A Nottingham author says she has turned down an MBE because of its 'negative connotations of empire'. Panya Banjoko, a writer and PhD researcher at Nottingham Trent University, said she took the "hard decision" to reject the honour due to its historical links with the British Empire, and the effects it still has on equality in society.
Ms Banjoko received a letter, seen by Nottinghamshire Live, from the Cabinet Office notifying her she had been recommended for Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) award in the 2023 New Year Honours List. However, the author said she wrote back saying she could not accept it.
"It's about the fact that the name is outdated, 'empire' has real negative connotations," she explained. "For us as black people it was empire that enslaved us and took away our language. And we still suffer the consequences of that today.
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"The effects and impacts of the transatlantic slave trade period have still not been fully acknowledged. We can still see that inequality in society today, if you look at people in top positions, they're not representative of people they serve."
She said recent controversies surrounding the Royal Family had contributed to her decision, such as the Lady Hussey racism row and the British media's treatment of Meghan Markle. Ms Banjoko has been an ardent campaigner against the now disbanded leadership team at Nottingham Castle after she said her grandchildren suffered racial abuse on its grounds.
She feared an MBE also ran the risk of silencing her when it came to campaigning. "As you know with Nottingham Castle I'm ready to stand and protest and say 'enough is enough' and I don't want anything to get in the way of that," she said.
"I didn't come to the decision lightly. It was a hard decision, my mum wanted me to accept it, she thought it would open doors. I almost accepted it because of her. I feel like with any of the empire awards, it's like Lord of the Rings, once you have it there's a real risk of me being mesmerised by it and feeling as though I'm above people.
"I'm just an ordinary person who wants equal opportunities, I think an MBE would take me away from that endeavour." A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "Individuals decline honours for a variety of reasons and we respect their personal decision to do so. The figures represent a very small proportion of the total number of awards recommended."
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