It's not black and white

Cec Richards, the CEO of opportunities platform Slenky

Some of the people in the landmark 1970s documentary The Way We Live Now - Race took centre stage at anevent which asked how things have – or haven’t – changed since then

There’s a big rift and it’s getting deeper and deeper.”

This was the view of a Met Police Officer working in Brent in the late 1970s, before the race riots of the early 80s, as a BBC journalist reported on the state of race relations in what was then described as ‘Britain’s blackest borough’. The Way We Live Now – Race was a landmark documentary filmed in Brent which looked at race relations, education and inclusion.

The film was screened at Wembley Stadium

Previously shown only once, Cec Richards, the CEO of opportunities platform Slenky, worked with Brent Council and the FA to screen the documentary again at a special event at Wembley Stadium. The screening was the centre piece of an evening of discussion about how much – or how little – progress has been made on race relations over the past 40 years and what more needs to be done now.

Three of the men featured in the 1979 documentary, spoke to a crowd of businesses, community leaders and young people, about whether the issues of race, class and inclusion had changed much since the making of the documentary. Guests also heard from a panel of young people about what challenges they face now as they try to make their mark in their industries.

Delton Pink in the 1970s

Delton Pink, who still lives in the borough, took part in the 1979 documentary and was filmed along with his brothers in their family band called ‘True Pink’. Delton, who describes himself as a survivor and has changed career many times over the years said:

“Watching the documentary after 40 years brought back the same hurt and frustration felt at the time from comments made by the police and some residents.

“Unfortunately, I feel that little has changed in the way some people are still treated in society. Racism is less obvious now - in the 60s and 70s we endured open abuse, today it’s covert - but still exists.

“I’m a positive person though, and it was great to experience the work that Cec has done in setting up an event like the one we had. He really brought the community together and it impressed me how he was able to get big names such as Brent Council and the FA involved. It showed that they care about working with the community and are positive about the future.”

Clovis Bryan in the 1970s

Clovis Bryan was still looking for work when he was featured in the documentary three years after leaving school. Clovis is now a network architect, a career he enjoys, but which took him a long time to find.

Clovis said: “When I was younger, I wanted to become a pilot. After 10 years doing a variety of different jobs, I retrained to become a network architect.

“Companies need to become more diverse, I can still go into a business and be the only black or Asian person there. A lack of diversity means organisations are losing out on talent. Diversity brings change and new ideas. If your company is full of people who have the same background, then it’s quite likely that they will view things in the same way.

“I think there is a long way for us to go in this country with regards to race. I’d like to get to a point where you are judged and accepted on merit, for what you can do rather than the colour of your skin.”

Leader of the Council, Cllr Muhammed Butt said: “Brent has been the most diverse borough in the UK for a very long time and this is something that we are very proud of. Events like this highlight our different communities and all the benefits diversity brings with it.

“It was a pleasure to work with Slenky and the FA on this event and I hope that all those who attended were able to learn from the challenges that Clovis, Bryan and Trevor discussed.

“Although a lot has changed in the past 40 years, there are still some issues we need to address with regards to race, inclusion and opportunity for everyone in the borough.

“We are determined to make Brent the best it can be and we are doing this by working hard to ensure that everyone in the borough, no matter what their background, has the opportunity to succeed.”

To find out more about Slenky and the opportunities available for young people, go to www. slenky.me.

Trevor Daley in the 1970s