Introduction
By Rena
This edition offers a variety of content that we hope will allow you to pause, explore and reflect on how racism shows up in people’s lives. From South Asian Heritage Month to our use of emojis, we hope you’ll find something below that you can ‘EmbRACE’. Please don’t be fooled though; we are not experts by any means, we are just everyday people passionate about anti-racism, learning and sharing along the way. Anyone can get involved and contribute to this newsletter. You don’t need to be an EmbRACE member. You don’t need any special skills. And below you’ll see Seb shows us, you don’t even need to be an adult! So if you would like to get involved in any way, or share any feedback, please email us at embrace.manchester@gmail.com.
Words to ponder
By Tom
From Monday 18th July to Wednesday 17th August 2022 it is South Asian Heritage Month! This is an opportunity for celebration, commemoration, and education. It is now in its third year, and this year’s theme is ‘Journeys of Empire’.
From empires such as the Mughal, the Duranni, the Vijayanagar and the British, from indentured labourers forced to travel to the Caribbean and East Asia, and other migrants who travelled by choice to Africa and beyond, to the journeys that families made to the UK with just £3 in their pockets, we have all been affected by the journeys of empire.
The countries of South Asia include Bhutan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. They have a shared history of British colonialism stretching back to the early 1600s. Between 1858-1947 the majority of modern-day India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh was under the rule of British Kings and Queens as "British India" and several hundred princely states.
The celebratory month start date (18th July) is when King George VI approved the Indian Independence Act in 1947 and gave up British control of India, "Indian States" and "tribal areas". The month ends on the 17th August, when the territory previously under British control was divided between India, West Pakistan and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in a process called Partition. New lines drawn on the map meant the creation of new countries designed to create a Muslim majority in Pakistan, and a Hindu and Sikh majority in India. The drawing of boundaries was led by a British lawyer, who had never previously been to South Asia, working to a five-week deadline. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Partition, which created an unprecedented and violent refugee crisis.
Colleagues with South Asian heritage make an enormous contribution to the NHS. In 2020 more than 30% of medical staff and almost 9% of non-medical staff within the NHS self-identified as Asian. In 2022 the Nursing and Midwifery Council recorded 52,826 colleagues who identified with Asian ethnicity, and 37,815 colleagues who had trained in India. Despite this, we see in the 2020 NHS data that Asian colleagues are under-represented in all but the most junior levels of graduate and non-graduate roles respectively. The opposite is true for White colleagues. This is consistent with the recent finding that White nurses are twice as likely as colleagues of colour to receive at least one promotion.
What does it mean to me? (Rena)
This is the first year that I’ve become aware that South Asian Heritage Month is even a thing. When I reflected on why that might be I was left feeling a little sad, as I’ve been aware of Black history month for a while. But racism doesn’t only affect Black people. Those from all ethnic minorities still face many barriers to this day. So any opportunity to learn, reflect and celebrate South Asian history and achievements should not be missed. After starting the month not even knowing which countries make up South Asia, having the opportunity to learn it covers a diverse group of countries and people with different cultural and religious backgrounds who are united by a shared heritage has been fab. Continued engagement with history gives context for the present. Perhaps if we all acknowledge and celebrate this month, others will learn and share, and those with South Asian heritage will feel seen, heard and valued.
Something to read
Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman
By Seb
What’s the context?
Noughts and Crosses is a dystopian novel that explores racism in a more “exaggerated” way. In this story, racism is flipped on its head, because in this alternative world, White people (Noughts) are in the minority and Black people (Crosses) are in the majority.
This book tells the story of star-crossed lovers Callum and Sephy, and the struggles they face in day-to-day-life. Callum belongs to the ‘White underclass’ and Sephy belongs to the ‘Black elite’. The story tries to highlight structural racism in the fictional country of ‘Albion’ which was colonised many years ago by ‘Aprica’. Noughts and Crosses is part of a series of books which has now been turned into a TV adaptation on BBC iPlayer.
Who’s the creator?
Malorie Blackman was born on February 8th, 1962, in London. Her parents separated when she was 13 years old. During this difficult time, she began writing poems and creating fantasies in her head.
Blackman initially had her heart set on being an English teacher, however a career counsellor at school told her that she couldn’t be an English teacher because she was Black. Although the counsellor had told her this, she was still set on becoming a successful person and of value to society. She studied computer science at Thames Polytechnic University and worked as a systems programmer until she was aged 28 when she wrote her first book which was called Not So Stupid! (1990). Following this, she wrote many other books including Hacker (1992), and her most famous one Noughts and Crosses (2001).
In 2005, Blackman was given the Eleanor Farjeon award and she went on to receive an OBE in 2008. Blackman mostly uses Black characters in her novels. She said the reason for this was that when she was growing up, there were no Black characters in the books she read. She felt this was a problem, so she promised herself that she would do differently in her books.
What does it mean to me?
I am 13 years old and I first read Noughts and Crosses in ‘Lit Circles’ at school. Our teacher would split us up into four groups, with each group assigned a book to study and read. The four books were: Noughts and Crosses, The Hunger Games, The Knife of Never Letting Go, and The Giver. Each of these books represents a certain social issue in today’s world. Noughts and Crosses focuses on racism, The Hunger Games is about an oppressive government, The Knife of Never Letting Go looks at identity and belonging, and The Giver is about freedom of choice. Each week we would read a couple of chapters then discuss and debate among ourselves.
What I like about Nought and Crosses the most is that it allows the reader to put themselves in the shoes of others and live in their world for a moment. If a White person were to read Noughts and Crosses, they would be able to see how Black people in the real world might feel in their day-to-day life.
After I finished the book, it made me start noticing things about our society that I wouldn’t have noticed before. For example, I usually go to watch the football with my dad. On my last visit I looked around the stadium. I noticed that all I could see were White football fans and families, and I realised that in my time of coming to the game I had never really spotted any Black or Asian people (apart from myself and my sister) which surprised me quite a lot. It dawned on me that they might be too scared to come to the game. In the past there have been many racist football incidents. The most recent one being the Euro 2020 final and the abuse footballers Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, and Bukayo Saka received from their missed penalties. It makes me really sad that Black people don’t feel safe at football games.
Following this, I started to notice that there were hardly any Black teachers at my school. Initially I thought it might be by chance, but then I noticed almost all of the cleaners at school were Black. It led me to believe that it might be harder for Black people to get a job in teaching and easier for them to get lower-paid jobs like cleaning. I don’t think this is fair.
After noticing these things, I thought again about Noughts and Crosses. Is it really a “dystopian” novel? In other words, is it really an “exaggerated” fictional society? I’m not convinced that it is because Noughts and Crosses and real society seem to be very similar to me. There is discrimination in Noughts and Crosses, just like the real world. There are killings in Noughts and Crosses and this is even worse in the real world, for example the George Floyd murder and the Buffalo shooting.
One scary thought I had after reading the book was that I am a mixed-race kid and I would probably not exist if relationships were banned between Black and White people, like they are in Noughts and Crosses. What I did love about it though was the strong bond that Callum and Sephy share, even though so many people are against them. It made me feel happy and hopeful.
Overall, Noughts and Crosses has made me think about the world around me and made me realise exactly how much of an issue racism really is. It has helped me notice how society is made hard for Black people, or when someone is being treated differently or doesn’t have the same chance. It made me start thinking about what I can do to change this.
Something to listen to
By Holly
What’s the context?
A fortnightly podcast by a group of Black mums who have honest conversations about all things motherhood related, with different opinions and experiences thrown into the mix, and plenty of laughs. Each episode is around an hour long. You can find the podcast on the Apple podcast app, Spotify, and other major streaming platforms.
Who are the creators?
The podcast is hosted by six Black mums living across different parts of England - Carina White, Natalie Duvall, Nana-Adwoa Mbeutcha, Endy McKay, Lauren Thomas-Johnson and Vanessa Haye. Each work in different sectors and come from different backgrounds, so conversations are always varied and interesting. You can check out Black Mums Upfront on their Instagram account. Natalie is the co-creator of March Muses which sells handmade ethnically-diverse cards and decorations. This fantastic company successfully pitched on Dragon’s Den in April 2022.
The group of friends created their podcast in January 2021 and have uploaded 51 episodes to date. They started their podcast because:
“We like to share, support and empower. We also like to challenge stereotypes, make motherhood inclusive and tackle head-on issues of inequality and disproportionality. We believe all Black mothers need to be heard, seen and valued. Get to know us more by listening to our podcast. Because change doesn’t happen without realness.”
What does it means to me?
This podcast was recommended by a fellow mum and I immediately loved it. The discussions, jokes, and chat make you feel like you are a part of the group, and I often feel like I could join in! Each week starts with general talk around what has been going on in their lives, or catching up since the last show. The main section of each podcast is then based on a specific topic, with occasional invited guests. This may be a topical issue that has been in the news, e.g. the mum of the murdered young school boy Tamim Ian Habimana was invited to discuss knife crime. At other times more light-hearted conversations are undertaken, such as travelling abroad whilst Black, or discussing Will Smith’s slap at the Oscars, during which some of the women’s partners were invited to discuss the topic from a Black man’s perspective.
Although I am a White woman, I didn’t start listening to the podcast as part of my anti-racism journey, I listen because I love it, and I identify with so many of the motherhood stories. However, whilst listening it became clear that the podcast was also a powerful educational tool giving me further insight into the everyday challenges, considerations, and barriers that present if you are Black in the UK.
One episode in particular I would recommend was episode 47 - ‘Stop Damaging Our Daughters’. The main topic was the horrific case of Child Q, the 15 year old who was unjustifiably strip searched in 2020 with no appropriate adult present by the Metropolitan police whilst at school. So many issues were raised in the episode, such as would this have happened if the child was White? The discussions also highlighted the fact that parents feel the need to educate Black boys on how to behave around the police for their own safety, and the women debated whether this discussion will also now have to happen for Black girls - a talk that I’m sure wouldn’t even cross the minds of most White parents. This episode also raised an example of racism in schools. A child of one of the hosts attends a primary school that brought an outside agency in to provide education about gangs. In a role play all the Black children were assigned as gang members, and the White children were victims - a real demonstration of issues in our education system, the influence of unconscious/conscious biases, and how we are implicitly creating the biases of the next generation.
For me, part of being an ally and building cultural competence means it is important we diversify what we watch, listen to and read. So if you would like to have a good laugh, reflect on issues of parenthood, and listen to some fantastic ladies whilst you absorb some insight, then I thoroughly recommend this podcast!
Suggested reflections
How do you think engaging with podcasts and creative content made by people who have a different skin colour to you may be beneficial?
If you are a parent, how do you talk to your children about the police? Do you think these conversations would differ to those of people with different skin colours to yours?
If you have family members who are school children, are you aware of whether racism shows up in their school environments? How could you develop the confidence to talk about race-related issues with them?
Something to attend
By Siv
Where:
Gielgud Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London’s West End, UK.
When:
10th March - 19th November, 2022.
Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winning story of racial injustice, prejudice and childhood innocence has sold 45 million copies worldwide and is widely regarded as a book that everyone MUST read during their life. Now, thanks to the creative genius of Aaron Storkin and the artistic direction of Bartlett Sher, To Kill a Mockingbird has become one of the 21st century stand-out theatrical adaptations.
Set in Alabama during the 1930s, Atticus Finch (played by Rafe Spall), is a small-town lawyer who nervously volunteers to defend Tom Robinson, a Black man who is falsely accused of rape. The story is told through the eyes of Scout, Atticus’s daughter. Can a community come together to understand and show empathy, tolerance and justice?
“All rise for the magnificent ‘Mockingbird’. Unbearably moving. Sheer motion and moral force make this a powerfully uplifting theatrical event” - Evening Standard.
“So powerful. Superb acting. Masterful script. Wonderful sets and stage direction. So many audible intakes of breath as the audience immersed themselves completely. We were held captive from start to finish. The standing ovation and applause tells me I am not alone in my appreciation. This is one to see. Unforgettable.” - Audience member, London.
Something to watch
By Martin
What’s the context?
The Color of Fear is an insightful, ground-breaking film from 1994 about the state of race relations in America as seen through the eyes of eight North American men of Asian, European, Latino and African descent. In a series of intelligent, emotional and dramatic confrontations the men reveal the pain and scars that racism has caused them over a weekend retreat. What emerges is a deeper sense of understanding and trust. This is the dialogue most of us fear, but hope will happen sometime in our lifetime.
Here is the main clip I would like to focus on for anyone starting their anti-racism journey:
Quotes from the clip above:
White person:
“Come and be like me.” “Maybe I’ll get some artefacts from your place.” “You know I can’t come over to your side because of my skin.”
Black man to White man:
“I’m not gonna trust you until you are as willing to be changed and effected by my experience and transformed by my experience as I am every day by yours.”
Who’s the creator?
Lee Mun Wah is an internationally renowned Chinese American documentary filmmaker, author, poet, Asian folk teller, educator, community therapist and master diversity trainer. For more than 25 years he was a resource specialist and counsellor in the San Francisco Unified School District.
What does it mean to me?
The first time I saw this I felt on edge, tense, I wanted to look away. I couldn’t believe all the built up emotion that was kept inside the man speaking. I still come back to the video often to see how freeing it is for someone to let everything out that they are feeling. I will never forget this clip and the impact it had on me.
I first came across the video at the beginning of my anti-racism journey. It was one of the first videos shown on Nova Reid’s online course that I did. I signed up to the course due to my wife being pregnant, researching brain development in children and finding anything I could to help when becoming a father. One of the things I learnt was how children learn racial bias from the age of 3 and I know I didn’t want this for my daughter. Through wanting to make change I found Nova’s course and it’s the best decision I have ever made and has completely changed my world view.
Usually Black people when angry have to bat off, explain what they’re saying, whilst being interrupted constantly by White people e.g. Piers Morgan. To see the freedom given to speak openly and honestly about racism is still a rare sight. The more we can hold space, listen and most of all believe people who are on the receiving end of racism, the better our world will be.
‘’I have seen time and again how black people have been taught to suppress their feelings. Taught to not feed in to the ‘’angry black person’’ narrative. This is a by-product of slavery. No identity no rights no laws owned. Your body is not your own. To be subservient. To do as you’re told. To work until you die. ’’ - Nova Reid.
To me this clip told me to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
Anti-racism work takes courage.
You can’t have courage without vulnerability.
Don’t fear vulnerability. Embrace it. It helps you grow.
Our thoughts aren’t facts, they are feelings.
We are one thought away from having a completely different experience.
Suggested reflections
How does The Colour of Fear video make you feel?
What do you notice in your body when watching it?
Do you think you will share this clip with anyone? Why or why not?
What does it mean to you to have a safe space to talk about racism without being interrupted?
Something to do
By Tom & Rena
Consider setting your emojis to reflect your skin colour
Explore what that may mean for you, and others. Perhaps talk to your friends and family about it and normalise conversations about race in a supportive way. It was World emoji day on July 17th, perhaps that could be a way to open the conversation.
What it means to me (Tom)
My phone defaults all of my emojis to a bright yellow. I’m a White man. But I’m used to being the “default”, what society defines as “normal”. I was quite happy to stick with a default emoji, I’m ok with bright yellow.
But I came to realise that I wasn’t owning my racial identity. In fact, I wasn’t even aware of it.
As a White man, my Whiteness is often invisible to me. I am not made to feel different because I have White skin, so I don’t strongly identify with being White. And that’s a problem. As long as I see myself as “normal” and outside a system of race, where skin colour causes enormous differences in how people are treated, then I won’t notice racism and the ways it benefits me. I will think that I’m treated the way I am because it’s normal to treat people like that. I won’t see that I am treated this way, in part, because I am White. I will believe, incorrectly, that when People of Colour are treated badly it’s an abnormality - not a normal, routine consequence of a structurally racist society.
So, I changed my emojis to have White skin. It’s a small act, but a step on the path to recognising the part I play in a system of race. It’s a small way of acknowledging that I am, in fact, White. 👍🏼
What it means to me (Rena)
I can still remember how excited I felt when I realised I could change the default yellow (Simpsons) emoji colour to one that represented my brown skin. I sent two different brown emojis to a friend just to check which colour best matched my skin from their perspective, as I wanted to ensure my choice was the best fit. Having grown up in a mainly White area I was generally the minority and rarely saw people of colour represented around me. They were rarely in magazines and books, on TV or in films. So, the default has always been White skin. I celebrated the fact that the world had become a place where a variety of emoji skin colours was now a thing, and felt glad I could own and embrace my skin colour in this way, after spending years of wishing I was White as a child.
I have a friend who is White, and uses Black emojis when messaging me. I don’t really get why they do that, or if they do it with everyone, or just me. I don’t have the energy to ask why! I have other friends who still use the default yellow. Ultimately, we all have different perspectives and experiences, and that’s ok. Representation matters to me, and I want our future generations to feel like they can notice and embrace skin colour in a positive way, and be represented in all areas of life. 🙌🏽👌🏽
Suggested reflections
Which skin colour emojis do you use - the default yellow, one matching your skin colour, or someone else’s skin colour? Why do you use that colour?
Do you think having a range of emoji skin colours that represents our society is important? If so, why?
Are there other areas in your daily life where skin colour representation may be missing?
What are the benefits of noticing skin colour? And what are the pitfalls of being ‘colour blind’?