The FBU B&EMM committee reports from this year’s FBU black and ethnic minority members’ school
The FBU black and ethnic minority members section (B&EMM) national committee hosted its annual school at Wortley Hall, Sheffield. This year we recognised 30 years of the section, discussing the journey so far and the work still to be done.
Members were greeted by rousing music played on steel pans, before entering the brightly adorned conference room. Assistant general secretary Ben Selby opened the school, followed by an array of speakers, all contributing to a weekend of education, empowerment and valuable networking.
Speakers included Micky Nicholas, Les Bowman, Paul Greaves and Mark Brown – four retired members instrumental in the formation of the FBU B&EMM, first as an informal network in 1994 and then as an official FBU section in 1999.
This followed five years of organising by black and minoritised individuals who were suffering racial abuse, victimisation and discrimination in their fire and rescue services.
Attendees also witnessed the unveiling of the George Arthur Roberts portrait, which now hangs in the FBU Bar at Wortley.
The portrait was proudly unveiled by his great granddaughter Samantha Harding and is now on loan to Wortley until mid-next year.
George Arthur Roberts was a soldier during the First World War and an auxiliary firefighter based in London during The Second World War. He was awarded a British Empire Medal for his courage. After serving as a firefighter, George was recognised for his community work.
Speakers during the weekend also included Ben Jamal, director of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign; Moyra Samuels, representing the North Kensington community around the Grenfell Tower; Cameron Matthews, Unison; and FBU general secretary Matt Wrack.
We recognised the contributions of two phenomenal woman – Samantha Samuels and the late Leila Asoko.
Samantha Samuels announced her retirement after serving 34 years with West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service.
Attendees heard tributes from her brigade and others. Samantha was the first black woman to serve in the West Midlands, and became a full-time FBU rep. She has been a continuous and committed FBU member, contributing greatly to both the fire and rescue service and the union.
Leila Asoko was the Region 5 B&EMM rep. She sadly lost her battle with cancer in November 2021. It was at her funeral that the B&EMM committee made a solemn promise to keep Leila’s memory alive. A staunch activist with resilience and a gift of true empathy, Leila was remembered by the unveiling of a memorial bench, in the presence of the school attendees and her family members.
This year’s B&EMM school closed with a reminder to all that, sadly, there is still plenty of work to be done to ensure that all are treated fairly, with equal opportunity and dignity. The work continues, building on 30 years of organising.
