“Prominent People Protest the Colour Bar!” trumpeted the Newcastle Evening Chronicle in February 1938, reporting the protests of senior nurses against discrimination in nursing. While Birmingham General Hospital and some London hospital training schools admitted Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic candidates at this time, many others did not. Those who were able to qualify faced barriers against progressing in the profession.

In the decades since, countless Black nurses have shaped healthcare in Britain. Today, one in five NHS nurses, midwives and health visitors is from a BAME background.

But who were the BAME nurses earlier in the twentieth century who led the way for future generations? To close Black History Month, join a public event celebrating the lives of BAME leaders past and present. Chaired by Estephanie Dunn, RCN North West Regional Director, we will hear from Claire Chatterton (nursing historian) about the history of black nurses in the UK and Yvonne Coghill CBE (head of the NHS Workforce Race Equality Standard programme) on the legacy of this history today. Whether your nursing experience is as a healthcare worker, family member or patient, we invite you to consider the question – is history still with us ?

This event is open to all, and will take place online. Please sign up to attend and the link to join will be circulated in advance.

Sign up here: https://www.rcn.org.uk/news-and-events/events/nursing-whilst-black-301020