Zita Holbourne facts for kids

Zita Holbourne, born in the 1960s, is a British person who works hard for human rights and her community. She is also a talented artist. Zita writes, performs poetry, and creates visual art.

She is a leader in a group called the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) in the UK. This group helps workers. Zita also helps lead the Artists Union England, focusing on fairness for everyone. She helped start an organization called BARAC (Black Activists Rising Against the Cuts). This group works to help Black communities.

About Zita Holbourne

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

Fighting for Fairness

Through her art and activism, Zita works for equality, justice, and human rights. She also uses her art to show how climate change affects poorer countries. Zita is a co-founder and leader of BARAC UK. She also helped start groups like Movement Against Xenophobia. This group works against unfair treatment of people from other countries.

She was also a founding member of BME Lawyers for Grenfell. This group helped people affected by the Grenfell Tower fire. Zita has played a big part in helping people affected by the Windrush scandal. This was a time when many people from the Caribbean faced problems with their right to live in the UK.

Awards and Recognition

In 2012, Zita won the Role Model award at the National Diversity Awards. This award recognized her positive influence.

In 2018, Zita 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 part of the United Nations that promotes peace and culture.

Creative Works and Writings

Zita started an art group called Roots, Culture and Identity. This group shows art by young Black, Asian, and migrant artists. She wrote a book in 2017 called Striving for Equality, Freedom and Justice: Embracing Roots, Culture and Identity: A Collection of Poetry.

Her writings have also appeared in several collections of stories and poems. These include New Daughters of Africa (2019). She has also written for newspapers like The Guardian, the Morning Star, and The Voice.

Important Speeches and Projects

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

In 2021, Zita wrote a "Manifesto for Cultural Workers." This document talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected artists and cultural workers. It also discussed how public policies and unfair systems impacted them. She also organized a virtual art show called Roots, Culture, Identity in 2021.

Zita has also organized a long-running petition. This petition asks the government to stop sending large groups of people back to Jamaica.