when I ask white middle-class people what they love about living in London
what they love about living in London
what they love about living in London then they always tell me it’s because of
then they always tell me it’s because of
then they always tell me it’s because of the cultural diversity as a black woman
the cultural diversity as a black woman
the cultural diversity as a black woman with a hundred and twenty cousins and
with a hundred and twenty cousins and
with a hundred and twenty cousins and four generations in the city
four generations in the city
four generations in the city it always perplexes me to what this
it always perplexes me to what this
it always perplexes me to what this actually means it would seem to mean
actually means it would seem to mean
actually means it would seem to mean being near us on the bus or in the shop
being near us on the bus or in the shop
being near us on the bus or in the shop but not actually engaging of us in a
but not actually engaging of us in a
but not actually engaging of us in a meaningful way this is an issue because
meaningful way this is an issue because
meaningful way this is an issue because it means that the idealism of London
it means that the idealism of London
it means that the idealism of London life is a lie we are not a multicultural
life is a lie we are not a multicultural
life is a lie we are not a multicultural melting pot we in fact a city that is
melting pot we in fact a city that is
melting pot we in fact a city that is segregated by class race and economics I
and what Brick City is called the
and what Brick City is called the Metropolitan liberal elite I’m a
Metropolitan liberal elite I’m a
Metropolitan liberal elite I’m a publisher with an imprint I’m married
publisher with an imprint I’m married
publisher with an imprint I’m married I own a zone to property I have a son
I own a zone to property I have a son
I own a zone to property I have a son Ennis in a prep school
Ennis in a prep school
Ennis in a prep school I love European city breaks and eating
I love European city breaks and eating
I love European city breaks and eating in fabulous London restaurants the
in fabulous London restaurants the
in fabulous London restaurants the contradiction as it stands is that I’m a
contradiction as it stands is that I’m a
contradiction as it stands is that I’m a black woman and when I was 16 I left
black woman and when I was 16 I left
black woman and when I was 16 I left home and have never had any financial
home and have never had any financial
home and have never had any financial support from my family
support from my family
support from my family I have had to fight to fry in a country
I have had to fight to fry in a country
I have had to fight to fry in a country and an industry that is hostile to the
and an industry that is hostile to the
and an industry that is hostile to the very essence of my existence there are
very essence of my existence there are
very essence of my existence there are not many black people in my position so
not many black people in my position so
not many black people in my position so I’m here to tell you that we are being
I’m here to tell you that we are being
I’m here to tell you that we are being penalized for being born in the country
penalized for being born in the country
penalized for being born in the country that has been swallowed by CASL ism
that has been swallowed by CASL ism
that has been swallowed by CASL ism we’re being left behind despite our
we’re being left behind despite our
we’re being left behind despite our amazing talent pool I want you to stop
amazing talent pool I want you to stop
amazing talent pool I want you to stop saying that you don’t see color I want
saying that you don’t see color I want
saying that you don’t see color I want you to see our colour I want you to
you to see our colour I want you to
you to see our colour I want you to understand our journey and I want you to
understand our journey and I want you to
understand our journey and I want you to treat us as equal I am urging you to
treat us as equal I am urging you to
treat us as equal I am urging you to think about that active role in which
think about that active role in which
think about that active role in which you play inequality in our society it’s
you play inequality in our society it’s
you play inequality in our society it’s a fact that immigrants worked really
a fact that immigrants worked really
a fact that immigrants worked really hard
hard
hard when my grandparents came from Jamaica
when my grandparents came from Jamaica
when my grandparents came from Jamaica to England it was never their intention
to England it was never their intention
to England it was never their intention to get a council house in the 1960s
to get a council house in the 1960s
to get a council house in the 1960s before most black areas like Camden
before most black areas like Camden
before most black areas like Camden Notting Hill Hackney Peckham Brixton
Notting Hill Hackney Peckham Brixton
Notting Hill Hackney Peckham Brixton became ripe for gentrification and our
became ripe for gentrification and our
became ripe for gentrification and our lifestyles deemed authentic or real or
lifestyles deemed authentic or real or
lifestyles deemed authentic or real or even edgy black people like my
even edgy black people like my
even edgy black people like my grandparents worked hard they had to
grandparents worked hard they had to
grandparents worked hard they had to endure racism and they overcame the odds
endure racism and they overcame the odds
endure racism and they overcame the odds saved for a deposit and bought houses
saved for a deposit and bought houses
saved for a deposit and bought houses all over London with a concentration in
all over London with a concentration in
all over London with a concentration in new hospitals in the South Brixton has
new hospitals in the South Brixton has
new hospitals in the South Brixton has overcome riots and racial tensions and
overcome riots and racial tensions and
overcome riots and racial tensions and is now the best place to get church
is now the best place to get church
is now the best place to get church again the shift from bought houses to
again the shift from bought houses to
again the shift from bought houses to social housing happened under Margaret
social housing happened under Margaret
social housing happened under Margaret Thatcher whose policies deterred young
Thatcher whose policies deterred young
Thatcher whose policies deterred young couples from living together for fear
couples from living together for fear
couples from living together for fear that they would lose their benefits
that they would lose their benefits
that they would lose their benefits this created single motherhood and a
this created single motherhood and a
this created single motherhood and a dependency on the state for decades
dependency on the state for decades
dependency on the state for decades councils of mood people of color and
councils of mood people of color and
councils of mood people of color and working classes out of London recently
working classes out of London recently
working classes out of London recently there was a shocking report that in the
there was a shocking report that in the
there was a shocking report that in the hey Gator state 3000 flats were
hey Gator state 3000 flats were
hey Gator state 3000 flats were demolished and none of them went to the
demolished and none of them went to the
demolished and none of them went to the people that had lived there after they’d
people that had lived there after they’d
people that had lived there after they’d been turned into luxury apartments the
been turned into luxury apartments the
been turned into luxury apartments the property developers made 200 million
property developers made 200 million
property developers made 200 million pounds for us it feels as though there’s
pounds for us it feels as though there’s
pounds for us it feels as though there’s active ethnic and class cleansing
active ethnic and class cleansing
active ethnic and class cleansing allowed by our government we have few
allowed by our government we have few
allowed by our government we have few civilian allies no one shouting on our
civilian allies no one shouting on our
civilian allies no one shouting on our behalf and so the developers get away
behalf and so the developers get away
behalf and so the developers get away with their again and again the white
with their again and again the white
with their again and again the white working classes believe that people of
working classes believe that people of
working classes believe that people of color and immigrants of taking what’s
color and immigrants of taking what’s
color and immigrants of taking what’s rightfully theirs and the core issues
rightfully theirs and the core issues
rightfully theirs and the core issues just don’t affect the Liberals to me it
just don’t affect the Liberals to me it
just don’t affect the Liberals to me it feels as though the revolution will be
feels as though the revolution will be
feels as though the revolution will be televised when the people that we need
televised when the people that we need
televised when the people that we need to stand alongside us educated liberal
to stand alongside us educated liberal
to stand alongside us educated liberal so-called Londoners can no longer afford
so-called Londoners can no longer afford
so-called Londoners can no longer afford flat whites and extensions with bi-fold
flat whites and extensions with bi-fold
flat whites and extensions with bi-fold doors join me at the school gates where
doors join me at the school gates where
doors join me at the school gates where I’m often told by parents who have
I’m often told by parents who have
I’m often told by parents who have bought properties in close proximity to
bought properties in close proximity to
bought properties in close proximity to outstanding state schools
outstanding state schools
outstanding state schools they are thrilled that their children
they are thrilled that their children
they are thrilled that their children are going to school with diverse
are going to school with diverse
are going to school with diverse families having been educated in
families having been educated in
families having been educated in outstanding state schools I know that
outstanding state schools I know that
outstanding state schools I know that this cultural diversity at best extends
this cultural diversity at best extends
this cultural diversity at best extends your child not being racist as I rejoice
your child not being racist as I rejoice
your child not being racist as I rejoice at the chapter weddings of my childhood
at the chapter weddings of my childhood
at the chapter weddings of my childhood friends and I’m often the only person of
friends and I’m often the only person of
friends and I’m often the only person of color I find myself thinking how did
color I find myself thinking how did
color I find myself thinking how did this happen
this happen
this happen it’s the same at my son’s first school a
it’s the same at my son’s first school a
it’s the same at my son’s first school a state school very few children of color
state school very few children of color
state school very few children of color and very few from different economic
and very few from different economic
and very few from different economic backgrounds in my experience the parents
backgrounds in my experience the parents
backgrounds in my experience the parents who openly celebrate the idea of
who openly celebrate the idea of
who openly celebrate the idea of diversity are taking a moral high ground
diversity are taking a moral high ground
diversity are taking a moral high ground yet secretly pleased to have saved on
yet secretly pleased to have saved on
yet secretly pleased to have saved on school fees this is transparent and
school fees this is transparent and
school fees this is transparent and insulting the irony is that the prep
insulting the irony is that the prep
insulting the irony is that the prep school is bursting with diversity as
school is bursting with diversity as
school is bursting with diversity as middle-class parents of color we know we
middle-class parents of color we know we
middle-class parents of color we know we have to ensure our children’s future
have to ensure our children’s future
have to ensure our children’s future with better education otherwise they
with better education otherwise they
with better education otherwise they will continue to be left out of the
will continue to be left out of the
will continue to be left out of the workplace at my work there are 150
workplace at my work there are 150
workplace at my work there are 150 people in my division I am the only
people in my division I am the only
people in my division I am the only black person in fact I’m the only black
black person in fact I’m the only black
black person in fact I’m the only black fiction publisher in corporate
fiction publisher in corporate
fiction publisher in corporate publishing how did this happen in an
publishing how did this happen in an
publishing how did this happen in an industry that prides itself on
industry that prides itself on
industry that prides itself on storytelling across cultures the
storytelling across cultures the
storytelling across cultures the industry change from being smaller
industry change from being smaller
industry change from being smaller publishing houses to large corporate
publishing houses to large corporate
publishing houses to large corporate structures with quick growth requiring
structures with quick growth requiring
structures with quick growth requiring quick solutions resulting in nepotism
quick solutions resulting in nepotism
quick solutions resulting in nepotism then it became a case of lazy recruiting
then it became a case of lazy recruiting
then it became a case of lazy recruiting at best unconscious biased and at worst
at best unconscious biased and at worst
at best unconscious biased and at worst structural racism think about it there’s
structural racism think about it there’s
structural racism think about it there’s no way that an educated British person
no way that an educated British person
no way that an educated British person of color is unqualified to do a job that
of color is unqualified to do a job that
of color is unqualified to do a job that a white person can do have you noticed
a white person can do have you noticed
a white person can do have you noticed that people of color are culturally
that people of color are culturally
that people of color are culturally excluded from many social activities in
excluded from many social activities in
excluded from many social activities in London from pubs in Hackney or Peckham
London from pubs in Hackney or Peckham
London from pubs in Hackney or Peckham to restaurants in Soho and even clubs
to restaurants in Soho and even clubs
to restaurants in Soho and even clubs playing urban music a token one or two
playing urban music a token one or two
playing urban music a token one or two of us make liberals feel better
of us make liberals feel better
of us make liberals feel better and more inclusive we are not a trend we
and more inclusive we are not a trend we
and more inclusive we are not a trend we are a crucial part of the fabric of this
are a crucial part of the fabric of this
are a crucial part of the fabric of this society even the women’s March in London
society even the women’s March in London
society even the women’s March in London Ellen
Ellen
Ellen earlier in the year was missing women of
earlier in the year was missing women of
earlier in the year was missing women of color and LGBTQI plus groups whose
color and LGBTQI plus groups whose
color and LGBTQI plus groups whose intersectional arguments were considered
intersectional arguments were considered
intersectional arguments were considered too radical because liberals were more
too radical because liberals were more
too radical because liberals were more miffed than angry the protest ended up
miffed than angry the protest ended up
miffed than angry the protest ended up being a lovely ramble through the
being a lovely ramble through the
being a lovely ramble through the capital this isn’t good enough I want to
capital this isn’t good enough I want to
capital this isn’t good enough I want to live in a society that fries with
live in a society that fries with
live in a society that fries with equality
equality
equality I want the debate of diversity to move
I want the debate of diversity to move
I want the debate of diversity to move away from the boardroom and the pub and
away from the boardroom and the pub and
away from the boardroom and the pub and towards positive action I would like you
towards positive action I would like you
towards positive action I would like you to think about where difference is
to think about where difference is
to think about where difference is missing from your table and your
missing from your table and your
missing from your table and your Facebook and what you can do about it I
Facebook and what you can do about it I
Facebook and what you can do about it I want you to take to the streets I want
want you to take to the streets I want
want you to take to the streets I want you to stand in solidarity and raise
you to stand in solidarity and raise
you to stand in solidarity and raise your voices at the injustice of
your voices at the injustice of
your voices at the injustice of inequality and racism I want you to own
inequality and racism I want you to own
inequality and racism I want you to own your privilege and use it for the force
your privilege and use it for the force
your privilege and use it for the force of good and I want you to remember that
of good and I want you to remember that
of good and I want you to remember that not being racist is not good enough
not being racist is not good enough
not being racist is not good enough thank you
thank you
thank you [Applause]
”
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