Meet the Legacy Group

  • Asher has over 30 years experience as a community activist, leader, management consultant and now politician. She has championed the needs of the voiceless, with a particular emphasis on the social-economic development of BME and under-represented communities. She has led and chaired a number of major partnerships and organisations at local, regional and national level and has worked in the field of employment & training, education & skills, recruitment, advocacy, equality & diversity within local government and third sector.

    Asher was elected as the Labour Councillor for the ward of St George West, Bristol in May 2016 and was appointed to the Cabinet with the wide-reaching portfolio of Neighbourhoods in August 2016. In March 2017 Asher was asked to step into the new created role of Deputy Mayor for Communities, bringing into and elevating the issue of Public Health as part of this new portfolio.

Chair and Trustee of the Bristol Legacy Foundation

Trustee and Chair of Partnerships, Investments and Resources Task Group

  • Since 1999, Marti has practised as a lawyer advising SMEs on corporate and commercial law. Her particular areas of specialism are company and business sales and purchases as well as providing companies with all the commercial contracts they need to run their businesses. She joined Bevan Brittan in September 2019 and is a partner in the Corporate team which is part of the Commercial and Infrastructure Department.

    Marti is a chair of St Pauls Carnival and a director of several other social enterprises including 91 Ways, Bristol Cultural Development Partnership and chairs Bristol @ Night which is a representative body set up by Bristol City Council to ensure that the voice of the night time economy is heard at all levels of decision making across the city.

Trustee and Chair of Reparatory Justice Task Group 

  • Jendayi is a Public Speaker, Trainer, Facilitator, Community Developer, and Reparations Activist specialising in race equity and its intersections, personal and organisational strategic development and psychosocial education for change. You can listen to Jendayi’s Radio Show Glocal which focuses on Afrikan political, cultural, and social affairs, on Ujima every Friday. Jendayi is also the convenor of AfrikanConneXions Consortium, a lobbying group promoting the interest of Afrikan Heritage people in Bristol and the South West.

  • Shawn-Naphtali Sobers is Professor of Cultural Interdisciplinary Practice at University of the West of England, Director of the Critical Race and Culture Research Group, and teaches photography.

    As a visual anthropologist he has carried out many research projects, ranging from legacies of slavery, African presence in Georgian and Victorian Britain, disability and walking, Rastafari language and culture, creative citizenship, and Rastafari and Ethiopian connections with the city of Bath. As a filmmaker and photographer his work has been exhibited and screened nationally and internationally, and has directed and produced documentaries with Firstborn Creatives for BBC1, ITV, and Channel 4.

Co-Chair of Memorialisation Task Group

  • Cleo Lake, a founding member of Countering Colston, gained international attention as Lord Mayor for removing enslavers' portraits from City Hall. During her five terms as a Green Party Councillor (2016-2021), she championed a Reparations and Atonement motion at Bristol City Council (March 2nd, 2021).

    With nearly two decades in the arts and culture sector, Cleo chaired St Pauls Carnival, produced and presented on Ujima 98FM, and served as an ADAD (Association of Dance of the African

    Diaspora) Trailblazer. She's a writer in residence at the Arnolfini and a Bristol + Bath Creative R&D Inclusion fellow.

    Cleo, holding a BA Hons in Dance, utilises creativity to foster civic engagement and cultural understanding, recently developing a seasonal seminary for healing.

Co-Chair of Memorialisation Task Group

  • Ruth is an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion consultant, with experience spanning charity, public, and private sectors. Previous roles include Head of Equalities at Voscur and Manager of the Witness Service at Bristol Crown Court. She co-founded Breathing Fire and Black Women Let Loose, theatre companies for women of African Caribbean Descent. Ruth is a fellow of the Women Leaders South West programme, initiating walking projects for women in the region to address isolation and improve wellbeing. She advises strategic bodies such as the Bristol Manifesto for Race Equality and the Global Majority Teachers Network. Ruth's diverse background includes banking, housing management, and creative production.

  • Tunga's interests lie in social justice, particularly focusing on issues of race, racism, and mental health. She identifies as a Pan-Africanist striving for societal redress for the betterment of all humanity.

    Throughout her career, Tunga has worked as a youth worker, education welfare worker, social worker, and criminal justice worker. Her mission is to address individual and systemic changes to improve outcomes for people of African heritage. She has participated in various steering groups and is currently working on establishing an African heritage project within local authorities to address existing disparities.

    Tunga is a longstanding member of the Black African Liberation Re-evaluation co-counselling network and has been actively involved in setting up and running support groups for women of African heritage. She serves as a trustee for the Black South West Network.

  • Since 2013, as Director of Black South West Network (BSWN), Sado Jirde revitalised the organisation, transforming it into a racial justice incubator. Collaborating with Black and Minoritised communities in Bristol and the South West, they tackle systemic racial and socio-economic inequalities. Sado serves on relevant boards like Bristol’s One City Economy board and Bristol University Court. Additionally, she is Vice-Chair of Bristol Old Vic Board. Recognised for her work, she received The African Achievers Award in 2015 and the Most Inspirational Role Model Award in 2019. Sado, a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, was appointed a Visiting Fellow at the University of Bath Spa in 2020.

  • Olivette Otele, PhD, FRHistS, FLSW, is a Distinguished Professor of the Legacies and Memory of Slavery at SOAS, University of London. Her research spans colonial and post-colonial history, focusing on people of African descent and memory studies. A Fellow and former Vice President of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, she also judges the International Man Booker Prize. Otele contributes scholarly papers, books, and media commentary in Britain and France. She consults for films and documentaries, including "Chevalier" (April 2023) and "African Queens" on Netflix. Otele collaborates with institutions to address historical ties with slavery and develop restorative justice strategies. Her recent works include "Post-Conflict Memorialization: Missing Memorials, Absent Bodies" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2022) and "African Europeans: an Untold History" (Basic Books, 2022).

  • Emmanuel, a microbiologist and educator, spearheads research on bacterial survival mechanisms and infection control. He's dedicated to inclusive learning strategies in higher education and enhancing graduate employability. Passionate about global science outreach, he presents his work at various forums. Emmanuel co-founded the Aspiring Professionals Hub for career mentoring. Holding a PhD in applied microbiology, a Master’s in Biomedical Science, and a Bachelor’s in the same field, he serves on the executive committee of the Society for Applied Microbiology and the African Initiative Group for Microbiology. Currently, Emmanuel is the Deputy Head of School of Applied Science at University of the West of England.

  • Madu Ellis Community Development Advocate. Radio Broadcaster and sound system DJ. Several years experience in Youth work. Participation in many voluntary and community organisations including serving on various management committees. Firmly believes in Reparatory Justice for people of African Heritage.

  • Roger Griffith MBE is a writer, social activist, creative producer and former Executive Chair and Broadcaster of Ujima Radio. After leaving school without qualifications, he became a positive action trainee with CEED rising through the ranks to Senior Manager in an 18-year career with Bristol City Council. He has a passion for sharing cultural stories, global observations and insights on race, inclusivity and social inequality. He has been delivering diversity training for over 30 years. Roger is the CEO of his social enterprise and consultancy Creative Connex CIC. In 2018, he was awarded the Bristol Lord Mayor's Medal for his community and voluntary work in race equality an MBE in 2020 and in 2022 he was awarded an honorary doctorate in Arts and is a Ted X Bristol speaker in 2024.