Black History Month: Janice Scott

During this Black History Month, we asked members of #TeamEEAST to share a message.

“You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.”

- Dr Maya Angelou

What an honour it is to be asked to make a contribution towards Black History Month for EEAST who is rolling out the red carpet and celebrating us sisters!

I am a proud Black woman who honours and celebrates the uniqueness of the culture I was born into and the richness and beauty of the colour of my skin every minute, of every day.

I was made aware I was different in lower/primary school.

I was around 7 when every child at school stopped talking to me for a day because I was Black.

I was made aware at 13 when at a friends birthday party, her older brother and his friends came home and started calling me the “N” word.

I was made aware when at 15, I was told I could only be a shop assistant.

I was made aware when aged 21, Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered because he was Black.

I was made aware at 22 at university, when I was verbally abused because of the colour of my skin. I could go on.

These and many other examples of racism, discrimination, prejudice and exclusion have made me the proud Black woman I am. These are also examples of what led me to a lifetime of volunteering in my Black community and working exceptionally hard to work in roles where I get the opportunity to advocate for the benefit of my community and to promote equity and inclusion for any person who is lucky enough to be unique.

For me, celebrating being Black was genetically built into me from the day I was born. My mother is and will always be the greatest and most amazing inspiration to me, my siblings and our family. She is the stalwart of our family and our community. Her and my fathers words never leave me, “don’t let anyone make you feel that they are better than you”.

My experiences have shaped me, they have strengthened me and they have led me into a world where I can support others to speak up when things go wrong or when someone treats you badly. I know what it sounds like and I know what it feels like. I also know how to overcome this and how to use your voice for good.

So as one of the Lead Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, I will never miss the opportunity to encourage staff to think about what they are experiencing at work, how it makes them feel and how it impacts on their ability to do their job.

Do you feel you have been treated differently due to your race, how you speak or how you look? Do you believe you’ve been sidelined for development or promotion because of the colour of your skin? Have you witnessed or been the subject of “banter” and “jokes” about the unique colour of your skin or because you are magnificently multi-lingual?

I would urge you to talk about this with us in the strictest of confidence. You can send me a message or give me a call and we will find the most appropriate way to resolve this which will be sensitive and comfortable for you. The more we raise, the more the organisation knows and the more we can adapt our offer to staff to make sure they do not suffer in silence.

I take great inspiration and live my life in accordance to the words of the Dr Maya Angelou, one of the greatest Black female poets and civil rights activist and I hope you can too….

“Now you understand

Just why my head’s not bowed.

I don’t shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing,

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It’s in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

the palm of my hand,

The need for my care.

’Cause I’m a woman

Phenomenally.

Phenomenal woman,

That’s me.”