News

Due to lack of resources there will only be a few debates in the run up to the Police Commissioner elections in November that will be asking, ‘What are the priorities for Black Communities in this crucial regional and national debate about policing?'.

In his address to the Conservative Party conference Prime Minister, David Cameron said it was the government's mission to unlock the potential of all the British people and build an "aspiration nation". 

He boldly exclaimed that,

"the Conservative party is for everyone: North and South, black or white, straight or gay".

He went on to call for an end to the "toxic culture of low expectation" which he accused the left of applying to the disadvantaged.

While a demonstrable gender agenda has continued to make noise across the media and in Parliament in recent years, the category of “Women” persistently fails to take into account the full gamut of diversity that exists within that word. BME women or disabled women rarely have a stake in the gender equality camp. When it comes to employment, certain groups of ethnic minority women are among the first to bear the brunt of the economic downturn, undoing the progressive movements of the last fifteen years.

We need political leadership to stamp out racism. Racism is an unacceptable reality in Ireland. A new survey has now identified it as an issue within the public sector. Courage is required on the part of the Government to address this issue.

The Afiya Trust, a national charity that works to reduce inequalities in health and social care provision for people from BME communities bids farewell to its Chief Executive Patrick Vernon.

Vernon is leaving the charity after nearly four years of leading the trust’s work. During his time with The Afiya Trust, he brought his extensive knowledge of the agenda to a wider audience, travelling across the country highlighting the health disparities which BME communities experience.

This year’s London Schools and Black Child Academic Achievement Awards will take place on 10 October at the House of Commons.

The event will be hosted by Diane Abbott, shadow minister and Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington.

Amongst the celebrities confirmed to attend the event are legendary newscaster, Sir Trevor Macdonald, Olympic British silver-medallist Christine Ohuruogu, and chart topping rapper Wretch 32.

In what was the most important speech of his young political life, OBV alumni Marvin Rees was given a standing ovation at the Labour Party Conference last week.

Marvin who is the Labour party candidate in the fight to become the first directly elected Mayor for Bristol was asked to give the speech by way of introducing the Labour Party leader Ed Miliband.

Knowing that the UK and the world’s media would be watching - in part because they were waiting for the Labour leader- Marvin gave a humble, moving, yet upbeat and confident performance.

Live on national radio former England and Liverpool football star John Barnes told late night listeners on the popular radio 5 Steve Nolan programme, that Chelsea Captain John Terry could in part be excused for his racist rant at Anton Ferdinand because British society is ‘unconsciously racist’.

To illustrate his point Barnes said:

In this society when tens of thousands of Black people die, there is not the same collective outrage if hundreds of white people were killed.

He went on:

A Black History Month event is to be held this Saturday, the 6th October 2012, in celebration of Black history, lifestyle and culture. Titled ‘S.A.L.U.T.E.’ and hosted jointly by Recognize and Inspiring a New Generation, the event aims to honour the legacy of Black achievement and excellence.

After months of speculation, the United States Presidential Campaign finally became real last night following the first Presidential Debate between President Barack Obama of the Democratic Party and his Republican challenger, Former Governor Mitt Romney. The Debate was hosted at the University of Denver in Colorado and focussed on economic issues. The economy is the biggest issue in the election, with the US, like much of the world, still struggling to recover from prolonged recession.