Equity launches Independent Commission for Race Equality following resignation of race equality committee

Equity has launched a brand new Independent Commission for Race Equality (ICRE) to combat ongoing discrimination within the entertainment industry.

The commssion, co-chaired by Johnny Worthy, Tanya Moodie and Chipo Chung, with Dawn Hope present as a representative from Equity's Council, will meet regularly to discuss measures that could improve employment practices for black and minority ethnic workers, as well as best-practices for Equity itself.

Moodie stated: "The Commission's role is to listen to the union's black and minority ethnic membership, ask the union leadership fundamental questions about how it organises, represents and fights for black and minority ethnic workers, and take urgent action to radically reform the union's anti-racism work."

The commission is set up in direct response to the resignation of Equity's Race Equality Committee (REC), which was prompted after a controversial spat between the union and actor Lawrence Fox. It will operate until the end of the year.

Equity hopes to find a "strong, positive working relationship with those who resigned from the REC to transform recent organisational conflict into an opportunity for radical social change" and says that all members of the REC have been approached to contribute witness statements for the ICRE's work.