Give all races equal business opportunities

By Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones

October is Black History Month when we are encouraged to learn about black history and celebrate the achievements of black people throughout history. Undoubtedly there is much black achievement to be celebrated, but since our mass arrival here in the UK in the 1950s we have only stared failure in the face. Why, out of all the immigrant groups in the UK, do the black Caribbean’s appear to have fared the worst?

My parents, like many from the Caribbean, decided to come to Britain to better their lives and those of their children - a very entrepreneurial thing to do....

...Anyone who has the courage to leave behind family, friends and everything they know to improve their lot has my admiration and respect. The prejudice and hostility they suffered is well documented, and like all immigrant groups it took some time for the host community to adjust to the changing colour of the nation. Over the last 100 years several waves of immigrants have come to the UK: Jews, Irish, Caribbean, African, Indian, Pakistani and Eastern European and all have had to suffer the same plight as my parents’ generation.

These ethnic groups have spawned some very successful businesses, but when we try and find similar success in the Caribbean community it is sadly lacking. Greater representation of Caribbeans seems to be in areas which denote failure of some kind: more Afro Caribbeans per capita in our jails, more unemployment amongst young black boys, fewer blacks going to university per capita. I could go on but it would just make for depressing reading. Black role models are too often those of failure.

A question that no-one dares ask in these politically correct times is why is it that other immigrant groups, who have had to endure similar prejudice, manage to overcome... continued on page two >

 

 

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