Fewer than half of black Brits feel proud to be British, damning poll shows
Fewer than half of black Britons take little to no pride in "Britishness" and nearly nine in ten have experienced racial discrimination at work, a shocking new survey has found.
Racial prejudice and insensitivity in UK workplaces remains entrenched, the extensive research by University of Cambridge’s Department of Sociology and other parties show. Just 45 per cent of those polled say they do not feel proud to be British.
And almost all (98 per cent) told the damning research they have compromised self-expression and identity to fit into the workplace – by adapting speech or hairstyles, for example – with appearance and cultural background cited as factors influencing lack of promotion or development.
More than 10,000 participants were interviewed across the UK (Getty Images)Researchers say the findings, published in a 104-page report and presented at a House of Commons event, should be "a wake-up call for Britain". With Black History Month commencing on Sunday, Dr Kenny Monrose, lead researcher and lecturer at University of Cambridge’s Department of Sociology, said the report should spark "a conversation into the unequal outcomes that members of black communities face in Britain".
Early interviews for the Black British Voices Project (BBVP) began in 2020, with a survey launching the following year. It shows Black British communities still feel a sense of distrust and discrimination when it comes to systems such as health, education and criminal justice. One interviewee said: "When I see the [St. George’s Cross] hanging out the window, I’m crossing the road. I don’t feel safe. I don’t think they understand that to us it’s a symbol of fear and racism."
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More than 10,000 black British people were interviewed on a range of social and cultural issues, from media and politics to mental health. The university worked with publication The Voice, and London-based management consultancy I-Cubed, founded by two black women. Dr Maggie Semple, OBE, co-founder of the group, said: "We can no longer overlook the lived realities of black people in the UK and be non-committal in providing impactful long-term solutions. This is an opportunity to acknowledge our views and opinions, with the intent of creating a better future for us all.”
On education, some 95 per cent of respondents believe the UK’s curriculum neglects black lives and experiences, while fewer than 2 per cent think educational institutions take racism seriously. Some 87 per cent expect to receive substandard levels of healthcare because of their race, while 79 per cent believe the police still use stop and search unfairly against black people.
Dr Monrose continued: "A lot of nonsense is talked about black communities being hard to reach. They’re not hard to reach, they’re easy to ignore. But if there's 10,000 people speaking, attention needs to be paid. You might not want to agree, but you’ve got to listen to what's being said."
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