Article on the recent racist incidents in the UK
by Maddy Desforges, CEO NAVCA
It has been a difficult few weeks, with a rise in racist incidents and a sense that such behaviour is becoming more normalised. The far right rally in London at the weekend drew around 110,000 people and gave a voice to racist hatred. In communities nationwide, hate crime is increasing, alongside a worrying perception that it is acceptable to single out people who ‘don’t look British.’ Union Jack and St. George flags have been used as a symbol of far-right support, with an insidious veneer of “but it's our national flag” in the face of criticism. It is scary, unnerving, and threatening. Many of you will have experienced aggression, or be supporting people who have. You’ll see communities feeling unsafe, feeling frustration with the wider establishment response, or feeling unsure about what we can do.
Our role as local infrastructure organisations is to support strong, united communities, which is more important than ever. We are here to listen to and support people, and to build a sense of a shared, positive, inclusive place. We can focus on the positive, call out the aggression, and amplify anti-racist voices. I have been looking for people and places offering me hope, and we can do the same in our roles. Bolstering each other and our community is our superpower right now. I have attached some thinking from the Emergencies Partnership team as they too call out the threat of violence and reality of unrest. This is an internal tool for the Emergencies Partnership team, but might be useful to inform your thinking. I also wanted to share this useful guide from New Ways - When Hate Spills Into Workplaces - A Leaders Guide. It has practical, active steps we can take, and is a piece I certainly find useful to reflect on.
It's easy to feel inadequate, and that whatever we do is insufficient in the face of such significant problems. Let’s know that what we do has impact, and know that what we do to support inclusive, resilient, thriving communities matters.