Black Women In Policing

In 2020, I came across an article written by Paula Akpan (2019) called,

‘How The Stories of Black Women In The UK Are Being Reclaimed’

She quoted Jade Bentil, a black feminist historian, who said,

“Black women’s historical narratives are either rendered completely visible under the gaze of whiteness, or an extremely sanitised version that flattens the complexities of our lives is authored by non-black gatekeepers, both within and outside the academy.”

That got me thinking about the narrative of retired Black Police-Women in the UK, especially because I am one of those Black Women, having served between 1982 and 2012.

While more Black Women are recognised for their impact on policing, we don’t hear much about their stories or experiences. Yet, if the job of a police officer is said to be difficult, how much more challenging was it to be a Black Woman wearing the uniform?

I am about to address that gap in the ‘Police Conversation’ by introducing you to the voices of Black Police-Women of different:

• Ranks,
• Classes,
• Black backgrounds,
• Lengths of service and,
• Police Services in the UK.

The purpose of this podcast is to hear the stories of four remarkable individuals. Four phenomenal Black Women who served as Police Officers in the UK.

You’ll hear about why they chose a career in the police service, their role models and influencers, and how policing impacted their personal and professional lives.

I will be sharing my lived experience, too, so I should say ‘five’ impressive women.

Details of how you can access these five episodes in this podcast will be shared shortly.

I hope, whoever you are, that the next time you see a Black Woman in Policing, you consider what life is like for them while contributing to making British society safer.