Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Inequalities Commission
The Tower Hamlets Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Inequalities Commission was set up in 2020 to help improve the life experiences of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic residents.
The Commission launched its findings and recommendations in March 2021 and a partnership action plan has been agreed by Cabinet to deliver the step change needed to deliver improvements to the outcomes of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic residents.
On this page, you can find out more about the Commission’s activity, watch Commission meetings and access the final report.
You can also access the action plan to discover what the council and partners are doing to respond to the Commission’s findings. You can also view the Tower Hamlets Anti-Racist Pledge to see what commitments organisations across the borough are making to address race inequality.
Background and key aims
In 2020, the shocking and public killing of George Floyd, and subsequent Black Lives Matter demonstrations across the world brought the subject of racial inequality to the forefront of personal and political discussions.
In addition to the Black Lives Matter movement, the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic population served to expose the severe consequences of the structural disadvantages and discrimination faced by these communities
The council is committed to creating cohesive communities that are strong, fair and equal. We recognise that we can only do this by working in partnership with our communities to advance equality, promote good relations and tackle discrimination.
Equality is embedded in our major partnership plans so that addressing inequalities is a core part of our outlook and the way we deliver public services.
Tower Hamlets is a place that has for generations welcomed people from all over the world, and at times has come together in solidarity to stand up to racist attacks from those who wish to divide local people.
However, we understand that for all our success and progress there remains much room for improvement to achieve greater equality in the borough.
We know that racial discrimination means some people have neither had equal access to public services or employment, nor fair treatment and life chances.
The Commission was tasked to deliver tangible and practical actions which will deliver real change to the lives of our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities. It will also allow the council and its partners to champion the enormous impact these communities can contribute to the borough.
Commission meetings
You can watch a recording of each Commission meeting by accessing the following links.
Commission Report and Recommendations 2021
The Commission’s report and recommendations follows several months of detailed research and evidence from expert witnesses, and members of various professions, young people and community groups.
Through smaller private meetings and online consultation people have also been encouraged to share their lived experiences and their ideas for making positive and lasting changes.
Many thanks to all those who took the time to share their experiences, the feedback the Commission has received has really helped to shape the findings and recommendations.
BAME inequalities Commission Report and Recommendations 2021
Our action plan
The council agreed an action plan to respond to the Commission’s findings and recommendations at Cabinet in October 2021.
This plan commits £1.5million to tackle race inequalities and sets an ambitious programme of activities which will have a real impact and provide the initial step change needed to deliver improved outcomes for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities.
This plan enhances existing work the council and its partners have been undertaking to address inequality facing our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic residents.
It details the actions the council and partners will deliver to improve outcomes for Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority residents in areas of community leadership, health, education and employment, and sets out how the council will deliver the commitments made in its Anti Racist Pledge.