Congressional Black Caucus
Civil Rights Association
NAAPC/GM Safe Space & Support Group
Advocacy and Outreach
Congressional Black Caucus
Civil Rights Association
Proud & Prouder
NAAPC/GM Online Safe Space & Support Group
A Place for us to have camaraderie and support.
A place for us in reclaiming our narratives and our pride and confidence, and in offering support and being supported through a growing network of free-minded, independent thinking and expertise growing persons.
A place to chat and be offered a perspective for solutions regarding concerns and to also put forward your own perspective, so that we can help to develop and improve the living and working conditions of our community.
Feel belonged. Feel included.
Advocacy and Outreach - Housing
Following my reporting of damp and mould in a West Midlands Council-funded property and issues with the contractors and the Council regarding the repairs and temporary housing, and with combined immense pressure from the institutions/individuals involved to vacate the property, I felt forced to move out of the accommodation with my young children, and was then labelled as “intentionally homeless” and a sanction was then applied to me, to exclude me from the housing list, which placed me and my children in a jeopardised situation.
Among the problems I encountered was a falsification that contractors had arrived for repairs and I had denied access to them when I was, in fact, at college at the time, so this was disproven. I was taken to court for antisocial behaviour for what I considered to be a combined effort by those with the ability to have power over me and my family regarding my access to housing, and I believe this to be as a result of me continuously challenging their behaviour including the falsification by their contractors, my refusal to remain in the one-bed flat during the period of repairs regarding the damp and mould, as this compromised the health and wellbeing of my children and myself, as well as me not accepting the uncertain communication I was being given by the parties regarding support property. Their court action and claim of antisocial behaviour included that I denied access to them – when I was in fact, not even present, and my College was able to provide evidence that I was in attendance at a session.
During this period, my children and I were sleeping on a mattress in the kitchen as a result of the spread of damp and mould in the property and this was having an impact on all of us, in particular my daughter who began displaying minor respiratory problems.
Advocacy and Outreach - Employment
I was terminated from my job based on what my employer considered to be fraudulent use of a company card. The company highlighted use of the card at various locations that my family and I had never shopped at, or had been present at the time the cards were used. Despite no evidence showing that we were responsible for the misuse of the card, I was terminated. My union told me to accept the termination but I had not committed any fraud and did not wish to be labelled as another Black man who was a criminal or an offender. I did not want this false label on me and for my family and children to bear this stigma and false labelling, and for this continued stereotype and characterisation of who we are as Black people. I was put in touch with Dahlia who supported me when the Union failed me. Dahlia wrote my entire appeal to challenge my termination, identified and uncovered the underlying racism, as well as additional gender and parental biases and I was successfully reinstated. Dahlia also assisted me with follow-on Grievances and furthering the legal process with the racism and discrimination I faced. Racism continues in so many forms and this really knocked me, it knocked my confidence, it led to emotional overload, as my employer is one of these big companies that talks about equalities while carrying out racial prejudice and discrimination, racial profiling and targeting in the background.
Dahlia assisted me with processing my emotions during this turbulent stressful period, and in becoming an advocate against racism and inequalities as she captured my experience and narrative in submissions to public officials including to Parliamentary representatives such as the Prime Minister, Opposition Leader, Secretaries of State with responsibilities for Employment and Equalities so that they understand our experiences, the historical oppression and the continued prejudices and discrimination that we still face, and so that they can act to eliminate bad practices – so that they see the realities and forms of racism and use this to inform decisions and eliminate hate.
Advocacy and Support with Social Care and NHS
AA (Central London) 2024
I am in my 70s, having migrated to England many years ago and I have struggled with many obstacles and not knowing who to turn to for help and support. I reached out to Dahlia. As someone now retired, Dahlia assisted me to obtain my Attendance Allowance and was also able to assist me with obtaining intervention for neurodiversity that I have long had but where systems had failed me. She made sure they understood my different characteristics and put in place greater support. She also assisted with contact and a referral to Social Services for home adjustments to maintain my independence and safeguard me within my home.