York bid to be first North of England city to be anti-racist

A five-year anti-racism strategy has been developed to help York achieve the status which the campaign group Inclusive Equal Rights UK (IERUK) has developed in partnership with academics from the Institute for Social Justice at York St John University.

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It is a response to quantitative data collected by IERUK from the city council, schools, higher education, policing, healthcare, social care, housing, government agencies and the private sector.

Dr Steven Hirschler and Dr Cíntia Silva Huxter from York St John University then conducted a qualitative study of people’s interactions with health, education, and policing services. These preliminary findings shared with IERUK have been incorporated into the strategy.

Haddy Njie (Image: Lorne Campbell)

Haddy Njie, chair of IERUK, said: “This work matters because the data widely documents that racism in York is casual, systemic, and structural. It is manifested in many forms that disproportionately and negatively impacts the lives and livelihood of people of colour.”

IERUK’s initial data research showed that York City Council is made up entirely of white councillors and the York contingent of North Yorkshire Police has less than ten minority ethnic police officers.

Police stop and search data shows that black residents have approximately 90 times more stop and search rates as white residents. Those of Asian or Asian British background are 18 times more likely to be stopped than white people.

In the health sector, just five per cent of the 734 staff at the Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys Mental Health Trust, the second largest health organisation serving York, are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. 

In 2022, hate crime incidents in the North Yorkshire Police force area exceeded 1,000 for the first time. Approximately, two-thirds were race-related hate crimes.

Matthew Reason, Director of the Institute for Social Justice at York St John University, said: "York St John University is committed to addressing inequalities, injustices and challenges facing society today and we are proud to have provided research that has helped IERUK to develop this important strategy.

"Tackling systemic racism requires a sustained, collaborative approach. We hope this five-year plan provides a solid foundation for our city to become more inclusive and equitable for everyone.”

The working group of IERUK, made up of members of York’s different communities, identified key areas of concern to develop a plan of action to address institutional racism and unconscious bias, promote cultural diversity and inclusion, and improve access to education and employment opportunities for marginalized groups.

Key initiatives of the strategy include asking public and private sector employers to sign an Anti-Racist Pledge, targeted outreach programs for underrepresented communities, the establishment of a racial equity commission to review city policies, and the implementation of unconscious bias training for all city employees.

The City of York Council who funded the work has welcomed the strategy and pledged to work closely with YSJU and IERUK to implement its recommendations.

Cllr Katie Lomas, City of York Council's Executive Member for Equalities, said: "We recognise the challenges for organisations across the city of ensuring a genuinely anti-racist environment, and would encourage people and businesses across the city to consider how they can support that ambition."

The strategy will be available on City of York Council and IERUK websites.