Celebrating Black History Month at Sheffield Children’s

Pride and Power – A poem by Shola Akanbi

I came with a suitcase and a dream,
crossing oceans, leaving behind the warmth of home.
Nigeria still beats in my chest,
every rhythm, every proverb, every prayer
is a reminder of the soil that raised me.

Here, in this new land, I learned to bend,
to listen, to adapt,
to find beauty in the unfamiliar.
Yet I never lost the roots that anchor me—
for pride is knowing where you come from,
and power is walking tall, no matter where you stand.

I celebrate my skin,
its deep hue kissed by sun and history.
I celebrate my voice,
accented with echoes of ancestors
who refused to be silenced.
And I celebrate diversity—
for when our stories mingle,
we rise stronger, together.

Sometimes, the world places labels on us,
tries to shrink us into shadows of who we are.
But pride whispers: You are more.
Power roars: Stand tall.
And in that union,
I find courage to keep building,
to keep believing,
to keep reminding the world
that we are simply human—
flesh and blood,
dreams and love,
like every other race and people.

This is the legacy of Black history:
resilience woven into song,
wisdom carved into memory,
hope carried from one generation to the next.
It teaches us that pride is not arrogance—
it is remembrance.
And power is not domination—
it is perseverance.

So let us carry this pride into our workplaces,
let it colour how we treat one another,
let it echo in policies that uplift,
let it shine in communities that thrive on inclusion.
Because when pride meets power,
change is born—
and tomorrow bends closer to justice.

I stand today as one voice,
but not alone.
We are many,
woven together by history,
lifted by hope,
rooted in pride,
and unstoppable in power.