FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE I SAW MYSELF: The Impact of True Representation.

BY IMANI E.

I spent my childhood in Italy with my Ghanaian parents, then moved to the UK with no understanding of the English language. I joined secondary school and quickly learned English through watching subtitles on Television and communicating with other students. I now consider both Italian and English to be my native languages, although I struggle with expressing myself at times due to getting both languages mixed. Often people pick up on my accent as it is unusual. It is influenced by both English and Italian, and also Twi which the native language that both my parents speak.

This piece explains a fraction of the challenges I faced whilst navigating the working world, due to prejudice people might have of me due to the way I look, the way I speak, my name - and more.

There are many factors that influence my choices when applying for roles. I look for key things that resonate with me and make me feel that I am wanted, not necessarily for what image an organisation’s brand wants to look like by having me join them, but because they acknowledge that I am of a minority group and will provide significant added value to their company, creating a space for to thrive and not limit me.

I tend to research an organisation and look through their goals and ambitions, to see whether they align with mine. I came to a quick understanding that many places of work talk about improving their equality, inclusion and diversity, but don’t take enough action. In today’s age, I believe it is important to do so. Not to turn a blind eye but to make sure that all groups of people are represented and not discriminated against. It is easy to “plaster” people from minority groups as the face of the brand and call it “equality and inclusion” however, it is also easy to identify when organisations are being performative and not truly real.

This is why I decided to be part of Equal Dignity, because we firmly believe in being represented in all aspects and consciously making the effort to bring change and helping people to get on board to reach goals.

I wish I saw this more often. When I graduated from university and was thrown into the working world, I quickly figured out that there weren’t many people in the top roles that represented me. I enquired and looked for diversity in places that I wanted to work for (specifically the charity sector) and was sadly unsurprised of the outcome (even though they “preached” about inclusivity).

Coming from a place where I have experienced discrimination and upfront racism myself, it is a daily battle for me to come into work and not look at my environment and feel singled out from the rest of my colleagues. This doesn’t get easier, specifically because not much action and change is seen in my workplace. However, I consider myself lucky from when I was interviewed by my now manager. Words could not express the shock and the relief I felt when I saw someone who looked like me and was in position of power and change. This was something uncommon and unusual for me, as all my interviews were hosted by straight white (majority) males. So, when I saw a black woman on the panel, I was in shock.

For once in my life, I felt represented, and seen. I felt that my application was acknowledged and not discarded due to assumptions that might have been brought to light by my name alone. Even if I did not get the role, the fact that I was given the chance to express myself and present my skills to take on this role, meant a lot to me.

After getting my current role, I expressed my difficulties and the reasons why I felt insecure and not confident. For once I felt fortunate because I had a manage that I could confide in, that could understand and relate to my daily struggles as a Black woman. Someone who walked my footsteps and has experienced and is still experiencing these struggles. I felt lucky to have someone that understood and stood by her word when she said that she wants to incorporate equality and diversity in the workplace. And this is evident, as our team is the most diverse in the whole organisation.

However, my fortunate experience is not the case for many others. Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone who represents them at work, which is why I firmly believe that an organisation like ours needs to exist and is important, as everyone deserves to be treated fairly, regardless of your background, religion, sexual orientation and more.

If you’d like to submit an article we’d love to hear from you at hello@equaldignity.org.uk.