The following letter was sent to Rt Hon Theresa May MP (by then, Home Secretary in David Cameron’s Cabinet), on July 4th, 2011. 

Dear Home Secretary,

Call for a People’s Inquiry into Gun and Knife Killings in the African Community

I write in relation to the recent upsurge of gun- and knife-enabled killings involving young people of African descent both as victims and perpetrators.

I am aware that this is a matter of huge concern to you and your Cabinet colleagues and I very much hope that you will give urgent attention to my proposal that there should be a “People’s Inquiry” to focus African communities up and down the land on the issues this relentless and senseless waste of young lives raises.  As I am sure you would agree, these are issues for the society as a whole, including for African families themselves, for the socialisation and preparation of our young people for life in civil society and for their participation in the economy, for community safety, for community cohesion and for law and order. Read the rest of this entry →