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“This Black History Month, let’s celebrate Black excellence in every shade, scar, and story”

We speak to Scar Free Ambassador Marian Adejokun on 2025's Black History Month theme: Standing Firm in Power and Pride

Marian Adejokun smiles at the camera wearing a green coat, black top, as she stands in front of a cutout of Nelson Mandela

1 October 2025

When Scar Free Ambassador Marian had an allergic reaction to eye drops, she couldn’t have imagined that within 30 minutes she’d be fighting to survive Stevens-Johnson Syndrome: a rare, serious skin reaction where a rash evolves into severe blisters, skin and fingernail peeling, excruciating pain, and scarring.

After a month in an induced coma, Marian woke up to a new reality: a long recovery confronted her, scars stretched across her body – and “a struggle with the lack of information on what to expect….there was a very little documentation of the healing process on different skin tones”.

This Black History Month, Marian reflects on her journey, standing firm in her purpose, finding power as a survivor, and pride in Black identity and her story.

“As we honour Black History Month 2025 and this year’s theme, ‘Standing Firm in Power and Pride’, I am led to centre my journey: the My Scars 2020 campaign, an initiative I started to normalise scars and remind people not to give up hope”

Born from personal pain and powerful purpose, My Scars exists to amplify the untold stories behind every scar – especially those shaped by trauma, resilience, and identity.

My experience surviving Stevens-Johnson Syndrome left visible marks on my skin, but the deeper imprint was the call to lead others in embracing their own healing journey and strength by them sharing their untold stories.

✨ These scars are not to be hidden but rather to be told

✨ They are chapters of lived truth, written in pain, but rewritten in power

✨ They remind us that resilience is revolutionary

This campaign is about showing off your scars and being confident in your own body – spotlighting survivors, changemakers, sharing all voices who are turning adversity into advocacy.

During Black History Month, I don’t just reflect on history, I honour it by embodying it. I stand firm:

🖤 In my power as a survivor, speaker, and founder of a movement that dares to be visible

💚 In pride for my Black identity, my skin, and my story

🤍 In purpose — to influence systems, uplift communities, and empower young people to own their scars with confidence.

Let us remember: Every scar has a story to tell…

🖤 My Skin

💚 My Scars

🤍 My Story

This Black History Month, let’s celebrate Black excellence in every shade, scar, and story – and let’s continue to build platforms that honour truth, courage, and the beauty of rising again.

To everyone carrying invisible battles: your story matters. Your scar is your strength. Scars aren’t just physical, visible but it can be anything you perceive to be a scar”.

Read more about Marian and her experience on her Scar Free Ambassador page.

…

1 in 3 people in the UK have a scar – that’s around 20 million people – and five million of those have scars that cause physical or emotional distress.

How you scar often depends on your genes, skin type, or how melanated your skin is. To learn more about scarring, including information on skin types and keloid scarring, head to the What is a scar? page on our website.

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