Written by Perpetua Gitungo, Compliance Lead at Wise

When people ask you to write about anything to do with your race, you always wonder what they want to hear. I mean, it has all been said before and to be honest after 2020, it seems to be all we talk about. Yet here we are again. Black History Month is upon us and before all companies get to do their obligatory statements and show solidarity with the Black community (mostly forgotten throughout the rest of the year). I thought it might be worthwhile to talk about what it is like to be Black at Wise. 

Let’s go back in time to the beginning of Wise’s journey in this space. It started with the the murder of George Floyd — this was when the majority of people came out of their shells, like nosy neighbours who had heard an argument next door and want to know what’s going on. That’s how I describe it — because before then, to most non-Black people, race was not an issue. Black people internalised some of our experiences as part of our being. Suffering was inherent to us. It was part and parcel of who we were and how others identified us. 

The Monday following the George’s murder, we went into our home offices, shocked and scared that yet another Black life had had been taken away — only this time, we had front row seats. My first thought was: I hope our colleagues in America are ok, and my second was: surely Wise will offer support. None came, not on that Monday anyway. The following Tuesday there was a brief mention of it during a company wide team meeting.

It wasn’t enough.

At the time, fuelled by frustration, we questioned the support that was being given to Black Wisers, who was driving it and what it meant in practical terms. After speaking to Wisers, it was clear that the lack of action wasn’t from indifference, it came from people not knowing what to do. We had a huge opportunity to change this, and make things better.

I’ll tell you what progress we made as a result of the events of summer 2020. These initiatives were driven by Black Wisers and our allies and have set Wise up to be not just one of the companies that mark Black History Month, but one that empowers Black Wisers to speak up.

The first thing that Wise did was have two sessions where Black Wisers could speak about  the murder of George Floyd, and the impact ongoing police brutality had on them and their families. This was the first time we felt like someone was listening. It was raw, emotional, and allowed non-Black Wisers to better understand what their colleagues and friends were going through while allowing Black Wisers to share their experiences.