Birmingham City Council becomes an early adopter of RACE code to tackle boardroom race equality

Friday, 30 October 2020 15:56

Following the launch of the RACE Equality Code 2020, Birmingham City Council has announced that it will become an early adopter of the framework.

Developed by Dr Karl George MBE, it draws together over 200 recommendations outlined in reports, charters and pledges which aim to tackle diversity and inclusion challenges

The RACE Code does not create new obligations but provides one set of standards and an overarching accountability framework based on current laws, codes and best practice. It streamlines existing recommendations into actions for organisations and their workforces across every sector. It adopts a simple yet robust ‘apply and explain’ approach as part of its four key principles: Reporting, Action, Composition and Education (RACE).

Cllr John Cotton, cabinet member for Social Inclusion, Community Safety and Equalities at Birmingham City Council said, “We live in one of Britain’s most diverse cities, and yet opportunities for too many of our citizens continue to be limited as a result of their race, class, gender, economic circumstances or a combination of these factors.

“Recent events have continued to demonstrate to us this injustice and there is much work we need to do to redress that imbalance. However, for the council to become an early adopter of the RACE Equality Code 2020 is an important step forward.

“I am a strong believer that as a local authority, we need to be setting a good example and acting in our role as civic leaders for our city. This will play a vital role in ensuring that the council is reflective of those it serves.”

Dr Karl George MBE commented, “The long-overdue need to tackle a woeful lack of racial diversity in the leadership of many of our organisations is finally getting the attention it deserves. Real change only happens when you are able to influence leadership - the board and executive management - and hold organisations to account. So, the focus of the RACE Code is firmly on how we deal with race inequity in the boardrooms and senior leadership teams of the UK.”

Details on the RACE Code can be found at: www.theracecode.org. The primary hashtag being used in social media activity on the RACE Code is #race.