Founding Story with Harry Matovu KC
When I started my career in 1989, I was the only Black barrister at the Commercial Bar. It has been a long and frequently lonely road, as other Black professionals know, and it defies common sense that I should for so long have been the only Black lawyer capable of practising in this area of the Bar. This is the result of a widespread and deep-rooted misperception of Black talent in business and the professions, and I founded the Black Talent Charter with Michael Eboda in 2019 to highlight and address this with new approaches and new ways of thinking. The word is spreading and we now work with leading companies, firms and institutions across financial and professional services. As for my own profession, I hope that the various sets at the Bar will also want to work closely with us all.
I am hugely proud of the small, brilliant team we have assembled at BTC, and of the partnerships we are forging, and the coalitions we are building, to tackle the age-old inequities faced by Black professionals. This is a not an easy agenda, and if I ever flag, I am constantly inspired by the extraordinary and resilient Black talent that I meet at all levels of seniority, and by the famous words of Margaret Mead:
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has."
I am so grateful for your support.
