Less than half of Black Britons say they feel ‘proud to be British’ | UK News

The largest survey of black British people found fewer than half of respondents considered themselves proud to be British.

More than 10,000 black British people were surveyed for the Black British Voices Project between November 2021 and March 2022.

The research – a collaboration between British African-Caribbean newspaper The Voice, Cambridge University and black-led consultancy I-Cubed – covered 16 topics including Britishness, education and the workplace.

When participants were asked if they were proud to be British, 49% indicated that they were either definitely or somewhat proud to be British.

Of the remaining respondents, 45% indicated that they were not really or not at all proud to be British, while 6% said they do not know or preferred not to say.

The study’s authors said in a report: ‘Interviewees who expressed pride in being British often gave examples of activities or institutions that have enabled them to successfully participate in British society – eg being “a Londoner”, home ownership, working for the NHS etc.

‘Whereas respondents who said they were not proud to be British cited negative factors such as colonialism and historically racist immigration policies as reasons contributing to their responses.’

Among the other topics covered was the workplace, and participants were asked if they believe black employees have to ‘compromise who they are and how they express themselves to fit in at work’.

A majority of 98% indicated that they always, often or sometimes have to do this, with just 2% indicating it was rarely or never.

Examples given of fitting in included altering clothing and hairstyles, speech patterns and being expected to join workmates at the pub after work, according to the report.

Lester Holloway, editor of The Voice, said: ‘This study should be a wake-up call for Britain.

‘We have many fourth-generation black Brits and, as a community, we should be feeling part of this country.

‘Yet the lived experience of racism in every area of life is leading many to not feel British.

‘We cannot keep ignoring racial disparities and its impact.

‘There needs to be a national conversation about this, and we need race back on the political agenda, so we can tackle the causes of this disconnect between black Brits and the only country they know.’

Among the other findings were that 80% of those polled believed racial discrimination was either definitely or somewhat the biggest barrier to young black people’s academic attainment.

The survey also addressed some questions to the fewer than 500 respondents aged under 25, saying that while there were too few responses to ‘draw any definitive conclusions’, they ‘clearly suggest avenues of further inquiry’.

One of the questions the participants aged under 25 were asked was: ‘Do you regard Britain as being your permanent home, or do you aspire to live elsewhere in future?’

While 45% said they regard Britain as their permanent home, 39% indicated that they aspire to live elsewhere in the future, with the remainder either saying they do not know or prefer not to say.

Dr Kenny Monrose, of Cambridge University’s Department of Sociology, is the project’s lead researcher.

He said: ‘We are mindful that historically black communities have been wary of reports conducted on race, as they attempt to limit or invalidate the reality of their lived experiences.

‘However, the carpet of data captured within this report reliably highlights the chronic level of racial disparities and unequal outcomes that they face on a daily basis.’

Dr Maggie Semple, co-founder of I-Cubed Consultancy, said: ‘The overwhelming response to the survey shows that black British people want change.

‘Change for good, for them, their children and future generations.

‘We can no longer overlook the lived realities of black people in the UK and be non-committal in providing impactful long-term solutions.

‘This is an opportunity to acknowledge our views and opinions, with the intent of creating a better future for us all.’

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