SOUTHWARK COUNCIL has launched a new race equality programme inspired by the global Black Lives Matter protests that followed the death of George Floyd.
Southwark councillor Johnson Situ, Cabinet Member for Growth and Planning, is leading the programme which is called Southwark Stands Together.
It has a three-part focus on ways in which racism and inequality in the borough can be identified, learnt from and tackled.
Audit
The first part is an anti-racist audit of the borough to identify statues and street names that do not reflect diversity, especially anything with links to slavery or to Britain’s colonial past our country’s colonial past.
Councillors say this action will help identify positive opportunities for the celebration of more diverse figures which reflect the borough.
The second part of the programme is a listening exercise with communities across the borough, partner organisations, and staff who will relay their concerns about the ways in which racism creates barriers to black and minority ethnic (BAME) people achieving equality in areas such as housing and employment.
The third part of the programme will focus on identifying solutions to entrenched and persistent racism.
Solutions
This part of the programme will see councillors write to businesses and organisations in the borough with a view to implementing some of these solutions.
Situ said: “I want to give people in Southwark a forum to harness the positive energy that has been galvanised over the past few weeks in response to the atrocious killing of George Floyd, and the subsequent protest led by the Black Lives Matter movement.
“Nobody should ever feel that society has placed a glass ceiling on their ambition, our promise of a fairer future for all is committed to ensuring no person in Southwark should feel that there is no hope, and that nothing will change.”
Inequalities
Situ continued: “In the borough, and as a society, we must actively do better to address the structural inequalities that still hold black people back. History has taught us that change is most effective when protest is met and matched by policymakers willing to make the change.
“In recent months Southwark has come together to respond to COVID-19. I am confident that Southwark will stand together again to meet this challenge of tackling ingrained structural inequality.”
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4 Comments
Victor, hold politicians accountable… This very month this council(Even after Goerge Floyd + even after covid!!) is doing this:
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/mayor-of-london-slams-lack-of-diversity-on-southwark-architecture-framework/10047412.article?blocktitle=news&contentID=19633
I am afraid defended by this councilor Situ and Pollak… Southwark Council spends 650m a year on suppliers and contractors. They haven’t employed any architect who looks like Stephen Lawrence to design as much as a park bench in over 20 years according to a freedom of information request. This in a borough that is 25% black and 46% BAME… Hackney, Lambeth, Newham, Haringey etc (the most diverse in London) are the same. The minimum viable product on diversity is to talk about it and have your picture taken while making sure the bottom line doesn’t change. Plenty of respected Black architects would be happy to talk to you about Southwark history on this which is a matter of public record.
Don’t beleive me believe the GLA and the Mayor of London.
Some councillors may mean well but look at the record not the words… Don’t believe anyone who suddenly discovered racial inequalities AFTER George Floyd…
You have to ask if they were living under a rock before that. Investigate these claims don’t just give an unchallenged platforms from these structures that keep a foot on our necks. That is your duty as a journalist. It is Windrush crossed with Garden Bridge.
https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2020/jul/07/excluded-black-architects-southwark-architecture-london
Fantastic, I love that there’s an anti-racist audit of the borough to identify statues and street names that do not reflect diversity, especially anything with links to slavery or to Britain’s colonial past our country’s colonial past. In general Southwark have great representatives of the culture including the Damililoa Centre, Dr Harold Moody plaque and park and the Winnie Mandela and Tayo Situ houses in Peckham.
Southwark Stands Together is a great initiative which I knew nothing about. I’ll be sharing the link via my @Black Calendar page on Facebook (10k followers) and putting my views across via their survey and hope to see the changes needed for better equality. I guess change starts with awareness so it’s important we share and participate at all levels. This is sometimes the issue, we are not informed or respected across all stages of consultations and projects.
https://consultations.southwark.gov.uk/housing-community-services-department-community-engagement-team/southwark-stands-together/
Hopefully there will be a good range of views shared and the road to better equality starts sooner rather than later! 🙂
Its a great initiative but my concern is that like the others if our white colleagues do not embrace it and also work tirelessly to bring about the changes it will be just the Black and Minority Ethnic community talking among ourselves while the patterns of inequality remodel itself so that it can continue in another form. I’m totally committed to be part of the movement for change.