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.
Fiona is a London-based, multi award-winning Saint Lucian photographer artist, filmmaker and historian. Her work over the last 13 years has explored the various disparities in representation of the Afro Caribbean diaspora within art and mainstream media She created and runs the Know Your Caribbean Instagram account, which shares compelling history, creatively with her large following. She runs creative workshops for children and young people about the history and culture of the Caribbean and its linkages to Africa. Fiona is a powerful advocate for her history and culture and is an Official ambassador for London’s Notting Hill Carnival.
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.
Lee is a social entrepreneur and Founder of the Cherry Groce Foundation. He has been an activist for social justice for decades, since his mother Cherry’s shooting by the Metropolitan Police sparked the Brixton Uprising. His path has taken him to securing a memorial for Cherry, which will be unveiled in Brixton’s Windrush Square in September 2020. Shaped by his personal pursuit for justice, he uses a reconciliatory approach to secure progress. Lee is working to improve police engagement with their local communities and also assists the Inquest Family Reference Group with their strategy of wider support for bereaved families. Lee shares his experiences on platforms across the country and was awarded the Windrush Silent Hero’s Award in 2015.
Ruth is a highly successful social entrepreneur as the founder of the multi award-winning youth leadership charity RECLAIM and The Roots Programme, a radical new approach to bridging divides between UK communities. Ruth is a Clore Social Fellow and an Ashoka UK Fellow and was listed in The Sunday Times as one of the 500 most influential people in the UK. She was also listed by Virgin as one of the top six female changemakers internationally; and her many awards include Manchester Peace Activist of the Year 2008, Manchester Woman of the Year in 2009; and the Northern Power Women Award 2017.
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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