The #RaceReport's historical revisionism of the UK's role in enslavement as the "Caribbean experience" is even more chilling when the Chair of NLCF - a co-opted member of the report’s commissioning team - is in a group representing plantation owners
How the Chair of NLCF's other org describes itself:
"...commenced life as a trade association during the infamous era of slavery. The original members...interests were largely aligned with the pro-slavery movement"
POC have been left reeling from the gaslighting and historical revisionism in #SewellReport.
Our lived experiences of institutional racism is being denied, and our reality questioned.
White people, it's time to use your power and privilege to push back
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Silence is not an option, we need everyone to push back against the narrative of racism denial - and do the work of building a truly anti-racist Britain.
Here are three things you can do in coming days, weeks, and months.
1️⃣ Acknowledge that institutional racism exists in our society, our institutions, your organisation, and in the charity sector.
True anti-racism work starts with acknowledging how these structures operate in your org and addressing past harm.
"The very serious function of racism is distraction"
There's no clearer example of these distraction tactics than the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities Report, which alleges they couldn't find any evidence of structural racism faced by racialised groups in the UK
The inquiry's results are not surprising to us.
We are just (perpetually) disappointed.
We want the charity sector taking the lead in rooting out racism in society - especially in responding to this report.
Racism is a high-rise house of cards built on the pillars of Ideology, Institutions, Interpersonal, and Internalisation.
There is no neat parcel the many manifestations of racism can be packaged up into, and if there was, there'd still be no recipient willing to sign for it.
It's very interesting to see how all these orgs are using their platforms this week to show solidarity to the #BlackLivesMatter movement - but are they just playing lip-service? Here is what POC in the sector have been experiencing this week - a thread.
Listen, Reflect & Act!
#CharitySoWhite is our having to emotionally cope with the deafening silence from CEOs who we have worked with (for free) for the last six months that told us they were committed to root out institutional racism.
#CharitySoWhite is when a white manager tells a zoom call of staff to not let the ‘hot topic of racism’ take focus away from the important issues right now.
(2/4) This ‘woke’ narrative seems to be the new way to shut down marginalised voices. Social conservatism is not a protected characteristic and is now represented by a majority Tory govt.
(3/4) We are extremely concerned to see this kind of divisive race & class narrative being pushed within the charity sector as an appropriate response to the election. We must recognise the complex & intersectional aspects of ethnic & working class communities.