Inspired by this year’s theme of Reclaiming Narratives for Black History Month, we asked some of our Black, mixed race and multi-heritage team and clients to share their experience of the racial stereotypes they have encountered, and how they reclaim the narrative for themselves.

Here, our Group Work Manager, Sy, shares how empowering it has been to embrace her introvert identity, instead of what some people might expect of a Black woman.

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For much of my life, being misunderstood has been one of the hardest challenges I’ve faced.

Many people are familiar with the stereotypes about Black women—being loud, overly energetic, confrontational, or falling into the old “angry” trope. The problem with these stereotypes is that they strip away the complexity of our experiences, reducing and even robbing Black women of the space to be our true, authentic selves.

For those of us who don’t fit this mould, we encounter a whole set of different challenges—being seen as pushovers, unfriendly, devious, strange, or as incapable. As you might imagine, these perceptions affect so many areas of life, from relationships to career prospects. The most harmful outcome is that we may start to believe some of these misconceptions ourselves.

We’re often left feeling so misunderstood that we sometimes feel the need to change our very essence, including engaging in the dreaded ‘small talk’…(when you know, you know!).

Finding the term ‘introvert’ was a revelation for me! It gave me a language for my way of being that made sense and allowed me to realise there was nothing wrong with my quieter nature. Identifying as a Black introvert helped me see that Black women and people exist in this world in so many beautiful ways, and it opened up a level of self-acceptance that I can no longer ignore. I now actively remind myself and the people in my life that who we are, as we are, is more than enough! We don’t need to be bouncing off the walls or sassy to be fun, to offer something meaningful, to demand respect, or to make others feel comfortable with us.

To all my fellow Black women introverts: I see you, I hear you, I respect you, and I embrace you—just as you are.

Syreeta Loney,
Group Work Manager