As Black History Month comes to an end, we are delighted to have hosted the first system-wide Black History Month conference this month at Royal Sussex County Hospital.
More than 100 of our colleagues and those from partner organisations across Sussex came together to help change practice within the health and care sector when caring for people from ethnically diverse communities. It was also an opportunity to celebrate the contributions and achievements of black colleagues while supporting racial justice for our workforce.
We had some fantastic thought-provoking speakers, including our very own emergency medicine consultant, Dr Christopher Odedun, who spoke powerfully about integrating anti-racism into daily practices and stressed that personal responsibility is key to addressing and over-coming deep-rooted issues.
Roger Kline, a Research Fellow at Middlesex University Business School, spoke about his report ‘Too Hot to Handle?’ and explored how healthcare organisations respond to allegations of racism.
Roger said: “Black History Month events are important because most history is white history and we need to remind ourselves, particularly at a time when a quarter of NHS staff and large numbers of people in this country are Black and ethnic minority heritage, that there is a different world of history to the one we have historically been used to.”
Michelle Cox, a Race Equality Consultant with 30 years experience in the NHS, stressed how important it is for people to become more comfortable having difficult conversations.
She said: “Having those difficult and challenging conversations is where we see advancement. We can’t move forward until we start getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. That’s where we see the biggest shift in mindset, learning and education.”
Beyond our thought-provoking speakers, we held interactive workshops, including a Black haircare and skincare workshop that dismissed misconceptions and the stigma around Black hair, so our patients can feel confident and supported in our care.
Other workshops empowered attendees to turn their allyship into activism and unlearning the current stigma around sickle cell condition.
John Bell, from maternity services said: “It’s been really powerful and thought-provoking. I think there’s a lot that we can learn but also there’s a lot that we can celebrate because let’s face it, this event has been put on, so that’s already a step forward.”
Glory Danjuma, who works at Royal Sussex County A&E said: “It’s been very inspiring. I’ve learnt so much about racism and especially the fight against racism as staff. I’ve learnt so much about changing the narrative, like Michelle Cox said, and not being quiet when we see the subtle signs, speaking out for staff who can’t speak out for themselves.”
A huge thank you to everyone involved for making this a great success and for joining us as we fight against racism and take steps towards truly inclusive health and care organisations across Sussex.