RCN London celebrates Black History Month

Published: 26 October 2012

The RCN celebrated Black History Month on the evening of 16 October at Cavendish Square, London. The RCN Diversity Unit hosted the reception, which had as its theme celebrating the contribution of BME nurses: Past, Present and Future.

This was a well-attended networking event enjoyed by many London members. Council member Andy McGovern, Deputy President Cecilia Anim and RCN London staff Nora Flanagan and Stephen Awosunle were also there.

RCN Chief Executive & General Secretary Peter Carter spoke to the audience about the tough time in the workplace and he introduced This is nursing, which was viewed enthusiastically by the attendees. Tom Sandford, Director of RCN England, shared work that is being undertaken around the data analysis of the BME membership. 

An interesting speaker, Paula Vasco Knight, Chief Executive at South Devon Healthcare Foundation NHS Trust and recently appointed National Equality Lead of the NHS Commissioning Board, shared her journey through her working life.

Paula began her career as an enthusiastic nurse and throughout her career she has continued as a nursing professional. She has held a variety of senior posts including: Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive before being appointed to the CEO position in March 2008.

Paula sits on the National Leadership and Equality and Diversity Councils, helping to shape policy and steer the direction of the NHS for the future. Paula is very proud of her diverse background: a Nigerian Father and Scottish Mother. She spoke of the on-going contribution of black and minority ethnic nurses to the health sector.

This was followed by a costumed monologue delivered by Anika Wilson aka “Seleah”. Saleah’s Journey is based on the true life experiences of Anika’s family and those from the ‘Windrush generation’. This was a very interactive story, full of adventure, laughter and song.

The RCN library is also celebrating the black and ethnic minority contribution to UK nursing: past, present and future. RCN Library, Archives and Information Services has developed a series of web pages to demonstrate the wide range of resources in our collections.

They cover:
Past: the contribution of foreign nurses to the profession in the UK.
Present: inspirational examples of current figureheads in nursing.
Future: projects to encourage BEM nurses to advance with their careers, including the Mary Seacole Awards.

This is a resource the RCN is hoping to build upon in upcoming years. Visit the RCN library site to explore the resources in full.