The South Yorkshire Police hosted their annual Black History Month event, with over 100 guests including officers, staff, speakers, and members of the Black community.
This included an update on the progress on the Police Race Action Plan (PRAP) by Superintendent Benn Kemp, which sets out changes across policing with the aim of improving outcomes for Black people who work within policing.
This year’s theme was ‘Celebrating our sisters’, and many influential guests shared their stories as Black people living in the UK on Wednesday last week.
Olayina Monisola Fadahunsi-Oluwole was among these people, who shared how she became a Paediatric doctor in Sheffield after moving from Nigeria.
Her speech, which she called ‘Life of a Rose’, described her journey from her home in Nigeria, briefly moving to Derby in the 1970s, before returning to her home country to get her degree.
Dr Yinka then moved back to the UK and settled in Sheffield in 2007.
Chief Constable Lauren Poultney, reflecting on the event, said: “It was wonderful to see so many people, both from within South Yorkshire Police and the local community, coming together to celebrate Black History Month.
“We heard from some incredible women on the journeys they’ve been on, the challenges they’ve overcome, and most importantly, what drives them to continue to succeed.”
There were also speeches from members of the SYP, including Inspector Laurie Millington.
She explained her experience being a Black member of a predominantly white family and how this has affected her.
Despite some health struggles, Inspector Millington spoke of her passion for policing and her love for her family and dog, and how they have been her biggest support.
There was also a speaker from Sheffield City Council, Simon Jones, who gave the audience an insight into his ancestry which he had researched after the death of his father.
Mr Jones said he was surprised and fascinated at the level of information he had been able to obtain and his connections with other nationalities, countries and cultures.
Chief Constable Poultney said: “What stood out for me was the importance of allyship, and standing up for one another.
“We are tomorrow’s history, and it’s important we commit to making positive change for future generations.
“As a force, we continue to progress against the national Police Race Action Plan, and holding ourselves accountable as we strive to become an anti-racist force.”
