Why we need Black leadership in the African social enterprise scene

In the wake of George Floyd's death in the U.S., a Black man who died in the hands of the police, the world ignited with numerous #BlackLivesMatter protests that almost literally shut down the U.S. and other major world cities.

The protests awakened the world to a long-overlooked issue that finally became the responsibility of more than only those who were victimised by its effects.

Similarly, it brought a realisation to the corporate world that they need to look at the diversity, or lack thereof, within their teams.

Some corporates took this opportunity to make proclamations and promises on what they are going to do to embrace and support diversity -- specifically towards people of colour.

This made me wonder if they were blind to these issues before the protests.

Some listed their executives who are people of colour as a way of claiming loyalty to the protestors’ cause.

I have heard arguments in support of this as a great start, although it looked like a public relations stunt by the corporate world making the people of colour look like mannequins in a boutique fashion shop which are dressed up when needed, without really solving the fundamental issue of implicit bias in their hiring processes.

This got me thinking how the social enterprise scene in sub-Saharan Africa has been marred by graphics of white founders circulating on social media implying that there is funding bias against Black and female founders. READ MORE