Celebrating black women’s contribution to history

The theme for this year’s Black History Month is “Saluting our Sisters #WeMatter”. It is a time to celebrate the invaluable contributions of black women in shaping history, inspiring change, and building communities.

Why black women? Despite significant contributions to society, the achievements of black women, in particular, have too often been overlooked or forgotten. That is why, this year’s Black History month focuses on celebrating the remarkable achievements of black women. We will be hosting a variety of events throughout October including celebration events on some wards.

Black History Month to me is about understanding black history and learning about the contributions that many brilliant black individuals have made globally and in Britain. It is about celebrating and supporting black achievements.

I am inspired by strong influential black women such as Michelle Obama, Dame Elizabeth Anionwu, Maya Angelou and Graça Machel who said: “It does not matter where you are born or what language you speak, we are all human beings and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”

I am currently Medicine Deputy Divisional Ops Director. I’ve worked in the Trust for over fifteen years and most of my experiences have been great. My early beginnings in the Trust as an overseas trained Senior Physiotherapist gave me a platform to grow and further develop my career. I’ve used my experiences to share awareness and enact changes that will hopefully improve the experiences of other staff members.

The benefits of being a diverse workforce cannot be overstated. Joining the NNUH Together (BAME) Staff Network has enabled me to support others and be involved in and driving forward change on equality, inclusivity and belonging. I am proud to be the co-chair of the NNUH Together Network championing equality, inclusivity and belonging for all. My aspiration as a leader in the Trust is to inspire staff particularly other black staff to go forward in achieving their ambitions.

Vicky Braide, Deputy Director of Operations, Medicine