Dr Roger Griffith MBE is a part-time Lecturer specialising in Creative Writing in the College of Arts, Technology and the Environment and working on several community projects at UWE Bristol. He is also a writer, social activist and has a passion for sharing cultural stories, global observations and insights on race, inclusivity and social inequality. He has been delivering race equality and diversity training for over 30 years and is a leading voice in the fight for equality and representation in Bristol and Britain.
Roger’s career exemplifies resilience, dedication to social justice, and a passion for empowering marginalised voices. He has used his career to help lift up and promote others from disadvantaged backgrounds.
His impressive dedication to social justice, education, and community advocacy has been recognised through being awarded a Bristol Lord Mayor’s Medal, an honorary doctorate and an MBE for his services to community, diversity and the arts. Roger has always been a champion of Life-Long learning and was recently invited to give a TEDx talk on his journey of life-learning called The Re-Education of Roger Griffith. Roger’s incredible educational journey highlights that’s it’s never too late to learn and that there is always a second chance.
In this blog post, we talk to Roger about his TEDx experiences and career so far:
“I left school without qualifications and grew up thinking education was not valued and had long periods of unemployment and unskilled labour. I have always fought racism, and this gave me the skills to advocate for racial equality. I went back to study at 25 when I rebuilt my life and career in housing by working for Bristol City Council.”
Roger undertook a number of courses including in management, coaching, project management and teacher-training. After becoming a trainee housing officer, he rose through the ranks to become an equalities adviser and senior manager.
Being made redundant at 44 spurred him on to change career – he became a broadcaster and CEO of a community radio station Ujima. Under his guidance, Ujima Radio became a respected voice in the community, broadcasting diverse perspectives on social issues, arts, and culture winning several awards.
“With austerity being introduced we ran Ujima as a social enterprise working in partnership with several public and private organisations. At 50, I became a writer, and my book was about growing up Black and British, after witnessing the inauguration of President Obama. With my training skills I was invited to become a lecturer at UWE Bristol which I enjoyed. From never seeing a Black teacher I’ve now become one. I’m still studying and supported by my writing group I’m finishing my first novel at 60.”
Roger is also consultant and CEO of his company Creative Connex CIC. They are a social enterprise providing high-quality, affordable digital marketing support to grassroots organisations and groups. Their clients include Caribbean Elders lunch clubs, the former High Sheriff of Bristol, and First Bus. They have helped several UWE Bristol graduates and students enter their first paid and volunteering roles.
When speaking about his recent TEDx talk Roger commented that the experience was wonderful.
“It was overwhelming coming from where I’m from, from having no hope or skills to being asked to deliver a TEDx Talk based on the amazing life I’ve lived.”
Roger is currently working on several writing projects. He has published an essay called My Roots and Routes in the book Breaking the Dead Silence Engaging with the Legacies of Empire and Slave-Ownership in Bath and Bristol’s Memoryscapes. He captures how living with the trauma of Transatlantic Trafficking of Enslaved Africans has shaped his identity through history.
His first novel “Boyz Weekend”, about a group of friends from multi-cultural backgrounds dealing with past betrayal and lies over one wild British stag-weekend. He also has a play in development about President Obama haunted by his dreams in the White House and he is starting his second non-fiction work on race, class and politics post the UK and US elections in 2025.
Talking about life-long learning Roger commented:
“It has been the foundation stone of my entire life and the not-so-secret of my success. Everything I have, a network of support, acclaim and travelling has been the result of study and developing my skills and then put into practice what I have learnt.”
Roger continues to inspire through this his writing, teaching, and advocacy. His story reminds us that adversity can be a powerful catalyst for change and that one person’s determination can make a profound impact on communities of all backgrounds.