Monica Brown is an inspiring communicator and community advocate whose work is changing how Black histories and lived experiences are preserved and celebrated. During more than forty years in broadcasting, education, journalism and communications coaching, she has consistently empowered others to find their voices and share their stories with confidence and authenticity.
Born in Birmingham to Jamaican Windrush-generation parents and raised in both Warwickshire and Jamaica, Monica brings a deeply personal understanding of migration, identity and cultural memory to her work. That understanding, combined with her naturally warm manner, allows her to connect with people across generations and backgrounds.
Her career has taken her through television production and directing in Jamaica, national radio broadcasting, university teaching in media production, and award-winning work in communications and media engagement. Across these different settings, she has helped people recognise the value of what they have to say and develop the confidence to say it.
At Warwickshire County Record Office, we see these qualities in her work on Telling Our Own Stories. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, this initiative addresses the historic under-representation of Black and other global ethnic communities within the county’s archives. Monica is our project manager and, for us, she embodies its purpose.
Her passion, skills and experience have helped us connect with overlooked groups, including communities of African Caribbean descent, throughout Warwickshire. She has encouraged people to revisit their heritage, recognise their contribution to the county’s history and take practical steps to preserve and share their experiences.
Working alongside archivists, Monica supports communities through workshops and ongoing guidance. She encourages them to create their own archives and contribute to the official county history. Her philosophy is simple: “everyone’s story matters.” This belief runs through every aspect of her work, giving people confidence that their experiences deserve to be heard and remembered.
The impact is significant. Under Monica’s leadership, Telling Our Own Stories has helped collect and preserve previously unheard narratives. A major milestone has been acquiring the first personal archive of a Black Windrush-generation individual connected to Warwickshire. For our service and the communities we work with, this represents an important step towards a more inclusive historical record.
Its importance reaches beyond a single collection. Preserving Black lives and experiences within formal archives helps build a fuller understanding of Warwickshire and the people who have shaped it. Monica’s work is helping to ensure that these contributions become part of the county’s history, available for future generations to explore and understand.
The project also empowers individuals to collect oral histories, giving participants a sense of ownership and pride. Monica draws on her broadcasting experience to help people capture these lasting testimonies. By supporting communities to record their own voices, she helps preserve the personal experiences and perspectives that bring history to life.
We have seen this work encourage conversation and appreciation, strengthening connections between people and supporting collective well-being. The process of sharing a story can be meaningful in itself. Through Monica’s encouragement, participants have opportunities to reflect on their experiences and recognise their place within a wider community history.
A former colleague describes Monica as “a force of nature”, and her influence extends far beyond this project. As a communications coach and educator, she has worked with students, business leaders, community members and professionals, equipping them with the confidence and skills to express themselves clearly.
Those she mentors often go on to inspire others. This is an important part of her contribution: the encouragement she offers does not end with one conversation, workshop or project. It continues through people who feel better able to share their knowledge, tell their stories and support those around them.
Monica’s work addresses both historical absence and present-day representation. Her commitment to education, inclusion and cultural preservation is helping future generations inherit a richer, more accurate understanding of Warwickshire’s past and present. She recognises that communities should have an active role in deciding how their experiences are recorded and remembered.
For these reasons, we believe Monica deserves recognition through Honouring Black Britain 2026. In celebrating her, we honour a lifetime dedicated to empowering others and safeguarding heritage. Her work reflects connection, inclusion and truth, demonstrating that when communities have the means to tell their own stories, they enrich the understanding of us all. It is a contribution whose value will continue to grow as future generations discover the voices and experiences she has helped preserve.