As part of our Black History Month blog series, Ph.D. student, Michael Bankole writes for us about the often-overlooked Black British political history.

1987 was a momentous year in black British history. Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in 1987, with its main purpose to recognise the contributions made by black people in Britain and counter misrepresentations of black history. Since then, Black History Month has successfully brought to the fore some overlooked aspects of black British history.

1987 was also seminal year for the political representation of black people in the UK. Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant became the first three black Members of Parliament.

All three of the black MPs elected to Parliament in 1987 played an active role in challenging racism. Bernie Grant, who sadly passed away in 2000, established the Parliamentary Black Caucus, which sought to advance the interests of ethnic minorities. Grant sought to redress racism both in Britain and Europe, as he also founded the Standing Conference on Racism in Europe. Paul Boateng played an active role in challenging racism within the police service. Remarkably, Diane Abbott still serves as an MP today. She remains a vocal champion of the rights and interests of black and minority ethnic citizens in the UK.

Progress in the elections immediately following 1987 was incremental, however the 2010, 2015, and 2017 General Elections saw more substantial increases in the number of ethnic minority MPs. Following the 2017 General Election, ethnic minorities now constitute 8 per cent of the MPs in the House of Commons. According to the most recent British Census in 2011, ethnic minorities account for 13 per cent of the British population, therefore there is still room for improvement in order to achieve perfect representation. Nevertheless, my research focuses on the post-2017 period because Parliament now more closely resembles the general population than ever before.

My doctoral research focuses on what ethnic minority MPs do once they are elected. While ethnic minority MPs currently hold two of the four Great Offices of State, most of the current cohort are backbenchers. This means that they have limited direct oversight or influence on public policy. I therefore examine the parliamentary questions asked by ethnic minority MPs – both written and oral – in order to ascertain whether or not they use these questions to challenge racism. I will also conduct interviews with a range of ethnic minority MPs in order to gain direct insights from them about their roles.

It is important that ethnic minority MPs use the platform they are given to challenge racism because racism affects the lives of ethnic minorities in Britain, regardless of their class or status. Britain’s imperial and colonial history led to the entrenchment of racial hierarchies; this means that society is structured to promote racial inequalities.

Central to the British approach to racism is the desire to root out the extremists or ‘bad apples‘ that are framed as the main perpetrators of racism. However, focusing on flagrant, individual manifestations of racism overlooks the fact that racism is systematic and pervasive across institutions in Britain. The Race Disparity Audit commissioned by the government in 2017 highlights some of the problems faced by minorities across various areas of British life. Some of their key findings include:

  • 16% of Black households were in found to be living in persistent poverty.
  • Black ethnic groups were found to be disproportionately likely to live in the most deprived neighbourhoods.
  • Approximately 1 in 10 adults from a Black, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Mixed background were found to be unemployed.

Remedying institutional racism starts with the recognition that it is a big problem. There is limited discussion or engagement with institutional racism in the UK. MPs can play a role in reshaping our understanding of racism by challenging its institutional nature.

By undertaking a PhD, I hope to forge a career in academia. Academia, much like Parliament, is overwhelmingly white. A delve into some of the statistics makes for harrowing reading. Leading Routes, an initiative aimed at increasing the number of black academics, report that of the 19,000 professors in the UK, fewer than 150 are black. The Equality in Higher Education 2018 Report found that only 6.7% of academic staff identified as black or minority ethnic.

These statistics are disheartening for black students attempting to scale the rungs of academia, however we can take some inspiration from trialblazers like Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng, and Bernie Grant who broke down barriers to make history. Their journeys to Parliament were far from straightforward, but provide real hope for other black people attempting to break barriers across various sectors of society.

We can also take courage and inspiration from the succinct, yet powerful words of Professor Marcia Wilson, one of the few black female professors in Britain: Academia needs you. Higher Education needs more people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds in order to ensure a diversity of perspectives and opinions. The legitimacy of academia is undermined by its lack of diversity. There is a real need to remove the barriers to academia for black and minority ethnic citizens. Academia will be a better place for it.