See notes
I am interested in issues of race in the built environment.
For the last year up to date, but inclusive of information and documents from work which may have begun before this period and is still being pursued by the council. (For example, a project to identify monument may have begun in 2020, but the list compiled from this project may still be used by the council now)
1. Could you please provide any list or review/research/report/survey of locations (streets/buildings/parks), or public art (such as statues), plaques, commemorations, graves, memorials that the council has produced in relation to slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice.
In question form: “What in the built environment has the organisation, or a group working on its behalf, identified as being linked to racism, slavery, colonialism: that is, contested history?”
We do not hold any information. Our Senior Specialist for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is not aware of any work that would fit the description in the questions for Wokingham
2. Could you please provide details of what being done to highlight, reinterpret, redisplay, or rename aspects of the environment in the council area identifying in part 1 of this request
In question form: “What work (such as adding interpretation, or information boards, or plaques close to contested monuments) has been undertaken by the council to address these legacies?
We do not hold any information. Our Senior Specialist for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is not aware of any work that would fit the description in the questions for Wokingham
3.If applicable, can you please provide information on what is being done to address issues of slavery, colonialism, empire/British Empire, racism, white supremacy, Black Lives Matter, decolonising, racial justice in council museums?
For example, what information boards have been added, what has been taken off display or put on display, what new plaques have been erected?
We do not hold any information. Our Senior Specialist for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is not aware of any work that would fit the description in the questions for Wokingham
4. The same as for part 3, but can you provide information on how council libraries have addressed these issues
For example, have any books been specifically banned or removed from the library? Has a system of trigger warnings been established for sensitive topics? (This can be broad, I do not need an full check of all items in the library; please do not get bogged won in this if it is likely to go over the limit)
We do not hold information on books which have been specifically removed from the library. In the case of historic books when purchasing, where available we will purchase updated editions which have had the offensive words/sections edited and updated.
5. For the above work to address contested history, can you please provide information any grants received by the council to pursue this work, or any payments or grants made by the council to pursue this work (for example, to a local anti-racism group tasked with identifying contested history)
We do not hold any information. Our Senior Specialist for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is not aware of any work that would fit the description in the questions for Wokingham
6. Can you provide information on any schools in the council area that have applied to change their name in relation to issues of contested history
We do not hold any information. Our Senior Specialist for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is not aware of any work that would fit the description in the questions for Wokingham