More and more institutions are starting to recognise Race Equality Week as a time to reflect and learn about the initiatives that have had a meaningful impact on supporting race equality within an institution as part of their strategies for diversity and inclusion.
This year's Race Equality Week took place between February 7th - 13th and although much of the focus was on how organisations can make and are making a big difference, some of the key questions were 'why are we still talking about race?' and 'why is race equality still an issue?'
As Student Ethnic Minorities Officer, I had the privilege to attend two online Race Equality Week events, one that highlighted the popular '#My name is:' social media filter which is making a positive impact on helping others to understand the phonetic (fuh-net-ic) spelling of an individual's name. The other highlighted that the avoidance of 'race' undermines our ability to engage in clear and meaningful dialogue to challenge racism.
The fundamental learning point received from both of these events is that being comfortable with uncomfortable conversations is a key way to help to implement a culture of collective action whereby individuals within an organisation can act as bridges and not walls for race equality and inclusion.
"Embracing the discomfort of 'not knowing' when talking about race is a sure way to help us recognise that as individuals, we won't have all the answers."
Our willingness to be educated and informed could lead to more meaningful actions against racism and promote race equality within an organisation.
In light of the lessons learned from Race Equality Week 2022, please could you assist me by filling out my quick survey (should only take five minutes to complete) for topical discussions on 'Antiracism and Cultural Awareness'. The aim is to highlight the topics that you feel are of most benefit to learn more about.
Topical discussions survey
From this survey, I plan to host and co-host one-hour sessions on a bi-monthly basis via MS Teams with 20-minute discussions on the most popular topics that are chosen. The plan is to involve five participants at a time including both students and staff, with a set of questions to direct the conversation.
#BridgesNotWalls
#StandUpForRaceEquality
For more information on Race Equality Week, please visit raceequalitymatters.com/category/resources