Businesses need to remove barriers to progression for BAME employees, as little change is noticeable in number of black people in senior professional roles since 2012 representing just 1.4% of senior managers, directors and senior officials in the UK
Updated figures from Business in the Community’s 2014 report “Race at the Top” show that despite Black people making up more than 3% of the population and England and Wales, there has been little success over the past decade in addressing the lack of diverse representation in senior leadership roles.
In top management roles across private sector organisations just 1.4% are black, an increase of 0.2% per cent since 2012. Public sector leadership remains static at 1% and 62% of charity boards are all white.
One area where representation has improved is in politics where there are currently 65 MPs in the UK who are Black, Asian or Minority Ethnicities (BAME), rising from 27 in 2010.
Currently just 1% of the police force identifies as Black African or Black Caribbean and there are currently zero appeal court judges who are Black (out of 39).
Monday commemorates 72 years since the arrival of Caribbean migrants on the HMT Empire Windrush ship and a major landmark in Britain’s multi-cultural history. This anniversary comes at a time when racial inequality is at the front of everyone’s minds with the ongoing #BlackLivesMatters protests.
Sandra Kerr CBE, race director at Business in the Community, said: “Twenty five years on from the Business in the Community’s Race Equality Campaign being launched, it is clear that Black people continue to be under-represented at a senior level. This lack of diverse leadership has a direct impact on decision-making. This is more crucial than ever when the evidence shows that BAME people continue to be disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
“Black livelihoods matter and employers need to take urgent action to ensure that their organisation is inclusive and a place where people of any ethnic background can thrive and succeed.”
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