Islington Mayor Jason Jackson has urged locals to step up in their community at a Black History Month celebration.
In his speech, the Mayor said he wanted to become a councillor to address the underrepresentation of Black Men.
Born in Nigeria and having moved to the UK at 13, Mayor Jackson chose to get involved in the local council after realising there was no Black male representative.
“I stepped in because I wanted to have and see representation of the Black community, especially Black men.”
He encouraged people to step up in the community, noting getting involved in a board of trustees as an example. “Big decisions are made in small rooms… If you don’t like what you see, get involved.”
“You have to turn up for people when no one is watching,” he added.
He touched on the diversity in the borough and assured locals that Islington is their home, no matter their background. “Don’t allow anyone to divide us,” he said.
The event was organised by Light Project Pro International (LLPI), an Islington-based charity that serves residents in the Holloway and Caledonian wards.
In October, the charity hosted various Black History Month events with Saturday’s event marking the end of celebrations which featured music, food, art, and local businesses.
Before speaking, Mayor Jackson was given an award recognising his work in the community. “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting that at all. [This] means a lot,” he said.
This is the fifth year that LLPI has held Black History Month events at The Exchange. Though a community-wide charity, LLPI hopes to continue providing support for Islington’s Black community all year round.
“It can be as small as coming in and getting some food from [our] food bank to coming to one of our events and hopefully learning a bit of history, meeting new people, and having a good time,” Adam Parr, LLPI’s manager, told IslingtonNow.
Claudia Efemini is an MA Newspaper Journalism student at City St George's, University of London. She has previously written for BBC Africa and BLK Brit covering Africa and the diaspora across news, culture, and business.