Published on: 13th July 2021
NHS England have asked Evelyn Asante-Mensah OBE, our chair, to share her thoughts ahead of Black Leaders Day (Sunday 18 July) including three black leaders who inspire her:
"Black Leaders Day is an opportunity to promote inspiring leaders who have helped advance our cultural, economic and social landscape into what it is today.
It’s so important for them to have visibility, because ‘when you see us, you can be us’. The next generation of black British leaders need to be able to see people who look like them in those positions.
And let’s not only focus on the prominent black leaders, but those in communities right across the land - in our NHS and schools, small businesses and volunteering to help to make Britain the strong and diverse country we are today. The untold story of black community leaders needs to be shared.
Three very different people come to mind when I think of black leaders who inspire me.
Dame Donna Kinnair, the Royal College of Nurses (RCN) chief executive & general secretary. An unflappable, brave and tenacious leader who talks about “always seeing the good in things”.
Lady Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder and executive director of UK Black Pride and a bold, brilliant and formidable powerhouse in the fight for equality for LGBT+ people of colour. Honest, modest, compassionate and totally comfortable in her own skin.
And also, Rickaia Browne who I have had the privilege of working with at Pennine Care. As well as being a highly skilled project manager, Rickaia was also chair of our race equality staff network and a bright rising star amongst the next generation of inspiring leaders.
No doubt, there has been progress, but there are still too few black leaders and a long way to go. Only around 3% of chief executives within the NHS are from black or minority ethnic groups, despite a plethora of initiatives to strengthen diversity.
So, for me, this day is also about recognising the need to keep fighting for equal opportunities.
Yes, laws have been passed and affirmed and organisations are committed to diversity, but there are still obstacles to advancement. The glass ceiling is still there. Perhaps with a few cracks, but it’s still solid. The diversity deficit is large and undeniable.
There needs to be a platform that gives everyone the chance to realise their aspirations and succeed. We need to combine the business case and the moral one. We need to revamp diversity and inclusion programmes. We need to manage career development across all life stages.
There is leadership in all of us. We just need to look at how we can support and encourage people to find their voice. So, let’s keep on breaking that glass ceiling together, so that lives are not limited by the colour of someone’s skin but inspired by the scale of their talent and ability."