It's no secret that race plays a big part in the careers of people of colour. We interviewed several young people, who are all at different stages of their careers, to discuss how their race has affected them along the way. 

First, a little context – at the peak of the 2020 BLM Movement, many businesses took a pledge to hire a more diverse workforce in the coming years. But despite the plethora of pledges, progress in Diversity and Inclusion across many organisations has been painfully slow. That's why diversity champions, Race Equality Matters want to ensure #ItsEveryonesBusiness with their latest campaign – because tackling race inequality is everyone’s business.

From Nursing to Becoming a Business Owner: Sweedie's Story, aged 25

We had the opportunity to talk to a small black business owner Sweedie, who owns and runs her own nail, hair, and lash salon in St Pauls. We asked why she decided to leave traditional employment and open up her own business, even though the odds were stacked against her. Here's what she had to say: 

“I used to be a trainee nurse, and that environment is not for the weak... The senior nurses would give me and other black nurses scut* work while the white nurses got the more exciting work. I can't lie, the patients would treat you like their personal slaves in some cases, and it was dehumanising... I couldn't hack it and I wasn't doing what I enjoy, so I took a gamble on myself.”

Sweedie isn't the only person to express concerns over racial disparities in healthcare. There have been many surveys and studies looking into the racial abuse healthcare workers face on a daily basis from their seniors and patients, including the 2022 Ethnic Inequalities in Healthcare report. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, an RCN survey also found that only 43% of black, Asian, and minority ethnic RCN members said they felt they had adequate personal protective equipment, compared to 66% of white British nursing staff.

Even opening up this store was a battle... We get leaks all the time from the people upstairs and when we get someone to come in, they're dismissive, try to charge us a lot more than quoted, and don't even fix the leak properly! I feel like I have to scream to be heard and taken seriously as a black woman.

*'Scut' is medical slang for the non-clinical tasks that do not require medical expertise.

There is discrimination and bias at every stage of an individual’s career – even before it begins. Networking and getting into spaces as an ethnic minority is extremely hard, as many young people do not have links with the industry that they want to get into, or have role models in their life they can aspire to be like. Even after that, the recruitment process is another hurdle ethnic minorities have to get over.

“With a name like ‘Qunayi Hu,’ I think employers know what race I am, which can be to my detriment, and they won’t even give me a chance to show my ability.”

– Quanyi, 22

Lack of Representation in the Creative Industries 

We asked 17-year-old aspiring film director, Nomonde, if they think their career choice will be affected by their race:

Not really, I’m hard working so I think I can go into film based on my merit, but I do worry that I will be the only black person in the workplace or team, and that makes me hesitant and uncomfortable.

– Nomonde, 17

In the UK, 14% of the working-age population is from a Black or Minority Ethnic background, which is not reflected in the majority of workplaces, with many ethnic minorities concentrated in lower-paying jobs. For young people like Nomonde who want to get into the film industry, there is an extreme likelihood that she will be the only black person at her workplace, as only 2.22% of writers, directors, and producers are black in the UK.