When a Bank Asked Me a Question I’d Never Been Asked Before

In this episode of Wait, I’m Black?!, Michael sits in conversation with Wellington Makala – a Chief Nurse in the NHS and an experienced, passionate healthcare leader. Wellington grew up in Zimbabwe with a strong sense of who he was – shaped by family, belonging, and purpose, not race. When he moved to the UK, something shifted. He reflects on the moment race stopped being abstract and began to carry weight – and how that realisation has shaped his experiences of work, belonging, and identity ever since. This episode explores what it means to lose a certain kind of ease, to become newly aware of how you are seen, and the ongoing effort to hold on to who you are in the face of it. If you’d like to follow the journey, you can subscribe and follow us on Instagram (@wibpodcast). And if you – or someone you know – has a “Wait, I’m Black?!” moment you’d like to share, you’re welcome to reach out.