From Playground Slurs to Far-Right Grooming: Birmingham Summit Confronts the Harsh Realities of Racism and DivisioN

The Birmingham VCFSE Community Cohesion Summit, hosted by Birmingham Voluntary Service Council in partnership with Birmingham Race Impact Group, brought together leaders, activists and community organisations at St Andrew’s at Knighthead Park in Birmingham for a morning of frank reflection and urgent calls to action.

Designed to confront the realities of community division and strengthen cohesion across the city, the summit quickly set a serious and reflective tone — one that acknowledged both historical injustices and present-day challenges.

A Personal Reflection on Racism

BRIG Interim Chief Executive Lorna Shaw delivered what many described as the hardest-hitting speech of the morning. She reflected on her own childhood experiences of racism, recalling the pain of being called the n-word as a young girl. Her words were measured but deeply emotional, as she described how such moments leave marks that do not easily fade.

Shaw drew a powerful and distressing parallel to the present day, sharing that her own grandchild had recently been subjected to the same racial slur on a school playground. The intergenerational nature of that experience — decades apart, yet painfully similar — underscored the persistence of racism despite years of campaigning, legislation and awareness.

She challenged the audience not to grow complacent, arguing that community cohesion cannot be built on surface-level statements or symbolic gestures alone. Instead, she called for structural change, deeper education, and a united civic response to prejudice in all its forms.

Confronting the Far Right’s “Underbelly”

Also addressing the summit was Nigel Bromage of Small Steps, who spoke starkly about the “underbelly” of far-right movements operating across the UK. Drawing on his experience of extremism and disengagement work, Bromage warned that far-right groups are actively grooming children and families, using online platforms and local networks to normalise hateful ideologies.

He outlined how vulnerable young people — particularly those feeling isolated, unheard or economically marginalised — can be drawn into extremist narratives. Bromage emphasised that grooming into far-right movements often mirrors tactics used by other forms of exploitation: gradual exposure, emotional manipulation and the creation of a false sense of belonging.

His organisation, he explained, is working to tackle this issue head-on, supporting early intervention, education and outreach to prevent young children and teenagers from being pulled into extremist spaces. The message was clear: preventing radicalisation requires coordinated effort between schools, families, community groups and local authorities.

Poetry and Perspective

The morning also featured a moving performance by former Birmingham Poet Laureate Jasmine Gardosi. Gardosi delivered a powerful rendition of William Shakespeare’s writing on immigration — drawing on the famous speech often associated with Sir Thomas More — which calls for empathy towards “strangers” seeking refuge.

Through poetry, she reminded the audience that debates around migration and belonging are not new; they have echoed through centuries of British history. The piece reinforced the summit’s core message: that compassion and shared humanity must underpin any serious approach to community cohesion.

A Call to Collective Action

The summit did not shy away from difficult truths. From personal testimony about enduring racism to warnings about extremist grooming, speakers made clear that Birmingham — like many cities — faces complex and evolving challenges.

Yet the prevailing mood was not one of despair. Instead, the gathering reinforced a commitment from the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector to work collaboratively, amplify marginalised voices and confront division directly.

As attendees left the stadium venue, the message lingered: community cohesion is not a passive state but an active, ongoing commitment — one that demands honesty, courage and sustained collective action.