Diolch, Llywydd. This has been the most significant debate on race that has been held in this Senedd, in a year when we've seen the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on people of colour in Wales, the UK and across the world. I thank all of those who have contributed positively and constructively to this debate. As speakers have said, this is the time for action if we are to call ourselves a humane society, a country that seeks to be a nation of sanctuary, fair play and equality. We must bring all our efforts to bear across this Welsh Government and with our partners to combat the racism and racial inequalities that have been exposed in the past year.

But the key to this is to recognise that we've got to tackle racism in ourselves, in our communities and our institutions if we're going to stand up and be counted in support of this motion. At a meeting of Black Lives Matter I attended earlier this year, after the killing of George Floyd, I drew attention to the words of Baroness Valerie Amos, who said

'We have had report after report, which shows the depth...of racism in Britain.... We need to stop writing reports and actually start tackling it at the root'.

So, this is the message from this Welsh Government motion that I've moved today, and I'm glad it's supported by Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Conservatives. It sends a strong message to our diverse communities that we will take responsibility, led by this Government. 

It is appropriate to be debating this today, as Joyce Watson, our equalities Commissioner said, as we commence Black History Month 2020. At the launch last week, I was able to welcome the move from Black History Month to Black History Cymru 365, with funding from the Welsh Government to support the team at Race Council Cymru to work throughout the year and hear the voices of Windrush elders, Black History Wales patrons, and, as we heard last week, Professor Charlotte Williams and Gaynor Legall, who are leading the work on our curriculum and our audit of monuments and place names. I can confirm that Professor Williams will be reporting on her interim recommendations later this year.

But, like Joyce, I want to also dedicate the motion today, and this debate, to the memory of Patti Flynn, that celebrated jazz singer who died recently after a battle with cancer, known to many of us here in the Senedd. Tributes were given at the Black History Month launch last week, and they were led by Humie Webb. She recalled that Patti lived to see her campaign delivered in her lifetime after a long struggle for recognition, and that campaign resulted in, last November, a plaque in honour of BAME soldiers, servicemen and women finally unveiled at the Welsh National War Memorial, in memory of the BAME servicemen and women who served and gave their lives in conflict and war. Patti herself lost her father and two brothers in world war two.

Last week many of us also took part in the launch of the Race Alliance Wales manifesto. We had speakers from all main parties welcoming the call to 'move from rhetoric to reality for an anti-racist Wales', and that sums up where we want to go and where the people who have spoken today, in support of this motion, want to go. The messages from the steering group from Wales Race Alliance were very powerful, very clear, as Mymuna Soleman has reminded us so often in these months, when we learn more from her Privilege Cafe and from the Black Lives Matter movement that we should use our privilege for good. The Wales race equality panel will take this commitment forward.

And to those Members who've spoken against this motion, I would urge you to go to the Privilege Cafe. I would urge you to listen to the young people, both black and white, in Black Lives Matter across the whole of Wales—from north to south, east to west, we have groups of people, particularly young people, who are committed to the Black Lives Matter movement and committed to making and urging us to make change. But I would also say to those people who speak against this motion: respect the views of those who have the lived experience of being black, Asian, minority ethnic people in Wales, and that's where we will learn and where we will take our commitment.

So, today, finally, we are recommitting this Welsh Government and this Senedd to stand against racism in Wales. And as Professor Raj Bhopal, as the Black Lives Matter leader spoke to us, said:

'Enough is enough. Be the leaders that this country, this world needs.'

And that must be our resolve today. Diolch yn fawr.