New think tank to improve family life in African Caribbean community

A new think tank has been launched to improve family life in the African Caribbean community and shed new light on race relations in Britain.

Faith in Britain has been to break the negative stereotypes of African Caribbean families and support them in practical ways.

Founder R David Muir, former policy director at the Evangelical Alliance, said most African Caribbean families in Britain wanted to make the country their own but were also often just “trying to do the best they can” in difficult circumstances.

One of the think tank’s first major undertakings is an inquiry into contemporary black Britain to improve the opportunities for young people and children.

Mr Muir acknowledged that family breakdown was a problem in the African Caribbean community but said the inquiry was “not a witch hunt on absent fathers”.

Faith in Britain and the inquiry were launched together at the House of Commons in the presence of politicians and church leaders on Tuesday.

Mr Muir said there was only so much that the Government could do and that the African Caribbean people needed to step up and make the best for themselves and their children.

“There should be no young person who feels so alienated or that they don’t have a start in the country because of their family background,” he said.

“We want to raise the aspirations of our kids ... and we want to start now because unless we do that, Britain will not be the place we want it to be.

“Everyone is doing the best they can but we hope we can do better.”

The think tank has been welcomed by black church leaders.

Joel Edwards, former general director of the Evangelical Alliance, said it had been founded at a “critical time”, while Eric Brown of the New Testament Church of God said it could help to restore a sense of vision to the African Caribbean community.

The launch was joined by Labour MP Stephen Timms, who said there was a growing recognition of the role of faith in building community cohesion.

He praised the contribution of the African Caribbean community to society and said Faith in Britain would help to build links with people and instil values like solidarity, compassion and tolerance.

He said: “Faith is the source of exactly the kinds of values that we need to make society work.”