Categories
News

Policing: Child Strip Search

A new report by the Children’s Commissioner for England has revealed that black children in England and Wales are 6 times more likely to be strip searched by police between 2018 and 2020.

A staggering 2847 children were targeted for strip searches in England and Wales and in one case as young as eight years old.

The report found that out of all strip searches 95% of them were carried out on boys of which black boys accounted for more than 1/3 even though black children make up less than 6% of the school population.

Children’s Commissioner, Rachel De Souza explained examples of strip searches taking place outside fast food outlets and outside of theme parks without appropriate adults or parents present.

Shockingly, under half of all these searches resulted in no kind of further action. Clearly the rules have been broken with overzealous stop and search powers. Children are not being seen as children.

It’s never just the hassle of being stopped and searched – it’s the emotional weight afterwards…It really is draining.


Race Alliance Wales. 2022. “WHAT’S GOING ON?” Experiences of young racialised people of Policing in Wales. Available at: https://bit.ly/40HWbm0

Black people in South Wales were searched at almost seven times the rate of White people, with people from Mixed backgrounds searched at just over twice the rate of White people, Asians were searched at almost two and a half times the rate of White people (Stop Watch, 2020).

In September 2022, Race Alliance Wales published a report on policing in Wales, “WHAT’S GOING ON?” Experiences of young racialised people of Policing in Wales which was approached collaboratively and passionately by a team of primary researchers.

Young people’s testimonies were collected along with their experiences of stop and search and the impact that has had on them. From that we concluded the following recommendations:

1. Commit to a Wales-wide inquiry into the efficacy and impact of Stop and Search. This should be the first step towards ending stop and search
as an over-used and under-effective police practice. Reform Stop and Search practices, including:
• better defining what constitutes “reasonable grounds for suspicion”
and when restraint or use of handcuffs are appropriate.
• provide training to new police on Stop and Search to include the
impact of its disproportionate use on racialised young people.
• Improve recording of stop and search, ensuring that all records include full demographic data, and a question on use of force.
• Ensure that current Stop and Search practices are carried out with
humanity, with minimal embarrassment to young people, and that all
police officers provide receipts to young people, and inform them of
their rights to complain, and how to do so.
• Simplify options to file complaints, including through third-party
reporting systems.
• Regularly publish facts and figures, and other information on stop and search, so that the public can monitor use of stop and search powers,
identify concerning trends, and patterns. Overhaul Police Forces’ equality, diversity, and inclusion training ensuring it is quality assessed and evaluated, and is planned and delivered with and by racialised communities.

2. Overhaul Police Forces’ equality, diversity, and inclusion training
ensuring it is quality assessed and evaluated, and is planned and
delivered with and by racialised communities.

3. Take more radical steps to achieve a more representative workforce
at all levels, including positive action

Categories
News

The Illegal Migration Bill: A Contention between human rights and democracy

Home Secretary Suella Braverman outlines new legislation stating that if people come to the UK ‘illegally’ they will be detained, deported and banned from re-entry, with only very few exceptions.

As far as the Modern Slavery act is concerned, this act will not apply to people that come to the UK ‘illegally’, and individuals over the age of 18 will be deported.

What is ‘illegal’ immigration?
The UK government state that migrants that travel from or through safe countries to the UK to claim asylum are illegal migrants and therefore detainment and deportation is justified in their bid to stop the boats crossing the channel. The government would then proceed to deport migrants either back to their own country if it is safe or to Rwanda.

The Illegal Migration Bill is pushing the limits of international law by a variety of conventions that the UK has been signed up to with the United Nations, but more importantly, the European Convention on Human Rights.

Amnesty International say the rights of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers are protected by international law regardless of how they arrive in a country. They have the same rights as everyone else plus special or specific protections.

‘We’re not breaking the law’

-Suella Braverman

Braverman claims the government is not breaking the law and no government representative has said they are breaking the law. They believe they are in compliance with all of the international obligations, for example, The Refugee Convention, The European Convention of Human Rights along with other conventions.

Braverman explains that migrants are abusing the generosity of the British people and the government need to ensure that they are deterred from doing that, and the model of the people smuggling gangs are broken.

However, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries.

‘Nearly 1,000 people cross in single day’

BBC News

The Ministry of Defence has published statistics reporting that at least 1,000 migrants cross the channel to the UK in just one day and have described it as the Calais migrant crisis.

There is also mounting public pressure on the government to deal with this migrant crisis including the colossal back log in asylum seeker processing as well as the costly use of hotels to house asylum claimants.

Over the course of the last several years the Conservative government has been promising to deal with the migrant crisis from former Prime Ministers; David Cameron and Boris Johnson to our current Prime Minister, Rushi Sunak. So, with 18 months until the next general election is the government forgoing human rights in favour of appeasing the electorate and anti-immigrant sentiment?

This bill cannot be the answer. So, what is?

The Rwanda plan will not stop small boat crossings. Expensive deals with France will not stop people smugglers. Neither will keep refugees safe.

We know it is possible to give people safe passage – we do it for Ukrainian refugees – so why not do it for other refugees?

By using an online screening process and issuing travel visas, we could bring refugees to the UK safely to claim asylum – putting people smugglers out of a job. This worked for Ukrainians. So why won’t the Government act?

You can help spread the word that there’s a kinder and more effective way to stop Channel crossings and save lives. Share the video now, it takes just 30 seconds.

Safe Passage – Care4Calais
There is a kinder, safer and more effective option.
Watch & share this video

#Care4Calais

Categories
News

Digital Hate: Islamophobia in 2022

86% of anti-Muslim hate on Twitter comes from the
US, the UK, and India

What is Islamophobia? A 3-minute video

This month is Islamophobia Awareness Month #IAM22

The theme for this year is #TacklingDenial and we are #10YearsOn since this campaign started!! 🗣

What is Islamophobia?

Islamophobia, as defined by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Islamophobia is “rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.”

The RAW manifesto for an #AntiRacistWales encourages the adoption of this definition to improve Wales’ legal response to hate crime.

ENDORSE RAW MANIFESTO

Islamophobia takes many forms, but unfortunately a lot of people think it is only two things – verbal or physical attacks, maybe vandalism or something similar.

In reality, it is far more than this. It is structural Islamophobia, it is stereotypes, marginalisation, discrimination and exclusion. It manifests in ways you may not even realise.

Digital Hate
86% of anti-Muslim hate on Twitter comes from the US, the UK, and India

A new report published in August 2022, Islamophobia in the Digital Age, investigated digital Islamophobia across the world.

Despite the severity of rising Islamophobia, there has been relatively little research into its prevalence. This report harnessed new technological techniques to auto-generate hateful content and investigate its causes.

Key Findings:
● There were at least 3,759,180 Islamophobic posts made on Twitter between 28 August 2019 and 27 August 2021.

● After close to a year, 85% of hateful tweets were still online.

● Nearly 86% of geolocated anti-Muslim posts originated in just three places: India, the US and the UK.

● Spikes in hate strongly correlated with newsworthy events related to Islam, particularly protests, terrorist attacks and eruptions of conflict in the Muslim world.

Sample of Islamophobic Tweets collected:

“These Islamists breed children
as either cannon fodder, or food
for paedophiles! They Do Not
value children or females! Adult
males have no ethics, morals,
compassion, honour of love! They are inferior! #ReformNeeded #CrushGlobalism #DissolveUN ExitEU #DefendDemocracy”

Islamophobia in the digital age: a study of anti-Muslim tweets
10 AUG 2022
Umar Butler

“Muslim people can’t be classified as human beings, they not more than animals, even animals are better, because they always separate between terrorism and their religion,
However they are both two sided similar coin.”

Islamophobia in the digital age: a study of anti-Muslim tweets
10 AUG 2022
Umar Butler

The US
Islamophobia has been a long problem in the US, but instances were exacerbated by the “racist, conspiratorial and inflammatory rhetoric employed by Donald Trump”.

The UK
As for the UK, the prevalence of anti-Muslim tweets is due to a multitude of factors, including the reach of Trump’s hatred, the country’s longstanding issues with anti-migrant sentiment and, most importantly, the casual racism of former PM Boris Johnson, who once said of women who wear the niqab, “It is absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letter boxes”.

India
The report states that the “rampancy of Islamophobia” in India is due to the fact that the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) holds power and has anti-Muslim sentiment. Ranjeet Bahadur Srivastava (BJP leader) said that “The party will bring machines from China to shave 10–12 thousand Muslims and later force them to adopt Hindu religion”. There have been countless examples of anti-Muslim hatred and policies that have fanned the flames of hate in India to the extent that 55.12% of Islamophobic Twitter content comes from India.

The report wrote, “We conclude from this that Twitter is drastically failing at removing anti-Muslim content”. “This is unsurprising given that they do not automatically screen posts for hate, but rather only act once a report has been filed”.

“In practice, however, even when Islamophobia is brought to their attention, a mere 3 percent of flagged tweets end up being removed.”

To combat this hatred the researchers conclude from their findings that radical changes are necessary to both Twitter’s moderation policies and online safety laws, without which it is all the more likely that the problem of digital Islamophobia will grow to a point of intractability.


“Race Alliance Wales isn’t just a talking shop. We are all about action.”

Race Alliance Wales (RAW) is a member-led initiative which aims to act as a collaborative and self-directed platform for individuals and organisations interested in achieving race equality in Wales.

3 reasons to join RAW:

  1. Invitations to bi-monthly General Meetings – where we will take action on the latest campaigns.
  2. RAW Round-up emails on the latest news, campaigns, petitions, jobs, training and more!
  3. We want your ideas! This could be writing a joint position paper, open letter or online campaign.
Categories
News

Policing young people in Wales: Campaigners call for public inquiry and police reforms

Race Alliance Wales (RAW) set out to capture the voices and experiences of racially minoritised young people in Wales during a seismic period in relation to policing in 2021.

Inspired by the powerful voices and experiences of young people, we are proud to launch our latest peer-led research report, ‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’ – Experiences of young racialised people of policing in Wales, with 15 recommendations to, Welsh Government, the police and social justice organisations.

Here in Wales, there are many accounts of racialised individuals receiving unjust, racist, and at times violent treatment from the police. These include the cases of Christopher Kapessa and Siyanda Mngaza – which have been long campaigns led by their families with significant public support. Even during the period in which this research was conducted during 2021, two young Black men, Moyied Bashir and Mohamud Hassan, died following police contact and over a year later, there are still many outstanding questions from friends, family, and communities.

So, we decided to investigate, what’s going on? We recruited peer-researchers centralising the voices of young people to share their first-hand experiences of policing in Wales.

According to our research we found evidence of:

Code switching
When directly confronted by or in the vicinity of police, our respondents spoke of ‘code-switching’ and ‘survival techniques’ – the learnt need to act, speak or dress differently to avoid undue attention from the police – and how this made some feel ‘paranoid’ when in the company of police.

Unfairly targeted
We heard many examples of individuals feeling explicitly targeted due to their race or ethnicity, when White friends doing the same thing in the same place were not. Experiences of being unfairly targeted by police had stayed with our young respondents leading to a long-lasting distrust in the police, as well as a negative and lasting impact on their own mental health and well-being.

“Every single person at that party was white. Apart from me, yeah, and probably like one other girl. And the main people that were actually making the noise and being the loudest. None of them got searched. I don’t think there was a reason to search me at all.”

(Anonymous, Young research participant)
‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

Lack of trust and accountability – Who polices the police?
Lack of accountability was another recurring theme – with concerns about the efficacy of bodies such as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

“You don’t know whether the police. The police officer you’re going to get is going be like a nice, normal police officer doing their job properly. Or somebody’s who’s going to be. You know. Prejudiced.”

(Anonymous, Young research participant)
‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

So, what will solve the problem? Who speaks out against the police and for our young people in Wales’ political, public and media spaces? Well, it is our hope that this report has enabled our young people to speak for themselves.

While criminal justice is not a devolved power, Welsh Government can still utilise its powers to address race inequalities relating to policing. Additionally, Police and Crime Commissioners can offer opportunities for members of the public to shape services provided by the police in their area.

Therefore, Race Alliance Wales advocates 15 recommendations for change including a Welsh Government inquiry into policing, and police reforms.

FULL REPORT: ‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’ – Experiences of young racialised people of policing in Wales

#WhatsGoingOn #AntiRacistWales

Date: September 2022
Media enquiries: Assia Kayoueche (Communications, Campaigns and Membership Officer): assia@eyst.org.uk
Facebook: @RaceAllianceWales Twitter: @WalesRace Instagram: @RaceAllianceWales

Categories
News

Race & Equality Cross Party Group Meeting

Thank you to all those who attended the latest Race & Equality Cross Party Group meeting last week! We had a great turnout!

A big shout out and thank you to on-going Chair, John Griffiths MS, for leading insightful and important discussions.

John Griffiths MS, Welsh Labour, Newport East.
Re-appointed as Cross Party Group Chair

Landmark charity report

Christina Tanti from Race Equality First delivered an excellent presentation on a Joint NGO Shadow Report on Racial Inequality in Wales. This will be submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) to inform their review of the UK and Northern Ireland. However, the UN’s review has been slightly set back due to Covid delays, so there is still time to give your feedback on the report to Race Equality First.

Please email: Christina.t@raceequalityfirst.org.uk


The Big Actions

  1. Minister, Jane Hutt, gave her continued support to the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller (GRT) community against Section 4 of the Police, Crime, Sentencing & Courts Bill. This section of the bill would make it a criminal offense to reside on land with a vehicle without consent. The Welsh Government are opposing this as it criminalises a traditional, nomadic way of life and could result in loss of homes.

    Jane Hutt will be writing an update to the Cross Party Group on GRT sites in Wales, local authority provision and refurbishment, as well as the interface with the police bill.
  1. Terminology around ethnicity continues to be an accessibility barrier to health services. Some health services interpret ‘BAME’ as they please and view Black and Asian identities as the only qualifying identities, therefore, excluding other ethnic minorities. Terminology has the ability to be misused and disused and it remains a persistent concern. Jane Hutt will raise this with the current Health Minister to ensure that terminology and language is not a barrier to services.
  2. The Welsh Government have issued grants to tackle food poverty in Wales and they will be working closely with the likes of Fare Share to manage food wastage. Jane Hutt will be meeting with Dalia AlHusseini from EYST Wales to discuss work around food poverty and equality.

How can you help?

What is Drive 2 Survive?
Community Action Against Institutional Racism

Facebook: @Drive2SurviveCampaign2021

Twitter: @Drive2Survive3

What is Fare Share?
Fighting hunger, tackling food waste

Wasting good food should never be cheaper than feeding people.

Facebook: @UKFareShare

Twitter: @FareShareUK

Categories
News

Statement on the rise of antisemitism in the UK

Race Alliance Wales condemns antisemitism in all its forms and guises. There has been a recent and horrific rise in antisemitic acts in the UK, with a reported 500% increase (1) in antisemitic incidents from 8th-18th May, and more antisemitic incidents in the month of May than in any single month, since records began in 1986.

There have been reports of Rabbis being attacked, synagogues being vandalised and Jewish children, students and teachers being targeted in schools and universities, and publicly displayed calls for vicious attacks on Jewish people.

Sadly, the correlation between the recent spike in antisemitic acts and the violence in Palestine/Israel is not new. Until now, the highest number of antisemitic incidents reported by the Community Security Trust in one month took place in July 2014, which also coincided with escalating violence in Palestine/Israel. With this, the persistent undercurrent of antisemitism maintains its presence and feeds into different manifestations by a variety of people with varying motivations.

The actions of the Israeli state cannot be used as an excuse for these actions; there is never any justification for antsemitic acts. As an organisation, we take all cases of racism seriously, and strongly condemn the rise in antisemitism as do organisations such as the Palestine Solidarity Campaign.

In Solidarity
Race Alliance Wales

(1) Evening Standard 2021, ‘The worst it has been in 30 years’: London Jews suffer horrific rise in anti-Semitic attacks, viewed 22nd July 2021, https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/rabbi-antisemitism-rise-london-jewish-community-cst-b936325.html.

Categories
News

Statement on Palestine

Buildings destroyed by Israeli strikes against Gaza Strip on May 13, 2021. Palestine News and Information Agency (WAFA)

Race Alliance Wales condemns the latest surge of violence in the occupied Palestine territory, particularly in Gaza. As an organisation, we irrefutably condemn deadly acts of violence against innocent people, acts that violate international law (such as United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334).

During 11 days of carnage, hundreds of civilians died in occupied Palestine while hundreds have suffered life altering injuries. It was particularly horrifying to hear that ten members of an extended family were killed in Al-Shati refugee camp. These attacks were committed during the last spiritual days of Ramadan, and Eid Al-Fitr, a celebration, which marks the end of the Islamic month of fasting.

The bloodshed in Gaza has resulted in a humanitarian crisis where there is serious damage to civilian infrastructure- including roads, electricity lines and water supplies. People’s homes have been obliterated where they have been left homeless, without essential medical care, food, and basic supplies. This is in addition to the Israeli imposed illegal blockade by land, air, and sea that prevents the free movement of goods and people in Gaza. Gaza is described as an open-air prison. Under the Geneva Convention, it is considered illegal for an occupying country to “deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies”.

The indiscriminate firing of rockets in to Israel causing the fatalities of 12 innocent civilians, with hundreds of injuries is also unacceptable. We must recognise that violent brutality is never a means for resolution. First and foremost, civilians must be protected at all costs. Warfare and use of rockets can never preserve that.

We condemn the killing of innocent Israeli’s, and we condemn the situation of apartheid in occupied Gaza and the West Bank, with the on-going annexation of Palestinian land. Palestinians are unlawfully, and forcibly removed from their homes, to construct settlements which are exclusively for Israeli people to live.

Palestinians should have the same rights and freedoms as anyone else. We stand in solidarity with Palestinian rights and freedom from oppression.

In Solidarity,

Race Alliance Wales

Categories
News

Students, teachers & the institution of education…

all contribute to racism in the Welsh education system

Aara Syed
Journalist & Blogger

On 27 April Race Alliance Wales (RAW) published a research report, Show Us You Care: exploring the cumulative impact of racism upon racialised (racially minoritised) young people in the Welsh education system.

Findings from this report indicate that there is a long road ahead before the education experience is no longer host to racist and discriminatory behaviour and policies.

Both teachers and students were found to use racial slurs and general derogatory language when it comes to People of Colour.

More broadly, the education system itself has been reported to feature low levels of representation of minoritised groups and when they are represented it is often through negative stereotyping.

While difficult and confusing racism reporting procedures throughout the education lifecycle and discriminatory uniform rules are additional causes for concern.

Problematic teachers
The lack of diversity in teaching staff created problems both in regard to the reporting of racist incidents and racism shown by teachers.

One young person told of how her substitute teacher would regularly touch her hair without permission:

‘It kind of made you feel othered because you’re not like a zoo animal you know? It’s like why are you constantly touching my hair?
You don’t touch a black woman’s hair without asking – you’re making me feel like I’m not even human.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

Microaggressions involving pupils’ names were also exhibited by teachers.

‘I had a friend in class as well who had his name mispronounced and the teacher said well I’m not from this P-word land- and even though we reported that [incident] he still kept his job- we’re still seeing him walking around despite him using a slur like that towards the student.
It just kind of shows how ignorant he is- it was really bad, but they didn’t do anything about it.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

Wider issues
While there are issues with the curriculum itself, with students complaining of teachers using the n-word as it is included in books that are read in English literature.

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men is one text featured in the curriculum, which includes many references to Black people using slurs such as the N-word.

Young people heard teachers and students openly use the N-word as part of reading the text within lessons. Gaps and stereotyping in the curriculum in relation to racialised people were also raised.

In secondary schools, nearly all young people responded that they did not see their race, ethnicity or religion portrayed in the curriculum.

Most of the young people described their subjects as Eurocentric, overlooking and ‘erasing’ the contributions made by ethnic minority communities in the UK, with subjects such as history presenting a ‘whitewashed’, and ‘romanticised’ version of UK history. Young people also felt racial stereotypes were encouraged and reinforced by educational institutions.

Peer-to-peer racism
Students often experienced racist behaviour by their peers.

In primary schools, racism was mainly expressed by white children towards racialised children, with name-calling based predominantly around racial characteristics.

Black children were also asked questions such as ‘Are you from Africa?’, despite being born in Wales. Some young people also shared stories of being the only child in their class to not be invited to birthday parties.

In secondary schools there were incidents of both name-calling and racial slurs, including being called the P-word and the N-word, in reference to an individual’s race.

Islamophobic name-calling was reported by all young people who followed Islam, they were called ‘Terrorists’, ‘Bombers’ and ‘Extremists’. Young, female Muslims were also subjected to attacks motivated by Islamophobia, with many recalling experiences of having hijabs (headscarves) ‘pulled off’ by their peers.

There was also an incident of spitting involving prejudice around individuals with refugee status. One young person shared an experience of an older student passing him in the school corridor, turning to say: ‘You’re a refugee’ and then spitting on the floor. This incident was reported to and handled by school staff with CCTV footage, playing a major role.

Racism reporting
Knowing racism report practices was a big issue throughout the education lifecycle, students expressed difficulties in knowing how to report and the effectiveness of reporting racist incidents, from primary school until university.

One young person shared an experience that occurred while playing football, representing his secondary school:

‘During a corner one of my players called one of their black players the N-word. Their whole team ran over to me [as team captain] screaming.
But I didn’t really know what to do at that age. I kind of just freeze up- I’m probably like 14. When I tell a coach, once again I see nothing’s happened. [The player is] still in my team like nothing happened, no repercussions – that kind of subconsciously kind of trains me to think if I hear it, what is the point in even reporting it?’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

It was understood that the majority of the time ‘hard evidence’ like CCTV footage or approaching school staff in groups is practically a necessity when it comes to successfully reporting experiences of racism and education institutions taking action.

Racist rules
Uniform policies were discussed with mixed feelings.

The majority of young people perceived secondary schools as willing to support religious beliefs: for example, Muslim young people were provided with spaces to pray, allowing days off school for religious holidays, and allowed to wear the hijab. However, there were still reports of confusion surrounding uniform policies, with many young people unsure of what they could and couldn’t do. There were also policies which were considered to be indirectly racist, this was particularly felt by Black young people in relation to how they chose to style their hair:

‘I was growing dreads, they said ‘make sure that you keep it professional’ just because I’m growing my hair in long dreads – how is that unprofessional?’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

The confusion over these policies, disproportionately impacting racialised young people, suggest unfair and discriminatory policy making in some schools in Wales – a problem which is reflected throughout the UK and related to the controversy surrounding Pimlico Academy in London, England.

University
The research sample’s university students were mainly at the beginning of their degrees so less can be said about the experience of racialised students within Higher Education.

Many young people enjoyed the relative ‘diversity’ that can be found in university settings, helping their sense of belonging.

However, many young people experienced complex processes of enrolment, with a level of confusion around it being difficult because of the system, or due to indirect racism from university staff.

A few young people, studying health related disciplines in college and university, explained the need to ‘speak up’ in order to give their patients appropriate care. Students have approached [lecturers] and said: ‘You need to teach us on how to assess people of different skin colour.’

‘The university has actually implemented that [advice] into our lessons now.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

This research was undertaken during the pandemic and found that there was an issue of digital poverty when universities shifted to online learning, with it being suggested that they didn’t necessarily consider the needs of students from less wealthy backgrounds, meaning some students were more disadvantaged than others.

Impact
Many explained the difficulty in dealing with what was said to be jokes and ‘banter’, but often felt like racism.

A lot of young people who had experienced direct racism throughout their educational journeys expressed how incidents had a long-term effect on how they see themselves in relation to others:

‘It did like hit my self-esteem I’d say. It did make me feel sometimes [like] I’m never going to be good enough as certain people because of
the way I look or the colour of my skin – it does make me feel like I’m not as valuable or as worthy as other people.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

Many young people expressed a degree of acceptance and inevitability over experiencing racism throughout their lives, internalising their feelings.
Just recalling these experiences in order to hopefully influence positive change for future generations was at times traumatic and psychologically draining.

‘Even speaking about it gets me a bit emotional [and] I know it’s not my fault as well- I’m just different. I haven’t really learned how to overcome racism and Islamophobia. I have just learned to keep it in and keep it to myself, not make it an issue.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

Because of prior experiences of racism, for some students their long-term career aspirations are affected, and they will avoid certain careers where they anticipate too much exposure to racism, especially if a certain career path will involve dealing with the public.

‘I would say it would make them [people who have experienced racism] less confident to pursue what they want because right now I was considering a career in community pharmacy. [But] because I see the way that people treat me, I’m reluctant because I don’t want to deal with the racism from people when I’m there.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

There was also a sad sense of expecting racism to happen, with many interviewees accepting that they will need to ‘work three times as hard’ in order to succeed and compete with white counterparts.

Conclusion
Despite serious concerns, the interviewed young people also expressed a great deal of hope and optimism about changes in representation in the education system in Wales.

There was hope due to the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, the planned changes in the Welsh school curriculum, and the forthcoming Welsh Government Race Equality Action plan.

Although some young people view efforts from schools to be inclusive, diverse and to promote equality to be superficial, one offs, and tokenistic, they found that sessions by Show Racism the Red Card (SRTRC) and Ethnic Minority and Youth Support Team (EYST Wales) have a different approach to racism to that of the wider education sector.

Their sessions around anti-racism, Islamophobia and cultural diversity are seen as a way of breaking down the stereotypes attached to different ethnic groups, as well as religious groups and are welcomed by young people.

‘I remember in primary school we had Show Racism the Red Card.
They made understanding racism clear- like even the person who was teaching it was a White Muslim. So it was very like inclusive of all backgrounds and things like that.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

Overall, regardless of experiences, the research indicates different forms of racism are manifesting across educational institutions in Wales. No matter where, how and what form it takes, this report illustrates that racism is still very much prevalent within the education system in Wales.

Recommendations
The report includes 13 recommendations for Schools, Welsh Government and Education Stakeholders, Education Workforce Council and those working with children and young People in Wales.

These are split into sections that look at becoming anti-racist, being more representative; improving reporting procedures; levelling the playing field and recognising the trauma that experiences of racism can involve.

‘We need a vast amount of training. We need organisations like RAW to get the resources they need to train people so they can be more
aware of reality.

Giving people the help they need to help them[selves].
Governments need to incentivise people to actually do it.
Government needs to invest in these organisations, charities to give people the tools to train people.
We need this before even progressing to the next step.
You can’t build a house on sand.
You can’t build a house on water.
You need solid foundations for the basics.’

SHOW US YOU CARE
Abramson et al. April 2021
A Peer-led Research report by Race Alliance Wales

The research was carried out through online interviews with 20 individuals, from a variety of different racial groups and faith groups (including those with no religion). There were participants from across Wales, with varying migration status and they were aged 16-25. All participants chose to stay anonymous.

Race Alliance Wales is an initiative started in December 2018, which aims to provide a self-directed space where Black, Asian and other ethnically minoritised organisations and individuals can come together to discuss experiences as ethnic minorities in Wales, share information, and develop new ideas and solutions to the growing challenge of racism in Wales.

If you have found anything that you have read triggering or distressing , you can call Samaritans at: 116 123, they also have a Welsh language line: 08081640123

Categories
News

We Are Recruiting Volunteer Peer Researchers

Race Alliance Wales (RAW) is now recruiting volunteer peer researchers for 2021! We are welcoming expressions of interest from racialised young people aged 18-25 interested in researching young people’s experiences and perceptions of the police in Wales. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

  Aged 18-25

 Are racialised

 Able to commit up to 50 hours of volunteering over the next 5 months

 Keen interest in the research area

Taking part in this peer research project has been such a rewarding experience. Not only was I able to explore a topic that is very important but, I was able to build my skills and confidence as a peer researcher. The findings of this research form a great foundation of all the work that needs to be done to ensure that education is more equal.

Saadia Abubaker, Race Alliance Wales Education Peer Researcher
Categories
News

#ShowUsYouCare

Professor Charlotte Williams and Professor Sally Holland endorse Peer-Led Research Report into Racism in the Welsh Education System

On Tuesday 27th April, Race Alliance Wales will be publishing a unique and innovative peer-led research report ‘Show Us You Care: Exploring the cumulative impact of racism upon racialised young people in the Welsh education system’. Based on the voices and experiences of the young people who took part in this research, we have made 13 recommendations and proposals aimed at schools, Welsh Government, The Education Workforce Council, and all those working with Children and Young People in Wales.

The 2020 Black Lives Matter movement called for major reforms in the Welsh Education system. From the fall of the statue slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol, to the statue of Sir Thomas Picton being boxed up at Cardiff’s City Hall, young people are calling for more representative history in and outside of schools. They want teachers to be more proactive in educating themselves and others about different forms of racism. They want available, accessible, and more robust reporting systems for racist incidents in schools. They want schools to become anti-racist and to represent them in what they teach and who they are taught by.

Professor Charlotte Williams OBE, Chair of the Ministerial Working Group ‘Communities, Contributions and Cynefin: Black Asian and Minority Ethnicities in the new curriculum’ 2020-2021 has welcomed the report stating “The message that racisms harm and distort the learning opportunities for children and young people in Wales is powerfully demonstrated in these first-hand accounts. The evidence provided in this report underscores the need for change in the Welsh schooling system”.

Children’s Commissioner for Wales Professor Sally Holland has also endorsed the report saying “No child or young person in Wales should experience racism in their education. Equality and non-discrimination are fundamental principles of human rights and without these principles being upheld, all human rights are under threat. This report shows the repeated trauma caused by racism and also shows that racism threatens all of the rights of a child, including the child’s rights to safety, to education, and to taking part in decisions. This is important peer-research where young people are interrogating their environment and raising their voices. We need to listen. The recommendations in this report must be seriously considered to help ensure all children can experience their human rights in Wales”.

The call from young people in Wales is therefore a loud one. Hear us, support us, represent us and do something about our concerns and what we are going through – #ShowUsYouCare

Please follow and join in the conversations at the social media launch at 11am on Tues 27th April via
Facebook: @RaceAllianceWales and Twitter: @WalesRace and use the hashtags #ShowUsYouCare #AntiRacistWales