My Name is Why

My Name is Why'. By Lemn Sissay was the first book I read with the Book club, I'd known very little about the book and decided to choose the Audible version as opposed to a hard copy. Within minutes of listening to the Audio book on my journey to work, I'd stopped the car, pressed rewind several times and sat in complete silence  asking myself "did he just say [name redacted] I know her" "It's about Wigan Council? He's from Wigan?" I believe it was no coincidence that this book found me at this very stage in my career.

I have worked as a social worker for 3 years and discovered this book in my second year of practice. The book detailed the Authors journey as a black child /young adult throughout the care system and his experience with professionals who often abused the position they held.

The events of the book took place within the Local Authority of which I am currently employed & at least one of the names mentioned were individuals with whom I had crossed paths.

Wigan a primarily White area at the time remains a primarily white area today and in my 3.5 years in practice I have never been allocated a black client or anyone who would fit in to the infamous "BAME" category. Whilst I would love to believe that today's social workers are more culturally competent and children, young people and vulnerable adults are unlikely to relate to Lemn's experience, I simply do not know. I'm limited to only one example of an Asian family I supported over the phone whilst on duty, who heard my Caribbean accent and replied "I think she's black, thank God" and later explained the difficulties they'd had explaining their cultural needs to social workers who "kept suggesting services an Asian person would have no interest in".

This perfectly written book reminded me of my reasons for entering this profession, it perfectly illustrated the many complexities of those who require  social care support but it also reminded me of my own power, my power to influence change, to empower and liberate as per the definition of my career. On the other hand it reminded that  this 'power to' if misused can have detrimental effects on the people who need us the most.

Cultural competence may be discussed more in social work now than it was previously, but if the last year has taught me anything it is that we still have a very long way to go. As a black, female social worker, I've committed to challenging racial injustice, whether in the workplace or in the community.

This book has made me a more present social worker.