The Regional Studies Association, as a global learned society for the study of cities and regions, supports the Black Lives Matter campaign and we are determined to confront racism in all its forms.
We are committed to working with our members to continue to promote a diverse and inclusive learned society across all our activities and events. We have made great strides over the last few years, particularly on gender equality, but there is still much work we can do to give black people a strong voice and visibility in research and policy work.
To be effective and relevant, we must be representative of the society we work in and study, and accessible and inclusive in our decisions. That means being receptive, and being seen to be receptive, to change, and offering to support our members wherever they are.
In 2019, we funded a study on Addressing regional inequalities in innovation opportunities for Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) and disabled groups– being undertaken by Professor Helen Lawton Smith, that is due to report later in the autumn, and we will identify areas of our work that can change for the better. We are also monitoring the diversity attendance and participation in RSA activities and will intervene where necessary if we consider our principles of equality, inclusivity and diversity are not being met.
Recent racist events across the globe have been truly shocking, and they only serve to reinforce our commitment to be an inclusive association