Bernie Grant: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|20th-century British politician (1944–2000)}}

'''Bernard Alexander Montgomery Grant''' (17 February 1944 – 8 April 2000) was a [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]] politician who was the Member of Parliament for [[Tottenham (UK Parliament constituency)|Tottenham]], London, from 1987 to his death in 2000. He was a member of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]].

In 1993, Grant co-founded and chaired the [[African Reparations Movement]] (ARM UK) to campaign for the movement for [[reparations for slavery]] and racism. ARM UK was formed following the [[Reparations for slavery#Abuja Proclamation and ARM (1993)|1993 Abuja Proclamation]] declared at the First Pan-African Conference on Reparations, in [[Abuja, Nigeria]], convened by the [[Organisation of African Unity]] (OAU) and the Nigerian government. On 10 May 1993 Grant tabled a motion in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] that the House welcomed the proclamation and "calls upon the international community to recognise that the unprecedented moral debt owed to African people has yet to be paid, and urges all those countries who were enriched by enslavement and colonisation to review the case for reparations to be paid to Africa and to Africans in the Diaspora; acknowledges the continuing painful economic and personal consequences of the exploitation of Africa and Africans in the Diaspora and the racism it has generated; and supports the OAU as it intensifies its efforts to pursue the cause of reparations." The motion was sponsored by Grant, [[Tony Benn]], [[Tony Banks, Baron Stratford|Tony Banks]], [[John Austin-Walker]], [[Harry Barnes (Labour politician)|Harry Barnes]], and [[Gerry Bermingham]]; an additional 46 Labour Party MPs signed to support the motion, including [[Jeremy Corbyn]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=10 May 1993|title=ABUJA PROCLAMATION - Early Day Motions|url=https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/5521/abuja-proclamation|access-date=2020-07-09|website=edm.parliament.uk|publisher=UK Parliament}}</ref> ARM UK, in a "Birmingham Declaration" of 1 January 1994,<ref>Quoted in [https://stopthemaangamizi.com/tag/1st-august/page/2/ "Why We March on 1st August"], stopthemaangamizi.com.</ref> called upon:

[[File:Bernie Grant Blue Plaque on the old Tottenham Town Hall.jpg|thumb|alt=Blue plaque reading: "Bernie Grant 1944-20001944–2000 Trade Unionist, Council Leader, Member of Parliament and People's Champion held legendary surgeries here 1987-20001987–2000". -Inscribed around the border is: "Nubian Jak Community Trust installed/ Haringey Council / Unison / Lee Valley Estates"|Blue plaque dedicated to Grant at Tottenham Old Town itHall]]

In September 2007, in Tottenham, [[Haringey Council]] opened the [[Bernie Grant Arts Centre]] in his name.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk/index.php?pid=8 |title=About Bernie |publisher=Bernie Grants Arts Centre |date=21 September 2015 |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref> On Sunday, 28 October 2012, a blue plaque, organised by the [[Nubian Jak Community Trust]], was unveiled at [[Tottenham Town Hall|Tottenham Old Town Hall]] in tribute to Grant.<ref>{{cite web|first=Bruce|last= Thain |url=http://www.haringeyindependent.co.uk/news/10013603.Hundreds_turn_out_for_Bernie_Grant_plaque_unveiling/ |title=Hundreds turn out for Bernie Grant plaque unveiling |website=Haringey Independent |date=29 October 2012 |access-date=27 July 2016}}</ref> On 5 December 2017, a portrait of Grant was unveiled in Parliament. The portrait was commissioned by the Speaker's Advisory Committee on Works of Art. Drawn in 180 hours using pencil and charcoal by hyper-realist artist Kelvin Okafor, the portrait joined the Parliamentary Art Collection.{{fact|date=October 2021}}

In March 2019, the Labour Party launched the Bernie Grant Leadership programme, which was created to train and equip BAME Labour members.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Bernie Grant Leadership Programme|url=https://labour.org.uk/members/take-part/bernie-grant-leadership-programme/|website=The Labour Party|access-date=2020-05-08}}</ref> [[Dawn Butler]] wrote on the launch that "This national programme is about empowering more Black, Asian, minority ethnic members to take on leadership positions in the Labour Party, develop skills and join a network of talented members and community activists across the country,", saying that Grant "campaigned tirelessly for the elimination of racism both in Britain and across the world.&nbsp;... He was a champion of his community, a dedicated constituency MP and has encouraged a generation of BAME leaders."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Butler |first1=Dawn |title=Why Labour is launching the Bernie Grant Leadership programme |url=https://labourlist.org/2019/03/why-labour-is-launching-the-bernie-grant-leadership-programme/ |website=LabourList |access-date=7 May 2020 |date=28 March 2019}}</ref>