| The Ethnic Minority Power List reception, hosted by David Lammy MP. |
| Monday, 23 July 2007 |
Last year, the MediaGuardian’s annual list of the 100 most influential and significant people in Britain’s media world was exclusively white. In recognition of this, and following a Guardian article by journalist and magazine editor Lawrence Lartey, David Lammy hosted a reception for some of the ethnic minority movers and shakers of the British media industry in Portcullis House on Monday 23 July.
David commented, “I was so pleased when Lawrence decided to do his own ethnic minority version on the MediaGuardian 100, because it seems to me that you can’t possibly have a list of important media figures in this country which doesn’t include anyone from an ethnic minority background at all. That’s certainly not my experience of that arena, and if that’s the perception, then we have to make sure we change it.”
In spring this year, Lawrence Lartey decided to chair a panel of 6 media experts, to do just that, resulting a list published in The Guardian of who the panel felt to be the top 30 ethnic minority figures in the field. He said: "When I saw last year's list, I couldn't understand why there was no black or Asian representation. Then I noted the panel. All white. So it was not really surprising that the list reflected that. I could think of at least 50 black and Asian figures who would have comfortably made the top 100."
Lawrence, Raoul and David decided that the list required a follow-up event, and came up with the idea of holding a networking reception for the list’s members and the panel. Each member was invited to bring a guest who they felt could or should have also featured on the list, which meant that household names such as T4’s June Sarpong and Soul II Soul’s Jazzie B were also in attendance as guests.
Raoul Shah, who topped the power list as founder and co-director of Exposure, said, “We love lists. We’re always making lists of the things that are important to us and publishing them, and I look forward to the day when the kind of power lists published in national media don’t just get talked about for the colour of the people on them, but for the hard work, the merit and the accomplishments that those people have displayed to deserve their place on those lists.”
In a speech at Monday’s event, David told his guests, “Events like this are so important, because each and every person in this room, and many more outside it, deserve the recognition they’re getting tonight. As the only African Caribbean man in Parliament – think about that for a moment to really understand how unacceptable that is – I know how hard you’ve had to work, and how determined you’ve had to be to get to where you are. Please keep doing what you’re doing, and let’s make sure that future lists of power bear all our names.”
You can read The Guardian article and see the full list here.
Please click here to see more images of the event.
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