In which country of the UK or Channel Islands do you currently work in?

England

Role

Research Midwife

How did you come to be in your current role?

I came into midwifery from a deep-rooted desire in my mid-teens, to support women, birthing people, and families during some of the most meaningful moments in their lives. From the moment I was given the chance to be my mother’s birthing partner at the birth of my youngest sibling, I knew that midwifery would not just be a profession for me, rather, I would be answering a deeper calling.  Working in all areas of maternity, my pinnacle moment were my years spent on the birth centre as a core team member, where I got the opportunity to live out my passion as the midwife I’d always dreamed of being.

Over the years, my passion for practice expanded into a passion for education, race equity, and systemic change. Moving into academia some six years post qualifying, I wanted to help shape the next generation of midwives and ensure that learning environments were inclusive, empowering, and culturally safe. Within my capacity as a senior lecturer, this led me to advocating for safer Black birthing experiences and outcomes for Black women, through development of decolonisation and raising awareness and knowledge of race equity within the midwifery curriculum. My career continued to develop as I then went on to become the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) lead in the midwifery department, eventually leading to a more senior role as the school EDI representative. Today this dedication to race equity has led me towards a journey in doctoral research, where I now explore racialisation and the lived experiences of Black midwives in the England.

My current role is the culmination of years of clinical practice, teaching, and my commitment to improving maternity care for women and birthing people as well as staff underpinned by critical race theory and critical midwifery studies.

What have been the key moments for you in your career journey to get you to where you are now?

There have been several pivotal moments that have shaped my journey thus far. Becoming a midwife was the first big step, grounding me in compassion, advocacy, and the importance of relationship-based care.

However, on this journey I have witnessed and experienced firsthand racism in maternity services. Feeling compelled, I wanted to make a difference to how we collectively respond to racial and ethnic diversity and bias. Moving into higher education gave me the platform to address these inequities from a grassroots perspective leading to a specific career pathway of anti-racist praxis.

As an EDI lead, I had the opportunity to work on tackling racism, promoting anti-racist teaching practice, and developing inclusive learning cultures. Co-founding and contributing to anti-racism initiatives within midwifery was another defining and extremely important moment, reinforcing my belief that change must be intentional, collective, and structurally supported.

Beginning my doctoral research tied everything together. My PhD explores how racism and workplace culture affect Black midwives’ psychological safety, careers, and professional development. This is work that resonates deeply for me and aligns directly with the Royal College of Midwives’ top research priorities.

Alongside this, discovering and applying critical midwifery studies, critical race theory, Black feminism and the afterlife of colonialism has given me a powerful analytical framework to understand the social, cultural, and political forces shaping maternity care. It has strengthened my commitment to equity-driven practice and education.

What have been the challenges and triumphs in your career journey into current role?

Like many, my journey has not been without its challenges. Navigating racism, both subtle and overt within academic and clinical settings has been difficult at times. This has included moments of interpersonal racism from colleagues at the same professional level, across institutions where power is exercised laterally and often invisibly. These experiences reflect a broader pattern described in research about the harm caused by white women in professional spaces – a harm that is frequently minimised, dismissed, or reframed as misunderstanding, yet has a profound impact on belonging, confidence, psychological safety and professional development.

My work in race equity has evolved into a central part of who I am as a midwife, educator, and researcher. It has grown significantly through roles that have allowed me to challenge systems, influence practice, and support meaningful change.

Examples of this include my collaboration with an anti-racism training & consultancy group. As an associate, I contribute to anti-racist practice development and help foster and create training spaces that encourage honest reflection, accountability, and safer cultures within higher education, maternity and wider healthcare settings.

I was also actively involved in the University of West England and NHS England collaboration Inclusive Training & Practice Project, where I led on the production of a guide to promote and support inclusive teaching in practice in healthcare. This work has reinforced the importance of collective dialogue and co-created solutions in race equity work.

Within my own academic institution, I have led and supported a range of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion initiatives—from anti-racist curriculum development to fostering belonging and culturally safe learning experiences for students and staff. These efforts have allowed me to advocate for change at structural, pedagogical, and interpersonal levels.

Together, these roles have deepened my understanding of the systemic issues affecting academics, midwives and students. They have strengthened my resolve to push for transformation that is not symbolic or surface-level, but meaningful, sustained, and grounded in justice.

A major triumph has been finding my voice as a researcher and educator. Being awarded a fully funded SEDarc doctoral studentship was an incredible milestone, affirming that my work, passion, and lived experiences have value in shaping the future of midwifery.

Contributing to national conversations about race equity and curriculum reform has been deeply rewarding. Each challenge has strengthened my purpose, and each triumph has reminded me why this work matters.

What advice or top tips would you have for anyone looking to a career move into your role?

As I always said to the students “Stay curious,” and be courageous. Research and education thrive on bold questions especially the ones that make people uncomfortable. You may be afraid to interrogate systems, challenge long-held assumptions, or ask why things are done a certain way, do it anyway. Curiosity is the starting point of transformation.

Bring your lived experience unapologetically. Your perspective is a form of expertise. The insights you carry shaped by your identity, culture, community, and clinical journey illuminate realities that are often overlooked in mainstream narratives. In research and teaching, your lived experience is not an add-on; it is a powerful analytical tool crucial to advancing critical midwifery studies.

Build and lean into supportive networks. This is so important as no one thrives in isolation. Seek out mentors, collaborators, and communities of practice who see your potential and support your growth! These relationships will sustain you, challenge you, hold you to account as well as hold you through the complexities of academic and professional life.

Stand firm in your values. Whether you move into teaching, research, or leadership, let compassion, justice, and integrity be your anchor. When you hold equity at the centre of your practice, you not only protect yourself, but you also model the kind of profession we all deserve.

Research is midwifery practice. It is not separate from what we do at the bedside. It strengthens clinical confidence, deepens critical thinking, and creates the evidence that shapes safer, more culturally responsive maternity care. Research helps us imagine and build midwifery futures rooted in dignity, safety, and justice for all.

What do you love about your role today?

I love that my role allows me to weave together clinical wisdom, academic leadership, and doctoral research into one meaningful and deeply purposeful career. I have the privilege of teaching and supporting future midwives, contributing to national conversations on race equity, and building the kind of evidence base that has the power to transform maternity services.

My PhD will bring a new depth to my work. Exploring racialisation and the lived experiences of Black midwives is not only academically significant — it is personally and professionally affirming. It allows me to name realities that have too often been ignored, to centre voices that have been marginalised, and to contribute scholarship that challenges how we understand safety, culture, and equity in the profession. Being able to carry out research that is both intellectually rigorous and socially impactful is something I value immensely.

Most of all, I love that my work is aligned with purpose. Whether I am drawing on critical midwifery studies, decolonising elements of the curriculum, co-developing inclusive training, or amplifying the voices of Black midwives, everything connects back to a shared vision: a maternity system that is culturally safe, inclusive, and grounded in justice.

This alignment between who I am, what I study, and what I contribute is what brings me the greatest joy in my role today.