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Universal UK’s Task Force For Meaningful Change launches manifesto
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 29 April 2021
The UK branch of Universal Music’s Task Force For Meaningful Change has launched a manifesto, detailing its goals for bringing about social change.
Laying out five key aims, the manifesto says that it will boost outreach work to attract more black candidates to a wider variety of roles within Universal Music; drive change within the company through mentorships, an internal audit and an existing mental health initiative in partnership with Black Minds Now; celebrate black culture with the launch of Universal’s Black Calendar; support education initiatives across the UK; and build an infrastructure of support for Universal Music UK’s black artists.
“I’m incredibly proud of the UK Task Force and the collective leadership they have shown”, says Universal Music UK CEO David Joseph. “While we are clear that there is still much to do, I am confident that this manifesto will help bring about meaningful and lasting change and I look forward to working closely with the Task Force to implement the recommendations and actions in their entirety”.
Afryea Henry-Fontaine, Fay Hoyte and Jade Richardson, co-chairs of the UK Task Force, add: “We’d like to say a massive thank you to each member of the Task Force for their work informing this manifesto and to all our colleagues across the Universal Music family who have offered their support, wisdom and advice along the way. This is just the beginning. We know there is no quick fix but believe this manifesto and a collective effort across the company will help bring about real change”.
Universal’s global and UK task forces were launched last year, in response to the Black Lives Matter protests. A number of projects have already been undertaken over the last nine months, but the publication of the new manifesto sets out goals for its long term plans.
Read the manifesto in full here.
