EDITORIAL
Dear Readers,
In a week where “race” issues have been in the spotlight with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex interview by Oprah Winfrey, I hope you won’t be tired of reading more news on diversity in the UK and wider Europe.
The resources that interested me the most this week are in my new “Food section”. It’s a short video by the charity Community Kitchens and a longer written piece in Al Jazeera by Minreet Kaur about The 97-year-old Sikh grandmother feeding London’s homeless.
As usual, I will let you pick and choose the topics which you like the most. I guess there is at least one?
Your comments on my blogposts and how to improve the website are also always welcomed.
Thanks for retweeting or ‘liking’ my posts on WordPress or Twitter.
Have a nice week-end,
Thushari Perera
BLACK EUROPE RESOURCES
Twitter @Blackeresources
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CULTURE, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
BBC attempts to ‘modernise’ leads to all white news board, The Canary, 11 March 2021
“As part of our #FactOfTheMatter series, The Canary can show that the BBC has appointed an all-white News Board. Director of news and current affairs Fran Unsworth appointed the new board as part of the BBCs plan to ‘modernise’ the organisation. Not only does this break the BBC‘s own policy on representing ethnic minorities, but the BBC won’t admit to any wrongdoing. In fact, it claims it’s not broken any policy because two are only ‘acting’ members.”
Bafta Film Awards 2021: After last year’s #BaftasSoWhite, the British Academy has revealed its most diverse list of nominations ever, Glamour, 10 March 2021
“The Bafta Film Awards have released a diverse nominations list for 2021. Four women are up for best director, and 16 out of 24 acting nominees are from ethnic minority groups. According to The Hollywood Reporter, this year’s nominations are “the most diverse nominations list ever seen in the British Academy’s history.””
Can Disney make up for racism in past films?, Deutsche Welle, 10 March 2021
“Due to negative depictions, Disney pulls old classics from kids’ profiles on its streaming platform. Its latest film tries to do things differently.”
Society of Editors chief quits after row over Meghan racism statement, The Guardian, 10 March 2021
“Ian Murray steps down amid backlash over his article criticising duchess’s claims of UK media bigotry”
Society of Editors in turmoil over its statement on Meghan, The Guardian, 10 March 2021
“Some board members ‘deeply angry’ about claim racism was not a factor in coverage of Duchess of Sussex”
Of course the UK media has a problem with racism – any other suggestion is propaganda, inews, 10 March 2021
“Many people in the industry talk a good game about the need for greater diversity but we are not seeing action”
Harry and Meghan’s racism claims split British editors, reporters, Sidney Morning Herald, 10 March 2021
“Newspaper editors are at odds over a claim by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that the British media is racist, as journalists of colour say Meghan’s experience reflects the “depressingly familiar” treatment the British press inflicts on people of diverse ethnic backgrounds.”
Documentary: Let’s Talk about Race, Panorama, BBC iPlayer, 8 March 2021
“The killing of George Floyd last year triggered a national conversation about race and racism in Britain. It’s a subject that can be uncomfortable and sometimes divisive, as BBC presenter Naga Munchetty discovers when she travels across the country to understand what race and racism mean in the UK today”
Naga Munchetty: It’s time to talk about race, BBC News, 8 March 2021
“The killing of George Floyd last year triggered a national debate about racial injustice not just in the US, but in the UK, too. Naga Munchetty travelled across the UK to understand what race and racism means today.”
CONSUMER ISSUES
Inside the influencer pay gap: Why are Black women being paid less for their posts?, Cosmopolitan, 11 March 2021
“The dark secret at the heart of the social media economy”
Barbie: Ken doll turns 60 and is ‘more diverse than ever’, Kent Live, 11 March 2021
“Now available in three body shapes, nine skin tones, ten eye colours and 20 hairstyles, the company says Ken “is more diverse than ever”.”
Home renovation: “How I transformed my 18th century cottage to reflect my African and Caribbean heritage”, Stylist, 8 March 2021
“This 18th century cottage has over 300 years of history and it’s not over yet. Watch this culture-filled transformation of a home shaped to represent the experience of a modern Black British family.”
EMPLOYMENT & WORK
Covid-19 and Apprenticeship Policy for Ethnic Minority Young People, Runnymede Trust, March 2021
“A new briefing published by the Runnymede Trust and the Centre on the Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) highlights the issues that apprenticeship schemes have in attracting ethnic minority apprentices, and in guiding them towards recognised achievement.“
Linklaters becomes first magic circle firm to support Afro hairstyle campaign, Global Legal Post, 11 March 2021
“Firm adopts UK’s ‘Halo Code’ to end hair discrimination for black employees in the workplace”
Ethnic minority representation on FTSE 100 Boards on track to meet Parker Review target, HR Magazine, 12 March 2021
“Ethnic minority representation on FTSE 100 boards has increased from 52 companies to 81 in the past year.”
Sellafield accused of ‘toxic culture’ of bullying, Personnel Today, 10 March 2021
“In a letter leaked to the BBC, whistleblowers from the organisation’s ethnic minority staff network said there were “shocking stories” of racial abuse, while other workers had experienced sexist and homophobic bullying.”
EDUCATION
3 important lessons about racism in UK schools, TES, 9 March 2021
“As the world reacts to Harry and Meghan’s interview this week, Viv Grant suggests it’s a good time for schools to explore their own work around racial equality”
HEALTH & WELL-BEING
NHS visa exclusion is leaving many migrants in ‘desperate straits’, The National, 10 March 2021
“The NHS visa has brought in a number of welcome changes for health sector recruitment, but a senior trade unionist has said its exclusion of the lowest paid migrant workers has left many in “desperate straits”.”
How Is The Pandemic Affecting The Well-Being Of Ethnic Minorities And Women?, Theravive, 9 March 2021
“We found that on average, all individuals experienced a drop in mental well-being, but the reduction was larger among women and among Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME),” Proto told us. “Two results were surprising. First, the finding that the deterioration was similar among women regardless of their ethnicity, but that among men, BAME were the most affected. Second, the finding that Bangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani individuals have experienced the higher deterioration in mental health with respect to White British men.”
Here’s why women of colour are less likely to access treatment for eating disorders, Cosmopolitan, 8 March 2021
“Unsettling statistics show there has been a sharp rise in the number of people from ethnic minorities being admitted to hospital for these illnesses. Between 2017 and 2020, eating disorder admissions rose by 53% among ethnic minorities, with the sharpest rise for people from a Black African background at a staggering 216%.”
FOOD
Line at London Food Bank Stretches Hundreds of Meters, Yahoo News, 9 March 2021
“The charity [Community Kitchens] said they served 785 families in two hours on the day the video was recorded.”
The 97-year-old Sikh grandmother feeding London’s homeless, Al Jazeera, 8 March 2021
“The food is served by Hope for Southall Street Homeless, a community initiative that runs a night shelter and drop-in centre in the area of west London that Nisharat has called home since she first arrived in the UK as a 54-year-old mother-of-five in 1976.”
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITIES
Campaigners warns voter ID plans will ‘disenfranchise millions’, LocalGov, 10 March 2021
“Plans for mandatory voter ID will disproportionately impact the BAME community and prevent millions of people from voting, campaigners have warned.”
Local elections 2021: Poll shows Covid-19 concerns will damage turnout among young people and BAME communities, inews, 9 March 2021
“It found that 26 per cent of respondents felt the Covid-19 situation made them less likely to go to the polling station in person to vote in the May election. This figure rose dramatically to 41 per cent of respondents with Asian heritage, 40 per cent of black people and 38 per cent of those who are mixed race.”
Council chiefs in Wales commit to become ‘diverse councils’, LocalGov, 9 March 2021
“Local authority leaders in Wales have agreed to ensure council chambers are more representative of their communities following the upcoming local elections”
“We Don’t Know How Many Black Women Face Domestic Abuse. That’s About To Change”, HuffPost, 8 March 2021
“Thanks to funding from Black Lives Matter UK, our charity can finally research the full extent of abuse against Black women and girls, writes Sistah Space CEO Ngozi Fulani.”
POLICING & JUSTICE SYSTEM
IOPC research highlights concerns over ‘disproportionate’ use of stop and search, Police Professional, 9 March 2021
“Young people and those from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background feel stop and search can be “discriminatory and disproportionate” according to research by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).”
COVID Fines in Northern Ireland Nine Times More Likely to Go to Black People, Vice, 10 March 2021
“Data obtained by VICE World News and The Detail via FOI will raise further questions about disproportionate policing, after cops handed out COVID fines at BLM protests.”
SPORTS, FITNESS & OUTDOORS
Women of Colour Cycling Collective launched in the UK, Cycling News, 10 March 2021
“Women of colour are underrepresented on roads, trails and in cycling clubs and groups across the UK, and the WCCC aims to “inspire, empower, and motivate women of colour to cycle”.”
Human rights commission asked to examine racism in English cricket, The Guardian, 10 March 2021
“Herbert said that while the ECB had been given £60m between 2009 and 2017 to promote equality and diversity it had failed to do enough to make the game reflect modern Britain. He cited the lack of diversity in senior positions, the “minimal” funding to African, Caribbean and Asian cricket associations, and a growing number of concerning comments from former players and officials alleging racism in the game.”
WIDER EUROPE
Statement By The Advisory Council On Youth: Addressing Islamophobia, coe.int, 10 March 2021
“The Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) expresses its concern at ongoing Islamophobia in Council of Europe member states and calls for action against discriminatory practices.”
‘Migrants’ moral panic still leading to lost lives, Social Europe, 10 March 2021
“The pandemic has overshadowed, but not reduced, refugee flows to Europe. Damaging misconceptions of asylum-seekers haven’t softened either.”
At least 39 migrants drown off Tunisia as two boats capsize, EurActiv, 10 March 2021
“At least 39 migrants drowned off Tunisia when two boats capsized on Tuesday (9 March), the defence ministry said, as numbers risking the dangerous crossing to Europe continue to rise. Rescuers pulled 165 survivors from the floundering boats out of the sea to safety.”
DENMARK
Denmark imprisons international student at migrant facility after visa overstay, The Local.dk, 16 February 2021
“A Chinese international student said she has been left traumatised after she reported herself to Danish authorities due to a visa overstay and was subsequently placed at Ellebæk, a detention centre for people without legal right to be in the country.”
Citizenship: Foreigners in Denmark could face interviews to test ‘Danish values’, The Local.dk, 9 February 2021
“…the party wants to add five questions to the existing citizenship test on so-called ‘Danish values’. These could include questions relating to disagreements between Danish law and religious ideology or whether women should be freely allowed to choose romantic partners, according to the report.”
FRANCE
Global NGOs call on EU to probe French ‘state-sponsored Islamophobia’, RFI, 9 March 2021
“Twenty-five non-governmental organisations from eleven different countries have signed an unprecedented letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, calling for France to be investigated by the European Court of Justice. The signatories allege systematic, state-sponsored discrimination against Muslims.”
GERMANY
Merkel deplores racism, violence against Turkish community, Andalou Agency, 9 March 2021
“German chancellor says state should do more to protect ethnic communities from discrimination, racist attitudes, violence”
ITALY
What happens to migrants who are rescued at sea and land in Italy?, InfoMigrant, 3 January 2021
“Although landings occur in Malta, Cyprus and Spain, Italy remains the country where the most ships come ashore after a rescue. In 2020, the number of migrants arriving by sea in Italy exceeded 34,000, mainly on the islands of Lampedusa and Sicily and in the toe of Italy, Calabria.”
NETHERLANDS
Election interview: ‘You can’t build windmills with racists and anti-Semites’, DutchNews.nl, 10 March 2021
“At one extreme the anti-immigration nationalist PVV, led by Geert Wilders, wants to strip dual nationals of the right to vote in national elections and recently said parliamentary chairman, Khadija Arib, should be removed because her Moroccan citizenship, which she cannot revoke, creates ‘the appearance of having a different loyalty’.”
The international parents raising Dutch-speaking children: ‘It’s funny not understanding your own child’, DutchNews.nl, 3 March 2021
“Around 20% of the Netherlands’ population have a non-Dutch speaking background, and many – like Derya – will be raising children who count Dutch as one of their languages.”
SPAIN
Dozens of migrants scale fences into Spain’s Melilla enclave, Yahoo News, 8 March 2021
“Melilla and nearby Ceuta are chosen by many sub-Saharan Africans as a gateway into Europe, although they often get stuck in either of the enclaves that fall outside the continent’s Schengen area of free mobility.”
SWITZERLAND
Muslim Group, UN Rights Office Object to Swiss Veil Vote, VOA, 9 March 2021
“In a Sunday referendum, voters narrowly approved the initiative by a margin of 51% to 49%. The referendum was the idea of the socially conservative, anti-immigration Swiss People’s Party.”
Image Credits: Pixabay
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