News / Bristol
‘I’m not afraid to talk about the racism that exists here in Bristol’
Bristol’s deputy mayor has spoken out about the racism she faces every day in a bid to open up conversations across the city.
Asher Craig condemned all forms of discrimination as she called for different communities to foster understanding and build social integration in order to stem the rise in hate.
“Bristol is a city of contradictions. Everybody says how wonderful we are, but peel off a layer and you will see we are a much divided city,” she told Bristol24/7.
is needed now More than ever
“I have got responsibility for the Safer Bristol Partnership and I have seen figures of hate crime rising across areas of the city. I have been having conversations with councillors about what they are going to do to address race hate and to communities who want to bring people together.”
Along with mayor Marvin Rees, she is seeking to open up debate and conversation about racism and other forms of discrimination in Bristol in a bid to mend the divides.
Mayor Marvin Rees and deputy mayor Asher Craig both spoke about their own experiences of racism at a vigil on College Green
“For too many years, people have been sweeping it under the carpet and it is only now that we are having these conversations,” said Craig.
“I’m very proud of who I am and what I am and I’m here to represent the whole city.”
Craig says College Green has become a key focal point in the stand against hate
Addressing an anti-racism vigil on College Green following the death of civil rights activist Heather Heyer in Charlottesville, Craig spoke candidly about the discrimination she experiences.
“I’m not afraid to talk about the racism that exists, not only in the UK, but also right here in Bristol,” she said.
“We are facing it every day. Every time I walk into a room, go on the bus, or walk into a shop, I’m targeted. It does not matter that I am the deputy mayor, first and foremost, people see the colour of my skin.
“Here in Bristol, we have had debates about Colston and slavery and we have seen hatred unfold as a result even of those debates.”
Calling the tragic events in the US “a sad indictment of the culture that is being cultivated in the United States under the new president”, she said the white supremacy marches gave a voice to the forms of hate that have long festered on the margins, not only of American life, but also closer to home.
The way to turn the tide of this wave of hate, says the deputy mayor, is to have an open and honest discourse.
Read more: Bristol stands united against racism
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