Throughout October, communities across the country come together to celebrate Black History Month. This year’s theme, “Honouring Our Communities,” is an opportunity to recognise the people whose everyday contributions shape, support and sustain Black communities across Britain.
Those who follow my work will know that I hope one day we will no longer need Black History Month. That is because Black history is British history – and it should be acknowledged, taught and celebrated all year round.
Until that moment, I continue to celebrate it with pride. For me, honouring our communities means more than just celebrating achievements. It also means listening to people’s concerns, recognising their contributions, challenging the barriers they face and giving them a greater say in shaping the future.
Black history is not only something that belongs in the past. It is being written every day – in our hospitals and schools, on our high streets, in our workplaces, and through our music, culture and communities. That is why, this Black History Month, I want to reflect not only on the history we have made, but on the change our communities are making today.
This year, we lost someone who understood the importance of recognition: my dear friend, the late Kanya King CBE, founder of the MOBO Awards. Thirty years ago, Kanya recognised that Black music and talent were not receiving the recognition they deserved. Rather than accepting that, she created something new.
The MOBO Awards became a platform that transformed the music industry, celebrated Black artists and opened doors for generations of talent. Kanya’s inspirational legacy shows us that sometimes, honouring our communities means creating the platforms and opportunities that allow people to be seen, heard and succeed.
I too am determined to honour our communities with everything I do, and that principle is at the heart of my work in Parliament and across our capital as Chair of the London PLP.
When residents told me they were frustrated by the number of gambling venues opening on their high streets, I listened. Research has shown that betting shops are more likely to be located in areas with higher proportions of minoritised residents.
In 2021, I began my campaign to scrap the outdated “aim to permit” principle, to stop the clustering of gambling venues and put power into the hands of councils and communities. After years of campaigning, the Government has committed to scrap it – a major victory for London and all our communities.
When Londoners told me about the devastating impact of mobile phone theft, I campaigned to make stolen phones permanently unusable through a mandatory kill switch. Starting with Apple devices, we’re making theft less profitable and keeping communities safe.
When I discovered almost half of serving Metropolitan Police officers did not have their DNA and fingerprints collected on the police database, I campaigned. It has now committed to ensuring 100% of officers’ biometrics are held by March. Accountability matters, particularly when public confidence has been tested. Every community deserves institutions it can trust.
And I have secured a big victory to protect the title of “nurse” in law. Nurses make an extraordinary contribution to our communities, and patients should be able to trust that anyone using that title has the appropriate training, qualifications and accountability. Nursing is a diverse profession that deserves greater recognition and respect.
Honouring our communities also means confronting inequality.
Following years of campaigning, the Government committed to introducing mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting. In London, the ethnicity pay gap has historically been the highest in the country. We cannot tackle inequalities that we do not properly measure, and I want to ensure large employers are held accountable through action plans.
Confronting inequality is why I’m challenging the way violence against women and girls is reported, pushing for stronger standards so victims and their families are treated with dignity and respect. And it is why I am working towards a Digital Bill of Rights to protect people’s identity, voice, likeness and privacy as artificial intelligence transforms our lives. New technology cannot be allowed to automate discrimination or deepen inequality.
Honouring our communities also means addressing how people are recognised.
I believe passionately in recognising people who give extraordinary service to our country, but the language should reflect the diverse and modern Britain we are today. I want to replace “Empire” in award titles with “Excellence” – retaining the prestige of the honours system while ensuring recipients from every background can feel genuine pride in it.
These campaigns may look different, but they share the same purpose: to listen to our diverse communities, recognise their contributions, challenge injustice and give people a greater say over the decisions that affect their lives.
Kanya King CBE was a trailblazer who showed us what is possible when someone refuses to accept that their community should be unseen or unheard. She built a platform where one did not exist. Her legacy should inspire us all to do the same – create opportunities, break down barriers and making sure the next generation can go further than the last.
That is why I’ve always been so passionate about building an escalator of success.
We still face significant challenges, including the rise of the far right and the troubling increase of racism online. We have faced some deeply painful moments in recent months. But we cannot lose sight of the strength, resilience and solidarity within our communities.
We must stand together, challenge prejudice wherever we see it, and build a country where everyone can live with dignity, opportunity and pride in who they are.
This Black History Month, let us honour those who have shaped our communities, celebrate those shaping them today, and commit to building a country where everyone has the opportunity to shape what comes next.