Dr Kenny Monrose in seven

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1. What is the biggest issue facing the UK criminal justice system?
Cyberspace is the largest platform where crime takes place and that has impacted on community policing, meaning policing by consent has, to an extent, become a thing of the past. As a result, an even bigger gulf has emerged between some communities and enforcement agencies who engage only during a situation of conflict, to the point that the relationship between the public and the criminal justice system has crystallised into one of ‘us and them’.

2. What accounts for the tense relationship between black communities and the police?
Our research with black communities has highlighted that the issue is not about policing as such, as it is accepted that the police service is, of course, a necessity. The concerns surround what is considered bad, insensitive over-policing.

3. Do you think the Windrush generation is starting to get proper recognition?
The achievements and struggles of black people in this country have always been recognised by those who pay attention to their experiences. Books about the so-called Windrush generation have been written into British history for more than 50 years. It’s only since 2018, and the emergence of the shambolic way people from the West Indies are treated, that the mainstream has paid attention to their plight. For Caribbean arrivals, the hostile environment policy didn’t start in 2012, with Theresa May; it began on 23 June 1948, the day after they arrived at Tilbury Dock.

4. What has Covid-19 exposed about societal and racial divides in the UK?
The pandemic highlighted the silent disparities that minority communities in the UK are subject to, meaning that these social divisions are not simply limited to educational attainment levels, unemployment rates and unevenness within the housing sector, but are evident within all sections of society, such as health provision and the workplace. Even during a pandemic, the enduring ugliness of racial discrimination manifested itself.

5. What do you hope the Black British Voices Project will achieve?
The project provides an authentic, uncompromised and reliable account of black British life. It has collated granular data on vibrant communities whose positive contribution to British society has often been overlooked. The project gives a route of communication for black communities to recalibrate narratives that are not limited to migration and settlement, but include stories of empowerment, creativity and solidarity that have provided a cultural uplift to British society. The rich data gleaned from the research can be used to better inform policy decisions.

6. How do you think black British identity is evolving?
Identity politics are in flux, and the classifications of black people in Britain have shifted during every decade. The most recent term, BAME, has been criticised for being clumsy and unhelpful by conflating the experiences of all racial and ethnic groups. Getting definitions right is important. A good example is the term ‘the Windrush generation’ – those from the Caribbean never once referred to it themselves; onlookers did. I’m happy to see terms such as BAME rescinded. An important step is to grant black people the agency to define themselves, as opposed to having a label attached to them.   

7. Do you feel optimistic for the future?
In terms of race relations, I must feel optimistic. None of us is beyond race, because, like it or not, it acts as a social register and identifier. My hope is that we get to a place where race, phenotype or skin colour is regarded as the least important aspect of who we are as individuals. What encourages me is the increased awareness and racial literacy among young people of all races, and their willingness to call for the eradication of racial discrimination and disadvantage.

This article is from the July 2022 edition of Impact magazine.