Council supports Black Lives Matter

Harrow council video-linked meeting (11 July), resolved to welcome the decision to light Harrow Civic Centre purple in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement globally.
Labour motion for ‘commitment to fighting systemic racism’, carried despite voted against by the Tory opposition, reminded that the killing of George Floyd at the hands of American police has created a powerful global movement around the cause of tackling systemic racism in society.
The motion included series of measures needed to address racism and what the Harrow council could focus upon, including to stand united against racism, injustice and racial inequalities, recognise the contributions that all communities, races and cultures have made to Harrow in the past and will continue to make in future and to give its support to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Mentioned in the motion is that the Harrow council has a plan to tackling entrenched inequalities, which disproportionately impact people from BAME (‘Black, Asian and minority ethnic’) backgrounds! Town hall archives are full of such plans, collecting dust – hope Harrow is an exception.
Racism affects black and while people both, but differently, and it is this specific focus on the difference that is missing from the Tory group’s motion and which is too general. However, in proposing and seconding the Tory motion good example was set for their group members to see how to speak sensibly, avoiding any racist overtone! For example, to learn that a toxic reference to the Black Lives Matter movement could be taken as anti-Black.
Harrow council ex-leader Cllr Sachin Shah, highlighted the key differences between the Labour and Tory motions: (click to listen)