Letter to Zion
Although we’ve reached our target of £100k we welcome more support as this will enable us to do more. Please see our overview for more info
Although we’ve reached our target of £100k we welcome more support as this will enable us to do more. Please see our overview for more info
mark Hudson 23rd November 2021
Carry on the great work from all at Gallows Tesco
Tony Lawrence 15th November 2021
Part of our support for Black History month
Sian 12th November 2021
Basildon mayflower tesco
Sally Dixon 5th November 2021
Fantastic time raising money from all at Tesco Langdon Hills 2082
Angela.f.evans 4th November 2021
From Rainham Tesco 3086
Ayo Owolabi 7th August 2021
Thanks for doing a great job to change the world for better. A new world where no one will be judged by the colour of their skin or the tone of their voice or the name they are called, but by the content of their character.
PS Marmion 9th July 2021
Great idea
Barb Dix 2nd July 2021
Thank you for your sacrifices. Thank you for giving your time, voice, energy, creativity, persistence, networks .... for what you do for us now and for all our futures 🙏🏽
Ekua Nyarko Brown 22nd May 2021
Brother I honour everything that you are doing for the community and the world. On behalf of your son we thank you for the beginning of this mighty legacy. May God guide and support you on your path.❤🙏🏾
Tamara Giltsoff 6th May 2021
Massive respect to you. It's time. And you are a big part of the change. Your approach is elegant and inspiring. I have hope we will achieve the systemic and cultural shifts required but it is up to many of us, mostly/particularly white people, to take responsibility and to drive the change.
Nick Finnemore 1st May 2021
Fully committed to help
Johanne Penney 25th April 2021
This is a movement not a moment. Cephas your words and action are going to shift the dial. As a Black woman working in this space I speak and move exactly the same as you, which meant your words in your letter resonated so deeply. I do this for our kids growing up to really know what it means to be equal regardless of the colour of their skin. But we have work to do!
The BBN is part of Cephas Williams commitment as seen in his Letter to Zion. The BBN is initially launching as an organising body which will allow Black British professionals and the wider Black community to have a united voice regarding business and economic advancement in the UK. In response to recent events, many companies have put out statements, action plans and manifestos indicating where they need to change and address a race or 'diversity' issue. The BBN wants to champion a more reflective response as opposed to a reactive one.
The BBN will initially focus its efforts on bringing both executives, decision makers and the wider Black community together, to construct a uniquely positioned and unified proposition for systemic change. The proposition will be informed by both Black people and industry leading companies. We will collectively formulate targeted actions and measurable outputs with all our ally companies. The BBN will also be a body that can hold everyone accountable as time passes. Allying with the BBN is not to say you are perfect, but to appreciate that nobody is, that we have not got it right yet and to make a commitment to work together to create a better landscape for this generation and generations to come.
Please see our 4 deliverables for year 1 below.
For each meeting, we aim to walk away with tangible actions to change our collective thinking, processes, approach and understanding of the Black community. To build a better system we must deconstruct the existing framework and understand where it has failed the Black community, only then can we have a reflective response as opposed to a reactive response; and use the learning we extract from each meeting to build a better framework/eco system within our organisations and society.
Informed by the RoundTable Conversation, we will work with each company signed up, their Black staff and thought leaders in the Black community to create a document that can be used as a resource for companies to focus and develop efforts on how to better serve the Black community at all levels. We will look at many things including the employee life cycle, the areas that currently fail the Black community and practical steps we need to take to make it better.
Video series of Black people in the community + Black employees in ally companies sharing their stories and thoughts on the Black experience, past, present and hopes for the future. This will also be informed by the discussions had at the Roundtable Conversations and will serve as a way for us to create a library of stories that can educate people and reinforce information that can support change.
Cephas Williams has an aim to take a portrait series of Black people from across the various ally companies we have on board, as well as Black people in the community, in a bid to make more Black people visible across the country. The interest is to crystallize and amplify the contributions of Black British people in today's society and for this to serve as a creative method to not only make more Black people visible but give the next generation and the wider society a holistic picture of Black achievements in the UK in the 21st century.
Founding members
Alfa systems
Clear Channel
Lucky Generals
O2 (Telefónica UK)
EY
Tesco
Media Partners
Talon Outdoor
Clear Channel
JCDecaux
Ocean Outdoor
Blow Up Media
Maxx Media
Open Media
Smart Outdoor
Supporting companies
CPG Photography
Casey took the letter to Zion campaign image
Stolen Picture
Supporting the production of Black British Stories
Crowdfunder
Letter to Zion website - Powered by Crowdfunder
Cellar Door
Letter to Zion Trailer
Manchester International Festival
Supporting Portrait of Black Britain
Associated Organisations
Advertising Association
In light of everything surrounding the Black community and the wider world, I released 'Letter to Zion' on my birthday, 9th of October. My birthday wish is that you read the letter and support my aims and re-post this website if it connects with you.
Alfa Systems
CEO
Imagine
Co-founder & Chair
Stolen Picture
Co-founder
Ascential
President, Marketing Division and Chairman, Cannes Lions
SUPPORT THE BBN
Take your support to another level. You can contribute to our deliverables financially, as an individual or as a business.
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Website
Youtube
Website