Beth's story: "more action towards greater diversity"

As we come to the end of Black History Month, one of our colleagues, Beth Argeaye, shares her story - and why it's important to focus on actions rather than words.

"I was born and raised in North London after my parents immigrated from Ethiopia; we are of Tigrayan heritage. I was lucky growing up and going to school in North London, which is such a diverse part of the UK. University was a little bit of different, but it was still really nice and full of people from different backgrounds. It was when I stepped into the corporate world that I noticed a difference.

You’re told about the general lack of diversity, but you don’t truly realise it until you’re in it. Even commuting on the train to Liverpool Street, I notice the demographics change along the route. I’m currently an Associate Consultant with Blayze Group and have been there for over a year now. My experience at Blayze has been overwhelmingly positive as they bring me in on open and honest discussions about diversity in the workplace, and how we can continue to improve.

I think when you’re born to immigrants, you have this tussle between your identities. Growing up I was proud to be Ethiopian; I knew aspects of my culture and somewhat indulged in it. I wasn’t entirely immersed however until, that is, I became a Content Creator with the Tigray Youth Network founded at the outbreak of the ongoing conflict in November 2020. In the Network, we experienced together a rude awakening around the ethnic tensions which have long existed in Ethiopia. Out of this shared trauma, however, we have been able to connect with each other on a deep identity level, finally understanding the integral Tigrayan culture that ties us together. I have learned how unique Tigrayan food is, our clothing, our music, our dances, our practices, our religions. The realisation that these are ancient practices has been so powerful, and we take our responsibility to preserve that seriously.

Now, time for action.

“Action not Words is also understanding that Black lives matter everywhere.”

The theme for Black History Month this year was ‘Time for Change: Action not Words’. For me, in the context of the ongoing conflict in Tigray, it couldn’t be more apt. It’s estimated that between 380,000 and 600,000 civilian lives in Tigray have been lost, with the vast majority of those people dying from lack of food or healthcare. With the ongoing communications blackouts imposed by the Ethiopian federal government, and the inability for journalists to enter Tigray, it's on us at the Tigray Youth Network to be the voice for those who have become the voiceless. The war on Tigray is often referred to as ‘The Forgotten War’ – but it isn’t ‘forgotten’, it is simply ignored. The WHO chief has labelled the catastrophe in Tigray as the ‘worst humanitarian crisis in the world’, as allied Ethiopian and Eritrean forces continue to block aid and weaponise hunger. It is up to all of us – not just the Tigrayan diaspora, to amplify the plight of Tigrayans as they are continually silenced.

“We want people to understand that these are people with lives. They had a livelihood, they were doing so much, they have an education – everything like that, it’s just been shattered. We must humanise the people of Africa.”

Taking action in this context is very personal to me, but a bias for action is important in any context. Bringing it back to a day-to-day level in my life as a recruiter, I’m just trying to implement and help navigate that change as much as possible in a way that I know best. It’s not about filling a quota, and I always place the best candidate for a role. When I receive a CV from someone from a minority background, it stands out and in my experience those minority background candidates have performed really well. We don’t need to make the business case again, but we see and know that teams benefit from increased diversity. A diverse workforce is necessary, and I think it’s the responsibility for recruiters to keep networking and bringing diverse candidates into the talent pool.

“I think conversations are being had, and perhaps conversations are being amplified. Whether those conversations produce an output is, I think, a different question.”

The Black Lives Matter movement sparked hope for change, but over two years later I haven’t seen the action we hoped for. It may start small, but whatever the context, coming together as a community to make change is powerful. So, let’s keep taking ever more action towards greater diversity and bring those promises to life.

To learn more about the ongoing conflict in Tigray or donate to those affected, please visit: https://tigrayyouthnetwork.org/