Arriving in England as a nine-year-old unaccompanied refugee, speaking almost no English and raised solely on state benefits, Hashi Mohamed overcame improbable odds to become a barrister, broadcaster, journalist and author. In his book People Like Us: What it Takes to Make it in Modern Britain, Hashi draws on his own experiences to explore what businesses and policymakers can do to bring about meaningful change in the areas of social mobility, diversity and inclusion.
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Hashi Mohamed is a barrister, broadcaster and journalist. He is also the author of People Like Us: What it Takes to Make it in Modern Britain in which he draws on his own experiences to examine the issue of social mobility in Britain.
Born in Kenya as one of 12 siblings, Hashi arrived in England as an unaccompanied child refugee following the death of his father in a car accident. Raised solely on state benefits and educated at a struggling comprehensive, he went on to study French and Law at the University of Hertfordshire, and eventually completed a postgraduate degree at Oxford University. He was subsequently called to the Bar and became a lawyer at No5 Chambers, specialising in planning and environmental law.
In presentations, Hashi considers what he calls ‘society’s most intractable problem’ - the issue of social mobility: “We live in a society where the single greatest indicator of what your job will be is the job of your parents”. He explores what policymakers and educators can do to bring about meaningful change in the areas of social mobility, diversity and inclusion. For businesses, he examines the pitfalls of implementing a minority quota system, and instead explains how fostering an open-minded environment, with a willingness to try new ways of working, can encourage people from different backgrounds to bring bold ideas for tackling difficult problems. Drawing on his own story of overcoming improbable odds, he also offers lessons in resilience, goal-setting and mindset, and outlines how the power of imagination can be used to unlock potential.
Hashi is a regular commentator and contributor to newspapers including The Guardian, The Times and the Financial Times. He has presented several programmes for BBC Radio 4, most recently a documentary on the inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
