{"id":3069,"date":"2025-03-05T15:46:27","date_gmt":"2025-03-05T16:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/?p=3069"},"modified":"2025-03-06T12:51:36","modified_gmt":"2025-03-06T12:51:36","slug":"im-making-sure-black-politicians-and-others-are-getting-our-voices-heard","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/05\/im-making-sure-black-politicians-and-others-are-getting-our-voices-heard\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m making sure Black politicians \u2013 and others \u2013 are getting our voices heard\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I want all our communities to live better (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the world at a dangerous tipping point, I believe that using your voice is more important than ever.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why I am proud to announce the launch of the Parliamentary Black Caucus, a bold new initiative that brings together Black and minoritised MPs and Lords from across the House with a shared mission: To tackle racial inequality<\/a>, advocate for equity and justice for all, and ensure that Parliament<\/a> reflects the rich diversity of the country it seeks to represent.<\/p>\n

Parliamentary caucuses are informal, sometimes cross-party groups of politicians who work<\/a> towards a common cause both inside and outside both Houses, such as the Women\u2019s Caucus or the many All Party Groups.<\/p>\n

The cross-party Black Caucus will work together to promote a fairer, more equal society in all areas, where Black communities are heard, respected and fairly represented \u2013 so that all our diverse communities can live better.<\/p>\n

Founding members include myself, fellow Labour MP Diane Abbott<\/a>, Conservative Lord Shaun Bailey, and the Lib Dems\u2019 Josh Babarinde MP. <\/p>\n

As we take this significant milestone coming out of US Black History Month<\/a>, I am honoured to work with and mirror the pioneering US Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which has achieved huge progress in America over the years, and we look forward to working together.  <\/p>\n

The CBC holds influential annual conferences, which I was honoured to attend myself in September of last year as a UK delegate.<\/p>\n

Throughout its history the CBC has advanced civil rights and social justice for African Americans \u2013 whether through voting rights, criminal justice reform, healthcare equity and so much more.<\/p>\n

I launched this initiative because, for far too long, issues affecting Black and minoritised communities have been underrepresented in policy and overlooked in decision-making. <\/p>\n

While progress has been made, with Parliament after the 2024 election now having its highest proportion of ethnic minorities, the persistence of institutional racism, socioeconomic disparities, and systemic inequalities is a reminder that our work is far from finished.<\/p>\n

As the first ever elected Black female government minister in the UK, I am determined to do my part to help underrepresented communities. <\/p>\n

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The cross-party Black Caucus will work together to promote a fairer, more equal society (Picture: Mina Kim\/WPA Pool\/Getty images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I played an instrumental role in giving the UK Youth Parliament the right to sit and debate in the House of Commons. Through my work on the Modernisation Committee, I am bringing about advancements in how our Parliament works for people of all backgrounds. <\/p>\n

I founded the Bernie Grant Leadership Programme, an extensive training programme designed to address the under-representation of Black, Asian and minority ethnic representatives at all levels of the Labour Party.<\/p>\n

And I was honoured to become the first ever Black woman appointed to the Panel of Chairs \u2013 members are responsible for chairing Public Bill Committees, overseeing Westminster Hall debates, and acting as temporary chairs for Committees of the whole House.<\/p>\n

With the Parliamentary Black Caucus, we want to advance meaningful change, both within Parliament and across the country.<\/p>\n

Our mission is clear: to provide a united voice on the issues that disproportionately impact Black and minoritised ethnic communities, like addressing racial disparities in policing, immigration, education, healthcare, and housing or dismantling institutional barriers within the criminal justice system. <\/p>\n

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Comment now<\/title><span class=\"metro-comment-cta__text\">What changes do you hope to see from the Parliamentary Black Caucus?<\/span><\/span><a class=\"metro-comment-cta__button\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\">Comment Now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p>We draw strength and inspiration from the struggles of Black campaigners for equality over the centuries. <\/p>\n<p>Bernie Grant, one of the UK\u2019s first Black British MPs, set up the first Black Caucus. Together, they shattered glass ceilings and paved the way for people like me. <\/p>\n<p>We are committed to promoting strong and inclusive representation while prioritising action, because we do not need any more reports or talking \u2013 we know what problems exist, now is the time to act.<\/p>\n<p>We can give a unique perspective on the impact of policy, regardless of political persuasion.<\/p>\n<p>Black communities make the UK the successful, vibrant, and diverse place that it is today. <\/p>\n<p>We are politicians, doctors, nurses, bus drivers, artists, refuse collectors, entrepreneurs, journalists, judges, shop assistants, teachers, lawyers; the list goes on. We must tell that positive story. <\/p>\n<p>Despite this, we are still subject to structural racism. This needs to change. <\/p>\n<p>We have much work to do. The riots that took place across the UK last summer showed how emboldened racists have become in this country. We refuse to stand by and watch while our societies are polarised and pitted against each other. Enough is enough.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"479\" src=\"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/GettyImages-1234353487-e1741188982865.jpg\" class=\"article-image wp-image-22674207\" alt=\"Lux Afrique Polo Day 2021\" loading=\"lazy\" \/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Unity is our most powerful tool (Picture: David M. Benett\/Dave Benett\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We will work towards a fairer society in which everyone, regardless of the colour of their skin, has access to the rights, services, and opportunities that they deserve.<\/p>\n<p>Beyond the UK, we aim to unite with Black caucuses around the world, to promote the interests of people of African descent, on a global scale.<\/p>\n<p>We are in a time of much uncertainty, and we face global challenges that we must work to address in a fair and just way. We believe that by addressing institutionalised racism and working to create a just society for Black communities, everyone will prosper. <\/p>\n<p>I always repeat the words, \u2018without your rights I cannot have mine\u2019. It\u2019s not only about addressing what is broken; we need to build something better. <\/p>\n<p>By working together across party lines, we can bring our diverse perspectives and lay the groundwork for future generations of Black and minoritised leaders. <\/p>\n<p>Unity is our most powerful tool.<\/p>\n<p>The Parliamentary Black Caucus will be transparent, engaging regularly with stakeholders, organisations, and communities. <\/p>\n<p>We will prioritise the voices and needs of those who often go unheard. And we will remain steadfast in our commitment to racial justice.<\/p>\n<p>This is a movement rooted in the belief that diversity strengthens our democracy, and that we shouldn\u2019t just tolerate differences, we should accept them. I am filled with hope, positivity and determination as we embark on this journey.<\/p>\n<p>To the communities we serve, the Parliamentary Black Caucus is here to listen and to advocate on your behalf.<\/p>\n<p>Together, we can build a future where fairness and equality isn\u2019t an aspiration but a reality. The Parliamentary Black Caucus is how we can drive that change in Parliament and beyond.<\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Do you have a story you\u2019d like to share? Get in touch by emailing <a href=\"mailto:jess.austin@metro.co.uk\">jess.austin@metro.co.uk<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Share your views in the comments below.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I want all our communities to live better (Picture: Getty Images) With the world at a dangerous tipping point, I believe that using your voice is more important than ever.<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/2025\/03\/05\/im-making-sure-black-politicians-and-others-are-getting-our-voices-heard\/\" class=\"readmore\">Continue reading<svg class=\"icon icon-arrow-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"img\"> <use href=\"#icon-arrow-right\" xlink:href=\"#icon-arrow-right\"><\/use> <\/svg><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">I\u2019m making sure Black politicians \u2013 and others \u2013 are getting our voices heard\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3071,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3069"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3069"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3069\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3075,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3069\/revisions\/3075"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3071"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3069"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3069"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/burn-the-priest.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3069"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}