Welcome to the New Season of Black All Year with Steph Edusei

Hello everyone, and welcome to the exciting new season of Black All Year! I'm Steph Edusei, and if you joined us for season one, you might notice a few changes this time around. Before diving into those, let me take a moment to introduce myself properly—a step I realize I've never fully taken until now.

I'm Steph Edusei, a Senior Leader in Health and Care, and I'm honoured to serve as the Chief Executive of St Oswald's Hospice in Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Alongside this role, I'm a coach, a speaker, and the proud creator of Black All Year.

Growing Up as an Ashanti Geordie

I grew up in Newcastle Tyne during the 1970s and 80s, a time when the city was vastly different from what it is today. It was predominantly white and heavily industrial, with industries like shipbuilding and coal mining still thriving. As a Black person, the experience was quite isolating, given the small Black community in the Northeast.

My heritage is a mix of Black African Ghanaian from my father, who came to Newcastle in 1963, and a very Geordie mother, born and bred on the banks of the River Tyne. This blend of cultures shaped my upbringing in unique ways, from the food we ate to the music we listened to at family parties. Our home was always full of extended family members staying for long periods, which I thought was the norm.

Values of Fairness, Equity, and Inclusion

Growing up in such a mixed cultural environment instilled in me a strong sense of fairness. Over time, this evolved into a deep passion for equity and inclusion. Equity, for me, means recognizing that people start from different places and need different resources to achieve similar outcomes. It's about ensuring everyone has what they need to succeed and feel included.

The Genesis of Black All Year

For many years, I was invited to speak at events during Black History Month, sharing my experiences as a Black leader. However, I noticed a frustrating pattern: once October passed, the conversations about race and ethnicity would fall silent. This tokenistic approach to discussing race once a year felt insufficient.

The murder of George Floyd in 2020 sparked a global conversation about race, and suddenly, I was asked to speak more frequently, even outside of Black History Month. Yet, as time passed, the fervour waned, and the same pattern of silence resumed. This motivated me to take action and create a platform that would keep these important conversations alive all year round.

Launching Black All Year

In April 2022, I hosted the first online event for Black All Year, discussing Inclusion with Humanity. The response was overwhelmingly positive, leading to a series of webinars and the eventual creation of the Black All Year podcast. Over two years, we covered topics like Black maternal mortality, Black men's mental health, and the importance of language, featuring a diverse range of guests from authors to the first Black Police and Crime Commissioner in the UK.

What to Expect in Season Two

Balancing my roles as a hospice executive, coach, and dance teacher while running Black All Year has been challenging but rewarding. To ensure sustainability, I've decided to make some changes for season two. Expect shorter, more frequent episodes that fit easily into your schedule, with weekly releases whenever possible. The podcast will be our primary platform, though occasional live events may still happen.

Join the Conversation

Your feedback is invaluable. Please reach out with your thoughts, topic suggestions, or if you'd like to be a guest. Subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help others find and benefit from these discussions. 

Thank you for being part of Black All Year. I'm excited for this new season and look forward to sharing it with you. Take care, and I'll speak with you soon.

Steph