WREN Stories: Minority report: lessons from being in the racial minority

Lucy Heffron, Engagement and Organisational Development Practitioner, shares what she's learned as a white member of our Trust’s Workforce Race Equality Network.

Attending my first Workforce Race Equality Network (WREN) meeting in January 2019, it was unbeknown to me that this would be the first time in my life I was the only white person in a room and acutely aware of the colour of my own skin.

At first I felt the need to justify my appearance at the meeting. Working in the Organisational Development Team I was able to talk about the engagement and development opportunities available to everyone at our Trust, many of which are under-represented by our Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) colleagues, and promote these to network members.

Internally I had been thinking about my own comfort (what network members’ perceptions of me might be, why I was there and if I was essentially eavesdropping on this safe space to share experiences) above the actual purpose of the meeting.

Quickly it became apparent that my justification and concerns were misplaced. The meetings were (appropriately) not about me.

Since then, being a part of the WREN I have met incredible people from around the Trust who I may never have come into contact with otherwise, heard personal stories about experiences of racism and become very aware of my own privilege and what that has meant for me as I’ve gone through life.

Reflecting on my attendance at the initial meetings and the mild discomfort I felt, it brings to mind how, following the murder of George Floyd in America, our race discussions have become more open and honest than ever before. As part of this we spent time discussing the vital involvement of white people in conversations about race, but how they may often feel uncomfortable taking part.

What resonated was that yes, it may feel uncomfortable. But that is fine. The comfort of white people is not more important than the safety and humanity of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people. Our BAME colleagues, friends and family members move through a world that can be hostile towards them every day and as we have seen in events across the globe, cause real harm. Experiencing discrimination will always be more uncomfortable than a white person taking part in a conversation about race.

So what have I learned?

– First and foremost; listen. As a white person, de-centralise yourself from the conversation and develop informed views by seeking to understand others

– Get used to being uncomfortable

– Work to diversify your own experiences. There are so many ways to educate yourself and start using your voice and actions for good. One of these first steps might be to join the WREN!

I would challenge anyone to listen to the first-hand accounts of experiences of racism, the full range of feelings it brings, and not to start to see the world differently. It has shifted my point of view entirely.

The WREN at Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is open to all staff members and my call to other colleagues who are not from a marginalised group would be to join it too. Push for change, keep it on the agenda and play your part in creating positive change.