 Many young women arrived in the UK from the Caribbean with a dream to be a nurse. It was a dream that many had to wait a while to realise, for a reason most did not expect. Racism.
Quite a few of these young hopefuls got jobs in hospitals, not as nurses, but as "orderlies" as they were called then. These were the people who cleaned the hospitals. Disappointment may have been their immediate emotion but all used the opportunity to learn about hospital life, and the reality of life in the UK through the reactions and reluctance of many patients and visitors to seeing Black hospital workers. After many applications and requests for nurse training, the door was opened for some, but only as State Enrolled Nurses – a second-tier position below State Registered Nurses. Many young nurses worked their way up enhancing their employability and chances for promotion, but they were still blocked by racism most of the time. Their resilience, courage and determination sustained them. Roll on twenty years and in 1964, Daphne Steele was appointed the first Black Matron at a hospital in Ilkley, Yorkshire. Another 20 years on and another young woman started her training in Whitechapel, London. Her name – Donna Kinnair. Kinnair started her academic life pursuing a degree in mathematics, but took to nursing with enthusiasm and vigour. She widened her healthcare experience by working with HIV patients, and by working in an intensive care hospital setting and as a Health Visitor in the community. Kinnair was following in the footsteps of the pioneering Windrush Generation who became nurses and showed that their professional competence could extend outside of the hospital and upwards towards leadership. Kinnair didn’t stop there though. She continued her academic and professional development with a Masters’ Degree in Medical Law and Ethics and focused on child protection work, becoming an expert adviser. A Windrush Generation descendant, Kinnair was making a hugely valuable contribution to Britain in greater ways than those who came to England to be nurses could have hoped for. She was showing what could have been achieved if racism hadn’t been a hurdle for Black nurses of the Windrush Generation. Kinnair held a number of senior positions in both the healthcare and education sectors, underlining her talent, passion, belief and years of hard work. Her roles included being Strategic Commissioner for Children’s Services, Clinical Director of Emergency Medicine, and a Director of Commissioning. Kinnair was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2008 – in recognition of her achievements and contribution to the UK. As an acknowledged leader and influencer, Kinnair was a member of the Prime Minister’s Commission in 2010, giving advice on nursing and midwifery. Being invited to teach medical law, ethics, and child protection in New Zealand, Russia and Kenya, as well as throughout the UK, confirmed her expert status and her skill of inspiring others. Kinnair soon rose up the ranks from Head of Nursing at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in 2015, to Director for Nursing, Policy and Practice in 2016. Then, in August 2018, she was appointed acting Chief Executive and General Secretary of RCN, before the permanent position was confirmed in April 2019. Kinnair’s professionalism and commitment to innovation and a quality service has had a tremendous impact already. 2020 has been a year in which her skills have been tested, as have those of the Government and others helping the country to deal with major and far-reaching issues. From the Covid-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on Black and Asian communities, to the urgent need for equality and inclusiveness in all areas of society – highlighted by Black Lives Matter protests around the world. Kinnair acknowledged these issues and how they impacted on Black nurses when she marked Windrush Day on 22 June 2020. “While it would be nice to think that the prejudices and barriers faced by the Windrush nurses were firmly established as a thing of the past, the reality is that change is painfully slow. The results of the Workforce Race Equality Standard tell us that there is still much more work to be done to create sustainable change in organisations. Nurses still tell us about their experiences of racism and at RCN Congress this year we learned much about the importance of understanding the impact of race on health….” In 2020, protecting nurses from Covid-19 has been a difficult challenge, as has been identifying why Black and Asian people have succumbed disproportionately to the virus, compared to white people. Kinnair has shown leadership and is not afraid to be bold when it comes to ensuring the Government takes responsibility and responds to demands for improving the safety of the frontline workers she is responsible for. At the start of the UK pandemic, nursing staff were expected to continue caring for Covid-19 patients without protective personal equipment (PPE) such as masks, gloves and aprons. The reality of the PPE scandal is that over 650 health and social care workers have now died of Covid-19 to date. 2020 may continue to be a difficult year for all, but Kinnair has set out the RCN’s demands to Government and health service leaders. Demands that will protect nurses and patients. Demands that will help care for people through the pandemic, while providing a way forward for a full re-opening of the other healthcare services needed. Demands that will train and equip nurses to meet a nation’s healthcare needs, at one of the most challenging times in our history. Kinnair believes “Nurses, in all settings and sectors across health and social care, deserve to know that their safety and wellbeing is paramount to the UK Government, devolved adminisibbean Nursestrations and health agencies.” More than ever, knowing this is particularly important in 2020, and a definite priority for Kinnair. In 2020, Kinnair was named in the Powerlist, a list of 100 most influential Britons of African and African Caribbean descent. The Windrush Generation and their descendants, especially those who have been a part of the NHS journey and its development as a world-class service, have saluted Kinnair for her achievements and invaluable contribution. In turn, celebrating the 72 year anniversary of the NHS in July, Kinnair acknowledged the invaluable and lasting contribution of the Windrush Generation who became nurses. Professor Dame Donna Kinnair DBE was the toast of anniversary events 72 years after many of those first hopefuls made their way into nursing despite the many challenges they faced. Starting a long journey that would see The Windrush Generation and their descendants making an incredible contribution to the NHS and the health and wellbeing of the nation. Source : Black History Magazine 2020  Black haircare has become a lucrative business and more Black entrepreneurs have found ways to create more diversity for product selection when it comes to Afro-textured hair.
Men’s haircare has also become a fast-growing niche with more black men looking for products to nourish their natural hair. After establishing a name for himself over in the U.K., this Black male entrepreneur is looking to bring his men’s care collection to the U.S. market. Aaron Wallace is the brainchild of his namesake luxury haircare brand designed with Black men in mind. Wallace started creating his own products and his experiences with customers during his time as a barber. “I was cutting hair daily and having regular conversations with clients, who were mostly Black men. I noticed that many of us suffered from similar issues with our hair and grooming and were finding it difficult to find the best solutions for our hair type. I wanted to change that and created a range of products that would solve those problems.” Despite the challenges of entering a new, international market, Wallace looks forward to finally bringing his products to the U.S. “It’s been quite a challenge being based in the UK and having such interest from the US, mostly due to the challenges that come with shipping,” says Wallace. “Shipping costs have been a big hurdle for us as it raises the barrier for our US customers, however, this is something we have now found solutions for so I’m very pleased to now be able to serve our US and Canadian customers…we want to be as accessible as possible and soon you will be able to find us on local shop shelves.” Source : Black Enterprise, 23rd September 2020  'The strength, the courage': Oprah Winfrey and Disney chief Bob Iger lead the tributes to Chadwick Boseman - while Marvel co-stars and Denzel Washington express their shock at his death from cancer aged 43
Chadwick Boseman died at the age of 43 after enduring a four-year battle with colon cancer. Oprah Winfrey took to Twitter shortly after news broke to post a heartfelt tribute to the Black Panther star. 'What a gentle gifted SOUL. Showing us all that Greatness in between surgeries and chemo. The courage, the strength, the Power it takes to do that. This is what Dignity looks like,' wrote the 66-year-old media mogul. Meanwhile Bob Iger, the Executive Chairman of The Walt Disney Company, which produces the Marvel films that made Boseman a superstar, also paid tribute. The mogul described Chadwick as 'an extraordinary talent, and one of the most gentle and giving souls I have ever met,' in his Twitter thread. He continued: 'Becoming a long-awaited hero to millions around the world, and inspiring us all to dream bigger and demand more than the status quo. We mourn all that he was, as well as everything he was destined to become.' Iger went on to address Boseman's grieving relatives and fans: 'His absence from the screen is only eclipsed by his absence from our lives. All of us at Disney send our prayers and heartfelt condolences to his family.' Boseman, who was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer in 2016, never spoke publicly about his diagnosis. It, eventually, progressed to stage four. 'A true fighter, Chadwick persevered through it all, and brought you many of the films you have come to love so much,' wrote Chadwick's grieving family in a statement. 'From Marshall to Da 5 Bloods, August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom and several more- all were filmed during and between countless surgeries and chemotherapy. It was the honor of his career to bring King T'Challa to life in Black Panther,' the statement concluded. Boseman became a household name in 2018 with his role as young king T'Challa in Marvel's blockbuster superhero film Black Panther. Source : DailyMail.co.uk, 29 August 2020  Paulette Wilson, a prominent Windrush campaigner who was wrongly detained and threatened with deportation by the Home Office, has died unexpectedly at the age of 64, a month after delivering a petition to Downing Street calling on the government to deliver justice to those affected by the scandal. Wilson’s daughter, Natalie Barnes, said she had found her mother on Thursday morning; she appeared to have died in her sleep. “My mum was a fighter and she was ready to fight for anyone. She was an inspiration to many people. She was my heart and my soul and I loved her to pieces,” Barnes said. Wilson moved to Britain from Jamaica aged about 10 in 1968, to join her grandparents. She went to primary and secondary school in Britain, and worked as a chef for most of her life, for a while in the House of Commons restaurant. She had travelled to the UK legally but in 2016 she received a letter informing her that she was an immigration offender, and needed to take immediate steps to return to Jamaica, a country she had not visited in half a century. She was arrested twice, and spent time in Yarl’s Wood immigration removal centre, before being transferred to another centre in Heathrow in 2017, ahead of a flight to Kingston. It was only a last-minute intervention by her MP, Emma Reynolds, and the Refugee and Migrant Centre in Wolverhampton, that prevented her deportation. Wilson’s decision to speak to the Guardian in 2017 about her wrongful arrest and detention encouraged dozens of other people to come forward and describe how they also had found themselves wrongly classified as immigration offenders. About 164 were mistakenly detained or removed from the UK. When the scandal broke in April 2018 it provoked the resignation of the then home secretary, Amber Rudd, and the government was forced to apologise. Wilson later said she had been put through “the worst heartache anyone could go through”. She and her daughter dedicated much of the past two-and-a-half years to raising awareness of the difficulties experienced by thousands of people who had arrived in the UK legally in the 50s and 60s, before wrongly being categorised as immigration offenders. When she visited Downing Street last month to deliver a petition calling for compensation to be speeded up, she said she was disappointed that she was still having to campaign for justice. She had hoped two years ago that there would be a swifter resolution of everyone’s difficulties and faster payment of compensation to all victims. “The word ‘sorry’ can roll off anyone’s tongue easily, but we don’t want more apologies,” she said. Paulette is survived by her daughter and her granddaughter. “She was widely loved and respected; her laugh was infectious and she loved to see people smile; she will be missed by us all,” Barnes said. The Windrush campaigner Patrick Vernon said he was in “deep shock”. “She was campaigner like many others fighting for justice. There is growing evidence that the impact of the Windrush scandal and hostile environment is having a major impact on mental health and well-being of the survivors. We now need to campaign to end the hostile environment and for the compensation to managed independently from the Home Office,” he said. Source : The Guardian, 23 July 2020 |
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