Union getting ready to host online Black History Month events

A north- east union will hold two online meetings this week to celebrate Black History Month.

The Aberdeenshire branch of Unison has lined up guest speakers for the events, running from 2-4pm on Thursday and Friday.

Both will have the theme of “Black Lives Matter in a hostile environment”.

Chair woman of the union’s national black women’ s committee Davena Rankin, Kebba Manneh, who heads its black members group, and Rakiya Suleiman, who holds the same post in its Scottish counterpart, will be involved.

Benson Mug yenyi, black members officer for the branch, will chair both events. He said: “There is no more powerful force than a people steeped in their history, but a future where racism will be a distant memory will indeed be a greater more powerful force.

“In the words of Nelson Mandela, a recipient of the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen: ‘ no one is born to hating another person because of the colour of his skin or his background or his religion, people must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than the opposite’. “That is our hope.” Equality officer Kathleen Kennedy added: “Black History Month has come at a crucial time, as the pandemic highlights the disproportionate impact on black and minority ethnic people.

“However, we also see the revitalisation of the Black Lives Matter movement as a rallying call to fight racism.”

Benson Mugyenyi will chair Aberdeenshire events.