On Wednesday, the 22nd of May 2024, BSWN and the University of Bristol launched ‘The Three-Legged RACE Approach: Charter on Co-Production through an Anti-Racist Lens,’ marking the culmination of a two-year partnership under the Research Action Coalition for Race Equality (RACE). This partnership aimed to create an ecosystem that improved access to racial disparity data for Black and Minoritised communities and facilitated equitable and anti-racist research practices.
On Monday, 22nd April 2024, we hosted a Local Election Hustings at the Coach House, offering candidates for the upcoming local elections an opportunity to outline their visions for Bristol's future. Key themes such as addressing structural barriers, affordable housing, climate action, and community engagement were highlighted. With Bristol’s local elections occurring on Thursday 2nd of May 2024, where 70 councillors will be elected, the city’s electorate will play a crucial role in shaping its future. Following the recent decision to discard the mayoral system – emphasising the importance of political participation, a cross-party committee composed of councillors – our local councillors will hold greater power and responsibility to ensure the everyday operation of Bristol’s local government.
On Monday 24th April, BSWN was joined by key strategic stakeholders at Gloucester Guildhall for the official launch of its community-led research on racial healthcare inequalities in Gloucestershire and the launch of the related newly set up organisation: the Gloucestershire Race Equality Action Group (GREAG).
We hosted an event on Thursday 23rd March to celebrate the achievements of Black and Minoritised entrepreneurs in the South West region. The evening included networking, making new connections, playing games, eating delicious food, and hearing from a fantastic panel. The event was sponsored by Business West, who provided drinks, and catered by Jikoni East Africa. It was held in a beautiful event space at TLT LLP.
Here then is a beginning, an opening, in contextualising and situating why in 2022, here in Bristol, we are pursuing through an ongoing working group, discussions, arguments, dreaming, and planning for our very own UnMuseum. What you might ask is an UnMuseum? This is a good question, and the purpose of this introductory essay is to begin to address, though (intentionally) not definitively answer this question.
The Screening of The Meaning of Zong is certainly a night to remember for many who have attended. Lessons were learned, perhaps not just intellectual lessons, but lessons of the heart. We have learned of the value of empathy for people in the face of a system that does not recognise them for who they are.
