“I’ve recently learnt to play the drums. In fact, I made my own drum with the support of my percussion teacher. For me, this new hobby is much more than just about having fun – it’s about paying tribute to my culture, honouring my ancestry and being proud of who I am. This has been truly transformative.”

Meet Luciana, Principal Corporate Affairs from Nova Lima, a city in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Growing up in a modest family of African-Brazilian heritage made her an easy target at school where she was bullied for her skin colour and hair. “It took me a very long time to recognise that I am worthy and deserving of success. In my early years, school was a place of sadness, where the other children bullied and taunted me. My response was, simply, to excel!”

This took a toll and while she stood her ground in the corridors, she would often return home in tears. There, her parents encouraged her to fight for her rights and demand respect. “They are my heroes. I would not be where I am today, if not for their love and support. The values that we adopt as a family made me who I am” she reflects. 

Her parents worked long and hard to ensure she received a good education. Today, she is the first in her family to have a postgraduate course. At school and in her career, she quickly realised that she would have to work much harder than everyone else to succeed. She achieved academic and professional success but realises that she put herself under a great deal of pressure.

“Battling white privilege was exhausting. Black people account for more than 50% of the population in Brazil but we are extremely under-represented in the best schools and in the best jobs”.

These experiences drove Luciana to invest a great deal of time and energy to learn more about her ancestry and culture, including her new drum hobby. Over the years, Luciana has come to truly embrace and love who she is.

A testament to that is throwing away the hair straighteners that she had used for decades, and celebrating her natural, beautiful curly hair. “Unfortunately, in Brazil, hair discrimination is something that affects African-Brazilian women working in corporate environments. But I have stopped trying to fit the stereotypical beauty standards. Being authentic is very empowering!”

Today, she uses her voice to inform and educate her colleagues and friends about creating a truly diverse and inclusive workplace. At BHP, she sees EmBRace (Employees Beyond Race) as a very important initiative, as it provides a safe space to talk candidly and openly about race and how we can support equity. We can all play a role by recognising the privileged place we occupy, being an ally, listening respectfully when colleagues share their stories and understanding that we all bring something valuable to the discussion. She also shared some advice for parents, "raising anti-racist children can really make a difference for the future."     

“Luciana is an inspiration to us all. Her story highlights not only how damaging racism is but most importantly, what organisations and individuals can do to support each other.” Nelly Pazó, Renova Foundation and Samarco Board Director and Luciana’s mentor in the Elevate program.

“Today, I am one of the very few black people in the BHP Brazil office. I hope that with EmBRace this number grows over the entire company, and I commit to doing my best to support BHP in becoming a truly diverse and inclusive workplace.”