A new group is being set up to understand and help address race inequalities in the city.
As well as looking at the disproportionate effect Covid-19 has had on black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities, it will also look at more systemic issues.
The working group has been set up by Nottingham Labour group, which runs Nottingham City Council.
It will be a BAME-led group run by seven Labour councillors, and it will report its findings later in the year.
In a statement, the Nottingham Labour group said it ‘recognised and shared’ the strength of emotion being felt across the country connected to the Black Lives Matter movement.
It said: “As local councillors, we are committed to standing in solidarity with the people across our communities and tackling race inequality. But we need to act now.
“Through this newly-established BAME-led working group made up of Nottingham Labour group councillors, we will review race inequalities across health, education, housing, employment and our communities before presenting findings to the group later this year.
"Public Health England’s (PHE) recent report into the impact of Covid-19 on BAME sadly raised more questions than answers.
“The report found that being BAME is a ‘major risk factor’ and that higher infection and mortality rates in BAME communities could be attributed to poor housing conditions, lower incomes, inadequate access to public services, and a greater risk of underlying health conditions.
“These findings are not new and will not be useful unless they lead to action, change and effective outcomes.
“We know first-hand that right across the city, BAME communities have paid a high price for austerity and the spread of Covid-19 and our contribution as local Labour politicians is rightly built on the contributions of people of all faiths and backgrounds.
“But we can never be complacent and recognise that race inequality is still an ugly part of our society.
“We are committed to ensuring all of our policies are measured against their impact on BAME communities and commit to eliminating racial inequality from our city. That is a responsibility we all must share, regardless of backgrounds.
“The choices made by us today will have a lasting impact for generations to come. We fully recognise that we need to work together, openly acknowledging the racial imbalances inherent in society, and seize the opportunity to set a new precedent for the future of Nottingham City.
“We are listening to the voices of our BAME communities, learning from their lived experiences and will use this opportunity to address long-standing entrenched racial inequalities head on.
“During these unprecedented times we have been working hard to protect our communities, businesses, Council services and city life.
“We are proud of the way Nottingham people have come together, to support each other; however, we also recognise that certain communities have been disproportionately affected by the impact of Covid-19.
“Through this working group we will review the inequalities across health, education, housing, employment and our communities before presenting findings to the group later this year.
