Leadership group launched in Wales to tackle racism

A new leadership group launched today (Wednesday 06 December) will harness the unique voices and perspectives of  Black* people to tackle racism in Wales.

The Black Leadership Group Wales (BLG Wales), the first national arm of the UK-wide Black Leadership Group (BLG), brings together professionals and academics in response to continuing discrimination and racial disparities nationwide.

Speaking ahead of the launch in Cardiff, BLG Wales Co-Chair Yusuf Ibrahim, Assistant Principal at Coleg Caerdydd a’r Fro (Cardiff and Vale College), said:

“The launch of Black Leadership Group Wales (BLG Wales) is a landmark moment for our nation.  

“Ours is a nation that is leading the world in its commitment to becoming Anti-Racist by 2030.  BLG Wales is both a recognition of the impact that Wales is having on the anti-racism agenda and a catalyst to turn anti-racist moments into sustained momentum for change.

“As a sub-group with BLG UK, BLG Wales aims to capture the voices of our Black communities, particularly those who are engaged in professions across Wales.  The racial disparities in Wales are evidently clear with increasing evidence from reports across a range of sectors highlighting the additional barriers that face Black Welsh citizens.  

This group will provide a safe space to celebrate our Black identity, a space that brings together our collective professional voices to ensure that stakeholders and allies from far and wide can become informed and empowered to be active in their anti-racism.”

Mr Ibrahim will co-chair BLG Wales with Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, Vice-Chair of Race Council Wales, and Chantelle Haughton, director and founder of DARPL (Diversity and Anti-Racism Professional Learning).

“Becoming anti-racist isn’t easy; it is however the right thing to do,” said Mr Ibrahim.  “I look forward to working with colleagues from far and wide in moving us forward to an anti-racist future.”

The launch took place at The Tramshed, Cardiff, with a symposium entitled An Anti-racist Wales: Are words turning into action, with a panel including Vaughan Gething MS, Welsh Government Minister for Economy.

BLG co-founder and director Stella Mbubaegbu CBE said:

“The launch of Black Leadership Group Wales is momentous for our growing UK-wide organisation and also recognition of the distinctive characteristics of the Welsh nation, environment and ambitions to become an anti-racist nation by 2030.

“Achieving ethnic equity has to be about action. In Wales, we’re seeing ground-breaking efforts to eradicate racism at a national level and are proud to be playing an active part. The BLG Wales community will provide a network of support and dialogue for our members who live and work in Wales as well as contribute to the drive towards an Anti-racist Wales.”

• BLG uses ‘Black’ as an inclusive definition for people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism.