As we continue on in this month’s reflection and celebration of Black History Month, we share our third and final story to deepen our understanding, elevate important conversations and celebrate the diversity that enriches our world.
Throughout this month, we’ve encouraged our colleagues to reflect on what this theme means to them personally, creating a space for meaningful dialogue and shared learning.
One of the stories we are proud to feature comes from Nuz Chagan, our Well-being & Engagement Lead at PFAS.
Reclaiming Narratives: Nuz Chagan’s Reflections on Black History Month, Nelson Mandela, and the Power of Unity
“Hi there. My name is Nuz Chagan and I’m one of the Well-being and Engagement leads here at PFAS. It is a great opportunity to be able to be sharing my experience and my thoughts around why we are celebrating Black History Month.
I think it’s a great opportunity to celebrate and recognise and really reflect on the contribution that the black community in the UK and globally has made.
It is an opportunity as well for our black communities in the UK and globally to reclaim the narrative, and that has been the theme for this month. It’s really about looking back and celebrating the struggles that much of the black community have endured to be where they are today. If we go back to the contribution that they’ve made, whether you’re looking at the Windrush Generation the contribution to building the UK in particular during World War 2 and then if we look globally just at the struggles and the various narratives that have been around.
For me, it’s the opportunity to be more curious to understand the history. And I think for me personally, if we don’t raise a voice and we are not those allies, then we can’t expect things to move or change or that we educate ourselves or take responsibility.
It’s not the nicest of topics. We often feel that it can be one of those that’s uneasy, perhaps to speak about. Perhaps we don’t know how to approach it, and I’ve always taken it in terms of its respect for all its acknowledgment, and that, together whether you from a black community or from a white, or whether you from a South Asian, that together we are where we are today as a result of all our differences.
To celebrate our diversity and I think this is the opportunity with Black History Month to actually see and respect and really honour those people that have contributed to really building nations
There are thousands of examples that if you go out and actually see that you know you’ve had black leaders and black people actually contribute vastly.
To a lot of the great innovation out there that we see today and perhaps don’t get the recognition that they deserve. But it’s been in the NHS and we can see a variety of people that actually led a lot around nursing, et cetera, during a really turbulent time.
For me, I always reflect personally my background is quite diverse. Being born in Zimbabwe raised in South Africa and then on to Sweden and then came to the UK. Black history has always been part of my life from very early on.
I grew up around a lot of Black communities, and I learned a lot about the resilience, the beauty, the Ubuntu that we often talk about ‘You are because We are’ and I think that’s what I’m most proud of and wanted to celebrate this Black History Month is that the black community took me as one of their own.
And I am who I am as a result of that and to recognise that I’ve also had the privilege and great honour to actually be at Nelson Mandela’s inauguration in 1994. I was a child, and it made a huge impression on me to be part of that and to actually witness someone that is a big part of black history.
That actually fought for equality and fought for us to have a voice, people of colour, to have a voice. And the thing that stuck with me when he had his speech was around the fact that if we don’t look back and recognise what we can as individuals do to change the narrative or contribute to the narrative in a positive way; then we are not part of the change.
So I think it really sank in. And I think when you’ve had the privilege of meeting someone like Nelson Mandela, which I had, is that there was no bitterness to the way he was, he just merely was saying now is the time to change the narrative. How can we do better now? How can we?
Even if you are an individual voices, how can we make things better now moving forward? And I think that is what the pivotal part of Black History Month is, for me, is going back to that theme of reclaiming narratives.
If we are not strong enough to actually stand up and say we will educate ourselves, we will find the guidance and we will stand up and appreciate the history, but also find ways that we better the history moving forward. Then we are not part of the change that we want to see. So that really is a pivotal part of why I’m so passionate about Black History Month that I think we do need to recognise it.
I also accept the fact that it’s not an easy topic to be speaking about, but that it can make a difference and that all of us just by asking and being curious can really be the change that we want to see.
So, I really encourage you in the latter part, whether it’s 15 minutes or anything, connect with one of your colleagues.
And ask them; What history do you have? What are you most proud of? I personally, as I said, I shared my story about Nelson Mandela, but I’m probably proudest of the fact that, growing up, I had what we would call a Gogo or you’re Amaya who used to really take care of you.
As a child and you know from a black community and raised me and was really my mother in so many ways. We’re not saying the world is where we would like it to be, but it does start with one of us.
Pulling up our hands and saying, you know what, I’m willing to learn more. I’m willing to really invest in my curiosity around the contribution that the black community has made in the UK and globally. Do reach out to one of the people that have shared their stories that we have been chewing over the past month.
Reach out if you are interested in becoming an Equality Diversity & Inclusion representative or ambassador, because we can’t do this on our own and the agenda is quite big. And whether you’re talking about Black History Month or any of the key topics within ED&I, I would really encourage you to come forward and show your passion for it.
Because as the philosophy goes, we can only do it when we do it together.
It can’t be just one of us putting our hands up, so I look forward to hearing from you and sharing your experiences around how you think we could be doing better within this area.
Thank you.”
As Nuz Chagan’s reflections highlight, Black History Month offers us a chance not only to honour the profound contributions of Black communities across the world but also to take personal responsibility in learning, acknowledging, and advocating for a future where all voices are heard.
By embracing the theme of “Reclaiming Narratives,” we are reminded of the importance of unity, curiosity, and the role each of us can play in driving change. Whether through celebrating the remarkable leaders like Nelson Mandela or connecting with our colleagues and their stories, we all have the power to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable world.
As Nuz shared, true progress starts with each of us standing up, learning, and being part of the solution. So, let this be an invitation—to continue the conversation, to embrace diversity, and to carry forward the spirit of Black History Month beyond October. Together, we can be the change we want to see.
Thank you for joining us in this reflection, and we encourage you to continue to engage, listen, and take initiative toward a more inclusive future.