Black Londoners are being asked for their help in creating a new action plan aimed at making the city more welcoming, supportive, and safe for people of colour.
The City of London is looking for public input as it puts together a sustainable, community-informed anti-Black racism action plan. For it, Londoners are being asked to share their experiences and recommendations on how the city can address such racism.
“It’s important for us to meet this community where they are at,” said Yvonne Asare-Bediako, the city’s Black community liaison advisor. “We will be speaking with Black Londoners about their experiences accessing City of London services and the barriers they face. We will also be asking them about what areas of priority they feel the city should be focusing on.”
Input will be gathered through a variety of community consultations including an online survey, focus groups, one-on-one interviews, and community pop-up events, city officials said.
The online survey will be available until the end of the month.
Data collected through the consultations will be analyzed and developed into a draft action plan. From there, more feedback will be obtained and used to finalize the plan. The plan will then be submitted to city council for consideration.
“At the City of London, we recognize the adverse social and health consequences that social inequity and disproportionate access to programs and services has had on members of Black communities,” said Mayor Josh Morgan. “This anti-Black racism action plan will help us develop measurable actions and recommendations on how the city can deliver better services that meet the needs of Black Londoners.”
