The report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was a massive missed opportunity. It could have taken the fight for equality on but instead just belittled the lived experiences of Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities living in the UK.
The report claims that there is no evidence of systemic racism in school exclusions and yet the exclusion rate for Black children in Wandsworth was triple the rate for white children in 2018/2019.
The Commission recommended the DFE produce teaching resources to tell stories that have shaped the world we live in today, but have completely disregarded the wealth of teaching resources that exist already, including those utilised in all subjects by local schools, such as Chestnut Grove.
The report suggested that we, the people, accept that some sectors of the UK are more open to Black, Asian and ethnic minority people in the top roles of business and academia and believe that ‘using images of successful colleagues with an ethnic minority background on walls’ will bring about organisational change, but we believe that it is important to achieve representation of Black, Asian and other ethnic minority people across the board.
As well as disregarding academic evidence around over-representation in mental health facilities and in health outcomes, the report failed to make any solid recommendations or provide a platform for the insufficient ones it did make to be delivered by the Tory government.
As a Labour group based in London, one of the most multicultural cities in the world, we stand with Marsha de Cordova MP, our Shadow Equalities Minister, and are committed to tackling racism in all its forms whilst continually listening to the people we serve.
*For the purposes of the statement Black refers to politically black - anyone from the Caribbean, African diaspora
Written by Cllr Kemi Akinola on behalf of Wandsworth Labour Party
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