URGENT NEWS: Winners of Windrush Awards 2002 (Cathy Tyson and Lord Chan honoured)
Added: (Sun Jul 07 2002)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
Friday 21 June, Dorchester Hotel.
The prestigious 4th WINDRUSH 2002 ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS enjoyed a splendid night and produced some exciting Champions whose diverse achievements should now go on to inspire many visible minorities in the UK. These unique Awards recognise the vast wealth of talent among African Caribbean, Asian and Oriental communities who are making an impact in various occupations throughout the country. It's primary aim is to identify minority role models to inspire others and recognise individual achievement, while emphasising partnership with the White mainstream.
The Windrush Champions have been selected from across the country, with 50% of winners coming from London. The highest accolade, the Windrush Fellowship, was accepted this year by worthy winners CATHY TYSON (pioneer star of Mona Lisa and Band of Gold who said she was 'amazed to be honoured in this way", and now she knew what it felt like to get an award), and Lord MICHAEL CHAN of OXTON (Chair of The Chinese in Britain Forum). As the winners are not revealed to anyone in advance, except Anser House staff, Lord Chan said he was getting ready to take a picture of the recipient only to realise that it was himself!!
In the Positive Media Category, The GUARDIAN won the Best Print section as voted for by the 30 Windrush judges for its professional and uplifting coverage of issues relating to a multicultural society; OTHELLO (by LWT) won Best Drama for is unpatronising use of a Black lead actor; FAMILY AFFAIRS (Channel 5) won Best Series for using minority actors in a non-tokenistic way and BBC NEWS 24 for not only reflecting minority talent in a positive way but also a varied and diverse slant to its news coverage.
In the Outstanding Merit Categories, COLIN POWELL, the USA Secretary of State, won the International Tribute, beating such greats as Denzil Washington and Halle Berry who were nominated by the judges; LENNOX LEWIS marginally pipped Paul Boateng to win the Newsmaker of the Year award and Lord JOHN TAYLOR of WARWICK narrowly went ahead of Lisa Aziz to take the Oustanding Merit Champion.
The Partnership Tribute, which recognises White-led organisations for their support and encouragement of minority talent, creativity and progress, whether through in-kind, financial or training, while reflecting the community being served, was won by both the LONDON ARTS BOARD and WEST BROMWICH BUILDING SOCIETY.
(The full list is available on www.anserhouse.co.uk/events):
EDUCATION
SMALL BUSINESS
INTERNET & TECHNOLOGY
GENERAL OCCUPATIONS
PUBLIC SERVICE
COMMUNITY SERVICE
PARTNERSHIP TRIBUTE (which includes some major White-led organisations for their assistance and encouragement of minority development and progress in the UK).
Special Awards
NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR
INTERNATIONAL CHAMPION OF THE YEAR
OUTSTANDING MERIT TRIBUTE
POSITIVE MEDIA CHAMPIONS (which present minorities and related issues in a positive, unbiased way and is also representative of the community being served within their staffing).
PLUS 5 Special Inspiration Awards from the Founder
Founder Elaine Sihera introduced the Windrush Awards in 1999 to celebrate the contribution of visible minority groups to the social, economic and cultural life of the UK, as well as to cement partnerships with the White mainstream in order to encourage minority inclusion, cultural integration and mutual respect. It is now regarded as the celebration of the year for all visible minority communities, not just for one section, race or group.
In her opening speech at these 4th Awards, Elaine noted the absence of the main media and also the Labour party from the event. She felt that, at a time when the rhetoric on race and diversity is now high on the agenda and the racist right was gaining ground, the patronising and biased way minorities were being treated by the media, especially in the way significant events in their community were ignored, was very sad. The focus on celebrities also meant that extraordinary people are being ignored, a situation which is even worse in minority communities because of the deliberate lack of media exposure of what was relevant to them.
In the presence of Lord Dholakia, Liberal Democrats President, and Dominic Grieve MP, Conservative Home Affairs and Community Relationships spokesman, she also questioned Labour's sincerity regarding a multicultural society through its obvious lack of respect for minority achievers who were gathered there from across all visible communities. The absence of a Minister "suggested an emphasis on words rather than deeds, which is really rather sad if politicians are to be believed and to be respected themselves".
She continued, "Visibility is tied up with respect. Where there is little or no respect, people are ignored or kept on the margins. Yet a lack of respect for people and how they feel, how they want to be treated and their worth is the first step in denying them their views, denying their aspirations, their successes, their individual needs, tangible services and provisions and, ultimately, denying their existence. To be visible is like a circle. The more visibility, the more well known, the more credibility given, then greater respect and gradually greater exposure. A never ending cycle which currently favours the few above the many and the majority above minorities.
'No power broker ever sits down, unless they are truly racist, and say 'I am going to exclude some Black people today from our programmes, from our jobs, from our film, from our Top 10, from our club or gathering'. Invisibility comes through omission and omission evolves, and is covertly maintained, by a natural desire to promote our own kind; to select our own kind; to feel comfortable with our own kind; to use our own kind as a yardstick of acceptable behaviour and an affirmation of who we are, and to use standards which apply only to our own kind to judge every one else. Thus it is terribly hard to gain visibility in a majority society without conforming totally to the expectations of the dominant group, without losing one's identity, values and beliefs in the process and without being assimilated into their world."
The 2002 Awards are sponsored by the Teacher Training Agency, the Metropolitan Police, Business Link, Black Britain Online and New IMPACT Journal. There are 30 judges nationally, including 24 African-Caribbean, Asian and Oriental high flyers who are already making an impact in their own fields as well as past Windrush Champions.
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NOTES TO EDITORS
1. Our website www.anserhouse.co.uk also has other essential information. The Awards were launched in 1999, inspired by the BBC’s special celebration of the arrival of the ship Empire Windrush and the first West Indian immigrants to Britain. The annual awards celebrate the legacy of those first pioneers. There are 15 categories including the Windrush Fellowship of which Des’ree, Moira Stuart, Lord Ouseley, Surinder Sharma and Lord Dholakia are past Fellows.
2. For other information on NEW IMPACT, finalists contact details, interviews with Elaine or any other item associated with AnSer House of Marlow UK, contact Sebastian Grieg,PR Officer, or Elaine herself on 01628 481581 (elaine@anserhouse.co.uk).
3. For other comments, particularly from Sponsors on why they have supported this significant event, please contact the following:
Alf Brown Teacher Training Agency 0207 925 3700 (Education Awards)
Danny Chapman Business link 0207 938 7012 (Small Business Awards)
DCI Tony Bennett Metropolitan Police 0207 230 1212 (General Occupation)
Kofi Kusitor Black Britain Online 0207 498 5656 (Internet & Technology)
4. Presenters include: Rudolph Walker from Eastenders; Roger Griffiths from Family Affairs; Nina Wadia, Actress; Cathy Tyson, Actress; Lord Dholakia of Waltham Brooks, President, Liberal Democrats; Ralph Tabberer, Chief Executive, Teacher Training Agency; Martin Wyn Griffiths, Chief Executive, Business Link; Dominic Grieve MP, Conservative Home Affairs Spokesman, Duonne Alexnder, Proprietor of Gramma's; Mr Bernard Hogan-Howe, Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police; Kofi Kusitor, Managing Director, Black Britain Online; Lord Taylor of Warwick, Jeff Mirza, Compere and Elaine Sihera.
5. The New IMPACT Journal has promoted the term ‘visible minority’ in preference to ‘ethnic minority’ which is regarded as pejorative and marginal, especially as everyone belongs to an ethnic group.
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