Stephen Lawrence Task Group
   tackling institutional racism in the workplace

Respect at Work Conference, 
Easton, Bristol, February 2000

Developing Black Organisers

Monira Ahmed Chowdhury has recently been appointed as Director of the Black Development Agency. An umbrella infrastructure organisation based in Bristol, the BDA provides support and services to the Black Voluntary and Community Sector. BDA has recently been funded by the Home Office to extend that support across the region by establishing the Black South West Network. Previously, Monira was Director of Bath and North East Somerset Racial Equality Council. Monira has also been an active member of the Race Forum for the last few years.

She explained that the campaign to recruit black workers to unions and involve them had been a very long one. Whilst she was a union member, she did not have the time to become actively involved and she thought this was true of many people. Monira explained the role of the BDA, giving support, encouraging research and promoting the role of the black and ethnic minority voluntary sector. She felt that self-organisation was important for black people and this was true within unions.