Introspection Bred Talent: : How 2020 changed the face of British Business (Copy)

Timi Olaitan

The time taken to sit back and understand the struggles of our parents unravelled a new layer of respect for the people who fought the battles we could not fathom fighting and those conversations ignited an already existing flame in the hearts of many, whose lives had previously made it impossible to fan that flame.

From seeing family a few hours a week, to 24/7 for months, many finally had the chance to pick the brains of their parents and carers during lockdown, and unknowingly unlocked a whole new perspective on their sense of self. Unpacking the complexity of knowing a world through and through, never needing to separate themselves from their neighbour, who looked and shared the same experience as they, to moving to a world unashamed to name them other, explicit alienation and abstract climate is an experience every child in the diaspora learned details of while sat in their family home. Using the last fragments of their culture, parents and grandparents raised us in an atmosphere they could best replicate with the resources available, in language, music, food and fashion; four of the most creatively illustrated aspects we have formed in attempt to encapsulate our history.

The hustle and bustle cut to an abrupt pause, the noise died down and creation spewed out, with many creatives alluding to their talents as an underestimated strength. Quiet and seclusion brought forth the world’s greatest talent. Without it, the world as we know it would simply not exist. What was impossible for a generation is possible again, their ceiling became our floor - creative expression reclaimed and revived, with a clear demand for our voices to be heard and a demand for them to be prioritised after years of the odds stacked against us.

This column will celebrate some of the greatest black-owned businesses and figures our culture has to offer, speaking on their challenges, successes and uncovering their why.

So, I only thank the days of isolation for the introspection it triggered, the self-awareness it challenged and the status quo it dismantled.