For Black History Month 2025, we asked Black Students and Staff what does standing firm in power and pride mean to you? Last week we heard from Clara, Black & Global Majority Students Community Officer and this week we asked staff. Our first response if from Ebony Beckford who works in the Student Success Team.
For Black History Month 2025, we asked Black Students and Staff what does standing firm in power and pride mean to you? Last week we heard from Clara, Black & Global Majority Students Community Officer and this week we asked staff. Our first response if from Ebony Beckford who works in the Student Success Team.
“What does standing firm in power and pride mean to you?”
From the womb you and I are destined for greatness, our pathways already ordained. Realising the purpose of your existence, the light you shine, and its impact will be a challenge and very uncomfortable for many who are around you.
You will rise despite the challenges, inspired and motived by those who came before you to keep being a player in this life.... for those who feel silenced or too weak to fight we will speak up.... stand firm in Power and Pride.
Our history, their stories serve as fuel to empower, we strive to live, minute by minute, hour by hour …… unapologetically to take steps that will honour our ancestors, to them we pay respect. Every day is like a battle, but we stand with our village in unity, is not just for our community.
We use the pain inflicted by race riots, protests and general unrest, to take steps forward and do our best, to be courageous, stand firm in our power be like the others; some now laid to rest I give them their flowers. Continue to speak out and act for justice; Steven Lawrence, Kelso Cochrane their deaths still bring so much sadness.
We have a role to play; it changes every day; we must recognise the barriers each ethnicity still faces.
Be proud of your rich culture, the joy and celebrations it brings, when your living unapologetic its truly inspiring. A lot has happened within generations to cause an uprising, but without this no changes would have been seen, encourage those around you to unite; regardless of race we are all in the fight to do what’s right!
So! To stand firm in power and pride what it means to me:
I am Black Woman and Proud I say it loud, living life respectfully! Being unapologetic in celebrating and sharing my culture …. our cultures, our history, food, music, sport or art we have many stories to tell… let’s all play our part.
Change needs to happen and will sometimes bring pain; continue to celebrate those greats who lived not in vain, keep telling stories, we will continue to educate.
Marcus Garvey said, “with confidence you have won even before you have started”, so why start doing somethings, you are powerful, you matter, you are a shining light and have the power to change a lot, even just one mind.
If words have power lets continue to lift our voices, we have generations behind us who learn from our choices, give them a better world, they will learn from our history.
Each one teach one, is what standing firm in power and pride mean to me.
Written by Ebony Beckford, Widening Access Officer