Updating the school curriculum, creating an anti-racist politics … there is a pathway to a fairer and more equal society
Over the years I have argued for a number of policies to increase racial equality in the media, from diversity tax breaks to ringfenced funds for marginalised production companies. I’ve even helped set up a centre for media diversity at Birmingham City University to not only research but also to advocate for better policies. Simply put: there is no silver bullet when it comes to racial equality. But at the core of everything we’re fighting for is the need to better understand each other and our different perspectives and values. We must get past simple “racial sympathy” – just feeling sorry for the victims of racism – and move towards “radical empathy”. Putting yourself in the shoes of someone who isn’t like you and trying to experience what they are going through is perhaps the answer to this age-old question.
Lenny Henry is an actor, writer and producer
