Minutes:
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4.1 |
The Chair and Leader of the Council (Councillor Julie Dore) stated that the Council was shocked and deeply saddened by the recent killing of George Floyd in America and the circumstances surrounding his death. In terms of a response in Sheffield, a number of individuals and organisations had come together, particularly to fight for change in terms of both the events in America, and also in connection with wider issues of racial equality in the City and wider society as a whole. Councillor Dore stated that it was the view of the Cabinet that racism, in any form, had absolutely no place in our society, and the City remained rightly proud of its multi-cultural communities that make the City so vibrant and diverse. No one should ever have to face discrimination because of the colour of their skin, and the majority of Sheffield residents stand in unity again racism in any sort at all times. She stated that these views now needed to be backed up by real actions, which were required to change the injustices and inequalities that still existed today. Councillor Dore stated that Councillor Abtisam Mohamed (Cabinet Member for Education and Skills) had been asked to lead on the creation of a Sheffield Race Equality Commission, which would look across the City’s key anchor institutions in order to understand institutional indiscrimination and racial equality, and further, make recommendations regarding what measures could be taken to address these issues. By working with the Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, this would draw on experiences and voices in those communities, as well as the representations of key anchor institutions in Sheffield. Councillor Dore stressed that this was a crucial piece of work for the City, and presented a major opportunity for all major institutions and organisations to join together to show their commitment to change, and to address the racial inequalities and disparities which, unfortunately, still prevailed in our City, and wider society today. The Council wanted to demonstrate its commitment to take the actions needed to make long-standing change, and the creation of the Commission was an important step, alongside all the important work undertaken by many groups and organisations, over a very long period, who had demonstrated a tremendous effort and commitment to tackle racial inequality. It was important, as a City, that we valued and recognised all their work, and built on this. |
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4.2 |
Councillor Abtisam Mohamed stated that a huge amount of progress had been made to tackle racial inequality over the years, but there was still so much more work to be done to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all individuals in the City. The potential of the work of the Commission had been made clear to all such individuals, and it had been decided that any discussions must avoid superficial debates or quick fixes. In order to achieve this, all involved must have the commitment, and progress must be made at the right pace, and on a long-term basis, if we wanted to see real and lasting structural change in the City. Councillor Mohamed stated that she understood the frustrations of, and concerns raised by, many individuals in communities in the City, and that everyone needed to move forward together to address these deep-rooted, critical issues, that adversely affected a number of our communities. The issue was bigger than any one person or organisation and, for this reason, it was important that views from across the political spectrum were invited. For this reason, there would be cross-party representation on the Commission. In view of the potential wide scope of the inquiry, it was envisaged that the Commission would prioritise a number of issues for its consideration, and would make recommendations based on its findings. The findings would then be monitored rigorously as change must be driven at a local level to ensure the creation of a more tolerant, equal City, where racial disparities were acknowledged and addressed. Councillor Mohamed concluded by stating that there may be difficult conversations going forward, but they must be heard and, more importantly, addressed. There would be a further statement on progress in respect of the Commission in the coming weeks, and further details would be provided at that time. |