Deepa Korea, RCN Foundation Director shares a personal reflection this Black History Month.

I’ve been reflecting on the theme of this year’s Black History Month ‘Celebrating Our Sisters’ and what it means to me. As someone who has been privileged enough to have been supported by many Black women throughout my career, it is fantastic to be able to pause, reflect and salute my ‘heroes’.

This support is something that is often provided quietly and with grace, and it is something that I have sought to pay forward. I guess, to some extent, I have taken it for granted. But research about the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Black women has made me re-evaluate just how important this support has been.

Research has shown that the pandemic has exacerbated the challenges that already existed for Black women in terms of their mental health, career advancement, pay, morale and wellbeing – something that’s been referred to as a ‘crisis within a crisis’. The battles for fair treatment and access to services are fought daily and, when something like a global pandemic comes along, these battles become almost impossible.

That the playing field is not level for us is a given. But following the pandemic, we are so far behind the starting line that we can barely be seen. And yet failing to address these issues, particularly in terms of the workforce, could be catastrophic in terms of increased inequality, missing out on outstanding skills and experience, and taking even longer for the economy to recover.

Viewed within this context, the support I have received over the years is even more extraordinary, with those who have provided it doing so whilst they have shouldered their own challenges. I’ll certainly not be taking it for granted again.