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S6E15 - Dr Barbara Banda (Educator, Speaker, Author of The Model Black®️)

Author
Leah Talks
Published
Sun 15 Jun 2025
Episode Link
None

The Stories We Never Tell: Writing Black Leadership into Existence

Dr Barbara Banda shares her marathon writing session during lockdown, where she spent from 3am through the night crafting the first chapter of her groundbreaking book "The Model Black." This deeply personal chapter forced her to confront experiences she'd never spoken about openly, exploring what it means to "come out as Black" in professional environments. Barbara discusses her interviews with 30 Black British leaders, including David Lammy and Trevor Phillips, revealing the strategies they use to navigate predominantly white workplaces. The conversation explores the healing power of sharing untold stories, the unique challenges faced by Black leaders in Britain, and how authentic storytelling can bridge understanding across communities.

Barbara’s Longest Day started writing at 3am and continued through the night, as she was determined to complete her first chapter of "The Model Black". The book is based on interviews with 30 Black British leaders, from well-known figures to those quietly leading major organisations. It focuses specifically on the British context, resisting publisher pressure to make it international. The book explores strategies for navigating predominantly white workplaces rather than being a "how-to" success guide.

Best Quote: "I can't find them anywhere. I don't find that those experiences are not written down. My experience is not captured anywhere... There was nothing that I could put my hand on to say actually, if you're coaching a Black leader, or if you're leading a team, and you've got Black people within it, here's something that just might be helpful to you."


Resources

"The Model Black: How Black British Leaders Succeed in Organisations and Why it Matters" by Dr Barbara Banda (published by Routledge) includes interviews with leaders including David Lammy (current Foreign Secretary) and Trevor Phillips: https://www.routledge.com/The-Model-Black-How-Black-British-Leaders-Succeed-in-Organisations-and-Why-It-Matters/Banda/p/book/9781032060545?srsltid=AfmBOoptMFvTOl8eHyVb2TX_u7R0OiUgpaAGmDFeVOph05bS5E5yARn9 

Contact Information

Find Dr Barbara Banda here: 

Find Leah Brown FRSA here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-brown-frsa-b71b0844/ and @leahtalks_ on Instagram, TikTok and X.

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