Racism is multifaceted, intangible and a complex system of oppression that operates through attitudes, actions, and policies to create unequal life outcomes based on race or ethnicity.
It is often thought of as the product of individual prejudice, whereby bad people hold prejudicial and discriminatory ideas. However, beyond
this simple good vs bad notion, racism involves power dynamics that privilege certain groups while disadvantaging and excluding others, even where this is not intentional or conscious
Racism also shifts its focus, often marginalising different groups at different times, shifting almost seamlessly from anti-Irish prejudice
and discrimination, to Jewish communities, people of African and Caribbean heritage, people from South-East Asian communities, manifesting as Islamophobia and often heightened during periods of political instability and economic crisis.
Liverpool City Region’s Anti-Racism Strategy provides an understanding of these different forms of racism, not as an academic exercise, but in order to enable recognition, so that we have the tools and strategies to address them in a way that is both effective and that brings about tangible change.
The initial step is to identify which types of racism are applicable to each organisation or group or individual. Identifying the types of racism should be a dynamic, ongoing learning process that includes Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups as a key part of the identification and prioritisation process.
The next step involves understanding how to implement the necessary actions that will address these identified types of racism. Once again Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups and communities should form a key part in identifying effective action and the appropriate roadmap and timeframe in which outcomes can be expected to be realised and to identify what success looks like.
Finally, the sharing of good practice, an honest assessment of what did or did not work and why, is critical for greater learning and understanding and where you can, find ways to celebrate your successes.
Read the full strategy here