A national civil rights group to promote justice and equality for blacks in Britain has been set up by some of the country’s most influential blacks.
The first of its kind, the Black Equity Organization (BEO) aims to eradicate systemic racism nearly two years after George Floyd was strangled to death by a U.S. police officer in 2020. The killing sparked widespread protests around the world – including in the United Kingdom, where the statue of slave trader Edward Colston was torn down in Bristol Harbor.
“This is a moment of generation; history will look down on us if we don’t do something, “actor, director, playwright and trustee on board BEO Kuame Kwei-Arma told the Guardian.
“It’s not just about this moment – as a community we’ve been through the Windrush scandal, the Grenfell Tower tragedy and the recent alarming Child Q incident. Our launch and existence is focused on creating change that will ensure they stop. are happening.”
The group aims to focus on economic empowerment, improving education and health outcomes, combating racial discrimination and improving representation in society, and providing access to housing and opportunities for black Britons across the country.
BEO will work in partnership with existing community and local organizations. Photo: Black Equity Organization / PA
The Board of Trustees includes historian David Olusoga, shadow foreign minister and Labor MP David Lamy and Lady Vivian Hunt, a senior partner at McKinsey, among others who will work in partnership with existing public and local organizations to promote black British justice. on a larger scale.
As Floyd’s assassination became a catalyst for anti-racist protests in the UK, Lamy met with Hunt and others in July 2020. The group believes there is no national organization to provide evidence of the state of black Britain and answer problems.
“We do not want to apologize for using the language of the institutional systemic barriers that black Britons face, because the data tells its own story,” Hunt said.
Earlier, The Guardian reported that 95% of black and mixed students witnessed racist language at school, with almost half saying they believed racism was the biggest obstacle to academic achievement. Hunt, a mother of two black sons, knew they were likely to be stopped and searched by police nine times as many as white people.
“We need to provide a positive, meaningful experience and life experience for every child in the UK to reach their full potential,” she said. “It will take several years for us to make real progress. But if we do not have a more systematic approach, we will not see progress. “
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Hunt said BEO’s approach to tackling systemic racism in all aspects of society would be evidence-based. The organization has conducted its own research and has received support from such as Sky, the communications company WPP, some of the largest law firms in the country and the Lankelly Chase Charitable Foundation.
“I’ve seen the ups and downs of the black experience in Britain,” Hunt said later. “So, my belief is with the British that they have a great sense of justice and fairness inherent in everything we stand for and our values.
“What black families want for their children is what all families want for their children.”
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