Barbara Gray, former Mayoress of Lewisham, founded Kinaraa in 2021 to address unique challenges faced by the local Black African and Caribbean community, accentuated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Drawing inspiration from Maya Angelou throughout her journey, Barbara continues to amplify the voice of her community, share important stories, and empower its development.
Barbara has always been aspirational and believes that one should never settle for less. Despite facing several challenges in finding jobs, housing, and more, she persevered and reached the position she is in today. Barbara studied hard and topped her course to become a personal assistant. However, finding a role was still difficult. She eventually landed a position as the personal assistant to the director of a publishing house, but opportunities like that were rare. It just so happened that the organisation had been working on projects combating racism. But it was during her first job working with politicians that she realised the importance of her voice.
Barbara moved to Lewisham in 1988 to raise her daughter and secured a role in the Lewisham council. Here, she worked with policy daily and gained perspective on the importance of connecting and communicating with the community. Becoming the Mayoress of Lewisham opened many doors and gave Barbara the opportunity to have important conversations she wouldn't have had otherwise.
Eventually, Barbara decided to work for herself and founded Urban Dandelion CIC, inspiring communities to bring about the change they want to see. During the Covid-19 pandemic it was clear issues around race are systemic costing people their lives in 21st century Britain. Attending a Black Lives Matter march made Barbara realise the significant impact of systemic issues on her and her community's lives. Her experience with the Familia project inspired Barbara to start Kinaraa CIC, hoping to not only help the local Black African & Caribbean community but also consult with policymakers and politicians, hold them accountable, be a voice for the community, and influence policy change.
Barbara's lived experience of growing up in London as a woman of Caribbean descent has shaped her and continues to inspire her work. As a Black woman in an inequitable society, she had to work doubly hard to be seen as credible. She now uses data in everything she does, focusing on innovative research to not only identify issues but also find solutions to address them. Her journey and story have underscored the importance of equity. Barbara hopes that this story continues beyond her, with Kinaraa CIC being led by future generations who will continue to fight for equity, empower the local community in Lewisham, and influence systems change and policies on a much greater level.