Every October, Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate, reflect and learn. This year's theme of "Honouring Our Communities", feels particularly relevant, not only at a time when we are witnessing growing tensions within many of our communities, but also for nursing staff who sit at the very hearts of theirs. 

At its core, the theme recognises the people whose everyday contributions shape, support and sustain Black life across the UK. For nursing, that means recognising generations of Black nursing staff whose expertise, leadership, compassion and commitment have enriched the nursing profession and improved care for patients and communities. It is also about acknowledging and challenging the historic tendency to overlook these contributions.  

As the world's largest nursing trade union and professional body, the RCN has a proud history of Black nurse leaders. It has been an absolute honour for me, in my role as an external advisor to the EDI committee and Chair of the RCN Anti-Racism Sub-Group to get to meet so many leaders, work alongside them and hear their stories.  But it must be noted that these are not all stories of celebration and success. They are often testimonies of struggle, discrimination, and progress achieved too slowly and at great personal and professional cost. 

A challenging context 

I know that many of our members will agree that the past year has been a difficult one. 

We have seen rising levels of racism and discrimination reported by nursing staff. We have seen increasing hostility towards migrant and global majority communities on our streets and in public discourse. We have witnessed events in the UK and internationally that have left many people feeling anxious, exhausted and concerned about the future. 

Recent events have reminded me that we cannot allow anti-racism to become solely about strategies, governance structures, policies, dashboards or action plans because at the centre of all of this are human beings: people carrying experiences, trying to navigate systems, and wanting to be treated with dignity, feel safe, valued, heard and able to belong. Oftentimes, people are carrying much more than any of us can see. This is why this work matters deeply to me, and I'm confident I'm not alone. 

As nursing staff, you do not live or work in isolation from the societies around you. The conversations taking place in communities, workplaces and across the media impact us all on a human level but also seep into the lives of colleagues and patients too. 

That is why Black History Month matters. It gives us an opportunity not only to celebrate Black excellence and achievement, but also to create space for reflection, learning, healing, solidarity and action. 

Why anti-racism requires a plan 

Last year, the RCN's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee established the Anti-Racism Sub-group with a clear purpose: to support the development of an Anti-Racism Action Plan that would help the RCN become a genuinely anti-racist organisation. 

For me, this means taking the lived experiences, difficult and painful though they might be, of real people, real members of this organisation and translating them into meaningful, lasting and sustainable change. 

From the beginning, we recognised that this could not be achieved through a handful of initiatives or statements. Creating meaningful change requires us to look critically at the organisation’s culture, its systems, its policies and the experiences of you, the members. 

This process has involved extensive research, member and stakeholder engagement, insight sessions, interviews and an independent assessment of the RCN's organisational anti-racism maturity – that is its readiness to embrace change at every level. 

A roadmap for meaningful change 

I am delighted that we are now approaching the launch of the RCN's first ever Anti-Racism Action Plan. 

The plan sets out how the RCN can lead by example as an employer, help staff, representatives, members, leaders and governing bodies build a better understanding of anti-racism and make sure there is greater openness, accountability and transparency about the progress being made. This feels particularly significant alongside the new NHS Staff Standards, published on 6 July, which place tackling racism firmly within the expectations of NHS organisations and reinforce the need for visible accountability across the health service. The Action Plan is not intended to be a static document. It is the beginning of a long-term journey. 

Anti-racism demands continuous reflection, learning and improvement. It requires us to listen carefully to members, respond to emerging evidence and remain willing to challenge ourselves when progress is not happening quickly enough. 

The plan is there to build the confidence of nursing staff, to recognise and address racism through supported training, guidance and accessible reporting mechanisms.  

The importance of member voices 

One of the strongest lessons from our work over the last year has been the importance of listening. 

The experiences of members are not uniform. The realities faced by a member in Northern Ireland may differ from those of a member in Scotland, Wales or England. Experiences vary across specialties, career stages and communities. 

That is why, over the coming months, we will be creating more opportunities for members to engage with and shape this work. We want to hear directly from you about the support you need to feel confident recognising, challenging and reporting racism. 

Celebrating progress while recognising the work ahead 

Black History Month is rightly associated with celebrating achievements and recognising trailblazers. That is important, and we should absolutely take time to honour those who have opened doors, challenged barriers and paved the way for future generations. 

But progress is not only made by well-known figures. It is also made by colleagues who intervene when they witness discrimination. Representatives who support members through difficult experiences. Activists who speak up for change. Mentors who encourage others to into leadership.  

These everyday acts matter. 

As we mark Black History Month this year, I want to thank all those members, staff and representatives who continue to contribute to this work, often quietly and behind the scenes. 
Their efforts help create a stronger profession, a stronger RCN and ultimately better outcomes for the people and communities you care for. 

Join us this Black History Month 

I encourage all members to take part in our events, discussions and activities taking place throughout October. 

Let us celebrate the contributions of Black nursing staff, acknowledge the challenges that remain and reaffirm our collective commitment to building a profession, and an RCN, where everyone can thrive. 

If you have experienced racism, discrimination or harassment at work, the RCN is here to support you through confidential advice, workplace representation and guidance to help you challenge discriminatory treatment safely and effectively.