Action for Race Equality works collaboratively with Black, Asian and Mixed heritage-led organisations to strengthen the community and voluntary sector and improve outcomes across education, employment and criminal justice. As part of our drive, we’re proud to actively spotlight individuals, initiatives and campaigns that share our mission to advance race equity in the UK.
In this spotlight, Bowale Fadare, Policy and Research Officer had the pleasure of interviewing Maya Mate-Kole, Project Service Manager at Mwanzo Project CIC – a Black Led Grassroots Community Interest Company founded in response to the gap in provision for children and young people who are at risk/involved in offending, exploitation and street conflict.
Mwanzo Project is a Black Led Grassroots Community Interest Company, in Bristol which was founded in response to the gap in provision for children and young people who are at risk/involved in offending, exploitation and street conflict.
Why or how did you get involved in the CJS?
I always had a passion for racial justice and community engagement; my lived experience growing up in East Central Bristol exposed to me the social exclusion and marginalisation of Black heritage communities specifically in relation to the criminal legal system and how we were systemically failed.
With a background in youth and social work, I was particularly interested in anti-discriminatory/oppressive practice in relation to Black young people. Subsequently, I often engaged in community events in relation to policing and in 2017 I was appointed to the Mayoral Commission on Race Equality. Through this work and being appointed to lead a deferred prosecution pilot in my local area, I was able to enhance my understanding of the criminal legal system and need to advocate for change.
What does this work mean to you?
The work we do at Mwanzo Project, advocacy for racial justice and supporting young people most marginalised and seldom heard goes far beyond our day job. We work in the community we grew up in, that we live within, in a community we love and are passionate about, with our young people whom we want to feel safe and to thrive.
Mwanzo Project seeks to create opportunities for young people to engage in support and mentorship to unlock their full potential.
As a Black led-by and for- organisation, what do you find to be the biggest challenge working in this space and what do you think needs to be done to overcome it?
The challenge of being a small led by and for organisation is often the short term and restricted nature of available funding. The constant scoping for funding opportunities and bid writing significantly impacts organisation’s ability to develop, project plan/manage and centre the needs of clients. Longer term funding opportunities, focusing on the need for long term interventions and recognition of the value of community grassroots organisations should be centred by funders and commissioners.
It is also important not to underestimate the complexity of working in the community you also live within, the impact this can have and how emotional safety needs to be acknowledged and created for those practitioners.
What would you want the CJS to look like and how does your work feed into that solution/landscape?
The existing criminal legal system has been built on the demonisation of those most marginalised; those seen as needing to be punished and is rooted in structural and systemic racism. In order to change the landscape to a fair, equitable and rehabilitative system the current criminal legal system would need to be dismantled and reformed
Do you agree with the Macpherson definition of institutional racism? In 2024, would you add or take anything away?
In its broadest sense, I would agree with elements of Macpherson’s definition of institutional racism, however, the inclusion of “unwitting” in this definition reduces accountability for institutions as well as eliminates the intentionality re. the way systems are designed, and culture embedded. I would argue that individuals and institutions are able to use ignorance as an excuse for racist practices under this definition. Subsequently, I feel an update of the definition is required that better describes how power and privilege perpetuate systemic racism.
Some argue that community led organisations constrain British policing, and that Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage people are dealt with through community leaders rather than individually. To what extent would you agree with this?
I agree that often police will rely on community ‘leaders’ and organisation representatives rather than engaging individually or more widely with communities which provides limited insight and community voice. However, I would argue that community organisation representatives do not hinder or constrain British policing but in fact, the police force’s lack of community engagement and communication strategies do.
It is the responsibility of police forces to establish community dialogue, build relationships and establish mechanisms for consultation with marginalised people and communities.
Two tier policing has been raised following the far-right riots that took place in August. What do you think about this term to describe British policing?
I think this term could be used to describe British policing but in the opposite way to proposed by the far-right. The disproportionate use of Stop and Search, in addition to the police’s use of other powers against Black people is well evidenced. The National College of Policing themselves have acknowledged that Black heritage people are over-policed, under-protected, not involved and underrepresented.
The recognition of Institutional Racism within our local police force further highlights the differing and unequal experience of Black communities of policing is well evidenced.
The discussion of two-tier policing highlights the differing experiences of communities with law enforcement, as seen during the far-right riots in August.
How do you think intersectionality arises in your work and in the CJS as a wider system?
Mwanzo has predominantly worked with Black boys/young men and although we recognise the marginalisation and experiences of Black girls/women, have not seen arrest referrals. It has been important for Mwanzo to adopt anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice in all our delivery, whilst also recognising the nuances for the young people we work with navigating a world that has marginalised them.
In addition to this, a number of our young people have additional needs, are neurodivergent or have endured poor mental health, requiring us to tailor support to ensure our services are accessible and meet the needs of our client group. The intersectionality between social-economic status and race is often oversimplified or in fact, overlooked which results in a limited perspective of the issues facing the young people we work with.
Through your work, what are some misconceptions you’ve come across?
The current national rhetoric surrounding serious youth violence and drug-related offending has become racialised and centred in media as a Black issue, particularly a Black male issue with limited exploration of serious violence and offending in its entirety. The role of systemic racism and experiences of Black communities are often overlooked in discussions re. disproportionality with the criminal legal system. This in addition to the adultification of Black young people, stereotypes of ‘aggressive’, ‘gangs’ and ‘criminal’ Black boys continues to perpetuate misconceptions around public discourses in relation to the criminal legal system and more generally offending.
Misconceptions often reinforce harmful stereotypes that unfairly criminalise young Black individuals.
How has working in the CJS impacted your understanding of young people and the criminal justice system?
I witnessed the barriers experienced by young people particularly in my area first hand in adolescence, and my work has further evidenced the failing, multiple missed opportunities, barriers and institutionalised racism in culture, processes and practice of the criminal legal system. Through our work, we have developed an enhanced knowledge of the system and how it works which has helped us to understand how to support our young people and advocate for them.
Finally, if you could identify one or two people who could really make a difference in improving the CJS, who would they be and why?
Lord Timpson, Yvette Cooper and Shabana Mahmood all have national influence and decision-making capacity to influence reform.
Bowale Fadare
Author
