Brighton And Hove: Special Council Meeting On Fighting Racism

Monday, 27 July 2020 17:02

By Sarah Booker-Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

A Black Lives Matter demonstration in Brighton (Photo: Dominic Alves / Creative Commons)

Plans to make Brighton and Hove an officially anti-racist city are moving forward even though the council dropped the issue from a recent meeting.

A special meeting of the authority’s Tourism, Equalities, Communities and Culture (TECC) Committee on Wednesday 29 July, is expected to ask officers to draft an anti-racism strategy by next Spring.

A petition calling on the authority to work towards making Brighton and Hove an anti-racist city had to be postponed on Thursday 23 July, as all but essential business was off the agenda to allow for a change in administration.

The move comes as councillors want to build on the authority’s "2019 Fair and Inclusive Action Plan" in the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter movement which saw 10,000 people protest in the city in June and July.

Representatives from black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, including the Racial Harassment Forum, International Network of Women, Black Brighton and the Sussex Race Equality Action Project, have already met senior councillors as part of the consultation process.

The authority wants to form a community advisory group (CAG) with representatives from these organisations to help the council become an anti-racist organisation and Brighton and Hove an anti-racist city.

The report going before the committee said:

“With the guidance of the CAG a comprehensive engagement plan will be produced which will include ensuring there is dialogue with Black, Asian and minority ethnic young people, refugees and migrants and LGBTQ People of Colour.

“It will also explore how to facilitate a city-wide conversation on racism, recognising the commitment and activity of many white British residents to ending racism.

“The council has already heard how having to tell and re-tell their experiences of racism is stressful for and harmful to Black, Asian and minority ethnic people and therefore is very mindful that it must act as well as listening.

“The engagement process must be an investment in Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities and people and not simply draw on people for the benefit of the council.”

A progress report is due before the TECC Committee’s November meeting.

It said:

“The council values the cultural, economic and social diversity of the city and aims to support and encourage it.

“We will continue to take a leading role in seeking to increase equality, inclusion and fairness in the city.

“Increasing equality is a central principle informing how we plan, finance, deliver, commission and review our services.”

The committee’s “virtual meeting” is due to be webcast on the council’s website from 4pm on Wednesday 29 July.

Petitions and public questions are expected to go before a special council meeting with the provisional date of Thursday 13 August.