In South Africa we know the only way to truly walk together is to understand each other’s journeys. Dialogue, understanding and compassion lead to actions that can change our world for the better, for all. And so I am heartened by The World Reimagined. Its topic may be the past, but its mission is a future for our children built on the foundation and for the realisation of human dignity.
There is one world and one human race: we are “our brother’s keeper”. The World Reimagined seeks to educate one another about the journeys we have been on and invites us to come on a journey. A journey where ‘my story becomes your story, and your story, my story.’ With both our stories we will reimagine a world of mutual respect and dignity.
Having grown up in Southall during the riots, I have witnessed what can happen when communities are fractured. I have experienced the power of art and education to create understanding of self and others. The World Reimagined opens this opportunity for growth to everyone across the UK. Together we can create a future that recognises strength in diversity and power in truth.
I always say ‘Childhood Lasts a Lifetime’ so as we grow up, the stories we are told shape how we see the world, how we build relationships with one another and how we feel about the future. The World Reimagined may be a journey of discovery with uncomfortable moments, but once travelled represents the opportunity for us as a society to create harmony and joy, together.
I fully identify with ‘The World Reimagined’, because I totally subscribe to the understanding that education is a key towards fostering mutual understanding amongst people, to build bridges instead of barriers. It is essential to get the balance right as a form of sustainable engagement, especially when dealing with a very emotive issue like the impact of The Transatlantic Trade’ in Enslaved Africans.
Art can enable an honest, open dialogue about the trans-Atlantic trade in enslaved Africans and its impact on all our lives across time to the present day. The World Reimagined will help us to engage in this important conversation without which we cannot make progress in combatting racism.
There is such desire to understand the unrelenting evil of perpetual racism at this moment. Our hope is to keep alight the true story of amazingly strong and dignified women and men of colour who came to bring their joy and service to shape our society for good. We face forward to Black futures in the knowledge of Black history to build communities of harmony and hope.
Michael is currently the Chancellor of Regent’s University, London. He has previously led Global Citizenship for KPMG International and on public affairs and corporate social responsibility for the BBC. He has been an independent peer in the House of Lords since 2005 and has served as a member of the Commission on Racial Equality; the World Economic Forum’s Global Councils on Diversity and Talent; Vice-President of UNICEF, Tearfund and is a trustee of the Vodafone Foundation.
Rose was born and grew up in Montego Bay, Jamaica. She was ordained deacon in 1991 and priest in 1994, beginning her ordained ministry in the West Midlands. For 16 and a half years she served as a priest in Hackney, North East London. In 2007 she was appointed as a Chaplain to HM The Queen and in 2010, she became the 79th and first female Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. With the Chaplaincy, she also served as a priest in the City of London at St Mary-at-Hill. Rose became the UK’s first black female Bishop, when she was consecrated and installed as the Bishop of Dover in 2019.
Michelle is an actor, singer and writer. She played Hattie Tavernier in Eastenders; had six top 20 hits; sold a million records, with Sweetness the biggest hit; and has been nominated for multiple Brit Awards. A regular contributor on the Jeremy Vine Show, This Morning and beyond, Michelle is passionate about telling stories that depict the struggles of women, minorities and the working class. She is inspired by her mother, who set up Black Insight, a community organisation in Harlesden to provide education and legal advice. Michelle is currently playing Hermione Granger in the multi award winning play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
Dean Ricketts built upon his background in fashion styling, music and image making and founded The Watch-Men Agency in 1989, a strategic marketing and creative agency specialising in ‘how people live in cities, or if you prefer ‘urban culture’. The agency has a strong reputation for reaching specialist audiences and opinion leaders, and boasts an impressive array of clients which currently include; Let’s Be Free, marketing services for Fuji instax Undisputed BBoy World Tour (road to the Olympics), consultancy for Nigerian theatre/film company Terra Kulture and the sneaker talk series “A Sneaker Society”. Throughout his career, Dean has executed multiple strategic marketing campaigns at both local and global level which have included UK Transplant, Royal Navy, Electoral Commission, Home Office and Royal Air Force as well as creative work for Caterpillar, BFI, Sony PlayStation, Levi Strauss World Tour – working with The Fugees, OutKast & Jamiroquai, G-Star – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble tour and compilation album for their global stores, denim brand ROGAN and the launch of an ethically clothing label EDUN. He has consulted for The Fader, The Wire, i-D and Freeze magazines and written and styled for. The Sunday Times Magazine, i-D and The Face. He is also on the board of Jazz re:freshed, Jamaican Music Industry Association JaRIA and The World Reimagined.
Gillian presents Sky News at Breakfast and has more than 30 years broadcast experience. She started her career with the BBC in Manchester before becoming a reporter and producer with Radio Merseyside, where she was one of the first to break the news of the James Bulger murder in 1993. Gillian has reported for the BBC’s Black Britain programme, the One and Six O’Clock News, Newsnight and BBC Radio.She has reported from across the globe, including South America, the Caribbean and Africa. She covered the death of Nelson Mandela, the 2016 American Presidential elections from both Washington and New York, and has reported on every UK General election since 2001.
Keme Nzerem is an award winning TV news presenter, journalist and filmmaker. His debut feature documentary “The Long Juju” explores the legacy of slavery, and his own family links to this complex history. Formerly Washington producer and correspondent for Channel 4 News, he has covered global stories from the election of Barack Obama, and Hurricane Katrina, to the BAFTA nominated Black to Front day which included a special report on Britain’s refusal to return the looted Benin Bronzes. He co-founded Opening Up The Outdoors, a non-profit working to make access to nature and outdoor adventure and more accessible for People of Colour.
John Dower is an award-winning Director working in Film, Games and Television. He has directed over 80 episodes of TV drama; his films have won awards and appeared at over 70 film festivals worldwide and he is currently working on games for Rockstar and Saber Interactive. He was co-founder of The Mocap Vaults, the world’s premier Performance capture School for Actors, Animators and Directors and co-wrote “Performing for Motion Capture” for Methuen Drama.
In 2016, John was shocked to discover that his Trevelyan ancestors had received compensation for 1,004 enslaved people on six plantations on the island of Grenada at the abolition of slavery in 1834. He was clear that apologising was the only was to make the family accountable for their ancestors’ crimes against humanity. He helped convene the family letter of apology to the people of Grenada which he read out with his cousin Laura Trevelyan at a packed reparations meeting in St Georges, Grenada in early 2023. He is a Trustee of the Trevelyan Grenada Education Charity and was a co-founder of www.heirsofslavery.org which aims to support other descendants of enslavers to come forward to get involved in reparatory justice. His reparations campaign work is ongoing.
Deputy Head of Diversity and Inclusion, House of Commons
Maxine Albert has been a dedicated and influential figure in Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) at the House of Commons for over nine years. Since December 2014, she has held the position of Deputy Head of Diversity and Inclusion, where she leads critical D&I projects and programs. Her work includes managing outreach initiatives, overseeing the strategy delivery, and reviewing the accessibility and inclusivity of the organisation’s D&I training. In this role, Maxine also deputises for the Head of Diversity, ensuring that D&I goals are continuously met and advanced.
In early 2020, Maxine took on the role of Head of Diversity and Inclusion for a period of five months, during which she designed and implemented the Diversity & Inclusion Strategy for the House of Commons. She played a pivotal role in setting strategic priorities to improve services, policies, and practices, ensuring they aligned with the principles of equality, diversity, and fostering a culture of inclusion. Her leadership extended to providing guidance on D&I strategy delivery, reviewing organisational policies, and contributing to equality benchmarking indices.
Maxine’s expertise in equality analysis, policy reviews, and her ability to lead on key diversity initiatives have positioned her as a critical advocate for inclusive practices across the House of Commons. Her longstanding commitment to embedding D&I values throughout the organisation makes her an invaluable asset and a champion of change in promoting diversity and fostering inclusion.
Following the completion of a Journalism degree, Sabrina worked for a range of lifestyle publications, gaining extensive writing experience on several media platforms. Her love of language led her to become an English and Media Studies teacher. Almost a decade of her teaching career was spent as a Year Learning Coordinator in a South London secondary school. In this pastoral role she managed the learning experience of 240 students, led a staff team of 12 tutors and led the 2016 cohort to achieve the best GCSE results in the borough of Lewisham and in the history of the school. Sabrina is also a freelance writer and runs her own motherhood and lifestyle blog.
The World Reimagined is a company limited by guarantee (#12501914) and a registered charity (#1195223).
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