It is time to produce independent knowledge and speak from our own perspective. This work shares our experiences and anecdotes from our friends’ experiences of engagement with healthcare services in Scotland. If a few years ago, we were to share our experiences it is likely that we would not have had the guts to express them in this form, as it takes time and knowledge to fully understand and recognise oppressive practices.
The Decolonisers has raised our awareness and equipped us with knowledge to understand what a racialised service feels or looks like. By reading the work of many authors such as David Williams, Ralph Ellison, Toni Morrison, Audre Lorde, James Baldwin, Du Bois and others, Decolonisers has helped us to think more critically to the extent that we perceive life differently to the way we would have previously navigated around it. It has helped us to protect our cultural, mental, emotional, and physical spaces. As black women, we are able to recognise our values, the honour and love we deserve, and protect our black body and mind.