The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) has appointed Keon West as our head of reparations.
Keon is currently the head of research at Runnymede Trust and a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the bestselling author of The Science of Racism.
Keon will design and lead a reparations programme that addresses the legacy of JRCT's endowment and strengthens our commitment to tackling the root causes of injustice. JRCT's endowment originates from the Rowntree Company, known to have profited from systems of colonial exploitation.
Nicola Purdy, chief executive of JRCT, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Keon as our head of reparations and to our senior leadership team. His insight and experience position him strongly to develop and lead this important programme.
“For over 120 years, JRCT has been guided by our founder’s belief that creating a better world requires addressing root causes rather than just symptoms. We are committed to carrying this influence forward and we continue to support organisations that address the root causes of conflict and injustice.
“That’s why it’s important to us that our reparations programme - which will further our charitable purposes for the public benefit - addresses injustices and their lasting impact. As a Quaker organisation committed to values of peace, truth and equality, we believe this is the right next step and a core part of our charitable mission.”
The full scope of the programme will be determined through the development of a strategic plan that makes partnerships and aligns with JRCT’s wider goals and funding programmes.
Keon said: “I am honoured to accept this role. It offers the power and the responsibility to make real, meaningful changes in the lives of those who have been exploited. It’s an opportunity and a duty that I take very seriously.”
An internationally recognised expert in racism and in bias reduction, Keon is the author of over 80 relevant peer-reviewed papers. He was previously a professor of social psychology, president of the 9th division of the American Psychological Association, and an old Rhodes Scholar with a doctorate from Balliol, Oxford University.
He has experience working in both the commercial and third sectors, having held the role of head of research at both Equality Group, a consultancy serving equity and venture capital firms, and Runnymede Trust, a race equality and civil rights think tank.
The Science of Racism (2025) has been shortlisted in The British Book Awards Book of the Year - Discover category, and the Unwin Award for authors whose work is considered to have made a significant contribution to the world. It has also been longlisted for the Jhalak Prose Prize, which is specifically for influential authors of colour.
While the Rowntree Company is remembered for its progressive practices in the UK, in 2021, JRCT joined with the other Rowntree trusts to respond to research showing that the company had bought cocoa and other goods produced by enslaved people and had benefited from other forms of colonial exploitation. There is evidence that Rowntree Mackintosh’s South African subsidiary, Wilson Rowntree, engaged in oppressive and exploitative practices during the apartheid era. JRCT committed to identifying meaningful forms of reparation that further its charitable purposes for the public benefit.
A Quaker grantmaker, JRCT funds work that brings about lasting, systemic change across our programmes of peace and security, rights and justice, power and accountability, sustainable future, and our Northern Ireland programme. In 2025, JRCT made grants totalling £13.5 million.
Keon West