Following the recent Black Lives Matter protests, and the Mayor of London’s decision to hold a review of all the public realm in London, the same is going to be done in Ealing via a commission.
Council leader Julian Bell said: “It is really important that we reflect in our public realm our modern, diverse community. We are setting up a commission that will work with the council to review all of our road names, our public places and our buildings, and see how we can more reflect our modern and contemporary, diverse borough; which is, of course, our greatest strength.
“We will look at ways to honour local members of our black community and other ethnic minorities who have made significant contributions to our borough.”
TACKLING INEQUALITY
An online forum was held in early July with local community groups to
discuss the issues raised by the Black Lives Matter protests and a first Community Speaks session was then held. It is planned to hold these virtual events regularly to explore the realities of societal and structural racism; and to look at realistic action that might provide solutions to these issues. The sessions may include discussions, interviews with key local figures, and YouTube live streams hosted by young people. It will also provide an opportunity to showcase creative work.
Councillor Joanna Camadoo-Rothwell, the council’s cabinet member for community safety and inclusion, added: “There needs to be a substantial piece of work examining local inequalities and finding ways to tackle them – and the council is deeply committed to doing it. The commission will be asked to investigate this in detail and to help identify real action we can take.”
UNEQUAL IMPACT
A government study found that black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities are being disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and have a higher risk of serious illness and death. Among the factors thought to be contributing to the impact on BAME communities are: Higher rates of pre-existing serious health conditions; the jobs people do, such as being key workers in frontline roles; and, also, poverty.
Read more, and watch a video, in our article on this unequal impact of COVID-19.
