It’s Black History Month

‘Reclaiming Narratives’ is about recognising and correcting the narratives of Black history and culture, recognising untold success stories, acknowledging contributions, and celebrating the achievements of Black people and communities in the UK and around the world.

For us, today is also an opportunity to reflect on racial inequalities in mental health. Sadly, racialised communities still often face a number of challenges when it comes to accessing mental health support.

A research report by Mind found that people might face stigma and discrimination, Eurocentric framing of mental health, and a lack of trust of ‘the establishment’ and health providers. It can already be difficult to talk about our mental health and ask for help, but when faced with extra challenges it can be even harder to find the right support.

When supporting someone with their wellbeing, it’s really important we recognise that someone’s mental health and life experiences can be interlinked. We need to look at a person’s whole life, their lived experiences, and what they value.

To help our colleagues understand the challenges faced by Black people and other racialised communities, and as part of our implementation of the NHS Patient and Carer Race Equality Framework, we were really pleased to invite our colleagues to attend the Everyday Racism training provided by Natalie and Naomi Evans.

Natalie and Naomi, co-founders of Everyday Racism, provide the Everyday Racism training across workplaces and schools. In the session, we learned:

• Why tackling racism is the not the responsibility of Black people and People of Colour.
• About the language associated with racism.
• How to continue the anti-racism journey.
• To have more confidence in standing up against racism.

Below is a list of useful reading materials Natalie and Naomi kindly shared with our colleagues during the training:

• Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga
• Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini
• The Good Ally by Nova Reid
• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• Natives: Race & Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala
• The Mixed-Race Experience: Reflections and Revelations on Multicultural Identity by Naomi and Natalie Evans
• What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition by Emma Dabiri
• Me and White Supremacy: How to Recognise Your Privilege, Combat Racism and Change the World by Layla F Saad
• Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge
• This is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity by Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu
• Do Better: Spiritual Activism for Fighting and Healing from White Supremacy by Rachel Ricketts
• Anti-Racist Ally: An Introduction to Action and Activism by Sophie Williams

To find out more about Black History Month and to find out more about how you can get involved, you can visit: https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/