York's promise to become the North's first anti-racist city could help end discrimination across region, campaigner says

York’s commitment to becoming the region’s first anti-racist city could pave the way for more in the North to reject discrimination, a campaigner has said.
York Council voted in October last year to become an anti-racist city after a campaign spearheaded by risk manager Haddy Njie, who lives in the city.York Council voted in October last year to become an anti-racist city after a campaign spearheaded by risk manager Haddy Njie, who lives in the city.
York Council voted in October last year to become an anti-racist city after a campaign spearheaded by risk manager Haddy Njie, who lives in the city.

York Council voted in October last year to become an anti-racist city after a campaign spearheaded by risk manager Haddy Njie, who lives in the city.

Ms Njie, 37, set up Speak Up Diversity after moving to York in 2015 and experiencing racism.

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She has faced abuse in the city including from a taxi driver who used the N-word slur against her after she challenged him on his route choice, and a neighbour who did a monkey dance at her after a parking dispute.

In a motion backed by York’s Labour Party, Ms Njie called for a council working group to be set up within three months to start to develop a long-term anti-racism and inclusion strategy.

Details of the strategy are set to be unveiled later this month, she told The Yorkshire Post.

“This is such important work. We’ve been working to formalise the working group, and building the governance side of things,” Ms Njie said.

“It’s so crucially important to get this right.

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“The council has demonstrated leadership and commitment to this work. They’ve realised people of colour have experienced severe racism for a very long time.

“Now they have an opportunity to say ‘we all see you as equal and we recognise that there are systems and structures that are disproportionately affecting you in a racist manner. It’s about human rights.”

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Other city councils in England, including Oxford and Brighton have also declared anti-racist commitments, but Ms Njie wants York to set an example for the rest of the North.

“We can set an example to other cities and towns across the north of England to adopt our model and how we will be doing things,” she said.

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“Everything we do, we intend to make sure it’s impact-driven and very effective.

“We want to formalise it so it becomes a legacy. We do the work – and then we inspire young people who can take it on into the next 10, 20 or 30 years.”

But Ms Njie is concerned that many people in the city still don’t understand the scale of the problem, even though there has been a 239 per cent increase in reported hate crimes across York and North Yorkshire in the past decade.

“I am still not convinced that many people in York – the decision makers and the civic leaders – really get the severity and level of racism, and that causes a great concern,” she added.

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“When you tell your story, people are shocked and say ‘I don’t believe we have that.’

“They still don’t believe racism exists in York.”

Speaking of examples of where racism has been experienced in the city, Ms Njie said: “I know there are young people in our schools who experience racism and are being told they aren’t believed.

“Overall I just think racism is embedded in our culture. One example which happens almost single day is that where I live, when we go out for walks we are stared at all the time.

“We go past people and they hold onto their purses a bit tighter.

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“All this is micro-aggressions as we have been profiled as criminal. York does have a serious problem.”

As part of its commitment to becoming an anti-racist city, York Council has also agreed to facilitate workshops led by people of colour to educate staff and elected officials.

It has also agreed to scrutinise the workings of North Yorkshire Police to ensure its practices are not racist and meet the needs of the county’s non-white population.

A full audit of council departments that could have contributed towards systemic racism and bias will also take place according to the agreed motion.

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