Race Equality Week

Collective responsibility is a fundamental principle in the context of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). It emphasises the shared obligation of individuals within a group to act in a way that makes a contribution to developing a more equitable and inclusive society.  

I was raised by a mother who subscribed to this way of thinking. She was an active anti-racism ally and, from an early age, she instilled in me the values of treating all people with empathy, kindness and compassion. She helped me to envision a world where people are treated equitably and fairly – and I have dedicated my career towards this (in my own little way).  

However, despite the progress that we’ve made, it’s abundantly clear that we’re still a long way off from achieving racial equity in the UK.  

According to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and MBRRACE UK:  

• Black employees with degrees earn 23.1% less, on average, than White employees  

• Black Caribbean and Mixed White/Black Caribbean children are about three times more likely to be  permanently excluded from school compared to the general pupil population as a whole.  

• 30.9 per cent of Pakistani or Bangladeshi people live in overcrowded accommodation, while for White people it’s 8.3 per cent. 

• Rates of prosecution and sentencing for Black people are three times higher than for White people.  

• Gypsies, Roma and Traveller people were found to suffer poorer mental health than the rest of the population in Britain and more likely to suffer from anxiety and depression 

• Black women were almost four times as likely to die during, or up to, six weeks after pregnancy than White women.  

The statistics speak for themselves. As does my lived experience as a mixed-race woman, (of Black African and White heritage), born and raised in the UK and now bringing up three young children of my own.  

At key moments throughout our everyday lives, like choosing schools or holiday destinations, I have been reminded of these disparities. I have had to constantly ask myself the question ‘is this a space where we are welcome and will be safe?’, trying to seek some semblance of balance between not denying us access to the opportunities we are entitled to whilst also prioritising our wellbeing and setting firm boundaries.  

Over the past year, we have borne witness to the violent anti-immigration riots that broke out across the UK, with attacks on mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers. We’ve also experienced the rise in right-wing populism across the Western world, and most recently, we’ve seen Donald Trump take centre stage to start dismantling EDI programmes and ‘wokeness’. All of this has major implications for people of colour – as it does for many other marginalised groups – and the tireless work that so many people are doing to promote race equity.  

So, against the current political landscape, it’s more important than ever that we think about the actions we can take on an individual and institutional level to dismantle racism.  

At Forward, we are committed to race equity and have begun implementing a number of actions and initiatives to support this aim:  

• In 2024, we launched a service accessibility working group to address inequalities in accessing our services, and in the overall experience and outcomes for underrepresented groups. One of our priority groups for 2025/26 are people from Black and Minority Ethnic, ‘BAME’ groups – or people of the Global Majority, as I prefer to say, who, we know, typically face additional barriers in engaging with our services. We are looking at how we can work in collaboration with local community groups representing diverse racial and ethnic identities, and adapt our interventions to provide more culturally appropriate support. 

• Our Race Forward ERG provides a safe space for staff of different racial and cultural backgrounds to voice concerns, champion achievements and share their lived experience. Last year they put on events to mark South Asian Heritage Month and Black History Month and supported the recruitment of our new Chair of Trustees.  

• In 2025/26, we are developing a diverse recruitment strategy, which will include consideration of how we can attract more talent from diverse racial ethnic backgrounds into our frontline services, so that our clients can see themselves represented when they enter our services.  

• We have recently updated our zero tolerance statement. We’re also in the process of reviewing other relevant policies to ensure we clearly communicate our organisational stance on racism or discrimination directed towards our staff members. 

• We have recently expanded our EDI learning offer for staff (to include content on microaggressions, allyship, privilege and unconscious bias) and will consider how we can embed some of this content into our volunteering programmes in 2025/26.  

On an individual-level there is a number of things that we can all do to be a good anti-racism ally:  

• Acknowledge the problem i.e. that racism exists: it’s not made up or exaggerated. Racism has shaped human history for thousands of years and it’s shaping the world we live in now.  

• Self-improvement: we often believe or say things that are racist, without even realising or intending it. We all have unconscious biases absorbed from media, entertainment and maybe even loved ones. Accept that we might have to change your own behaviours.  

• Listen to people who experience racism: we all need to seek out opportunities to hear from a range of different voices. Each story and experience can inform our understanding as bystanders.  

• Educate yourself: we are all responsible for our own learning and to equip ourselves with the knowledge and skills to reflect, speak up and take action. Actively seek out different media sources, books, podcasts, TV shows, films and other content created by people with lived experience of racism.  

• Engage in conversations: speak up and challenge racism when you see it. This is about having a conversation in a way that enables someone to hear you, rather than closing off to what you’re saying. Your voice is powerful.  

• Take action: Take real and meaningful action in your daily lives. Actions you could take include raising awareness, funding organisations working to address racism, keeping informed through social media campaigns and commentators, demanding action against racism by writing to your MPs, local councillors, representatives and by signing petitions.  

Race Equality Week isn’t just a date on the calendar, it’s a movement. It’s an opportunity for all of us, whether individuals, organisations, or leaders, to reflect, act, and challenge the systemic racism that persists in our society. We all have a part to play in this. What will yours be?