*This blog was originally intended to be published for Civil Service Blogs*
My name is Tahmid. I work in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) on Regulated Professions Policy. I also spend 50% of my time working on Diversity and Inclusion for the Trade, Europe and Analysis Group. I am currently the Secretariat Lead for the Civil Service Race Forum and previously chaired the Faith and Minority Ethnic Network for two years in BEIS.
So you’ll be unsurprised to know that I’m passionate about Diversity and Inclusion. I also have a particular interest in race. I am British-Bangladeshi by heritage, and as a second-generation migrant I have experienced the difficult tensions of being split between two cultures.
When entering the workplace, I quickly learnt that as a BAME individual I had a very different life experience, and therefore it made sense to come together and look at solutions to address inequalities as part of the BAME umbrella. Throughout my time, I have absolutely loved learning more about different cultures and experiences. I learnt Unity is Strength. I also learnt that each of us has particular experiences and heritages which can be different from one another.
My first experience of large-scale Black History Month celebrations was in BEIS, where I saw the power of bringing inspirational black leaders together along with allies together to better understand the history that brings us to our modern day. It’s why I’m really excited to see Black History month this year, (even if we have to do it all virtually!), it is such a fantastic time to get together to celebrate our black colleagues. It’s a moment to understand our history, and in particular black history – something that we don’t often get the opportunity to do.
But what of the fact that I’m not actually black? Whilst I had some disadvantages as a South Asian, my experience has been quite different to black colleagues. Indeed, I’m far less likely to get stopped and searched compared to a black colleague, and in certain areas my life experiences are not negatively affected in the same way. So why do I believe it is so important to support and get involved?
We are strengthened by being unified. I support the organisation of Black History Month events to empower my black colleagues and celebrate the work they have done, whilst also learning about our country’s colonial past. I gain fabulous insights into the lives of others, enriching my own cultural and emotional intelligence. I also learnt to see how I can support others and bring together people from different backgrounds in my own working life.
I also understand that these events don’t come easy. A lot of blood, sweat and tears goes into putting these together, and there’s always a need for support in the background. In our working context, these efforts are mostly done voluntarily, and with limited financial and resourcing support. So I do what I can to help with the less fun side of organisation – replying to emails, supporting logistics and helping grease the wheels in the background to ensure we can be as effective, open and inclusive as we can be. That’s more important than ever when we’re doing this all online!
So I invite you to take the time out to attend the hundreds of Black History Month events going on around you! This is a great time to learn more from our black colleagues, and learn more about our collective history, told from different perspectives.
I would also invite you to get involved and support the organisation of these events, and events to come in the future. There is always a space for volunteers, and events on black history aren’t confined to this month alone. So do get involved, either through your own departmental staff network, local diversity and inclusion groups and your local community organisations.
Have a great Black History Month, and I hope to see you at some events soon!