A lovely time

21 Feb 2020 — 3 min read

Equalities

The movement tackling racism within the charity sector, #CharitySoWhite, marked its six month birthday with an article in Third Sector. The sector has a long way to go so it’s important we all think about our role supporting this work.

Here’s a useful guide from Equally Ours for campaigners and communicators on how to help people understand structural inequality. Might be a useful starting point for any charities embarking on equality work within their own organisations too.

With ideas of genetic determinism in the news, In Our Time - The Valladolid Debate was an interesting listen this week. Once I’d got beyond the various manglings of the name of the Spanish city, it was an interesting listen on the 1550 debate on the justifications for enslaving the inhabitants of the newly discovered lands in the Americas, including Aristotle’s notion of the “natural slave”. Just one example through history of white people arguing for a hierarchy of races in order to justify their atrocious behaviour.

Here’s Dave’s performance of “Black” on the Brits. Here are the lyrics in full:

It is racist, whether or not it feels racist
The truth is our Prime Minister’s a real racist
They say: “you should be grateful we’re the least racist”
I say: “the least racist is still racist”

And if somebody hasn’t said it
Equality is a right, it doesn’t deserve credit
Now if you don’t wanna get it then you’re never gonna get it
How the news treats Kate versus how they treated Meghan

Rest in peace Jack Merritt, you’re my brother in arms
There’s tears in our eyes and love in our hearts
We never had the same background, culture, colour or past
But you devoted your life to giving others a chance

And for that, I’m so taken aback
Because you gave us all a voice, I have to say it for Jack
As a young black man seeing paper and crack
Given tougher sentences, it’s just papering cracks

All we need is unity, funding for communities, equal opportunities,
People under scrutiny, no more immunity, way less hatred
More conservation, less deforestation
We want rehabilitation - now that would be amazing

But Grenfell victims still need accommodation
And we still need support for the Windrush generation
Reparations for the time our people spent on plantations

Don’t miss the mic drop!

Politics

Over in politics, the Labour Party leadership race seems never-ending but at least we now know who the final candidates are. I don’t want the process to last any longer than it is but it does seem odd to be voting for the leader and deputy simultaneously. I’m hoping for a leadership team to actually work as a team. And for all the talents in our party to shine so that we can act effectively in opposition.

And, boy, do we need to. Here’s a gloomy read on the increasingly authoritarian government we find ourselves with.

Learning points

An excellent walking tour of radical Hackney introduced me to the 43 Group (well not the actual members). This was an English anti-fascist group set up by Jewish ex-service men after the Second World War, breaking up meetings and speeches by Oswald Mosley’s fascist party and other far right groups. The name came from the number of people that attended their founding meeting. More about them here. Interesting where some of the group members ended up.

What am I reading?

The Class Ceiling - Why it pays to be privileged by Sam Friedman and Daniel Laurison which is our chosen book for Equality Book Club on March 2nd. Join us!

Tickets available here. (First rule of Equality Book Club is you don’t have to have read the whole book btw you busy, busy people 😄)

What am I listening to?

The CAF Giving Thought podcast with Fozia Irfan, CEO of the Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation was an interesting listen on issues of power and accountability in the foundation sector. Fozia has instigated and launched the Diversity and Equity and Inclusion coalition bringing together a range of foundations determined to work together to address systemic inequalities in the sector.

Joy-giving things

I spent a few days in Bangor this week. It’s where my grandmother’s family were from and my father spent his early years there. Some peace and quiet by the seaside was the ideal backdrop for some writing I’ve been doing and I did indeed have a lovely time.

Even managed a few walks in between Storms Dennis and Ellen. Here’s an iris with raindrops to cheer us up: