Reflections on Black Leadership: Racism in the Modern World

The Black Leadership Group Wales held its inaugural launch event in December 2023 and in March 2024 hosted the Black Leadership Group Four Nations and International Annual Conference in Cardiff.  Since then, whilst there have been many strides taken forward with Welsh Government’s Anti-Racism Action Plan, significant challenges remain.

The UK has seen the first three Black* leaders appointed (UK Government, Scottish Government & Welsh Government) resign after short tenures in office.  Three very different cases, with the same outcome; the high-profile ‘failure’ of Black leadership.  In the most recent case, Vaughan Gething MS, the first leader in Europe of African descent resigned amid mounting pressure.

“To those in Wales who look like me – many of whom I know feel personally bruised and worried by this moment – I know that our country can be better. I know that cannot happen without us.

There will – and there must be – a government that looks like the country it serves.”

Vaughan Gething, Resignation Speech – July 2024

These failures highlight the importance of support and advocacy in high-profile leadership positions.  All three leaders shared characteristics of being relatively young, having a strong track record, agreed consensus of being the most capable and a sense of pride in being the first from a Black background to lead their nations.  Whilst there are many reasons which underlie their respective failures, one theme appears to be clear.  The lack of authentic, authoritative and active support from a Black lens.

All leaders in high-profile positions require a team of people who can be counted on to provide the right support and guidance.  More specifically, to ensure that the right advice is given within the context of each given situation.  High-profile, public leadership is by its very nature high stakes.  A single decision (or lack of one) can be fatal.  Evidently, Black leaders are afforded a lower threshold of tolerance compared to their White counterparts.  In an environment of ferocious pace, where multiple decisions are required, a leader is reliant on their core team of staff.  This is not to comment on the capability of the advisory teams who themselves would have acted with great integrity.  Indeed, hindsight is a wonderful reflective tool.  It is however important to reflect on the appropriateness of the advice given to those respective leaders.

“I also hope that, as a country, we can be proud of the strides that we have taken to tackle inequality, prejudice and discrimination. But let us also acknowledge that far too often, in our country, hatred continues to rear its ugly head.

In a world where every issue seems to descend into a toxic culture war, it is often the most marginalised in our society who bear the brunt.“

Humza Yousaf, Resignation Speech – April 2024

Who within their inner circle of trust understood what it meant to be the first Black leader in government?  To what extent were advisors able to forecast how decisions may play out given that they were being made by a Black person?  How were risks assessed and mitigated through an accurate and pragmatic Black lens?

From this position we must reflect on these Black leadership experiences and learn as we move forward to ‘go again’.  If our Black heritage has taught us one thing, it is to be abundantly resilient.  The Black Leadership Group Wales aims to create a safe space for aspiring Black leaders within Wales who wish to pursue positions of influence across all sectors.  This safe space will bring together the best Black talent to develop individual and collective resilience.  It will provide current and aspiring Black leaders with authentic, authoritative and activist support to ensure that Black leaders, especially those in high-profile positions, are better equipped to successfully engage with the unique challenges of Black leadership.

“One of the most remarkable things about Britain is just how unremarkable it is that two generations after my grandparents came here with little, I could become prime minister and that I could watch my two young daughters light Diwali candles on the steps in Downing Street.

We must hold true to that idea of who we are – that vision of kindness, decency and tolerance that has always been the British way.“

Rishi Sunak, Resignation Speech – July 2024

*‘Black’ is an inclusive definition for people from ethnically diverse backgrounds who share a lived experience of the effects of racism.

By Yusuf Ibrahim, Assistant Principal at Cardiff and Vale College,