Cordelia Johnney, the Head of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) at Stonewater. In her profile, Cordelia reflects on her career journey, the intersection of her disability, and why EDI efforts still have a long way to go.
Cordelia Johnney: My Journey
I am British Caribbean; my parents are from St Vincent, a Caribbean Island. I grew up in Hackney and Leyton, East London. I consider myself as lucky as I had the ‘perfect’ childhood. I was connected to my Caribbean culture and was raised with the closeness of a Caribbean family, which I am grateful for. My experiences with discrimination ultimately shaped who I am and my career. I also have a disability.
I went to the University of Bath, which was predominantly white. In Bath at the time, I believe there were only about 400 people of colour. I struggled for a while because I struggled to navigate that environment and did not think Bath was for me. In my first year of university, I stayed with a Black Caribbean family and eventually discovered the Caribbean community in Bath, which changed my perception of it.
I realised how crucial it was for me to find community and connect with people of the same background and heritage as me. Cultural affirmation is extremely important. That experience of initially navigating Bath certainly gave me a sense of courage, resilience, and strength to navigate challenging situations. It was something I’d been missing, and it empowered me to integrate with my peers and the wider community in Bath. I also got involved with Notting Hill Carnival, which gave me another affirming connection to my culture.
I initially set out to be a lawyer and that is what drew me to university. After I got my degree, I realised I didn’t want to be a lawyer. I moved back to London, and got my first experience working in the Race Equality Council. I eventually changed sectors and worked in the public sector where I learnt all areas of discrimination, protected characteristics, and topics relating to EDI.
My proudest career moment was I won my first employment tribunal case very early into my career. It was extremely rewarding achieving justice for someone and allowing an organisation to be more considerate and respectful of its colleagues. Another proud career moment was when Stonewater made into the Top Ten highest scoring organisations in the 2023 Investing In Ethnicity Maturity Matrix. It gave validation to the work I do. To work in a sector where we champion change and to be told by a third party that the work we do is making a difference was powerful.
I’ve welcomed witnessing the changes in policy, but as a society we still have a long way to go. There’s certainly a difference to how people react to racism now versus when I was in university, for example. It’s a good thing that a lot of people have come out and acknowledged that it is unacceptable to discriminate against anyone and we are calling out microaggressions. Different communities working together and being allies to each other is great to witness. People did not always understand what being an ally meant, so this shift is noticeable.
My words of wisdom for young women navigating their careers is…
- Don’t sweat the little things, they make you stand in your own way. Imposter syndrome can make you doubt yourself, and that can make you get caught up in the little things that ultimately may not matter. We can often be our harshest critic.
- Don’t let comments hold you back. Know your worth, know your quality and the value you bring. You should know how good you are, and you should not be afraid to say it. Be bold.
- Surround yourself with different communities and different people. If you would like to create equity, this is particularly important. Don’t let being in a minority group stop you from making friends and branching out in your network and isolating yourseslf!
This interview was conducted by Priya Kondola and Michelle Aboagye.
