Active Sussex’s ongoing commitment to oppose racism as we mark the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd

Wednesday 25th May will be the second anniversary of the murder of George Floyd. Two years ago the Active Partnership Network came together, to unequivocally stand in solidarity in response to the shocking event in 2020.  

As an Active Partnership network we recognised we must do much more to address racism and racial inequalities within sport and physical activity. The network worked together as a learning community in order to build a more in depth understanding of the issue in our communities and to agree tangible actions to make a difference at national and local levels. As a result of this learning, we collectively launched a commitment to tackling racism and racial inequality.

Two years on we want to reaffirm our commitment to being an anti-racist organisations and proactively tackling the racial inequalities that prevent or discourage people from leading active lives and enjoying the benefits of sport and physical activity, whether as participants, volunteers or by working in the sector.

Reflecting on the anniversary, Sadie Mason (MBE), CEO Active Sussex said: “Unfortunately, I can attest to the many instances where the colour of my skin has affected my participation in sport and prejudiced my career opportunities, so it’s absolutely important (no matter how unpalatable) to speak about and commemorate instances of racial injustice, and together we must continually work to bring about an end to discrimination in the sector and wider society. Let’s all just do the right thing and be kind.”

Over the last year the Active Partnership Network has focused on the 6 key areas from the Racial Equality Commitment and we have put our own plans in place working alongside local partners and communities. We have spent time looking internally around our own practices, recognising our weaknesses and how we lead by example to support our partners to learn alongside us. 

We know that shifting the dial towards eventual anti-racist and non-discriminatory behavior in sport will take time, but progress is being made.

“Active Sussex staff and trustees are committed to continually reviewing how as an organisation and individually, we can work together to tackle discrimination of any kind. The Trusts newly formed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering group will ensure we have the appropriate resources and processes to listen, both internally and externally and to check and challenge the Trust’s accountability around its plans.” Alex White, Active Sussex Trustee & Board Equality Lead.