KitKat owner hires DEI textbook author to tackle sweet brand’s colonial history

Ben McCaffrey
Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:04:26 +0000

Rowntree's, the owner of KitKat, has named Prof Keon West as its inaugural head of reparations, marking a significant development for the UK's reparations movement.

Prof West, a social psychologist and Rhodes scholar who was raised in Jamaica, will commence his duties at The Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT) later this month.

He currently serves as head of research at the Runnymede Trust, the prominent race equality think tank, while holding a visiting professorship at the London School of Economics since 2025.

The critically acclaimed author of The Science of Racism will be tasked with creating and overseeing a programme addressing the York-based charity's historical ties to colonial exploitation.

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His appointment comes amid mounting international pressure on former colonial powers to confront their past.

The JRCT was established in 1904 by philanthropist Joseph Rowntree using profits from his chocolate and cocoa enterprises, founded upon Quaker principles of tackling injustice at its roots.

Research prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement uncovered that African and Asian workers were exploited in producing goods central to Rowntree operations throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.

The Rowntree Society confirmed in 2021 that while no evidence existed of the family directly owning enslaved people, their business interests had traded commodities "likely to have been produced by enslaved or unfree workers" dating back to 1822.

The company also profited from indentured labour, purchasing plantations across Dominica, Jamaica and Trinidad during the 1890s.

Additionally, Rowntree & Co sourced cocoa from enslaved Africans in Portuguese-colonised Sao Tome and Principe, while maintaining commercial interests in colonial Nigeria, Ghana and apartheid-era South Africa.

In 2021, the trust issued an apology for its historical connections to what it termed "abhorrent practices," expressing that it was "deeply sorry" for previously overlooking these links.

The charity acknowledged that such actions had caused "extreme and enduring harms" and recognised their contribution to embedding systemic racism both in Britain and worldwide.

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JRCT pledged to strengthen its commitment to racial justice and engage with affected communities to develop restorative measures shaped by those most impacted.

Prof West expressed his commitment to the role, stating: "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."

He added: "It's an opportunity and a duty that I take very seriously."

The trust firmly rejected criticism levelled in November by Katie Lam, the Conservative MP for Weald of Kent, who had incorrectly claimed the position would be "dishonestly" funded through donations.

Chief executive Nicola Purdy emphasised that the charity has been guided for over 120 years by its founder's conviction that meaningful change requires addressing root causes rather than merely symptoms.

"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," she stated.

JRCT distributed £13.5million in grants during 2025, supporting organisations focused on peace, equality, human rights and climate issues.