We cannot believe what is happening in Bristol, UK. Can you imagine the outrage and indignation that would erupt if the Montgomery police dared to disgrace the legacy of Rosa Parks by naming a police horse after her?

see her legacy and honours here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_Parks#Legacy_and_honors

We Reject Police Officers Riding Our Black Heroes!

Avon and Somerset police in conjunction with Curiosity UnLtd, are running a competition to rename a police horse after one of the Black activists who led the 1963 Bus Boycott, in Bristol.

Avon and Somerset Police police horse Brutus will be renamed after one of the six Black pioneers of the Bristol Bus Boycott of 1963 in an online public vote. The competition is part of the city's 60th anniversary celebrations. The shortlist of names pays tribute to key people involved in the peaceful boycott of 1963, which began in response to the refusal of Bristol Omnibus Company (BOC) to employ Black people. The success of the boycott is credited with leading to the creation of the 1976 Race Relations Act, now at the heart of the Equalities Act 2010, which legally protects people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.  (See story here: Bristol Bus Boycott: Police horse to be named after one of the pioneers - BBC News )

Join us (Black Think Tank UK) in standing against Avon and Somerset Police & Curiosity UnLtd's online competition to rename one of the police horses after a Black hero of the 1963 Bus Boycott.

We urge the Avon and Somerset police/Curiosity UnLtd to reconsider this decision and explore alternative actions that we all feel genuinely promotes bi-lateral cultural understanding. 

By signing this petition and sharing it widely, we aim to send a message that true progress requires substantive change, not just symbolic gestures.

We, the undersigned, believe in the importance of honouring Black heroes and their contributions to society. However, we feel that naming a police horse after one of these heroes falls short of meaningful recognition in our culture. While gestures can be well-intentioned, we believe it is crucial to address the deeper issues of historic racial inequality in police-community relations.

We feel this divisive competition where only one of the 6 Black Heroes will win the prize to have a Police horse named after them, fails to mirror the unity and collaboration these Black heroes successfully demonstrated during the Bus Boycott in 1963.

Given the fractious history between Avon and Somerset police and the Black community of Bristol, we feel this horse naming competition carries ambiguous connotations. It risks being interpreted as a backhanded compliment, further straining police-community relations and unravelling whatever progress has been made in this area.

Our heroes deserve greater respect and recognition than being reduced to mere names of an animal controlled by the Police force and ridden by a Police officer. We know of no Black hero that wanted to be ridden by a police officer! The lack of cultural sensitivity displayed by this Avon and Somerset police/Curiosity UnLtd competition is distressing. Instead of meaningful tributes to them all, they have chosen a winner takes all competition that undermines the unity these heroes showed in 1963.

We want Avon and Somerset police/Curiosity UnLtd to know we refuse to consent to the police naming a horse after one of our revered heroes and we reject our heroes having to compete against each other for this misguided honour. This competition perpetuates a painful history of police failing to understand our community & its cultural values and also stokes a painful history of division between police and the Black community. In so doing this initiative is making Bristol's Black community a subject of ridicule among Black communities in other cities. 

(See the Voice Newspaper article about this story here: Neigh way! Cops hold vote to rename horse after Black activist - Voice Online (voice-online.co.uk)  

We call upon the Avon and Somerset police/Curiosity UnLtd to reconsider this ill-conceived competition and find a more appropriate and respectful tribute to these Bristol Bus Boycott heroes. Let us honour their contributions collectively, highlighting their unity and their power of solidarity with things such as:

1. Award ceremony: To recognise these heroes who have peacefully gone above and beyond in their efforts. This ceremony may include medals, plaques, or other forms of recognition.
2. Dedication ceremony: Police can dedicate buildings, parks, or other public spaces after these icons to honour their successful efforts.
3. Charity events: Police can organize an annual charity event to raise money for causes that were important to these heroes.
4. Scholarship programs: Police may offer scholarship programs for the children of this community in the name of these heroes.
    

Sign & share this petition to demand a re-evaluation of Avon and Somerset police and Curiosity UnLtd’s approach. Together, we can ensure that the memory of our heroes is preserved with the dignity, unity, and respect they deserve. Let's foster positive and constructive police-community relations in Bristol, working towards a more inclusive and dual cultured culturally sensitive tribute for our Black heroes.