EBOOK
About
'Simon Woolley revolutionised British politics' - Guardian
Can an outsider ever become a member of the establishment?
Simon Woolley is a member of the House of Lords, the first Black man to head an Oxbridge college, and a policy changemaker who has the ear of prime ministers and the future King. But this is a Lord who wants to shake up the establishment; an outsider who knows how important it is to bring underrepresented voices to the table.
Raised by loving white foster parents on the impoverished St Matthew's Estate in Leicester, young Simon soon learnt about politics while in line at the barber's and about racism as one of the few Black children in the neighbourhood. The desire to make the world better was awakened during a trip to South America, where he saw revolutionary politics first hand, and discovered how activism could change people's lives. Inspired, he co-founded Operation Black Vote in 1996, credited with encouraging thousands of Black men and women to exercise their right to vote over the past 25 years.
Soar is a story of courage and commitment, of perseverance and remaining positive despite the challenges of institutional racism. It's about becoming a father and honouring your heritage. But most of all, it's about being your own role model, when no others have been available to you. Born in Leicester in 1961, Simon Woolley, Kt, Lord Woolley of Woodford co-founded Operation Black Vote in 1996, and was elevated to the House of Lords in 2019. As the principal of Homerton College, Cambridge, he is the first Black man to head an Oxbridge college. Can an outsider ever become a member of the establishment? Woolley has been a crossbench member of the House of Lords since October 2019. He was Chair of the Government of the United Kingdom Race Disparity Unit Advisory Group until July 2020. Simon Woolley is extremely well-connected. He recently awarded a fellowship to Rev Jesse Jackson, and also has connections with David Lammy, Prince Charles, etc. He is frequently active on LinkedIn, with some of his posts achieving more than 15,000 reactions. He is the first black man to head an Oxbridge college, and was also included on the Top 10 Black Powerlist 2021. He is the founder of Operation Black Vote and a Trustee of the charity Police Now
Can an outsider ever become a member of the establishment?
Simon Woolley is a member of the House of Lords, the first Black man to head an Oxbridge college, and a policy changemaker who has the ear of prime ministers and the future King. But this is a Lord who wants to shake up the establishment; an outsider who knows how important it is to bring underrepresented voices to the table.
Raised by loving white foster parents on the impoverished St Matthew's Estate in Leicester, young Simon soon learnt about politics while in line at the barber's and about racism as one of the few Black children in the neighbourhood. The desire to make the world better was awakened during a trip to South America, where he saw revolutionary politics first hand, and discovered how activism could change people's lives. Inspired, he co-founded Operation Black Vote in 1996, credited with encouraging thousands of Black men and women to exercise their right to vote over the past 25 years.
Soar is a story of courage and commitment, of perseverance and remaining positive despite the challenges of institutional racism. It's about becoming a father and honouring your heritage. But most of all, it's about being your own role model, when no others have been available to you. Born in Leicester in 1961, Simon Woolley, Kt, Lord Woolley of Woodford co-founded Operation Black Vote in 1996, and was elevated to the House of Lords in 2019. As the principal of Homerton College, Cambridge, he is the first Black man to head an Oxbridge college. Can an outsider ever become a member of the establishment? Woolley has been a crossbench member of the House of Lords since October 2019. He was Chair of the Government of the United Kingdom Race Disparity Unit Advisory Group until July 2020. Simon Woolley is extremely well-connected. He recently awarded a fellowship to Rev Jesse Jackson, and also has connections with David Lammy, Prince Charles, etc. He is frequently active on LinkedIn, with some of his posts achieving more than 15,000 reactions. He is the first black man to head an Oxbridge college, and was also included on the Top 10 Black Powerlist 2021. He is the founder of Operation Black Vote and a Trustee of the charity Police Now