Tory council accused of ‘racist agenda’ for refusing to celebrate Black History Month

An "obnoxious" London council has been accused of reverting to the "dark ages of racism and ignorance" for refusing to acknowledge or celebrate Black History Month.

The Conservative-led London Borough of Hillingdon, in west London, has opposed the celebration of Black History Month and has resisted renewed calls this month to have it reinstated.

Black History Month highlights and celebrates the contribution of Black people to the UK and is celebrated in schools and through public events across the country.

In a joint open letter to the council, Lambeth UNISON and Lambeth UNISON Black workers group told the council it was in breach of race discrimination and demanded an apology to all workers affected.

It said employees felt "forced to leave Hillingdon" as a result of the council's defence that "all staff are the same".

"This is an abhorrent and obnoxious position," it wrote. "Hillingdon Council has taken the borough back to the dark ages of racism and ignorance and we fully detest and condemn [the council's] position on Black History Month.

"We recognise the racist agenda is to ignore and deny racism and oppression ever existed," it went on. "By denying celebration of Black History Month, Hillingdon Council is blatantly ignorant and attempting to encourage racism, and preventing the next generation to learn from history."

Hillingdon's own UNISON branch branded the council "shameful".

"The Conservative Group in Hillingdon ignored the momentum of protests that followed the killing of George Floyd in the US and did not even make a statement on the councils website when other local authorities did," it said in a statement.

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"The Hillingdon Labour group have been pressing for the council to act on equalities issues and to support BHM and it is shameful that Hillingdon Conservative Councillors chose to turn their backs on the London Borough of Hillingdon’s BAME community."

A worker at Uxbridge Civic Centre, where the council is based, told Yahoo News UK: "I'm shocked by this stance, especially for an area like Hillingdon with a significant number of residents and employees, including myself, being of Black heritage.

"It is a shame this is happening, even now."

Another told us: "It makes my blood boil."

Hillingdon Black History Month Action Group has listed six demands to the council, including that an apology be issued to staff and residents; details of how reparations will be made to "repair the harm caused"; and that appropriate mental health and emotional wellbeing support is offered for staff affected by the decision, as well as the council signing and adhering to the anti-racism charter.

A spokesman for Hillingdon Council told Yahoo News UK: "We are immensely proud of the diverse communities that make up Hillingdon. Our identity as a borough is the sum of these cultures and ethnicities. The mix and integration of these groups has resulted in a strong, cohesive proud community.

“In light of this, the council has made the decision to not educate residents on individual cultures for limited time periods, believing that we should celebrate and provide education on all our variety of cultures throughout the whole year.

“However, internally, as part of the council’s equality, diversity and inclusion work, staff have been holding themed team meetings and events during the month to share knowledge and understanding of Black history and culture.”

What is Black History Month?

Black History Month aims to promote and celebrate Black contributions to British society, and to foster an understanding of Black history in general.

The event began in the United States in the 1920s, and was first celebrated in the UK in 1987.

It takes place every October and gives people the opportunity to share, celebrate and understand the impact of Black heritage and culture in Britain.

People from African and Caribbean backgrounds have been a fundamental part of British history for centuries. However, campaigners believe their contribution to society has often been overlooked or distorted.

Black History Month looks to address this.