who are we
We are a movement of activists, animateurs, academics and ordinary people who all want to live to see an anti-racist city. We are the community.
We are people with lived experience of racism.
We bring our knowledge and experience of our roles as race equality policy practitioners.
We represent the interest of all people who continue to live with racism in our city.
And we want to try something different.
our mission is simple
An anti-racist city
Keep race on the agenda
Hold institutions to account
Passing the baton to future generations
OUR STORY
The 4th June 2020 more than 5000 young people, elders, and families stood united for the largest rally for the Black Lives Matter protest in Centenary Square Birmingham. It was Birmingham’s response to yet another senseless murder of a Black man.
Many of us had been here before, in the 1960s, 1970s and more significantly the 1981-85 uprisings.
We could now predict the play book. It’s wasteful cycle of outrage, noise and silence.
Race, is back on the agenda.
There will be a commission...
There will be a report...
Outsiders will be brought in to investigate, units opened and refreshed.
Then, as the outrage subsides, race will once again fall off the agenda...
Until the next murder!
We have been here before and are likely to be here again because all we ever get is “performativism” the pretence of doing something but never actually doing anything meaningful.
We set up structures, but ‘structures’ don’t deliver and there is no learning about what has or hasn’t worked – there is no progress or deeper understanding of how systemic, embedded, societal racism operates.
The anti-racist reactionary movement has been in a perpetual loop: one step forward, that is driven by a hiatus of activity in responding to the here and now; two steps back, until it falls off the agenda AGAIN!
The perpetual loop continues.
Anti-racist measures are “hard.”
Let’s just follow a ‘tick box’ approach.
Like climate action there is no sustainability.
Anti-racism is more important now than ever before because here in Birmingham, we are a minority-majority city with 70% of pupils of colour in our schools.
People have come saying they are committed but they don’t know what to do.
We all agree there are no priority sectors, all areas need equal weight if we have any chance of moving forward
The battle of Digbeth, February 1978
Saffiyah Khan vs EDL, April 2017
Birmingham Race Impact Group
board of trustees
-
Jagwant Johal
Former Constituency Director and Race Relations Unit, Birmingham City Council and Co-Founder of the Black History Foundation; Chair - Sia, National Black Voluntary Sector; Trustee - Community Development Foundation; Trustee Community Development Project; Non-Executive - National Council of Voluntary Organisations.
LinkedIn -
Naseem Aktar
Founder and CEO of Saheli Hub, challenging stereotypes and breaking down barriers for women's participation in physical activity & sport in Birmingham since 1998.
LinkedIn -
Lorna Shaw
Lorna Shaw is a dedicated anti-racism advocate and Interim CEO of the Birmingham Race Impact Group, whose work focuses on dismantling racism while building a society rooted in justice, belonging, and opportunity for all. Influenced by Black feminist thinkers such as Patricia Hill Collins and bell hooks, Shaw’s approach centres lived experience and recognises how racism operates both systemically and culturally.
-
Ranjit Sondhi
Lay Member, Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group: National Trustee - Citizens UK; Deputy Chair, Commission for Racial Equality Commission for Racial Equality, BBC Governor, Civil Services Commissioner Criminal Cases Review Panel; Director, Asian Resource Centre.
-
Daniel McNeil
Daniel McNeil is an award-winning historian and cultural studies scholar whose work explores how migration, media, and memory shape cultural identities and social movements. At the heart of his work is a commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry, inclusive education, and the transformative power of the humanities and social sciences.
-
Karamat Iqbal
Karamat has been active in race relations since the 1970s. He has been working as an Equality, Diversity and Education consultant across the sectors, including government departments. Since writing Dear Birmingham and achieving his PhD, Karamat has been particularly concerned with the needs of the Pakistani community. He is currently working on racial justice for the Church of England (first West Midlands and now nationally).
LinkedIn -
Ayan Aden
Ayan Aden is Birmingham’s current Poet Laureate (2024–2026), a title she uses to champion poetry as both a cultural force and a tool for social justice. A writer, performer, and organiser, her work is rooted in dismantling systemic racism, reclaiming narratives for marginalised communities, and building platforms that ensure culture is accessible to all.
Birmingham Race Impact Group ADVISORY BOARD
-
Daniel Stone
Daniel Stone is a public sector leader specialising in regional development and civic engagement. He currently serves as Strategic Lead for Integrated Settlement Delivery at the West Midlands Combined Authority, following over five years at the University of Birmingham supporting major civic initiatives including The Exchange. Daniel is also the founder of The Philosophers’ Yard, Chair of the Local Governing Board at Hamstead Hall Academy Trust, and previously worked with Rare Recruitment to widen access to leading universities and employers.
-
Alex Johl
Alex is a culture change professional in Higher Education, currently working in EDI at the University of Birmingham. Specialising in values-led leadership, coaching, mentoring, and long-term behavioural change, Alex is passionate about creating belonging and amplifying minority voices. He previously served as Co-Chair of the University’s Race Equality Network, growing it to almost 800 members and earning national and European recognition, while also leading impactful community initiatives including the Benjamin Zephaniah Community Lecture and nationally recognised South Asian Heritage Month programmes.
-
Neelam Heera - Shergill
Neelam Heera-Shergill is a TEDx speaker, award-winning advocate, and founder of Cysters, a grassroots organisation focused on tackling health inequalities and amplifying marginalised voices. Inspired by her own experiences with PCOS, Endometriosis, PMDD, and recurrent miscarriages, Neelam created Cysters as a safe and inclusive space to challenge stigma surrounding reproductive and mental health, particularly for communities often excluded from mainstream healthcare conversations.
-
Ammo Talwar MBE
Ammo Talwar is a respected figure across the UK’s cultural and creative sectors, known for his ability to connect equity and artistic innovation with strategic leadership.
He is the founder and CEO of PUNCH, a Birmingham-based organisation with a strong track record of delivering meaningful cultural work across both public and private sectors. Under his leadership, PUNCH has grown from a grassroots initiative into a nationally recognised, award-winning music agency, partnering with major institutions including Google, Coca-Cola, the British Council and Meta to support grassroots music and creativity.
LinkedIn