2020s

The International Picture

The 2020s so far has seen the continuation of tensions towards the treatment of the Black communities. There have also been signs of progress and attempts to make amends for the past.

George Floyd, a 46-year old African-American, was murdered by Derek Chauvin, a white policeman using excessive force, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd was being arrested for allegedly supplying a counterfeit note at a convenience store. During the arrest Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes and twenty-nine seconds, which deprived him of oxygen and led to Floyd’s death. Across America and the world, it led to protests against police brutality especially towards Black people. The murder of George Floyd has become a part of Black Lives Matters and the movement continues to fight for the inequality and injustice still face by Black communities.

The outbreak of COVID-19 internationally disproportionately impacted Black ethnicities. Economic inequality was one of the reasons they were heavily impacted by Covid. This led to the lack of access to healthcare and in some cases there was inadequate access to testing kits. It has also been identified that Black communities are diagnosed disproportionately with chronic diseases, such as asthma, diabetes and hypertension, which made them vulnerable during the pandemic. Worryingly, the highest mortality rate for Covid in America was for African-Americans, with 97.9 deaths per 100,000 people.

Caribbean islands have been facing extreme weather that has caused extensive damage and led to many people losing their homes. On 21 June 2024, the National Archives of Barbados was hit by a lightning strike which caused a fire. As a result, they have lost the majority of their records which included Transatlantic Slavery records and records that showed Barbados’ connection to Liberia. There was also the unexpected occurrence of Hurricane Beryl, which descended on the Caribbean outside of hurricane season. This caused disruption and damage in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Jamaica and Venezuela.

The National Picture

As a result of the murder of George Floyd in America, there were over 150 Black Lives Matters protests across UK cities. The protest in Bristol resulted in protesters pulling down the statue of Edward Colston, whose wealth came from his involvement in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the formation of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities as a response to the protests. The purpose of the commission was to drive forward work on why racial disparities exist, what does and does not work for addressing disparities and make recommendations to the government. The commission would report directly to the Prime Minister and would be tasked with providing recommendations by the end of 2020.

In Britain, it was demonstrated that more needs to be done to promote Black history. The Guardian found that more than half of Britons could not name a Black British historical figure. The survey also found that 36% of Britons think that there has only been Black presence in Britain for 200 years and 53% did not know the number of people who were taken from Africa by the British.

London played a central role in transatlantic slavery yet there is little to honour the sacrifices, contributions, lives and descendants of those enslaved during the transatlantic slave trade. The Mayor of London committed £500,000 to develop a memorial initiative addressing London’s role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The memorial will include permanent artwork, satellite sites and an engagement programme. The permanent artwork will be placed at the entrance of the Museum of London Docklands, which was selected because of the docklands’ role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

In 2023, Professor Lisa-Dionne Morris founded the Black Female Academics’ Network (BFAN). The network aims to support and develop Black female academics and to address the current shortage of Black female professors. At present, there are 66 Black female professors.

The Regional Picture

Leicester City Council handed over the running of the African Caribbean Centre to the African Heritage Alliance on a five-year lease. The African Heritage Alliance officially began running the centre in 2023. Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, thought it made sense for the community who uses the centre to be able to run it.

In 2024, for the first time the Caribbean Carnival in Leicester was cancelled. The organisers said it was due to the economic climate and increasing event costs, which would put them as significant financial risk. They hope to return in 2025 to mark the fortieth anniversary of the Caribbean Carnival in Leicester.
The Caribbean Collective (formerly the Leicester Jamaica Community Service Group) celebrates their fiftieth anniversary in 2024. For 45 years, they have worked with African Caribbean elders and supported them with a range of needs.

At the University of Leicester, they began the Windrush Compensation Project as a part of the government led Windrush Compensation Scheme. A part of the project is to provide free legal advice to those in Leicester and the surrounding areas who are victims of the Windrush Scandal. A mural to commemorate the Windrush generation was unveiled in the David Wilson Library at the university.

The National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica visited Leicester and performed at the Curve in May 2024. Their performance included traditional dances such as Kumina.

After the publication of the Leicester Local Authority Profile in 2023, it revealed that 4% of the population in Leicester has Black heritage. Leicester is now known as one of the most diverse cities in the country.

After 55 years, Herdle White retired as DJ for BBC Radio Leicester. White joined the radio station in 1968 and his career included presenting a 15-minute Caribbean news programme for the breakfast show, a three-hour Friday night reggae and soca music programme, and interviewing the reggae artist Bob Marley.