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Operation Black Vote (OBV) launched twenty years ago today. In that period there has been a quantum leap in progress, which has been fueled in part by OBV's ardent commitment and work:

First appeared on the Guardian website 15.07.21: On the eve of OBVs 25th year anniversary, Alex Mistlin of the Guardian profiles OBV Director Simon Woolley and the journey of OBV founded by the himself, Rita Patel and Lee Jasper

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He set up Operation Black Vote in 1996, vastly increasing the number of Black MPs - and later this year becomes the first Black man to head an Oxbridge college

Photo credit: Photograph taken by the official House of Commons photographer, Jessica Taylor.

Boris Johnson has promised that people who are found guilty of racially abusing players online will be banned from football matches.

Deadline Extended

Due to demand, and direct requests for more time, the Evidence for Equality National Survey (EVENS) deadline has been extended to Wednesday 28th July 2021. That is the final date for submission and offers individuals the chance to explain how covid-19 and the lockdowns have affected them.

News of the passing of Sislin Fay Allen, 83, marks the departure of a woman who has frequently been described as a heroine, a pioneer and a reference point for black women within law enforcement. 

She became Britain's first black policewoman when she joined the Met police in 1968. A statement from Allen's family read: 

Article first appeared on BMA website

The BMA has strongly criticised a Government commission’s report into racism, warning that it underplays the existence and effect of institutional racism in the NHS.

“A giant of the faith,” is how one person has described Joel Edwards following his passing on Wednesday morning. It is one of the many tributes that have been dedicated to the much-loved man of faith.

Deeply respected by his community, Joel Edwards migrated from Jamaica at the age of eight. He worked as a probation officer for ten years, and Doreen Morrisson, who worked with him during this period, remembers Edwards fondly.

Before you begin... 

• This survey will do what the Sewell report failed to do - represent your experience for what it truly is.
• OBV's work with EVENS necessitates our full participation. We want you to speak up and spread the word about the covid-19 survey.

A UN report has called on the UK, US and other member states to end impunity for police officers who kill and violate the human rights of Black people.

They say that the call to punish police prejudice is intended to “reverse cultures of denial, dismantle systemic racism and accelerate the pace of action”. Included in their report is the appeal to translate the agenda into actionable plans and "concrete measures" to address these systemic issues.

In her home city of Wolverhampton, Paulette Wilson's legacy stands strong. On Windrush day, Tuesday 22 June, a blue plaque to honour her was unveiled on the side of the Wolverhampton heritage centre by the city's mayor, Cllr Greg Brackenridge. The campaigner Patrick Vernon OBE thanked the public for their support and noted that the location of the plaque was apt given its historical context.