Brighton and Hove City Council is flying the Black History Month flag from the town halls in Hove and Brighton throughout this month.
That’s because October is Black History Month in the UK when we celebrate the continued achievements and contributions of black people here and around the world.
This is a time to recommit to action to tackle racism, reclaim black history and ensure black history is represented and celebrated all year round.
The Labour group of councillors is publishing a series of posts on our social media channels – “10 Black Brightonians and Hovians we should all know about”.
The series of posts features historical figures such as Sara Forbes Bonetta and Thomas Highflyer as well as contemporary names such as Dr Bert Williams MBE.
If you want to find out more about local black historical figures, I’d recommend the excellent work of the Brighton and Hove Black History organisation.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is “Time for Change: Action Not Words” – and we can all make our own personal contribution in a practical way by being “anti-racist allies”.
This means that we inform and educate ourselves about black lives and experiences. It means that we act when we see racism and we do what we can to make our workplaces, our communities, our networks and our city welcoming to people of all races, cultures and ethnicities.
An “ally” isn’t someone we choose to be on certain days or every so often – and our allyship isn’t demonstrated by wearing a badge.
It’s something we commit to all the time and which is reflected in our actions and in the way we behave.
For example, we are all bystanders as every day events unfold around us. And when we witness something racially offensive, we either decide to say or do something or we let it go.
Maybe we don’t intervene at the time but being an ally means that we take some form of action while keeping ourselves safe.
Under a Labour administration in 2019 the council pledged to be an anti-racist council. To make this a reality we need every resident to be an ally so that together we work to remove the systems, stereotypes and prejudice that disadvantage black people and those from other ethnic minority communities every day.
Councillor John Allcock is the joint leader of the Labour opposition on Brighton and Hove City Council.
Your “party” has a lot to do on equality, Sir. Only one party is delivering on it and now they have a non-White PM. Cllr Allcock, how many non-White Cllr does your local party have?
Labour will have a lot more credibility, and indeed electability, once the remaining Momentum councillors are removed
Labour will have a lot more credibility, and indeed electability, once the more Tories councillors have crossed the floor and joined the party. One party state? 😉
Don’t mention anti-semitism!
What about the racist anti Semitic, problem in Labour? All how many if at all Labour (or Green)councillors in Brighton are black?.