Take Part in Race Equality Week - Day 4

You may not be racist, but are you anti-racist? There’s a big difference!

Like Day 2 and 3, today you have an eye-opener question, short video to watch, and actions to consider.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council is involved with the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan, which sets a vision for 2030 of a Wales that is anti-racist in society, governance, and institutions based on values that are open, rights-based, and putting lived experience at the heart.

The Council is proud to be holding race awareness training for staff, starting with some front-line services before rolling out to other departments. We also encourage staff to access some of the relevant courses on iDev such as Equality and Diversity - Building Awareness, Equality Matters, and What is Discrimination.

Think about this – if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. 

• Question

  If you hear someone say something racist or something that could be offensive to someone else, do you:

   

  -        Speak to the person who may have been offended later?

  -        Speak to the person who said it later?

  -        Call it out in the moment?

  -        Speak to other colleagues afterwards, asking what they thought?

  -        Ignore it?

   

• Video 

  So, what is the difference between being ‘not racist’ and ‘anti-racist’, and what is the impact?

   

  Watch this video to find out:

  www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zs9n2v4

   

  Source: John Amaechi, BBC

  52% of more than 1,400 workers surveyed by business psychologists, Pearn Kandola, said they had witnessed an act of racism at work. A third of them said they had not reported it to their employer. 

• Action

  What could you do to become anti-racist? Ideas:

   

  • Plan ahead – prepare a few phrases to address racist comments to somebody else
  • Practice saying them until it feels comfortable
  • Next time you hear an inappropriate comment, or something that might offend someone, try not to say silent or walk away, but calmly and respectfully say “I am sorry but that is not acceptable”
  • Learn, read, and speak to those with lived experience and build up your personal anti-racist toolkit, so you feel confident speaking up. 

   

  What action will you take?

• Additional Resources
  1. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ashanimfuko_education-diversityequityinclusion-antiracism-activity6980271433264328704-nwe-/   
  2. https://www.ted.com/talks/ibram_x_kendi_the_difference_between_being_not_racist_and_antiracist?language=en
  3. https://mashable.com/article/how-to-be-antiracist
  4. https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2020/jun/26/how-white-fragility-obstructs-the-fight-against-racism-video-explainer  
  5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnybJZRWipg