Racial equality champion honoured by the University

An advocate for racial equality and community cohesion has received an honorary degree from the University of Reading.

Victor Koroma, former CEO of the Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality (ACRE), received the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law in a ceremony on Tuesday, 29 July.

Koroma dedicated 25 years to advocating for the rights of minoritised and marginalised communities in Reading. He arrived in the UK in 1988 from Sierra Leone to pursue education and earned a law degree after experiencing racial discrimination firsthand.

From 1999 to 2011, Koroma served as Deputy Director of the Reading Council for Racial Equality, providing advice on immigration and employment discrimination. By 2012, he was the CEO of ACRE, having developed proposals to merge two organisations and create a unified voice for community advocacy. He held this position until his retirement in December 2024.

Koroma's many achievements include establishing the first major conference on culturally based violence against women and girls with a focus on Female Genital Mutilation in 2015, and creating the pan-Equalities Alliance in 2014, which monitors hate crime and community safety. He also spearheaded the 'Community Matters' initiative with Thames Valley Police, hosting sessions attended by over 300 community representatives.

In 2017, ACRE established the Rose Centre, providing a safe space for survivors of cultural domestic violence, forced marriage and FGM. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Koroma supported NHS efforts to increase vaccine uptake in minoritised communities and helped establish a Community Wellbeing Hub in 2022, which now attracts 120-150 participants weekly. This led to the Community Participatory Action Research on inequalities in health in collaboration with the University of Reading and the NHS.

Koroma has served on numerous advisory boards and received recognition, including the Local Heroes Award in 2018 and the Area Commander's Certificate of Recognition in 2025 for promoting good police-community relations. He was also instrumental in organising Reading's annual Holocaust Memorial Day as a civic event for over 17 years, and the economic, social, and cultural contributions of the Windrush Generation to the UK by influencing policies. He is a founding member of the Refugee Support Group and Reading City of Sanctuary, and supported the University of Reading with the University of Sanctuary Award.

Dr Alice Mpofu Coles, from the Department of Geography and Environmental Science at the University of Reading, said: “It is with great pride that we can honour Victor Koroma for his leadership and commitment to advocating for the rights of seldom heard, racially marginalised communities in Reading and elsewhere for over 25 years who need their voices heard.”

Throughout his various roles, Victor has consistently promoted community voices. His passion for justice and equality for all has had a positive impact on the residents, businesses and community groups of Reading and beyond.