Racial injustice group to be formed by city council

A new organisation to take serious action against racial injustice and remove discriminatory barriers will be set up by Glasgow City Council.

The local authority is expected to form a Black Lives Matter/Slavery Legacy cross party working group made up of three councillors and three officers on Tuesday afternoon.

During a full council meeting last September, a motion by councillor Graham Campbell understanding and sharing the “deep concern and horror” that many feel about racial inequality in the US and throughout the world was passed.

At that meeting the city council agreed to tackle access to employment and opportunities by removing discriminatory barriers and take more serious action against racism and racial hate crime incidents in Glasgow schools.

Councillors also agreed to recognise the historic legacy of chattel slavery based on the exploitation of enslaved Africans by committing to a legitimate democratic process and civic conversation regarding the statues and street names that commemorate prominent figures associated with slavery through the tobacco, sugar and cotton trades.

Councillor Campbell’s motion read: “Council expresses and shares the sympathy, grief and anger at the associated deaths and stands in solidarity with the campaigners. Council acknowledges the anger, frustration and heartfelt anguish of our own BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) citizens who are experiencing racism in their daily lives and who expressed that through joining in their tens of thousands on Black Lives Matter protests and in online teach-ins across Scotland this summer.”

During the debate it was highlighted that BME communities had suffered considerably as a result of Covid-19 in Scotland.

Members agreed that the persistent economic and social inequalities which these communities experience continue to contribute to worse outcomes in terms of health and wellbeing.

They believe that those inequalities are largely driven by structural racism. Other global cities such as Pittsburgh, Boston and Denver have declared racism as a public health crisis.

The council has been encouraged to consider how best to reflect racism as a determinant of health and wellbeing in its strategic planning processes.

So far the group will have three key aims: to tackle access to employment and opportunities by removing discriminatory barriers, take more serious action against racism and racial hate crime incidents in Glasgow schools and recognise the historic legacy of chattel slavery based on the exploitation of enslaved Africans.

They will meet on a quarterly basis, with additional meetings as necessary and the group will be short term. The details will be finalised on Tuesday.

Story by local democracy reporter Catherine Hunter