More active support and participation by Dundee City Council in Black History Month has been agreed by councillors.
The City of Dundee and Black History Working Group agreed to facilitate, support and promote access to activities related to Black History Month, specifically through the use of council buildings and infrastructure and the dissemination and amplification of appropriate messaging.
It was also agreed that the council should partner with Abertay Historical Society to support community-based research exploring local Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) history, identifying how the city has benefited from the culture and talents of migrants from different ethnic backgrounds.
Cllr Georgia Cruickshank who chairs the cross-party working group said: “There are dozens of stories highlighting the significant contribution the BAME community has made to Dundee just waiting to be told.
“And in the same breath those stories which showcase the contribution that the city’s BAME citizens have made to the wider world in their professions, commerce, industry or other activities.
“We should be proud of all of these stories and ready to celebrate them this October and during future Black History Months.
“And while we are aware of some of them, it is important to stress that many of these tales are already well-told within families or communities, without the wider recognition they so richly deserve.
“What I want to do is make sure we hear them so that we can put the council’s resources behind giving them an even louder voice.”
The Working Group has agreed to provide £5000 worth of financial support to Abertay Historical Society to match fund its research on the Woven Together project which will provide rich contextual material on the contribution of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic citizens in the history in the city, to be used in future celebrations and educational contexts.
The City of Dundee and Black History Working Group meets regularly to monitor progress and highlight further activities which celebrate the diversity of our city.
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
