Black Lives Matter: statement from the Fabian Society

The Fabian Society executive committee met to review the society’s commitment to race equality in response to Black Lives Matter.

The society’s executive unanimously agreed the following statement:

“The Fabian Society has a strong and enduring commitment to race equality but we recognise that we do not always live up to our values and we strive to do better.

We abhor the deep-rooted racism and inequality experienced by black people in the UK and around the world. We know that the Fabian Society is not immune to the forces that perpetuate structural inequality and racial prejudice.

There is more we need to do to make the Fabian Society a welcoming and inclusive network for black members and employees; and to support the advancement of black people in politics and society. The executive committee and management team commit to working with our black members to achieve measurable change over the next 12 months.

As an organisation founded in the nineteenth century we also recognise that the racist prejudices, opinions and actions of many of our past members were not in keeping with the society’s commitment to equality for all, either then or now. We will reflect this in the way we commemorate our history.”

With this is mind, we have established a race equality task force with the aim of achieving measurable change within 12 months, to improve representation, inclusion and opportunity for people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds within the society.

We are also pleased to be holding a meeting for our black members (ie black Caribbean, black African, black British) to create a forum to share experiences and generate ideas for improvement. If you are a black Fabian member join us on Friday 10 July at 7pm, please sign up here.