Why Black History Month is essential in 2025

Welcome to the Superstar Communicator podcast with Susan Heaton-Wright! In this powerful episode, Susan returns to the mic after a busy period of running mastermind courses, speaking, and coaching—ready to inspire her audience once again. Today’s conversation centers around Black History Month and features award-winning HR professional, speaker, and activist Ije McDougall Together, they dive deep into the meaning and importance of Black History Month, share personal experiences of representation and bias—especially within the UK’s healthcare sector—and discuss both the challenges and opportunities facing allies. You’ll hear honest stories, insightful perspectives, and practical takeaways on how to celebrate, enjoy, and engage meaningfully with Black History Month. This episode is all about amplifying voices, embracing humanity, and reminding us how representation and allyship can spark real change. Get ready for a conversation that’s equal parts thought-provoking and uplifting!

 

About Ije McDougall: Ije McDougall’s story begins in Nigeria, where growing up surrounded by fellow black Nigerians meant concepts like Black History Month were virtually nonexistent—there was no need for it in a society where blackness was the norm. It wasn’t until McDougall moved to the UK as an adult that the existence of Black History Month sparked confusion and curiosity. “Why was it necessary?” was the question that lingered.

After sixteen years of living in the UK, McDougall’s perspective has evolved. Now, Black History Month is seen as a vital space—an opportunity for black voices to be amplified and heard without interruption. Through personal experience and reflection, McDougall’s journey highlights the importance of celebrating black history in contexts where it’s often marginalized, and how understanding grows with time and experience. You can contact Ije at IJETALKS.COM

 

 

Key points from the interview (bold)

Ije McDougall
00:04:09 - 00:04:25
Why Black History Month Matters in the UK:
"black history Month, from my perspective, is an opportunity for black people to speak uninterrupted is an opportunity for our voices to be amplified."

Ije McDougall
00:04:33 - 00:04:59
The Continued Importance of Black History Month:
"But the reason that we need Black History Month and for our voices to be amplified and for us to be able to speak uninterrupted is because at the moment that is not the case. It is because at the moment our lived experience and our history seems to be disregarded, belittled, or just completely erased."

Ije McDougall
00:07:47 - 00:07:51
Viral Topic: Challenging the Default Status Quo
Quote: "the narrative is still that the status quo, the default position, the norm is white male... but that does not necessarily mean that that is true or that is real"

Ije McDougall
00:10:54 - 00:11:24
Premature Births and Parental Anxiety:
"my first child, she was born at 27 weeks, so she was very, very premature. But the build up to that is things such as, you know, being told it's my first child. So I'm excited, as you can imagine, turning up to the scan with your bladder full because they tell you your bladder has to be full. So I turn up and I am bursting, but nowhere doing this scan. And I'm sitting there and we've ticked all the boxes because we want to know some measurements in regards to."

Ije McDougall
00:17:20 - 00:17:58
Viral Topic: The Impact of Representation in Media:
"every princess, there was no princess that looked like me. There was no good policeman that looked like me. There was no hero that looked like my brother. There was no good teacher, good policeman, wholesome family. They just never look like me. So that is the represent, the lack of representation that I grew up with. However, if we were represented, we were misrepresented as thugs, as criminals, as gang members, we were represented as the one that's not so clever, the comedian of the class, the one who is disposable."

Ije McDougall
00:18:49 - 00:19:01
Viral Topic: Diversity in Media Representation
"It's not that there has been a significant rise that is true in, you know, black and brown people on tv, but it is not to the detriment of anybody else."

Ije McDougall
00:19:16 - 00:19:34
Representation in Advertising:
"if we have a few months where there are no white people on tv, it still would not, it still would not tip it to the detriment of white people because everybody else grew up without representation or with misrepresentation."

Ije McDougall
00:20:47 - 00:21:05
The Reality of Allyship Online:
"I'm not seeing enough people stand up. I'm not seeing enough. You know, allyship is such a buzzword and it's such a useful term because it tells you who people are. But I'm not seeing as many as I wish I was seeing."

Ije McDougall
00:22:25 - 00:22:43
Viral Topic: Authentic Allyship
"You need to understand the issues as a human being. First of all, you do need to gain proximity. Try and get your head around it. And if you, from a human level, you see that, no, that's not fair because another human being shouldn't have to do this, then by all means, it's time to, you know, stand up in your standing up."

Ije McDougall
00:23:31 - 00:23:41
Viral Topic: The Power of Authenticity Online:
"She's not aggressive, she's not fighting anybody, she's not in any debates or arguments. But she just clearly states who she is, what she stands for. And people know."

 

 

Download the transcript of the interview 

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