Michael Bolawole, a Legal Project Manager from our London office, discusses the power of commonality, the need to celebrate our differences, and how to balance recognising progress with acknowledging the work left to do.
“Every Black experience is different; all experiences are different, but as people we also have so much in common.” For Michael, who moved to the UK from Nigeria when he was ten, learning to build relationships through shared experiences allowed him to assimilate himself into a new society and new culture. “I’d never thought of my accent or language as being different, but now it was. And at first, it felt as though those differences were highlighted. But as I began to settle, it became easier to recognise the things I shared with those around me, and this also allowed me to see what made me different in a more positive light.”
“Having spent most of my formative years in the UK, I’d class myself as Black-British-Nigerian, although that’s a mouthful. With my closest friends, some of which are still in Nigeria, and when I go home to Birmingham to see my family, I am Black-Nigerian-British, and in the corporate space and outside of my bubble, I am a Black-British-Nigerian. In this sense, I’m able to stay connected to where my family are from whilst appreciating where I am and I have grown.”
“I was the first person in my family to go to university, or even to see that as an option, but after I graduated, I wasn’t sure exactly what I wanted to do. While working as a Paralegal, I was fortunate enough to have a Black role model – a Senior Legal Project Manager at the firm I was working for at the time – who showed me not only that roles like that existed, but also that they were possible and open to people like me. Just having someone who was available to talk to and ask questions of was key in helping me forge my own career path.” Having previously been part of mentorship schemes, Michael identifies the beneficial impact he can have on others. “A rising tide lifts all boats. I want to help people succeed in their careers, and by seeing people like myself in these lesser known roles, it can both educate about what is possible and fight against some of the stereotypes which may be out there.”
Despite the progress that has been made, Michael highlights that the job isn’t done, particularly in the corporate world. “Being Black isn’t a monolith. It ties into so many different things. Many Black people still come from different backgrounds with different stories to tell, for example, and so schemes like the solicitor apprenticeship schemes are a great way of supporting diversity from multiple angles. But there isn’t just one way of ‘being Black’, and so to support the Black community, we have to continue to adapt and grow that supportive approach, as the community adapts and grows itself.”
This is what Michael keeps coming back to, when thinking about ‘reclaiming the narrative’, the theme for this year’s Black History Month. “The Black community is a diverse community, just like every other. All Black experiences are different, and we should remember to celebrate those differences. So much progress has already been made in this regard, but there is still work left to do.”
