King’s Business School marked Black History Month 2024 with the event ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, putting together an insightful panel that highlighted the power of representation and inclusion in higher education and the professional world.
Chaired by Dr Chiamaka Nwosu, Lecturer in Policy Evaluation and Inclusive Education Staff Partner at King’s Business School, the panel featured diversity leaders and fellow King's Business School alumni Lawrence Heming (International Management, 2010), Adeife Onwuzulike (Human Resource Management & Organisational Analysis, 2016), and Dami Gbadamosi (Human Resource Management & Organisational Analysis, 2017), who shared their experiences and strategies for fostering environments that uplift Black stories, voices, and history.
There's also... the additional job that you almost get as a Black student, which is the time you spend advocating for yourself to have the same experience as your white peers. You are having to go through the reading list, but also you're having to battle for the reading list to reflect you first.
Dami Gbadamosi, Head of Inclusion for Fraud Investigation Service, HMRC
Dami Gbadamosi talked about the 'double work' often demanded of Black students and called for systemic change so that institutions address these disparities pre-emptively, rather than placing the burden on students.
Adeife Onwuzulike described the layered and intersectional challenges faced by the community. She stressed the importance of building social capital in order to remain resilient and authentic as you address those challenges:
One thing that's helped me to navigate the challenge of being a woman, and being a black woman, being a mother, and everything else, is to have my mentors and sponsors and my personal advisory board that will challenge me, inspire me, connect me. They remind me who I am every day whilst continually pushing me to grow and be the best version of myself.
Adeife Onwuzulike, Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Wellbeing Director, Euromonitor International
Lawrence Heming also emphasised that building professional networks can be career-defining. He encouraged students and professionals alike to maintain connections that drive empowerment.
Knowing the different circles that you're moving in, (and) how to manoeuvre that is key.
Lawrence Heming, Vice President, EMEA Diversity & Inclusion, Morgan Stanley
Dr Nwosu posed critical questions about how universities could decolonise education effectively. Onwuzulike answered with a call for richer, broader content, that adds context and depth without taking away from history. She spoke about investing information in students so they can become the best versions of themselves and ambassadors of their institutions.
The panel discussion closed with speakers sharing their stories, emphasising the importance of reclaiming narratives, celebrating achievements unapologetically, and maintaining well-being amidst challenges.
