‘Things need to change to overcome racial bias’
I’VE often wondered if racism and bias are one and the same thing. If they are learnt behaviours, surely they can be unlearnt?
I was in a shopping queue recently at my local superstore and there was a woman two metres in front of me. She turned, glanced at me a few times, lifted her facemask as well as the collar of her coat and muttered the words: “Two metres; stay two metres away from me.” The woman was white.
With the current climate of social distancing, being in lockdown and the coronavirus affecting black people more than their white counterparts, it made me wonder if the woman was moving away from me because I was black? Was this pure racism or just bias due to what is portrayed in the media?
About five years ago I travelled with a colleague by train from London to Manchester. Second class was completely ram-packed with standing room only. We proceeded to the first class carriage and decided to pay the upgrade into first class, only to be told by the train manager, “…you look a bit disorientated”.
I didn’t know what he meant at first. I proceeded to hand him my credit card to pay the upgrade. He informed me three times of the amount of the upgrade, which was not a problem for me. After paying the upgrade and settling into our seats, the trolley service emerged but refused to serve us, saying that, “…the train manager has told us not to serve you.” At our request, he brought over the train manager who said, “I don’t think you should be sat in first class!” Such overt racism that still exists in the UK is psychologically harmful to people of colour.
Most often than not, when I do a talk I am asked, “Where are you from?” This is despite the fact that I have a strong Mancunian accent. When I answer, “I am from Manchester,” the enquirer often then proceeds to ask, “No, where are you really from.”
Why is it that this question so often asked of people of colour? Not all ‘white’ people are British. A white person should not find it impossible for a black woman (with an obvious Mancunian accent) to have been born here.
Now to the murder of a black man father, husband, brother - on the streets of Minneapolis, USA. This is not the first of this kind. Why is it that people of colour are still seen as less than human beings? If onlookers became active instead of bystanders, recognising their role as a ‘thirdsider’, things will begin to change.
The officer who murdered him, as well as those officers who stood by and did nothing, are there to ‘serve and protect’ just as here in the UK. The fact that one wears a uniform does not make them God, with the power to take life.
We know it is not every person who displays a racist persona. However, all people do have bias. When we are able to identify what our biases are, only then are we able to put them aside and co-exist.
People need to come together in solidarity, yes. But then things need to change! How many more protests, marches, deaths will it take? We need more ‘Cultural Competency Training’ for our frontline service staff. We need to place ourselves in those positions of power, around the decision making tables, in the councils, the police, and as political influencers.
If we do not, we will never change anything. We will just keep on shouting from the side lines. You need to be in it to win it.
● #WeStandTogether is the Greater Manchester Combined Authority brand for cohesion initiatives.
● #WeStandTogether will be holding its next Difficult Dialogue, ‘Making Sense of it All!’ on Monday 15th June, 6pm. Register at www.westandtogether.org. uk.
● You can contact #WeStandTogether on twitter @WeStandTogether, facebook @WeStandTogetherBritain, instagram @ WeStandTogetherUK or by email: support@westandtogether.org.uk.