Race, Faith and Community in Contemporary Britain Essays on Black, African, and African Caribbean Muslims in the UK PROUDLY MUSLIM & BLACK REPORT 2022
Black British Muslims play an important role in British society but are poorly represented in public discourse, policy, and indeed across a range of sectors. To overcome structural disadvantages and racism in society and in Muslim communities, we aim to create a platform for interventions in discourse and representation as well as in power relations. Our effort is collaborative and aimed at exploring the diversity, contributions, heritage, as well as the history of Black British Muslims. Our objective in this report is to create a platform to review and consider the current state of race and power relations, while creating networks and partnerships. In short, bringing Black British Muslim voices to the forefront is to work towards inclusion and belonging in British society and importantly, in British Muslim communities.
Black British Muslims play an important role in British society but are poorly represented in public discourse, policy, and indeed across a range of sectors. To overcome structural disadvantages and racism in society and in Muslim communities, we aim to create a platform for interventions in discourse and representation as well as in power relations. Our effort is collaborative and aimed at exploring the diversity, contributions, heritage, as well as the history of Black British Muslims. Our objective in this report is to create a platform to review and consider the current state of race and power relations, while creating networks and partnerships.
In short, bringing Black British Muslim voices to the forefront is to work towards inclusion and belonging in British society and importantly, in British Muslim communities.
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Summary of Recommendations
Whilst this report consists of a collection of essays from a diverse range of contributors, each with
their own suggested recommendations, the summary list below groups the recommendations
into a number of cross-cutting themes.
It is hoped that these recommendations contribute to a more fulfilling, holistic and unifying
experience of community life for British Muslims of all ethnic backgrounds, whilst being practical
to deliver for those in positions of responsibility and leadership in our community institutions.
1 | Muslim Representative and Communal Bodies
A) LEADERSHIP TEAM DIVERSITY
Embed an awareness of the need to ensure an organisation’s leadership team is not ethnically
monolithic, but rather reflect the communities which you serve. Running leadership development
programmes or training opportunities with an emphasis on outreaching to under-represented
parts of the local community such as Black Muslims can also be an effective way of building
your organisation’s leadership talent pipeline in the medium-to-long term.
Recommendations
B) VISIBILITY IN THE MEDIA
Muslim in Britain are not all of South Asian heritage, and it is important that the media coverage
of Muslim representative and communal bodies reflects this. This can include ensuring
photos or videos on websites, social media or printed publications include a proportion of
Muslims of all ethnic backgrounds. It can also include training and headlining individuals from
under-represented ethnic backgrounds as media spokespersons, writers, event speakers /
chairpersons or other public-facing roles. Engaging with independent media agencies and
community groups run by Black Muslim individuals to tap into support networks can support
with achieving this.
C) YEAR-ROUND ADVOCACY
Avoid limiting initiatives relating to Black Muslims to specific periods of the year such as
Black History Month and ensure that the commitment to being a diverse and representative
organisation spans the whole year. There also need to be an advocacy of cultural, linguistic
and spiritual needs to reflect the diverse populations within Muslim communities.
2 | Muslim Community Spaces: Mosques, Schools, Charities and Community Groups
A) LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Proactively reach out to members of congregations or local community from African or Black-
Caribbean ethnic backgrounds to engage them as volunteers for events, attend committee
meetings or apply for staff vacancies.
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