Why was there an independent review?
Edinburgh has inherited many things from our links with slavery and colonialism in the past. You can see these links in our public spaces such as
- street names
- statues
- building names.
The Council is taking action to address the racial injustice that comes from history. They also want to try to put a stop to discrimination taking place nowadays.
This builds on
- long-standing efforts of the Council
- actions by equalities-focussed organisations and individuals
- popular protests in support of the global Black Lives Matter movement in July 2020.
The Council agreed to create an independent group to look at what we've inherited. Members of the group were people who live or work in Edinburgh. They volunteered their time and experience to do this. They looked at the links with slavery and colonialism. They then made recommendations on what Edinburgh should do to address the parts of our history that are with us today.