Like you, we were devastated by the news of yet another black person killed at the hands of the police. We have also been saddened by the disproportionate number of black and ethnic minority people who have died as a result of COVID 19.

A statement from Hackney CVS, June 2020

We feel angry that racism is still alive in modern Britain today because it shows our collective value system is broken. Society simply doesn’t value black lives. This plays out at its starkest in police brutality and the disproportionate number of young black people going through a criminal justice system that focuses more on incarceration than prevention and real community empowerment.

On a different but equally important level, we should also look at the structural racism inherent in all our public services including: in our schools, our health services, our prisons and police force as well as in our cultural institutions, work places and broader media – learning from history to truly understand the black experience of centuries of oppression. We say: enough is enough and now is time for change – but we have to do this together. Addressing racism in society is everyone’s business.

Read the full statement here.

See below for information & resources

What we are doing at Hackney CVS
We have a range of initiatives to challenge and address the impacts of racism and inequality for our diverse communities. > Read more

Community conversations
We have hosted a number of conversations to discuss the impact of Covid-19 on our diverse communities. To read about the issues these meetings covered, click here.

Black Lives Matter resources
The following books, documentaries and podcasts are useful in helping understand racial injustice. > Read more

Addressing structural racism in Hackney
“Community calls for ‘persistent solution’ to address structural racism in Hackney.” > Read the Hackney Citizen article here.

“Are they doing their duty?”
This guide, published by BTEG (Black Training & Enterprise Group), is intended to help groups to keep track of how the public authorities in their local area are eliminating unlawful discrimination and promoting equal opportunities. > Read more