Press Release

The inaugural Birmingham Race Impact Group (BRIG) Summit comes to the city on the second anniversary of George Floyd’s murder on Wednesday 25 May 2022.

Despite Birmingham now being a minority majority city - where people from minority ethnicities make up the majority of the population - Black, Asian and marginalised communities face disproportionately worse education, employment, health and housing outcomes when compared to their white counterparts. It is now more important than ever to tackle these issues.

The BRIG Summit will look at practical actions to tackle systemic racism and racial disparity symptoms in Birmingham simultaneously as one societal challenge. Alongside contributions from Mac Alonge, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Equal Group, the event will feature keynote talks from:

• Lord Simon Wooley is principal of Homerton College, Cambridge, founder and director of Operation Black Vote, trustee of the charity Police Now, and former chair of the United Kingdom Race Disparity Unit Advisory Group.
• Dr Halima Begum is a lifelong campaigner for equality and civil rights. She is currently director of the Runnymede Trust, and has held senior positions with Action Aid, the Department for International Development, the British Council and the LEGO Foundation.
• Prof. Geoff Thompson MBE is deputy chair of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games board. He is a former five-time world karate champion, and founder of Youth Charter, a UK-based international charity, and a UN non-governmental organisation.
• Dierdre LaBassiere is currently chair of the Common Purpose Midland Advisory Group Chair and a trustee of WAITS (Women Acting In Today's Society). Her previous roles include positions at The Lunar Society, Bournville Village Trust, the Black Solicitors Network, and the Birmingham Leadership Foundation.
• Karl George MBE is managing director of the governance forum, and author of the RACE Equality Code, which draws together over 200 recommendations outlined in reports, charters and pledges which aim to tackle diversity and inclusion challenges.
• Yetunde Dania is a partner at Trowers & Hamlins LLP, and head of its Birmingham office. She is also chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Race Equalities Taskforce.

Taking place at Aston Students' Union (8 Coleshill St, Birmingham, B4 7BX) from 09:30 until 17:00 on Wednesday 25 May, the event will explore what an Anti-racist city looks like, which will inform the development of a 10-Year Race Equality Delivery Plan to hold the city's agencies to account on redressing racial inequality.

Mac Alonge, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Equal Group said: "The Equal Group is proudly based in Birmingham, and proud to sponsor the inaugural BRIG Summit in 2022. We look forward to sharing the results of our recent work with the West Midlands Combined Authority at the event in May."

Acting chair of BRIG, Ranjit Sondhi said: “the Black Lives Matter protests spurred by the racist murder of George Floyd in 2020 highlighted the racial inequalities that persist in our society. The BRIG Summit aims to create ambitious approaches to fighting racism that drive lasting change in Birmingham, so that the colour of your skin doesn’t limit the opportunities available to you.”

Hosted by the Birmingham Race Impact Group (BRIG), the event is free to attend by registering at brigsummit.eventbrite.co.uk, which can be found searching for the hashtag #BRIGSummit2022.

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For further information and interview opportunities please contact BRIG secretary, Jagwant Johal: info@wearebrig.co.uk

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