Operation Black Vote

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Operation Black Vote
Websitewww.obv.org.uk

Operation Black Vote (OBV) is a British

Black British and ethnic minority democratic deficit. OBV uses voter registration campaigns in minority ethnic communities, and encourages community engagement in minority ethnic communities to address supposed racial inequalities in areas including education, health, and employment.[1]

The current director of the OBV is

Simon Woolley.[2]

Background

Between 1994 and 1996,

political pressure.[according to whom?
] The
Southampton University by law professor Lawrence Lustgarden showed that Britain jails more Black people per head of population than the USA.[3]

In early 1996, with the last date for a General Election 18 months away, Black volunteers at

marginal constituencies, and soon realised that the Black vote was potentially immensely powerful. In more than 50 seats the number of African, Asian and Caribbean
voters was greater than its marginality. In another 50, Black numbers were such that OBV had the potential to play a significant role in any closely fought contest.

A call to action would have a solid base and an immediate focus: the power of the Black vote at the coming General Election. The challenge was to persuade the Black community to recognise that power and inspire them to participate - and to serve notice on the political parties that they ignored the Black electorate at their peril. Operation Black Vote was launched in July 1996. In just ten months, OBV held more than 100 meetings at schools, colleges, community centres, local party offices and town halls up and down the country. OBV distributed over 250,000 voter registration cards; 500,000 leaflets in six different languages, and 50,000 posters.

In comparison to any election before 1997, the positive attention the Black electorate received from the major parties was unprecedented. In a speech made on 18 January 1997 at the

Commonwealth Institute in London, the then Prime Minister John Major said: "There is much still to be done. I don’t pretend that the prospects for the young black man in Brixton are yet as open to talent as it is to the young white man in the Home Counties. It clearly isn't. But we must try and make it so."[4][5] Liberal Democrats leader Paddy Ashdown pledged to make the House of Commons more representatives, and described it as "a white, male, middle-class club", and Tony Blair
emphasised his lifetime commitment "to fight against racism".

At

constituency level
, MPs and candidates across the country took part in OBV Question Time meetings. For the first time in British political history, every candidate OBV invited came to listen to the Black electorate and argue their case.

OBV's work

Operation Black Vote’s work covers four main areas:

Awards, nominations and accolades

  • Winner of the Channel 4 Political Award, 2008[6]
  • Nominated for Channel 4 Political Award (February 2007)[6]
  • Supporting Local Democracy Award (March 2006)
  • The Black Women in Business Award (BIBA), 2006, awarded to Winsome-Grace Cornish for OBV's Shadowing Schemes in the Ethnic Organisation category
  • Best Campaign (January 2005)
  • Men & Women of Merit award (September 2003)
  • The African Caribbean Positive Image Foundation awarded OBV the Bernie Grant Award, 2002
  • OBV's Director
    Big Issue
    ′s top 100 "Grassroots Power List 2002"
  • Website of the Year Award, 2001–02[7]

Operation Black Vote Canada

OBV Canada is a separately incorporated non-profit established in 2004. The organization works to "educate, promote, and support Black Canadians' participation in the political process at all levels".[8] It was founded by Bromley Armstrong, Denham Jolly, Delores Lawrence, Eva R. Lloyd, and Cynthia Reyes. Operation Black Vote Canada applied for a Canadian Federal program to support Black community initiatives, and was rejected for not being led by enough Black individuals, despite the fact that the organizations leadership is solely Black.[9]

References

  1. ^ "Black voters urged to take part in election by church", BBC News – Politics, 13 October 2012.
  2. ^ Chakelian, Anoosh (2 March 2015). "Operation Black Vote: on the road with the bus that could decide the election". www.newstatesman.com. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  3. ^ Sveinsson, Kjartan Páll, ed. (May 2010). "Ethnic Profiling: The Use of 'Race' in UK Law Enforcement" (PDF). Runnymede Perspectives.
  4. ^ "Mr Major's Speech on Anniversary of Indian and Pakistan Independence – 18 January 1997". The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH. 19 January 1997. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  5. ^ Castle, Stephen (19 January 1997). "Major woos ethnic voters but admits racism exists". The Independent. Archived from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  6. ^ a b "Political Awards". Channel 4. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  7. ^ "Awards, nominations and accolades". OBV.
  8. ^ Lourenco, Rebecca (20 September 2019). "Operation Black Vote comes to Queen's ahead of federal election". The Journal. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  9. ^ Ballingall, Alex (15 January 2021). "Ottawa tells hundreds of applicants they're not Black enough for money from the Black community initiative". thestar.com. Retrieved 17 January 2021.

External links

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