MOSL is proud to be a hugely diverse company, with colleagues from a range of different cultures, backgrounds, ages, upbringings and experience. In celebration of Black History Month 2022, we asked MOSL colleagues to share their thoughts on black history and what this month means to them. These, along with two poems colleagues have put together, are shown below.

"Black history month looks at drawing lessons from our past for projections into the future as well as discussions around the notable achievements of black people."

Reindorf-Elijah Akakpo

"To me, Black history month is about showing love and appreciation to black icons of past and present, whether that's someone in the public eye, or friends and family members" 

Nathan Plummer-Ashman

The Time is Now

Now is not the right time
Put down that sign
Change the record
Show some respect
Don’t rewrite history
Don’t be woke
And anyway, it’s against the law now

But... years ago
They broke the law
They held up signs
They marched where they wanted to march
They sat down on the bus
They stood up for our rights
They fought when they needed to fight
They loved who they wanted to love

So what do I tell him
When he asks what was learned?
What did I do
With the freedom that was earned?

Go against the tide
Don’t let it slide
Reclaim our history
Speak up, stand up
Pick up the sign
Because now is the time."

Roy Apps

Allyship

To step into someone else’s shoes is to acknowledge yourself as vulnerable.
To experiences you’ve never had,
To struggles you’ve never faced,
To prejudice you’ve never looked in the eye.
I am an ally to my black friends, their families and communities.
My allyship is malleable.
It will adjust to what is needed and wanted, when it is needed and wanted.
It is not for me to define it,
It is for me to listen.
We cannot learn from what we do not know.
It is our responsibility to be taught,
To learn from the past,
And celebrate the successes and power of black lives.
Equality doesn’t create losers, it builds us all up.
Being an ally, I am a building block."

Lyvia Nabarro

"I believe the reason Black History Month exists is because of the world's history for the past few centuries, where black people have not been treated or seen as equals. Their contributions and achievements are often overlooked or not mentioned, their traditions and cultures can be stereotyped, and people can forget the long struggles that some black people have gone through merely to be recognised. The BBC series, 'Black is the New Black', articulates this better that I ever could."

Abu Rashid