UK Future(Pt.3)

1. READ, WATCH, LISTEN

Most of the information you need is hidden in plain sight. Be it monuments, museums, national archives or “our history” pages on company websites. For deeper insight, below are books and documentaries which have contributed to my development.

Books that have given me an insight into history

• How Europe Underdeveloped Africa — Walter Rodney
• Homegoing — Yaa Gyasi
• Bad Samaritans — Ha-Joon Chang
• Natives — Akala
• Brit(ish) — Afua Hirsch
• Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race — Renni Eddo-Lodge
• Things Fall Apart — Chinua Achebe
• Half of a Yellow Sun — Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• A Moonless, Starless Sky — Alexis Okeowo

Books that have taught me the importance of organising

• African Leaders of the 20th Century — Wilson, Selassie, Nzongola-Ntalaja and Harsch
• The Autobiography of Malcom X — Alex Haley and Malcolm X
• Are Prisons Obsolete? — Angela Davis

Books that have taught me the importance of self-preservation

• When the body says no — Gabor Mate
• Questions for Ada — Ijeoma Umebinyuo
• Becoming — Michelle Obama Books that have helped me to strategise
• Contagious — Jonah Berger
• The Power of Habit — Charles Duhigg
• Powernomics — Claud Anderson
• The Richest Man in Babylon — George Samuel Clason
• Never Split the Difference — Chris Voss

Documentaries and YouTube channels which have taught me about Black people’s experiences across the world:

• Al Jazeera
• Unreported World
• HomeTeam History
• Decolonising Education: Let’s Talk About It! by Muna Abdi
• History of Africa by Zeinab Badawi
• 13th by Ava Duvernay
• When They See Us and the opening scene in Black Panther (yes, I’m calling them documentaries)
• The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
• 1992 (Netflix)

If you are in a position to teach children, be it as a youth worker, teacher, parent, guardian etc, you have the honour of influencing young people in their formative years. When approaching conversations about identity and understanding the cultures and experiences of others, get The Black Curriculum in all schools! In the interim, you may wish to consult the following:

• No Place To Call Home — JJ Bola
• The Lies That Bind — Kwame Anthony Appiah
• My History is More Than Slavery — Nego True
• Manchester Happened — Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

Of course, there are hundreds of books which will serve you well, but I can only recommend those which I have read.

“It takes a village to raise a child” — African Proverb

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2. ORGANISE

It recently came to my attention that the term ‘organising’ doesn’t resonate with everyone in the way that Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Steve Biko, Nelson Mandela, Yaa Asantewaa, the Black Panthers and many other revolutionaries meant it.

I will get around to writing about the history of organising and how pivotal it is in this moment. In the meantime, here are some movements that you may wish to join if you want to organise a long term, strategic approach to gaining economic and political equity:

Elimu — we held a Town Hall meeting in July with other community leaders and organisations. We heard from Black youth about their experiences and the needs for which they want us to advocate. As a result, we have developed a campaign group through which we support our young leaders to be the voice of change.

YSYS Advocacy — you can become an Advocate now by signing up on YSYS’ page.

Operation Black Vote — have been organising to get more Black people to vote for years. Now more than ever it is important to join this movement.

Bold Money Group — BMG have been organising entrepreneurs and business leaders for a while now to develop economic empowerment within the Black community.

Young and Black — Jermain Jackman and UK Youth recently launched the #YoungAndBlack campaign, a space to share, listen and discuss what it means to be Black in Britain and campaign for change.

Charity So White — a campaign group tackling institutional racism in the charity sector. Most recently, they have successfully lobbied charities to ringfence 20% of funding for Black charities.

National Black Crown Prosecution Service — if your organisations aims are compatible with or supportive of NBCPA, you can join as an Associate member.

Justice — an all-party law reform and human rights organisation, working to strengthen the administrative, civil and criminal justice systems in the UK.

Join a union!

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3. REPRESENT

We all know that we need to be better represented in executive positions, but many of us don’t believe that we qualify. The reality is that many conversations that take place at decision-making level do not require you to be old and privileged, you can get there if you have an innovative mindset. Michelle Obama attested to this when she said ‘I have been at every powerful table you can think of. They are not that smart’.

I recommend looking into the following:

• Parole Boards
• Ministry of Justice Board
• Greater London Authority
• School Governors
• Magistrates

If you consider joining a Board, some agencies that can help your search include:

• Green Park
• Gatenby Sanderson
• Saxton Bampfylde
• Sunday Times appointments
• Odgers Berndston

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4. VOTE

I’d like to think it goes without saying that Brexit, Windrush, Grenfell, Black Lives Matter, suspension of free travel for under 18s and disproportionate deaths from COVID-19 are reason enough to understand your duty to vote.

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5. PROTECT

Every establishment which flaunts the perpetrators of slavery, oppression and racism ought to be reformed.

Protecting the Black economy also requires conscious spending and campaigning. Ensure that you sign parliamentary petitions and write to the relevant authorities to demand change. Hold the government accountable and keep pushing to defund oppressive institutions. For once, let those funds be redistributed to the grassroots movements which have always been on the frontline, making impact.

Commit to spending in the Black community as a norm and not just a trend. Where you can, donate to communal causes which are benefitting the Black community, both here and back home. Kwanda and Weka are great platforms to look into.

This call to action is not intended to end racism, but rather to provide steps that anyone can take to defend us from it. The stronger we are together, the less power racism has to destroy us.