Publish date: 9 October 2024
The theme for Black History Month this year is Reclaiming Narratives, a powerful call to Black communities to shine a light on their stories, culture and history. For Michelle Grant, an occupational therapist at our Trust, that means making sure Black voices are “heard and honoured.”
In your own words, who are you?
My name is Michelle Grant, and I am the Professional Lead Occupational Therapist for Acute Mental Health Services. I am also the co-chair of the Race Equality Network.
What does the theme ‘Reclaiming Narratives’ mean to you?
This year’s Black History Month theme, Reclaiming Narratives, is about retelling Black achievements, stories and history in the right way. It marks a powerful change in how society has previously overlooked or diluted black achievements, and reclaiming narratives allows for important stories about Black History and culture to be given the acknowledgement they always deserved, ensuring that Black voices and successes are heard and honoured.
Name one of your favourite black heroes and why they’re a favourite.
One of my favourite black heroes will always be Martin Luther King Jr. who was an American minister of religion and activist. His transformational leadership style inspired me on my leadership journey. From December 1955 until April 1968, his leadership of the American Civil Rights Movement is said to have achieved more genuine progress toward racial equality in America than the previous 350 years had produced.
What’s one way that we reclaim our narrative?
I am Caribbean born, London raised since the age of 2 years old. I identify as Black British. I recall growing up and attending secondary school in London. I remember my history lessons not including anything on Black history or culture, unless it was during the one month of October. The Caribbean, however, is not the ancient place where Caribbean people, and my ancestors have always lived. They were new arrivals who had to reconstruct their identities having lost most of what they had during the transatlantic migration. One way we reclaim our narrative is by integrating Black history into our national story, not just for one month but for the whole year.