Also attending were people from almost every major U.K. media organisation: BBC, ITV, Channel4, Viacom, FT, Guardian, NewsUK etc. Plus too many universities and academic institutions to mention.
But the real point of the night was the party after the speeches. And when it comes to diversity and inclusion there was a very serious reason we took the after party so seriously.
Black folk, and people from underrepresented groups, working in the media joke about “having PTSD” from the hostile work environment we are in.
It’s a joke, but it’s not funny. We suffer higher rates of mental illness, we leave the industry at a higher rate, it affects our relationships and our physical health.
Which is why it’s critical that we find time for joy and love and fun amongst ourselves. It is part of our defence against the prejudice and hostile environment we work in every day.
Which is why yesterday to have amazing singers and musicians helping us dance our blues away was therapy.
Memories of @LennyHenry singing Cameo’s Word Up will sustain me. @AdrianLester singing Cameo’s Candy will nourish my soul
And Jazzie B from Soul II Soul DJing is pure therapy
Yesterday was Black love, brown love, disabled love, lgbtq+ love, and every type of love you can imagine.
In the words of feminist icon Emma Goldman:
“If I can't dance I don't want to be in your revolution”
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In 1955, 29 Asian & African countries gathered in Bandung Indonesia to define the principles that should govern a non-Eurocentric world.
I cannot tell u how often I return to the 10-point "declaration on promotion of world peace & cooperation" when analysing world events.
Thread:
1. Respect for fundamental human rights and for the purposes and principles of the charter of the United Nations 2. Respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations 3. Recognition of the equality of all races and of the equality of all nations large and small
4. Abstention from intervention or interference in the internal affairs of another country 5. Respect for the right of each nation to defend itself, singly or collectively, in conformity with the charter of the United Nations
A short thread on the @sainsburys Xmas advert:
The power of the advert is that it is a rare example of UK media representation that "centres blackness". Going beyond the "positive role model" idea and featuring a "positive role community".
There is no denying that the representation of individual positive black role models on UK screens has increased but all too often our communities are still portrayed as disfunctional, crime ridden places. I wrote about these issues in a previous blog blackonwhitetv.blogspot.com/2012/05/whats-…
Too often black and non-White positive representation is divorced from our communities & families and are in interracial relationships or are single. The advert tacitly says you can be happy as a black family. There is joy in the black community.
The BBC acknowledging that it made a mistake should be celebrated.
But in many ways it misses the fundamental point.
A thread bbc.com/news/uk-537158…
The DG's statement acknowledges that mistakes were made and in the future it will be"strengthening our guidance on offensive language in the future".
This only addresses the FIRST mistake - the use of the N-word.
The Second far larger mistake was defending its use.
Everyone I spoke to said it is this second mistake: Defending the unjustifiable - is what really caused the anger. And this is to do with editorial judgement at the very highest level - where there is a notable lack of Black people specifically and people of colour in general.
Very occasionally an iconic black British cultural moment takes place in front of the world but is only recognised by the black community - yesterday journo @Nadine_Writes gave us one when in the Downing St briefing she asked a question with a picture of Marcus Garvey behind her.
Covid-19 has given us a rare glimpse into people's homes and while most people have obsessed over bookshelves. Behind @Nadine_Writes was a picture of one of Jamaica's national heroes and arguably the originator of black pride and pan-Africanism.
I have seen the portrait countless times in people's homes, although importantly only in black people's homes. The minute black people saw that picture they knew that culturally @Nadine_Writes was coming from a place that few other journalists in the UK are coming from or know.
One of the worst kept secrets in TV & the world of diversity is officially out. Next month we launch the Sir Lenny Henry Centre For Media Diversity. A group of academics and senior execs have been talking about it for a few months now. March 25th is D-Day broadcastnow.co.uk/home/lenny-hen…
The centre will: 1. Create an open archive of diversity publications by academics, broadcasters, unions & trade bodies. 2. Build & support institutional memory of best practice. 3. Conduct new & focused research on diversity. 4. Offer analysis on diversity initiatives & policies
This Centre is only possible due to the collaboration of academics and senior figures in the UK media industry. It's announcement took us a little by surprise and so do not have permission to name all who have worked so hard to make this happen, but plan to do so.
A short thread on the picture of Bonnie Greer and Laurence Fox.
Bonnie Greer was wrong to meet him the way she did and pose for a picture the way she did and here is why.
Fox shot to public noteriety after his QuestionTime appearance where he made statements to Rachel Boyle which many deemed racially offensive. He then went on a radio programme and insulted the Sikh contribution during the war. Insulting millions of Asians.
If Bonnie Greer wanted to be a bridge of understanding and compassion she seemed to forget the other side she was bridging. She needed to meet with Fox AND Boyle AND/OR representatives of the Sikh community.