Representation 365: Building Bridges Over Barriers

Black history is too often framed as something that sits firmly in the past. For LGBTQ+ Black and people of colour communities, history is unfolding every day in real time, shaped by resilience, creativity, protest and collective care, often in the face of increasing hostility. Representation is not a moment. It is a continuous practice that must be nurtured, resourced and protected.

UK Black Pride was created because exclusion was not the exception, it was the norm. It emerged as a grassroots response to the marginalisation of LGBTQ+ Black and POC communities, including within spaces that claimed to be inclusive. From its beginnings, it has been rooted in lived experience, cultural preservation and community safety. Organisations like UK Black Pride are often the first to respond when communities are under pressure and the last to be sustainably funded.

As a Trustee of UK Black Pride and someone working within equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education, I often find myself navigating both community and institutional spaces. I have seen the transformative power of representation when it is done with care, intention and accountability. I have also seen how quickly progress becomes fragile when funding, political will and long-term commitment begin to fall away.

Recent reports highlighting financial instability across LGBTQ+ charities in the UK are deeply concerning. These are not isolated challenges. They reflect wider systemic pressures that threaten the very infrastructure supporting LGBTQ+ Black and POC communities at a time when it is needed most. When grassroots organisations struggle, it is our most marginalised communities who feel the impact first through the loss of safe spaces, advocacy and visibility.

This is why meaningful collaboration matters.

Higher education institutions are powerful cultural spaces. They shape ideas, influence policy and educate future generations. When they engage in genuine partnership with grassroots organisations, there is real potential to shift not only narratives but structures. It is not about performative inclusion. It is about recognising lived experience as expertise and investing in communities in ways that are sustainable and accountable.

UAL’s commitment to creative practice, storytelling and cultural expression provides an important platform to centre LGBTQ+ Black and POC voices, not as an addition, but as essential knowledge. This kind of work moves beyond visibility and begins to build something more lasting. It creates space for dialogue, learning and shared responsibility.

As someone born in Southern Africa, I am deeply guided by the philosophy of Ubuntu. The Zulu proverb “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” reminds us that a person is a person through other people. Our humanity is shaped through connection. Our wellbeing is interconnected. Our liberation is collective.

Ubuntu is not just a philosophy. It is a way of living and organising. It sits at the heart of the work we do at UK Black Pride and continues to shape how I approach my work within institutions. It asks us to consider not only who is present, but who is missing. Not only who is being heard, but who is being silenced.

Representation without support is fragile. Visibility without investment is unsustainable.

If we are serious about equity and justice, we must move beyond moments of celebration and towards long-term commitment. Supporting grassroots organisations like UK Black Pride is not symbolic. It is structural. It requires institutions to share resources, listen deeply and act with intention.

Despite the challenges, I remain hopeful. I see it in the courage of young queer people stepping into their power. I see it in the wisdom of those who have paved the way before us. I see it in communities who continue to show up for one another with compassion, resilience and care.

Representation is not seasonal. Community is not optional.

Rooted in Ubuntu, I hold onto the belief that our futures are interconnected. When we invest in one another, when we build bridges instead of barriers, we create the conditions for something better.

A world where LGBTQ+ Black and POC communities are not just seen, but supported. Not just included, but valued. Not just present, but thriving.

In pride, solidarity and unity, always.

Josie Peres