MSCI celebrates Black History Month

October marks Black History Month in the UK. Black History Month gives meaning and depth to the Race Relations and Equality Acts in the UK. It is the “institutional recognition of the contribution people of African descent have made to the value systems and way of life of British society”.   

The theme for this year is Time for Change: Actions Not Words.  

As part of our celebration of UK Black History Month, colleagues globally tuned in to hear MSCI’s Chief Diversity Officer Tia Counts’ opening remarks to our headline event, as she welcomed  Dr. Leroy Logan  to our London office. We had a candid and thought-provoking conversation about his life in the UK, Jamaica, and his 30-year career in the Met. We discussed his experiences of prejudice and microaggressions and the steps we can all take to tackle them.  

 

 

Dr. Leroy Logan has a unique perspective of life as one of Britain’s most decorated Black police officers. As an agent of change, he shared life-defining moments such as the trauma he experienced as a young adult at the hands of the police and the subsequent conflicts he faced in joining the force and throughout his career. We explored the challenges of being a proud Black man and a police officer, rising up the ranks during times of heightened racial prejudice, exposing and fighting institutional racism, and looking to the future. 

Dr. Logan was instrumental in changing policing procedures and attitudes in the UK towards minority communities, he is clear in his message that the best way we can influence change within organizations is collectively from within, to ‘Create the right environment for people to believe they have an input’. He also commented: ‘If you can see it, you can be it’. 

This is something the Black Leadership Network keeps at the forefront of its’ mission as they strive to influence tangible change to our organization and the communities they work in.

Last year, in celebration of UK Black History Month, MSCI had several events including a panel discussion organized by the Black Leadership Network, featuring historian David Olusoga. David is a BAFTA winning presenter and producer, best-selling author, and professor of Public History at University of Manchester. Participants included Henry Fernandez, our founder and CEO, board member Marcus Smith, and other  senior executives from the Black Leadership Network and Executive Committee. Panelists discussed the need for action leading to measurable change, and how history has impacted today´s perspective regarding the Black community.

 

 

Throughout the month, we held additional events such as an Internal Pub Team Quiz where questions encompassed topics of Black culture and history and a joint panel discussion on bringing your authentic self to work. The last event of the month was a book discussion with Minda Hharts, author of The Memo: What Women of Color Need to Know to Secure a Seat at the Table.

We are proud to work in an inclusive company and invite you to be part of our journey.

 

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