Black History Month 2022 is themed A Time for Change: Action <\/em>Not Words.<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n
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<\/a>\u2018I was stopped and searched quite a few times in my teenage years by the police, with no real reason to suspect me. It is something that most black guys in London are used, but I now see it as something quite shocking and wrong.\u2019<\/p>\n
Growing up, Devont\u00e9\u2019s mother was his \u2018inspiration\u2019 as he marvelled at her work ethic and ability to provide for his family.<\/p>\n
\u2018Mum worked in a management role within a bank which meant we stayed afloat, she worked incredibly hard, and had a savviness to her. Even after she died, she looked after my sister, dad and me through life insurance schemes and things she had put in place.\u2019<\/p>\n
Devont\u00e9 became a hardworking student who made it his mission to follow his mum\u2019s footsteps. He found a passion for business and in particular, Marketing.<\/p>\n
\u2018I applied for BSc Marketing<\/a> at Kent Business School after seeing that the course ranked highly. I loved the lectures and seminars, but it was the people I met at Kent \u2013 the lifelong friends – that are my university experience. I also loved standing on my own two feet in a new city.\u2019<\/p>\n He found his home at the Afro Caribbean Society and gained a best friend in Stephen Kamara, who worked as its president during Devont\u00e9\u2019s second year at uni.<\/p>\n \u2018ACS really helped me to settle in,\u2019 he beams. \u2018We did lots of learning events and parties, it was a really important part of the culture for black students.\u2019<\/p>\n Inspired by a trend for \u2018waving\u2019 in afro hair, Devont\u00e9 noticed a gap in the market for \u2018durags\u2019 (headscarves made from silk or satin usually worn with afro hair styles) that were made of suitable materials and made directly in the UK.<\/p>\n \u2018No one was making and selling them here. My studies had taught me to notice gaps in the market and find solutions to problems and there it was in front of me.\u2019<\/p>\n He set up the business Rich Rags in his second year and through ASPIRE applied for a Santander Grant and won. As well as selling the headscarves, he used the platform to sell wristbands for cancer research, a nod to his mother and the impact she had on his life decisions.<\/p>\n \u2018I used the grant money to purchase stock from China and organise local embroiders in the Canterbury\/London area. It wasn\u2019t without setbacks \u2013 I gave a lot of money to a supplier who let me down and I still don\u2019t know if I was defrauded,\u2019 he explains.<\/p>\n \u2018It was a learning curve, but I was just 19. While I decided to shelve the business and focus on my studies and placement, it\u2019s something I hope I might return to one day.\u2019<\/p>\n Devont\u00e9 secured a placement at Enterprise in 2018, where he was promoted to a Management Assistant position and was offered a part time role at the firm while he completed his final year and the potential of a graduate role, something which was delayed due to Covid.<\/p>\n He says: \u2018Coming into institutions and being black, you definitely feel you need to overcompensate. You need to be the best to be seen and valued. With Enterprise, it was a really diverse workforce so that helped me to flourish. I picked up skills that lasted a lifetime in the placement.\u2019<\/p>\n Devont\u00e9 now works at Gartner as Senior Account Manager, a business which offers professional service solutions, a role he is enjoying. He is also inspired by the changing landscape of business and the open conversations about systemic racism and lived experiences of black people.<\/p>\n \u2018At work, we speak to the senior executive about the black experience or ethnic experience on a regular basis, but there\u2019s a lot more to be done in the wider economy,\u2019 he reflects. \u2018You can\u2019t be what you can\u2019t see, so diversity is key.\u2019<\/p>\n Keeping his mum\u2019s memory alive through charity work Devonte\u2019s has high hopes for the future and what he can achieve.<\/p>\n \u2018There\u2019s still an entrepreneur inside me somewhere, which I hope to find again soon.\u2019 he concludes.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>