My dissertation was focused on the murder of Stephen Lawrence and the resulting Macpherson Inquiry to see what progress has been made to remove the institutionalised racism within the Metropolitan Police Force and other Police Force’s up and down the country. 2020 has been a poignant reminder that there is still a way to go in relations between the police and minority communities, though I also think it is fair to say that there has been improvements over the last 27 years; just maybe not to the extent to allow for true equality.

In 2017, I joined Humankind Charity (then DISC) on the Lottery Funded Challenging Youth Racism Project, in partnership with Teesside University. This was a fantastic opportunity to educate young people and raise awareness of racism; providing a safe space for them to talk about language, common misconceptions, and media influence. As a project we visited schools, colleges, and community groups around the North East to deliver bespoke presentations around topics of racism that they believed were a need for exploration. It was on this journey that I met Amjid Khazir and learned about Media Cultured. We attended Media Cultured Workshops to expand our knowledge around the complexities of extremism.

Being a part of Media Cultured’s Board is both an honour and a privilege, to stand side by side, promote unity and support Amjid and the team to grow and expand. Raising the profile of Media Cultured and seeing the workshops and films reach far and wide, both nationally and internationally will be a fantastic way to promote social cohesion.