Focus Forward to 2025

Some startling millennial predictions

What goals and visions do blacks in Britain have for the future? A Chronicle survey of opinions provides some fresh thoughts, extraordinary insights, and some crystal-ball guesses that may come true.

On expanding cultural ownership

Claudine Boothe, publisher of the Black Media Journal says:

"The next millennium is Black, for sure. It will be a better century for Black people than the previous 100 years or any time in the past. Because we will gain ownership of our own cultural creativity. We may not own our raw materials but we can control and manage our own cultural production - starting with our excellence in sports, fashion and music, and moving on from there".

On the challenges for the black media

Paul Macey, journalist on The Voice says:

"As long as the diverse lives and experiences of Black communities continue to be misrepresented and marginalized within the mainstream media and racism in coverage allowed to flourish, there will continue to be a need for a vibrant, accountable Black media."

The challenge for the Black media in the new Millennium is to develop an approach that not only reflects the full range of Black experience and exposes racism within society but also incorporates Black perspectives at the heart of mainstream coverage. This will offer an alternative form of media that is vibrant, relevant and challenging.

We should not be scared of this challenge. The Black community is making the news on both front and back pages and is influencing British society for the better. We collectively and individually possess the necessary ability, experience and knowledge and should take up the challenge with confidence."

On managing social inclusion

Linbert Spencer, Diversity UK consultant says:

"We've got to make sure we value ethnic, cultural and religious diversity.....and became more adept at managing inclusion. Leaders of state institutions need to recognise this and become more proactive in managing the process of inclusion both in their workforce and policies affecting the diverse society in which we live."

On the rise and fall of 'institutional racism'

A. Sivanandan, race relations director says:

"Institutional racism is the litmus test of a society's democracy. The point, however, is not to look to Macpherson (author of the Stephen Lawrence murder report) for a solution. It is enough that he has put institutional racism on the map and drawn attention to its prevalence in society generally.

It is now up to us on the ground to understand how racism has become sclerosed over a long period of time in different ways in different institutions. And therefore racism has to be fought specifically, in terms of the specific policies, practices and procedures of a specific institution and its specific function in society.

In the first instance, the fight against institutional racism is the fight against state racism, against asylum laws, against deportations, against stop-and-search, against deaths in custody, against school exclusions, against miscarriages of justice.

Which, in turn, calls into question the larger issues of accountability, freedom of information and judicial impartiality that constitute the fundaments of democracy."

On three decisive actions for a more just and fair society

Sir Herman Ouseley, retired chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality

"First and foremost, those people in positions of power have got to use their influence and resources to lead the way to root out racism, prejudice and bigotry from our society. If they're not doing it, it's not going to happen. There's got to be the will on the part of corporate Britain to exorcise the demons of racism and exclusion.

Second, I think there has got to be tough enforceable, meaningful legislation that outlaws racial discrimination. It has to be enforceable and punishable. And the way it becomes effective is that people, particularly employers, must know they are likely to be caught and that when caught they will be severely punished.

The third strand is education. Education is the vehicle out of deprivation. We have to make sure and find ways of supporting parents to realise their full responsibility for the education of their children. In addition, as part of the national educational curriculum, we must raise awareness of the contributions of African, Caribbean and Asian people to Britain's history and well-being."

 

On Mandela's "dawn of Africa" and what must be done

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O. A. Lademiji MBA and chartered accountant says:

"As the new millennium dawns a picture is shown on the TV screen of Nelson Mandela lighting a candle in his former prison cell on Robben Island and passing this to Thabo Mbeki who then passes it onto a young child - from generation to generation. Mandela has spoken of the dawn of the African Century.

 

Gaining access to new technologies and using them wisely will help make that dawn brighter. It will not be easy, however. We know that all current projections for the development of new technologies on a global scale have a nil entry for Africa. As for the Black communities within the western world there is even a new term - the digital divide - to express their disenfranchisement from the new technologies. Here is what I think should be done.

• On the level of national governments, African countries must declare a state of emergency. The educational systems must be uprooted and replanted firmly into the world of new technologies. New technology zones/parks must be established with appropriate infrastructure. Done on a limited local scale the resources are not impossible to find. New investment should only be accepted if it demonstrates the adoption of new technologies.
• On the level of community, particularly the Black communities in the "western world", a major political issue must be made of the need for funding to obliterate the digital divide, government action to overcome discrimination and any other obstacles to Black people accessing the new technologies. This is because new technologies are accessed firstly through the educational system, schools and universities; but far more importantly through private enterprises and research institutes.
• On the level of the individual, there is no doubt in my mind what needs to be done. Whoever you are and whatever your age, get connected to the Internet, learn something about biotechnology and the new telecommunications revolutions.
• For families, tell your children that they must learn the new technologies. Only in the new technologies is there life for them. Take them to the museums and exhibitions and repeat the chant - "it is only in these new technologies that you will have a life, a future." It is not that all jobs in the future will be in new technologies, but that for those people not informed by the new technologies there will be no jobs."

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