Black Lives Coalition: Kirklees group set up to tackle inequality
- Published
Hundreds of people held a Black Lives Matter protest in Huddersfield in Kirklees in June
A new organisation has been set up in Kirklees to tackle racism and inequalities facing the black community.
The Black Lives Coalition has been formed in the wake of George Floyd's death in America in May.
Spokeswoman Una Alexis said: "The world is now demanding real change and Kirklees is no exception."
She said the new group "has the capacity to be a formidable community organisation".
Una Alexis said Kirklees' Black Lives Coalition would work with the police, council and health services to raise the issues of individuals and groups in Kirklees' black communities
Kirklees' Black Lives Coalition (BLC) was born out of the existing Building African Caribbean Communities (BACC), which has been run in the district for 12 years, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
It is described as a collaboration of community organisations representing a large cross-section of black people living in the district.
BLC will focus on health inequalities, and the effects that housing, employment and location have on life expectancy.
It will starting its work by hosting an online race and equality panel meeting with councillors representing Liverpool, Birmingham and Leeds on 28 September.
Ms Alexis said: "Councils have a duty, under the Race Relations Act, to eliminate racial discrimination as far as is practicably possible and to promote equal opportunities and good race relations.
"We realise that not all authorities are at the same stage and there are those who spend time working with and consulting with the community, in order to achieve good, positive outcomes.
"Then there are those who don't, believing they can make decisions for the community, without having discussions with them."
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