Celebrating Black History Month: Authentic Allyship and Tales of the Past

Christine Taylor, Sr Manager in Community Marketing at Gilead Sciences Ltd, spoke to myGwork about why celebrating Black History Month properly is so important. Sharing what her workplace is doing to celebrate Black history, and what she believes authentic allyship looks like, she offered a unique perspective on why it’s important for organizations to properly commemorate the occasion.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at your organization.

I have worked in healthcare for 15 years, in pharma for 10 years and have been with Gilead Sciences for 5 years. I currently work in viral hepatitis and have a pretty unique role in my industry. Although I am what we call “field-based” and spend my time visiting health care professionals, my work is non-promotional and does not speak to any of our medications. Instead, I work with the NHS and with community organizations to try to increase bloodborne virus testing and treatment in areas of unmet need to eliminate hepatitis c in England by 2025.

Tell us why Black History Month is important to you?

Black History is everyone’s history. It is important to create a space to recognize and celebrate historical events, contributions advances of the Black community and notable individuals, particularly as these were not taught as the norm in my early years of education.

Growing up in Bermuda, a British Overseas territory, although we were extensively taught British and American history, we did not learn the history of our own country. Black history was often taught over a couple of lessons during Black History Month and was typically limited to slavery in the US and the civil rights movement. For example, I did not learn about Mary Prince until I was an adult living in the UK – her former home is just a 30-minute walk from my flat! Mary Prince was an enslaved Bermudian who was the first known Black woman to publish her life story in English. She wrote a letter to the British government, asking them to free all enslaved people in the Caribbean. By doing this, she was the first woman in Britain to petition parliament.

It is so important that everyone can understand and learn from our shared pasts and celebrate the contributions made by the Black British community.

Share your favorite Black LGBTQ+ person from history? Why is their story important to you?