Event to focus on district's black community (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Event to focus on district's black community
9:00am Wednesday 13th March 2013 in News
By Chris Young, T&A Reporter
An event at Bradford’s City Hall will attempt to bring the city’s black community together to tackle the numerous issues it faces.
Among the things being discussed at the African and Caribbean empowerment day, on Friday, April 26, will be health risks to black people and proposals to create a centre of cultural excellence in the city.
Jerome James, a marketing consultant of Jamaican origin who organised the event, said the black community needed a bigger say in Bradford, as there was little representation on the Council or other major decision- making bodies.
He feels the city’s black community should receive more support and funding from the Council, NHS and central Government, but agrees they need to do more to make their voices heard.
On the day, speakers will talk about their vision for a centre for cultural excellence within the city, which would celebrate Bradford’s diverse community. Visitors will also be offered advice on the health problems that disproportionately affect the black community.
Mr James said: “There will be a lot of health and wellbeing stalls. African and Caribbean men are much more likely to get prostate cancer, and three times more likely to get diabetes, but the community doesn’t seem to get much help to deal with this. It is important these groups of people are reached. There is also a lot of depression in the black community that people aren’t always happy to talk about. “In some ares the community is turning against itself, we have to get together and stop that.”
Speaking of the centre of cultural excellence he said: “Bradford has so many different cultures, we should be celebrating this.”
He hopes the event may also open the Town Hall up to more black people, who see it somewhat detached from their community. Among the sponsors of the event is Bradford Mayor Coun Dale Smith. The event runs from noon until 5pm, and entry is available by emailing enasbs@msn.com.
