New national civil rights group launched for black Britons
JUSTICE and equality in the UK are to be tackled by a new national civil rights group for black people, it was announced this week.
The Black Equity Organisation (BEO) will aim to dismantle systemic racism and combat racial discrimination. It will also focus on bettering education, economic empowerment, tackling health inequality and improving housing access for black Britons.
It has been created in the wake of incidents such as the murder of black American George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in 2020. His death sparked protests around the world, including in the UK, where the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled and thrown into Bristol Harbour. In addition, the past five years have seen tragedies such as the Grenfell Tower fire and more recently, the distressing Child Q incident.
The actor, director, playwright and BEO board trustee Kwame Kwei-Armah told the Guardian: “This is a generational moment. History will view us harshly if we don’t do something.”
Other BEO trustees include the historian David Olusoga; shadow foreign secretary and Labour MP David Lammy; and
Dame Vivian Hunt, a senior partner at McKinsey. Working alongside grassroots and community organisations, they will aim to advance equity on a larger scale for black Britons.
In July 2020, Lammy, Dame Vivian and others came together to form a national organisation in the wake of Floyd’s murder. Unlike the US, which has the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the UK didn’t have a similar body to provide evidence of the state of black Britain and respond to issues faced by them.
“We don’t want to be apologetic about using the language of institutional systemic barriers facing black Britons, because the data tells its own story,” Dame Vivian said.
Previous reports by the Guardian have shown that 95 per cent of black and mixed ethnicity pupils have witnessed racist language at school. In addition, almost half of them said they felt racism was the largest barrier to academic achievement.
Recent figures from the Home Office also showed that black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than their white peers.
“We have to ensure a positive substantive experience and lived experience for every child in the UK to reach their full potential. It’s going to take multiple years to actually make progress. But if we don’t have a more systemic approach, we won’t see progress,” she said.
Dame Vivian added that the BEO would take an evidence-based approach to tackling systemic racism in all areas of society. It conducted its own research and was backed by companies like Sky, charitable foundation Lankelly Chase, communications firm WPP and leading UK law firms.
“My faith is with the British people, that they have a huge sense of fairness and equity, [which is] intrinsic in everything that we stand for and our values. What black families want for their children is what all families want for their children,” Dame Vivian said.