ROOTING OUT RACISM

I was wowed by your bold article on white supremacy (15 June). As an Asian woman, British for 25 years, racism has dominated my life. In the ’80s, in my hometown of Johannesburg, I joined the school boycotts for equality in education; I demonstrated for the release of Nelson Mandela. I was shot at with tear gas and rubber bullets. Yet I’ve experienced more racism here. When your oppressors are openly racist, when they carry burning crosses, racism is easier to define. But when it’s subtle and pervasive it’s much harder. Harder to prove, fight and eliminate. Institutional racism is what harms BAME people in the UK. And that can be defined, quantified and legislated for. The Government must listen and act. It’s not about statues or the imperialist past. It’s about forgiveness and reconciliation. We can do this. Fathima