As a proud maroon, I am blessed that I have been able to “get ahead” by being me, authentically flawed and imperfectly perfect me.
As a proud maroon, the invitation to be a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) is not one that I had to think about for long. This is because the mission of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) is to enrich society through ideas and action. https://www.thersa.org/
The RSA is an amazing organisation that has been at the forefront of social change for over 260 years. The Fellowship is a global network of 30,000 people who support the RSA’s mission. Fellows have access to the brightest new ideas, innovative projects, a diverse network of like-minded people and a platform for social change.
I’m proud to follow in the footsteps of notable fellows including Nelson Mandela, Karl Marx, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Dickens, Stephen Hawkins among many others.
Today, I accept the invitation with humility and grace in recognition of my work over 2 decades and as an act of defiance and more importantly a significant and public victory for all the underdogs, the ones who were not pipped for success. This is inspiration for all who felt they had something to prove. Today and always, we stand together saying unanimously that we have absolutely nothing to prove.
The RSA recognises the dreamers, the ones who ask why not, the ones who rebel, the ones who challenge the status quo for the upliftment of humanity.
I salute my ancestors for their steadfastness, resilience and doggedness in pursuit of dignity and freedom.
Here’s hoping they would applaud my journey and be proud that I took the baton and ran purposefully, stumbling along the way, yet never dropping it.
Here’s hoping they would see that their humiliation, shame and degradation will not happen again and that it was because they stood up that we can sit at these tables of influence.
I pray that their souls are sleeping in peace.
As a proud maroon, I close by saying sleep on maroons. Rest a good rest, you fought a good fight.
We got this.
Learn about the maroons: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamaican_Maroons
Nichole McIntosh FRSA, MSc, MSc, BSc (Hons), Dip HE (Nursing), Dip BA (Marketing)…
PS.
(I’m a Nurse | Blogger: The Human Touch | Podcaster: Maroon Mindset | @theQcommunity member | @rcni Nursing Management Editorial Advisory Board | We are the NHS Ambassador | Fab NHS Ambassador | Why we do Research Ambassador)
Nichole McIntosh FRSA 