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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 21 September 2007

Alex Pascall

Broadcaster backs bid to give black community a new voice

A leading black broadcaster and a former Islington councillor have joined the growing call for a new borough-wide campaigning group representing the Afro-Caribbean community.
Journalist Alex Pascall and former Islington councillor Eddie Nyles support plans for a new black voice to tackle problems of crime and youth unemployment. The idea has been put forward by Desmond Riley, a voluntary worker at the Link-up Project in Seven Sisters Road who works with young black people.
Through the Tribune, Mr Riley recently voiced concern about the lack of job opportunities and the rise in crime involving knives and guns among young black men.
This week Mr Pascall warned that a previous attempt by Islington Council to establish a black focus group had proved unsuccessful.
“I joined an advisory committee organised by the Lib Dem council a few years ago but I gave up,” he said. “They just wanted me so they could tick all the right boxes. No matter what we put forward we got nowhere.”
Mr Pascall believes the council has done little for the Afro-Caribbean community. “I once tried to establish a historical centre for the borough but received very little support,” he said.
It was different 25 years ago under the then Labour leader Margaret Hodge, according to Mr Nyles, who was a councillor in those days. “In 1982 we had about five Afro-Caribbean councillors, including a black mayor,” Mr Nyles, 68, said. “Today there are none. Black people don’t get involved in politics these days. Maybe they are not being encouraged by the political parties. Maybe they don’t think they can make a contribution.”

Anyone interested in forming an Afro-Caribbean organisation should contact Mr Riley at Islingtonlinkup@hotmail.co.uk or by calling 020 7607 3197.

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