ago although I had forgotten them, they remembered me. This showed me why I still do what I do. Changing people’s lives in a way that stays with them forever.
“My aspirations are to get involved in a role that that brings up the young black people that are at the beginning of their careers. Help them to navigate the journey that may potentially be difficult for them but also to give them hope and build up some resilience so they do not give up on their dreams because of what people think or what society moulds them to be “
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