Everyday anti-racist acts

Combatting racism takes continuous self-reflection and re-evaluation of your own actions. You should welcome well-founded complaints about your behaviour or language, and accept this feedback as an opportunity to grow as an anti-racist. 

There are many ways to learn about anti-racism on your own. It is not up to those who encounter racism themselves to educate others.

It is not easy to step up and intervene in inappropriate behaviour, harassment, jokes or discrimination, but try to put yourself in the victim’s shoes. The victim cannot choose whether to participate in the situation or not. 

If you suspect that you have witnessed racism, you can report the incident to the police. Make it clear that you believe that the incident was racially motivated. You can report incidents even if you are not sure whether any laws have been broken. In online environments, racist behaviour can be reported to the moderator or administrator of the site or service. 

Keep talking about racism and sharing anti-racist content on your social media even when the subject is not headline news. Sharing information about anti-racism helps to spread awareness of a theme that promotes equal opportunities and human rights. Anti-racism calls for continual action, which is why it is crucial to keep calling attention to anti-racist action even at times when the fight against racism is not in the news. 

If someone in your social circle tells you that they have encountered racism, do not trivialise or dismiss their experiences but listen to what they have to say. Ask if there is anything that you can do to help. 

Read, listen, watch and explore literature, art, music, films or other works of ethnic or religious minority members and indigenous people. Such works do not have to be related to racism. You can enrich cultural diversity by engaging with the works of ethnic or religious minorities or indigenous authors.  

Government agencies, employers and providers of education and child care have a legal obligation to promote equality in their own activities. Ask to see organisations’ equality plans and familiarise yourself with their contents: when was the plan last updated, how has anti-racism been factored in and what tangible measures are laid out in the plan.  

Government agencies, providers of education and child care and employers with at least 30 regular staff have a legal obligation to draw up a written equality plan. 

Every organisation needs to have a discussion about what anti-racism means in practice and how it can contribute to the organisation’s efforts to promote equality. Let the world know that your organisation is anti-racist. 

If your organisation uses social media, you need to have a policy in place to address racist commenting, discriminatory language and hate speech.  If your organisation uses social media, you need to have a clear policy in place to address racist commenting, bullying, discriminatory language and hate speech.

Anti-racist training courses are a good way to provide staff with tools to promote equality and human rights. You should aim to run courses at regular intervals, such as annually, to make sure that any new hires also get on board. Find a way to make the training courses a regular feature in your organisation’s culture. 

Take a critical look at your organisation’s communications and make any changes that are needed to comply with social norms. Think about the imagery that you use in your communications: are members of ethnic minorities depicted in active or passive roles? Make sure that you use inclusive vocabulary. Word choices reflect the fabric of society, and language can be used to both reinforce and break down prejudices and power structures.

Organisations can build a more diverse work community by systematically recruiting people of different origins, skin colours, nationalities, cultural backgrounds, mother tongues or religions. It is important to also pay attention to the diversity of management and to find ways to embrace diversity.  

Make sure that your clients and employees know where and how to report any racist incidents that they encounter on your premises or in their interactions with your organisation. 

The threshold for reporting racism is lower when the victim knows whom to contact. Even organisations that have built an equal and safe environment for everyone sometimes have to deal with racist incidents, and it is best to be prepared.