Crisis, communities, change: demands for an equitable recovery

Policy briefing

  • Communities

Over the winter of 2020-2021, we undertook a community inquiry to listen to stories of resilience, challenge and imagination arising from the pandemic.

As part of our community inquiry, this short briefing is an attempt to understand in greater detail how those of ethnic minority backgrounds have been impacted.

We found:

  • Minority communities have been badly hit by the pandemic, and have found it harder to access financial support.
  • Half of Black and Asian respondents report having faced discrimination when accessing services in their area. There are low levels of trust in some institutions, such as the police and government.
  • This institutional distrust may be contributing to vaccine hesitancy – those who are hesitant about taking a vaccine are more likely to have suffered discrimination while accessing local services.
  • When asked about what would foster good decision-making in local areas, better information, clarity and accountability are key.

Download 'Crises, communities, change' (PDF, 348 KB)

pdf 348 KB

Authors

Picture of Ian Burbidge
Former RSA Head of Innovation and Change

Picture of Joanna Choukeir
Director of Design & Innovation

Picture of Ella Firebrace
Former Innovation and Change Manager

Picture of Will Grimond
Media and Communications Officer

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