Lest We Forget George Floyd… Four years on Saturday since the tragic murder of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. What did this event stir up in you? For me, it was a catalyst for finding my voice. One month after George Floyd’s death, I wrote an open letter, accompanied by a poem in his honour, published in the West Sussex County Times on June 21, 2020. I even sent it to Downing Street. This letter was the beginning of my journey in writing my book, *D.I.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y.*—a call to humanity and a resource for anti-racism and cultural sensitivity. I poured my heart into it, writing tirelessly until its publication in April 2021, just before the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder. The first few pages of the book pay tribute to George Floyd. The second edition of this book was republished in March 2023 on World Social Work Day. Do find this book and read this tribute; it will inspire you to connect to the plight of Black people. The sad eyes on the book cover symbolise the countless tears shed by Black people in the wake of this deep wound to humanity and for the racism suffered daily. Lest we forget. We must never forget. To George Floyd and all others killed unjustly on account of the colour of their skin, continue to rest in peace… #georgefloyd # may 2020 #fouryears # may 2024
A tale of Allyship
“Allyship is a lifelong process of building trust, consistency, accountability with marginalised individuals and or groups of people.” – Forbes.
Here is a tale of allyship, I thought I would share with readers this month. Some things that money cannot buy!
Once upon a time, I applied for a job, but Jill got it. Yes, Jill got the job that I applied for some years ago. Here is the story… Afterwards, as soon as I met Jill, I knew she was also well-suited for the job. Her knowledge and skills, blended with compassion, inspired me.
In no time, we began to work together for the common good of the Fostering service. After all, as Children social workers, we signed up to put the vulnerable children and families at the centre and pursue their best interest! I.e. above any selfish work or career ambitions, right? That was precisely what Jill and I did!
We worked together to design the first set of Secure Base Model training for our foster carers, drawn from the attachment theory by Professor Gillian Schofield and Dr Mary Beek for the fostering department we worked in. We began to facilitate these trainings to our foster carers, social work practitioners and managers, etc. Then, following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, Jill listened as I reflected with her on how the sad incident made me feel as a Black woman. I wanted those around me and the world to hear the sadness that Black people bore in their minds for this incident. Most importantly, I was keen to create some form of education, knowledge to raise awareness around racism and to prevent or minimise such horrific incidents. I proceeded to do an open letter to all – a letter to the society on the subject of George Floyd, which was published in the West Sussex County Times some weeks after the murder. I then fished out my Diversity Acrostic Poem, which I had created some years before, to expand and begin facilitating diversity and cultural competence workshops. Jill was more than happy to co-facilitate these workshops, given me added confidence for the venture, which soon spiralled positively across my Local Authority Children, Adult services and Youth Justice department, etc. These workshops have left a legacy.
The appetite for these workshops and it’s success led me to begin writing my book DIVERSITY which I first self-published in April 2021. The book is now republished as D.I.V.E.R.S.I.T.Y.: A guide to working with Diversity and Developing Cultural Sensitivity by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in March 2023.
It was extremely helpful to have Jill boldly collaborate with me to facilitate these workshops. The workshops were called “Black Lives Matter Diversity workshops.” We worked exceptionally well together and produced great pieces of work. Following this, I continued these workshops on my own.
Having Jill, a White woman, co-facilitate these workshops showed that White people can empathise with the plight of Black people. Also, that fighting racism should be a collaborative exercise and not just a thing left to Black people only. Jill showed that she could sit in the shoes of the marginalised and feel their pain.
The plight of Black people around her was not lost on her. Her compassion, authenticity and unwavering support are those things that money cannot buy.
Thank you, Jill, for being not just a good colleague but a good ally in every sense of the word. A definition of what Anti-racism allyship is about…
Jill received a special salute and a gold star during this year’s 2023 UK Black History Month, which was themed “Saluting Our Sisters,” from the VOT Training initiative, Education from the Public to the Public. Blogs by Vivian Okeze – Tirado, Head of VOT Training and Consultancy.
#blackhistorymonth2023 #bhm2023 #salutingoursisters #allyship #wematter #georgefloyd #blacklivesmatter #vottraining #anti-racism