Sandwell Business Ambassadors call for inclusion, diversity and anti-racism

7th July 2020

We are proud of the diverse community in our borough of Sandwell. Our 40 per cent ethnic minority population is almost three times the national average.

And we are richer for this diversity. Our communities, our workplaces and our friendship circles are stronger and more interesting when people come together from different cultures and backgrounds, with different viewpoints.

From a business perspective, many studies have shown that diverse teams are good for productivity, creativity, employee engagement, and more.

Yet racism persists. Recent events have reminded us of this. Not only overtly hate-filled racism, but also in underlying biases and stereotypes that perpetuate inequality and injustice. This cannot go on.

As business leaders, Sandwell Business Ambassadors have a responsibility to listen to, understand and support those fighting for a fair and just society. We will use our voices to challenge racism and our privilege to promote diversity and inclusion in our workplaces, encouraging others to do the same.

Share your experiences with us – and with Sandwell Council

Sandwell Business Ambassadors are here to provide a voice to businesses in Sandwell, and we want to know your experiences of diversity and inclusion (or otherwise) in the borough, which we can feed back to Sandwell Council.

Is it easy to start conversations about diversity? Do you want support in nurturing a more diverse workforce?

As the council strives towards delivering an Inclusive Economy – one which builds on the strengths of our community, where wealth is more evenly spread, and no-one is left behind – it’s vital that we share real-life experiences and challenges in order to learn and progress. Contact us today.

Resources

This podcast from the Chartered Institute of Professional Development looks at why organisations find it difficult to talk about BAME diversity.

Business in the Community has published this toolkit for talking about race in the workplace.

‘Let’s talk about racism’ from TUC makes several practical recommendations for businesses, including publishing a ‘strong equality, diversity and dignity policy that explicitly includes zero tolerance for racism’.

#doingbusinessbetter
#BlackLivesMatter