Everyday anti-racist acts

Examples of anti-racist measures for individuals:

I will develop as an anti-racist actor and appreciate that I can make mistakes. Nobody is a perfect anti-racist. The endeavour calls for continual reflection and reassessment of one’s own actions. You should welcome well-founded complaints about your behaviour or language, and accept this feedback as an opportunity to develop as an anti-racist participant.

I will take my own steps to find out about anti-racism and refrain from burdening minority individuals with my own behavioural issues. The people who experience racism do not have the responsibility to educate others. This is an assignment that people should undertake independently or in company with likeminded people.

I will tackle racist behaviour, discrimination, actions or jokes, even if it feels uncomfortable to do so. While it is not easy for bystanders to tackle inappropriate behaviour, harassment or discrimination, it is worthwhile standing in the shoes of someone who has been the target of racism in such circumstances. Such individuals do not have the same option of not being involved in the situation. 

I will discuss racism and share anti-racist content, even when the topic is not otherwise highlighted in the media or current affairs. By sharing details of anti-racism, you spread awareness of a theme that promotes equal opportunities and human rights. Anti-racism calls for continual action, so it is important to highlight the importance of anti-racist action, even at times when work to combat racism is not covered in the media.

I will listen and provide support if anyone talks about a racist situation. Do not dispute or trivialise the accounts of acquaintances who tell you about their personal experiences of racism. Listen to what they have to say, and ask whether you can help in some way.

I will ask my employer, educational institution, local council or leisure time activity venue about the status of their equality plan, and how it accommodates the need to tackle racism. Public authorities, employers and training providers have a duty to promote equal opportunities in their own operations, and they must have an equality plan to promote the objectives. The planning duty applies to employers with a regular staff of at least 30 people. You should ask for these plans and examine their contents: when was the plan last updated, how does it accommodate the need to tackle racism, and what kind of concrete measures does the plan include? Various parties are also entirely free to prepare an equality plan, even where they are under no statutory obligation to do so.

I will pay greater attention to literature, art, music, films or other productions created by ethnic or religious minority members or indigenous authors. 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. 

I will contact policymakers and ask what kind of anti-racist measures they promote in their own positions of trust. Communicating with policymakers is one way to impress on them that this theme is important and should be promoted. Such contact may inspire them to take measures promoting anti-racism and equal opportunities.

Some examples of anti-racist actions for organisations:

Update the equality plan and examine its measures, especially from the perspective of tackling racism. Public authorities, training providers and employers with a regular staff of at least 30 people have a statutory duty to prepare an equality plan. Support for preparing an equality plan may be found here. 

Define anti-racism within your own organisation and assess its meaning for your organisation. Discuss the practical meaning of anti-racism within your organisation, and consider how it would guide your actions to promote equal opportunities. Let the world know that the organisation is anti-racist.

Develop communication guidelines for racist commenting and hate speech on social media. When using various social media platforms, develop policies for tackling racist comments, discriminatory discussion or hate speech.

Arrange annual anti-racist training for staff. While anti-racist training gives staff the tools to promote equal opportunities and human rights, a single training event is not enough. An organisation should commit to training every year. This also enables new staff to reinforce their skills. Consider how to make training part of the permanent architecture of the workplace.

Pay attention to anti-racist communications and image choices. Examine your organisation’s communications and pay attention to the words and photographs used. What kind of image is projected by your organisation’s visual communications? Do illustrations, for example, prominently include people from ethnic minorities as active providers and not merely passive recipients of the operation? Do the communications use an inclusive and anti-racist vocabulary?

Emphasise staff diversity and equal opportunities. Consideration of staff diversity must also focus on diversity of management and ways of supporting this. You can foster and promote diversity, inclusion and equity by adopting new measures such as anonymous recruitment.  

Clearly specify the party or place that a customer or employee may contact on encountering racism on the premises or in the operations of the organisation. The threshold for reporting a racist incident is lowered when the victim knows who to contact. Even when seeking to make all activities of an organisation as equitable and safe as possible for everyone, racist incidents can still occur and it is worthwhile having ready-made guidelines for tackling them.