Zita Holbourne facts for kids

Zita Holbourne (born in the 1960s) is a British activist and artist. She works to protect human rights and improve communities. Zita is also a talented artist, writing, performing poetry, and creating visual art. She is a leader in trade unions, which are groups that help workers. She is the National Vice President of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in the UK. She also helps lead the Artists Union England. Zita co-founded an organization called BARAC (Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts). This group works against the negative effects of government spending cuts on Black communities.

Who is Zita Holbourne?

Zita Holbourne is known for her strong voice and creative work. She uses her art and activism to fight for fairness and human rights. She believes everyone should be treated equally.

Her Early Life and Art

Zita studied art and graphic design. She went to the London College of Printing and Watford School of Art. Her artwork includes many different styles. She creates oil paintings, digital art, and graphic designs.

Fighting for Fairness and Rights

Zita uses her art and activism to campaign for equality and justice. She also shows how climate change affects poorer countries. She helped start and leads BARAC UK. This group works to support Black communities. Zita also helped create other groups. These include Movement Against Xenophobia and BME Lawyers for Grenfell. She has been very important in helping people affected by the Windrush scandal. This scandal involved people from the Caribbean who were wrongly told they were in the UK illegally.

Standing Up for the Windrush Generation

The Windrush scandal affected many people who came to the UK from Caribbean countries. Zita Holbourne played a big role in helping them. She campaigned for their rights and for justice. She worked to make sure these people were treated fairly.

Awards and Recognition

In 2012, Zita won the Role Model award at the National Diversity Awards. This award recognized her as an inspiring person. In 2018, she was asked to join the UNESCO Coalition of Artists. This was because of her work in art and her fight for racial equality. UNESCO is a United Nations group that promotes education and culture.

Art and Writing for Change

Zita started an art group called Roots, Culture and Identity. This group shows the art of young Black, Asian, and migrant artists. She also wrote a book of poetry in 2017. It is called Striving for Equality, Freedom and Justice: Embracing Roots, Culture and Identity. Her poems are about fighting for a better world. Zita's work has also appeared in other books. These include New Daughters of Africa and Here We Stand, Women Changing the World. She has written for newspapers like The Guardian and The Voice.

In August 2020, Zita gave a special speech. It was the Dorothy Kuya Memorial Lecture. She gave it at the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool. This speech was on the International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition.

Helping Workers in Arts and Culture

In 2021, Zita wrote a "Manifesto for Cultural Workers." This was launched by Public Services International (PSI). It talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected artists and cultural workers. It also discussed how public policies and unfair systems impacted them. Zita also organized a virtual art exhibition. It was called Roots, Culture, Identity. This exhibition was hosted by the TUC Race Relations Committee in 2021.

Zita has also organized a long-running petition. This petition asks the government to stop sending people back to Jamaica in large groups. She works to protect the rights of people facing deportation.