Sign our Petition opposing Warehouse K Immigration Centre in Newham

Please sign our petition here to oppose the Warehouse K immigration enforcement centre the Home Office want to move to Newham. 

 https://www.change.org/p/home-office-oppose-warehouse-k-immigration-enforcement-centre 

 Our statement  to provide background here: http://blackactivistsrisingagainstcuts.blogspot.com/2020/10/barac-uk-statement-on-proposed-home.html?m=1

315000 sign our petition in support of Delsie Gayle

On Monday chair of BARAC UK , Zita Holbourne launched a petition in support of Delsie Gayle after she was racially abused in a Ryanair flight.

Please sign the petition

https://www.change.org/p/ryanair-apologise-to-compensate-delsie-gayle-for-racist-abuse-on-your-flight/u/23486087

PRESS RELEASE: Petition calling for owners of The Plantation to change the name

PRESS RELEASE: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BARAC UK launch new petition challenging racist name of new restaurant The Plantation.

“We the undersigned call on The Breakfast Group to change the name of its new restaurant The Plantation at 31 Duke Street London W1 due to open on the 1st September 2016.

We find the name deeply offensive to the millions of Africans who died during the Maangamizi (transatlantic slave trade) and the millions more who enslaved on plantations whose average life span was eight years, usually less.

Africans were literally worked to death working sugar cane to make sugar and rum for their slave masters and colonial rulers.

To therefore name a restaurant selling rum, The Planation is grossly insensitive and constitutes grave offence to the African descent communities in London and elsewhere. Plantation's we're places where people suffered and died, where Africans suffered unimaginable violence and terror at the hands of their slave masters. 

Imagine if you can how African people would feel having to work at this venue much less eat at it? 

We have no doubt that you would not name one of your venues Concentration Camp or one of your cocktails Zyklon B. 

We therefore call on you to urgently reconsider your decision in the light of this complaint and rename your venue forth with.”

Lee Jasper, Co-founder and National Co-Chair BARAC UK said:

“London is one of the most multicultural cities in the world.  That any business man can imagine that he could call a newly opened restaurant the plantation defies belief and constitutes a grievous insult to London’s diverse communities.

 Plantations were the equivalent of concentration camps and the period of African enslavement was one the greatest crimes in human history. They should change the name now. “

Zita Holbourne, Co-founder and National Co-Chair BARAC UK said;

“The decision to call this venue a plantation beggars belief. The enslavement of African people forced to work under threat & punishment was a crime against humanity, not something to be celebrated. This is degrading and an insult to the memory of our ancestors and to those whose fore parents were enslaved and made to work on plantations whilst abused, beaten & murdered who still live with the legacy of racism it created today.

To associate with that horrific era in history by calling the venue this name speaks volumes about the mindset of those who own it & is another example of the state of racism in the UK as documented this week in the detailed report released by the Equality & Human Rights Commission. It has echoes of Brett Bailey's human zoo. I hope the owners see sense & demonstrate some decency and respect by doing the right thing.”

https://www.change.org/p/eric-yu-co-owner-the-breakfast-group-close-the-plantation-restaurant-london?recruiter=23846416&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=autopublish&utm_term=mob-xs-no_src-reason_msg&fb_ref=Default

Ends

Contact:

Zita Holbourne & Lee Jasper

Co-founders/ National Co-Chairs

Black Activists Rising Against Cuts (BARAC UK)

Email: barac.info@gmail.com

Web: http://blackactivistsrisingagainstcuts.blogspot.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BARACUK

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/blackactivistsrisingagainstcuts#!/groups/108132359239521/

MOUNTING PRESSURE ON THE BARBICAN AS THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION RESPONDS

 MOUNTING PRESSURE ON THE BARBICAN AS THE CITY OF LONDON CORPORATION RESPONDS TO OUR OPEN LETTER

 

Pressure is mounting on The Barbican from a growing number of organisations and individuals outraged by the arts venue's decision to host the offensive Exhibit B, designed by white South African, Brett Bailey. Over 15,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the Barbican to withdraw from hosting the exhibition. 

A coalition of organisations have come together to campaign against the exhibition together with the petition author, Sara Myers. This includes BARAC UK, OBV, BEMA, UpRise, Unite the Union, PCS union, NUS Black Students Campaign, OBU, Legali, DLA & YEMANJA & BEF. 

On 2nd September, as The Barbican had failed to respond to our second letter to them,  BARAC sent an open letter to the City of London Corporation, which owns The Barbican.

On 4 September we received the following response from The City Corporation Chief Executive:

Dear Ms Holbourne

Firstly, let me assure you that your concerns in relation to the presentation by the Barbican Centre of Exhibit B are taken seriously. The City Corporation, and in turn the Barbican Centre Board, recognise the strength of feeling in relation to Exhibit B. It tackles controversial and sensitive issues and has rightly initiated intense debate.  

There is no  mechanism for the public to directly address the Court of Common Council. Given the timing of the Court of Common Council meeting, and that the next meeting of the Barbican Centre Board takes place after Exhibit B, and the strength of feeling on this issue, we would be able to arrange a meeting between you and representatives from the Barbican Centre Board and management to discuss the issues raised by Exhibit B in advance of 23 September.  

Yours sincerely,

John Barradell 

 We have written back to Mr Barradell setting out the terms of any meeting to take place. 


 

If We Stand for Nothing, We Fall for Anything, by Zita Holbourne

We invite you to join us at two protests next week as follows: 

We plan to lobby  the City of London Corporation Court of Common Council taking place on Thursday 11 Sept at 1pm, assembling 12.15pm. The address is: Great Hall, Guildhall Yard, London, EC2V 5. Join the Facebook event for details and updates. 

On Saturday 13th of Sept we will be staging an event at The Barbican to hand in the petition, assembling at 1pm.  The address is: The Barbican Exhibition Centre, London, EC1Y0. Join the Facebook event for details and updates.

If UK arts institutions wish to explore the histories of black people, they need to understand and acknowledge that our story did not begin with enslavement, colonial rule, apartheid and segregation.  They need to understand that the atrocities that were inflicted on us are not us. They must acknowledge that the objectification of us during periods of history cannot be addressed by repeating this objectification and labelling it art. Contrary to The Barbican's claim that doing this is empowering, it is in fact about power and privilege. It devalues and undermines our worth in a degrading way. Our lives, histories, struggles and successes cannot be understood by the recreating of a human zoo. 

  As an artist and curator, I create and promote art that challenges racism but also promotes equality. I am the curator of the Roots, Culture, Identity Art Exhibition
which is currently on tour and showcases the art of young black artists.

From the collection 'Still Rising, Still Shining' by Zita Holbourne

 Here is an extract of the Press Release for the exhibition which will be hosted by the Public and Commercial Services later this month: 

 Zita Holbourne, curator, artist and an elected member of the TUC Race Relations Committee said; ‘Following the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence, the TUC set up a Task Group to examine institutional racism and one of the agreed actions was to make the Marble Hall at Congress House available to showcase the talents of young Black people. I am delighted to be curating this exhibition and that the Race Relations Commmitee is giving an opportunity to young Black artists to share their talents with a wider audience. Young black people are impacted negatively and disproportionately on multiple grounds by austerity, both in the labour market and by cuts to arts funding. It’s important to nurture the extraordinary talent that exists in our communities, now more than ever.  Such talent and the important messages and ideas about the world we live communicated through art, need to be shared, understood and celebrated.’

Rise Up Against Racism, by Zita Holbourne

 
Brett Bailey's exhibition does nothing to address the institutional racism, amplified by austerity that black people face today in the UK or to celebrate our achievements throughout history or today. 


Zita Holbourne, Campaign Press Officer, 
National Co-Chair BARAC UK.  



Scroll down for Boycott the Human Zoo Campaign connectivity and Press contacts