Highlights from last week’s equality and diversity news: focus on ‘youth’ in society misses out on using older people’s talent, building confidence and aspirations of the disadvantaged young and black suffering and subjugation in Hollywood.

Is British society obsessively youth-focused? Rory Stewart MP writes that the focus on the ‘next generation’ misses out on the opportunity to learn from older people’s knowledge and experience. He argues that older people should be given more space to make a contribution: “The retired have immense experience and are often prepared to work as volunteers. But we are failing to match their talents to our needs; or our talents to their needs.”

A British Bangladeshi Muslim academic makes the case for building confidence of the disadvantaged young. He cites his own example: “I grew up in a predominantly Bangladeshi tight-knit neighbourhood in Tower Hamlets and my dominant memories were of extreme poverty, overcrowding, experiencing racism and playing football with my friends…I believe that getting more disadvantaged young people into higher education is about building confidence. Many disengaged young people I’ve worked with have been among the most intelligent I’ve ever met, however they’re not going anywhere because they don’t have support.”

The recent US release ’12 Years a Slave’, based on a true story of a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery, has received critical acclaim. But the film, as this writer argues, follows very specific notions about how Hollywood portrays black people on the silver screen. It is then not surprising that the few times black people have won an Oscar, it’s been for their portrayal of black suffering or subjugation in films with a singular struggle narrative.

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