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Racism @BFI petition update
Please carry on sharing/signing the petition. HERE
The anniversary of George Floyd’s killing was 25th May, the Soweto Uprising was on 16th June, and Windrush Day was on 22nd June. In the wake of these three anniversaries for racial justice, we contrast the BFI’s words about Black and global majority people in 2020, with their actions in 2026.
Above are the type of Black film events that are not taking place at the BFI purely because the BFI cancelled the African Odysseys programme against the professional advice of over 25 academics, against race equality law, against their own 2023 written commitments to support a celebratory season @BFI in 2026 and against the wishes of 18,350 people who’ve signed this petition:
The decision to block such films and BFI’s continued disrespect of the Black community is clearly racist and comes on the back of three letters of complaint on race issues sent to BFI CEO Ben Roberts on 23rd June 2020, 5th May 2023 and 13th June 2024.
As a national, public, taxpayer-funded body this behaviour in unacceptable and must be challenged at a time when marginalised communities are under physical attack.
The BFI announced plans to end African Odysseys in the summer of 2024 when there were race riots taking place across the country. In this climate of racist violence, the ending of a twenty-year-old educational, anti-racist film programme so that the BFI could ‘improve diversity and cut costs’ is racist gaslighting. This is especially so given that African Odysseys made money for the BFI by regularly filling up their 450-seat cinema and was supported by a volunteer team of programmers/marketers/consultants known as the Steering Committee.
On 17th June 2020 BFI CEO Ben Roberts committed the BFI to racial equality with the following written statements: HERE
In the weeks since the murder of George Floyd, I’ve talked to many colleagues across the BFI about the need to address systemic racism and tackle our own institutional failings.
At the BFI, we are united against racism, but we have not been actively antiracist. We know there are some longstanding and endemic issues within the organisation which can harm people and undermine our values. Whilst we are not alone in confronting this truth, it is crucial that we have uncomfortable conversations not just with each other, but also with those who have been marginalised or ignored.
Since then, the BFI has been involved in three race scandals including:
To continue article click HERE
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