What does Black History Month mean to me? It’s an important time to reflect on the turnaround of slavery and segregation, but it’s also a time to celebrate how far we have come and the Afro-Caribbean culture and traditions.
Black people today still struggle with discrimination in the workplace, justice system, education, and many other areas. Many young children are bullied for the colour of their skin and for having different hair, which can knock confidence at an early stage in life.
One does not need to look far to find stories that demonstrate how racism permeates schools in England today. In June 2019, there was the tragic news of the death of Shukri Yahya Abdi – a 12-year-old black Muslim girl who came to the UK as a refugee from Somalia. On 27 June, her body was found in Greater Manchester’s River Irwell. This young girl was severely bullied at school; unfortunately, the school failed to respond effectively to the issues of racism and islamophobia that the school was already aware of.
Another disappointing example is the racist abuse towards Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho who missed their penalties in the Euro 2020 finals. Not only did they experience racism, but many other black people experienced racist abuse as a result of England’s loss. I came across a Snapchat post circulated all over social media that encouraged sexual, verbal and physical abuse towards black people. The creator of the Snapchat post also mentioned that each type of abuse had a different level of points, making something extremely serious into a game.
My last example is George Floyd. Along with many other black men who have been murdered or abused by the police, he lost his life to a police officer who abused his power.
On a lighter note, there have been improvements and developments towards equality for black people. For example, the Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination in the workplace.
There is now a treatment for sickle-cell disease offered by the NHS. Sickle-cell disease is a serious lifelong inherited health condition that affects red blood cells, which is mostly common in people with African or Caribbean descent. It also shortens life expectancy; a study shows that women with the disease have a life expectancy of around 42 years, and men 38 years. Episodes of pain known as sickle-cell crises are one of the most common and distressing symptoms of sickle-cell disease. The pain can be severe and last up to a week and can happen as regularly as once a week. Please click the link below to find more about the disease:
Around 15,000 people in the UK suffer from the disease, and the fact that there is a treatment now is fantastic progress.
More black people are being hired for good jobs, such as Kamala Harris who is the first black female Vice President of the United States. Also, Rosalind Brewer is Walgreens’ next CEO – the only black woman to currently lead a Fortune 500 firm.
Lastly, there has been tremendous progress in our industry – financial services. Newton is working towards employing more black people in the business, and I am delighted to be part of a company that values diversity and inclusion.
More black people are being hired for good jobs, such as Kamala Harris who is the first black female Vice President of the United States. Also, Rosalind Brewer is Walgreens’ next CEO – the only black woman to currently lead a Fortune 500 firm.
Lastly, there has been tremendous progress in our industry – financial services. Newton is working towards employing more black people in the business, and I am delighted to be part of a company that values diversity and inclusion.
