Amplifying Voices – How I discovered mine

We spoke to the visionary behind the new anthology Amplifying Voices, Mending Divides and found out just what it takes to make a dream become reality

Ester Jamera, Senior Project Nurse - Staff Experience and Co-Chair of the BME Staff Network at LTHT, had the idea for the anthology and placed the call-out for contributions for LTHT staff. Together with a lot of hard work from people across and beyond the organisation, Ester’s vision has helped the book become what it is today.

The idea

“The idea for the anthology came to me when I was writing the BME Staff Network response to the death of George Floyd in May 2020. It appeared to me that the news reports on racism that were coming through various media channels were unbelievable, shocking and new to many especially those not affected as much or at all by racism. “I felt the need to highlight that racism was a daily experience for many from BME backgrounds in the community and here at LTHT. I also felt strongly that it was important to hear voices from our white colleagues because I genuinely believe to make sustainable progress on race equality all voices need to be heard and taken into account.

“I got some lovely responses from colleagues expressing their interest to contribute and why, and from others who said the pain from their experience of racism was still too raw to put on a page, and didn’t feel ready to have their voice heard, while others commented how needed they thought this book was.”

The stories

“When I read the submissions for the first time I was struck by the varied emotions it evoked in me. I cried, laughed aloud, felt despair and, at the same time, hope. The common themes that were highlighted by BME colleagues were second-guessing themselves, working ten times as hard to be recognised as able, challenges of accessing training and career progression opportunities and managers being seen as gatekeepers. All this confirmed, if there was ever any doubt that this is the reality for many BME staff. The resilience of BME staff to rise above adversity also impressed me. “From white colleagues there was also a common theme of fear of getting it wrong, which results in hesitancy to engage in inclusive conversations. The daily struggle this has on white colleagues is also palpable and worth addressing going forward. Fear is a theme and a word that featured quite a bit in the book.

The process

“The original idea did not change much as the project continued. Initially, I did not think of including statements the CEO and the BME Staff Network released following the death of George Floyd’s, nor excerpts from emails the Network received as a result. I then decided to include these because, they are not only powerful and give a real glimpse into the current state at LTHT about how we interact with each other as colleagues, but also give the anthology context. “Originally I wanted to group the stories based on roles of the contributors e.g. nurses’ stories, non-clinical staff stories etc. Eventually, I decided to structure them in a way that flow nicely from one story to another and supportive colleagues also contributed in identifying which story was best placed where in the book.

“I was not prepared at all for the time, effort and collaboration needed to pull a book together. I thought it was a matter of receiving the stories, putting them into one document, a bit of editing and job done. How wrong I was! I persisted because it was a goal I set myself and also a subject I am passionate about otherwise I would have quit half way. What I was certain about was that I wanted it to be a learning resource now and for future generations of LTHT staff. I hoped and prayed that it would get published at least for LTHT use.”

The hope

“I hope, having read this book, people will feel that it was worth their time. I hope too that they will acknowledge that racism, whether experienced or perceived, has a real impact on people’s lives and as a result make a commitment to self to do something big or small to change the narrative. We can make our world a better place for all - echoing words from Stuart Haines’ story that the earth was made to be a common treasury for all, it shouldn’t be for some of us to take the best bits and keep them for ourselves. Rather, it is for us all to share and enjoy— equally and without prejudice.”