Would this bother you?

[Greenlittle]

I am working with a team to help black communities in the north of England. The focus is on training and employment. We train people who then mentor black youth.

Yet everyone on our team is white. I think I’ve only met one black person at work since I’ve been here (few months). Admittedly, we are a couple of steps removed from the actual clients and beneficiaries...but still.

Would it bother you?

[Lndnmummy]

Yes

[Greenlittle]

Thank you. Could you articulate why and how I could convey this?

[LtDansleg]

I’d expect black role models on a team specifically helping youths in black communities.

[Lndnmummy]

@Greenlittle

Thank you. Could you articulate why and how I could convey this?

Sorry bit tied up but broadly speaking I’d suggest shaping an argument around accessibility, authenticity and relatability and go from there.

[ObviousNameChage]

I'd expect people , black people ,that can relate to the service users. The obstacles they might encounter, racism (systemic or otherwise) etc. People that can be seen as a role model and aspiration.

I'd really worry about the level of engagement and how much of an impact will they actually make if the team was all white.

[Greenlittle]

Thank you. The team is a couple of steps away from the end clients. So it trains the mentors. The mentors are minorities.

But it has a bit of a white ‘educator’ whiff. Hard to explain. It is also an organisation where they treat everyone as ‘individuals’. Which is true, I guess. But also diminishes what you are saying about racism? Although the mentors being trained could discuss it with their youth teams?

[MrsTerryPratchett]

I'm white and a local organisation that works with PoC in a specific community tried to recruit me. I'm white. I turned them down because although I LOVE them, I also respect their aim to employ PoC.

My mate who works there and I had a conversation after all this and she said that my job was to pass on all my knowledge (I'm a subject expert) and work myself out of a job. I can sort of see that if it's intentional. But default white? Not great, is it?

[Mrgrinch]

It wouldn't bother me. If someone of any race cares enough to do a job to benefit black people why can't that be good enough? Why does it need to be a segregated group?

[SpaceRaiders]

It’s not really about segregation, it more about relatability, of having had some shared experiences.

I agree with op; I tend to view these kinds of organisations with suspicion. They do need diverse staff at all levels in order to best serve the communities the are working with.

[ObviousNameChage]

@Greenlittle

Thank you. The team is a couple of steps away from the end clients. So it trains the mentors. The mentors are minorities.

But it has a bit of a white ‘educator’ whiff. Hard to explain. It is also an organisation where they treat everyone as ‘individuals’. Which is true, I guess. But also diminishes what you are saying about racism? Although the mentors being trained could discuss it with their youth teams?

If you can be more specific what kind of training do they provide? Is that training targeted and focused towards the people that will become service users?


Are the methods,research,tactics,policies etc specific to young black men or more "general population "?

[Pottedcat]

Yes, I would have a problem. I think shaping the issue, developing an approach should be as close as possible otherwise it all gets lost in the layers. There may be value in a bit of diversity from outside the target population. Am from a minority group in black community, I recently went for a training session with someone from my background who was trained by someone from a similar background. It was so powerful, and by sharing her experiences she opened up the space. It was amazing. I think it's that they see the problem from the inside.

[NurseButtercup]

@Greenlittle

Thank you. Could you articulate why and how I could convey this?

I'm sorry but have we not learned anything over the last 30 years?

How on earth is an all white team supposed to write an engagement strategy with the black communities? What's the actual engagement plan? Let me guess, they'll recruit black youthworkers, social workers, mental health workers etc but when "the workers" suggest an nuanced/tailored engagement plan it will be rejected because the management can't relate to it.

I'm sorry I'm being unhelpful but reading your OP has reminded me why I moved from the northern part of this country.

[Greenlittle]

Thanks! That’s what I think too. The organisation is pretending it is totally normal so I started questioning myself.

[1Saymynamesaymyname]

It wouldn't bother me. If someone of any race cares enough to do a job to benefit black people why can't that be good enough? Why does it need to be a segregated group?

The default is white. Why can't the default, in this case, be black; seeing as it is centered around black communities.

Source: growing up in an all-white family, going to an all-white school. It was very difficult and isolating.

[Miliao]

Yes, it would bother me too. Different context, but has similarities - I am part of a mentoring scheme at work for women (male dominated industry), and would be questioning the validity of the scheme if all the mentors for these young women were men!!

[C130]

NurseButtercup's post is spot on.

[RedMarauder]

Let me guess, they'll recruit black youthworkers, social workers, mental health workers etc but when "the workers" suggest an nuanced/tailored engagement plan it will be rejected because the management can't relate to it.

This happened to a friend of mine who mentors young people and teaches apprentices. The people he teaches are mostly male, working class and of diverse ethnic backgrounds. So similar to his own background.

At one of the colleges he taught at the course supervisor, a white middle class woman, came up with course material that he felt was unsuitable for various reasons. He politely pointed this out to her and was told to bug off. So he left. When the course was reviewed it was found to be completely inadequate for the students needs.

[1Saymynamesaymyname]

Some said it up-thread.

It is about relatability.

[Kanaloa]

It wouldn’t bother me a few white people on the team but it would bother me if it was mostly white people.

It’s like how can a white person highlight the problems a young black person is going to face and think of good solutions? They’re not likely to really understand the situation the young person might be facing.

I think your ‘white educator’ comment is sort of along the same lines, it doesn’t feel exactly right a bunch of white people teaching black people how to solve problems of racism.

[therearenogoodusernamesleft]

It probably is quite normal, but it doesn't make it okay. Our 'access and diversity' team at my last place was entirely made up of white, middle-class, highly-educated women. Everything they did was written in incredibly academic language and very much based on academic theories. It was so depressing to watch, and it did come across as white saviour complex.

[1Saymynamesaymyname]

The saddest thing is that I do believe it's done with good intentions. But the worrying thing is that it can come across as an "I know better" approach, whether intended or not.

[Sweetchocolatecandy]

Your OP reminds me of a photograph I saw recently of the parliament in Saudi Arabia of all men voting on women’s issues.

Of course there should be Black representation within your team. How can a team of all white members possibly understand the experiences, realities and experiences of Black youth in the UK? Experiential knowledge and relatability are vital if you are wanting to achieve success in this area.

[Griefmonster]

Agree.

My belief is that we have a massive problem in the UK (all I can talk on) with a monoculture in social justice services and policy - in public, private and third sectors.

All levels of policy and decision making are overwhelmingly white and middle class. And then the same energy being put in to sex-based equality has not been replicated for class or race, particularly at middle and senior levels.

And until more white people do as @MrsTerryPratchett has done and give up their seats at the table, it won't change.

[Greenlittle]

I agree and it is so hard to have these conversations. The argument being made is that everyone is an individual. And they are bringing people together to discuss and support each other. So somehow it is being a troublemaker and divisive to bring in team composition. I mean the senior team is all white.

[Griefmonster]

Are you aware of the organisation Charity so white? charitysowhite.org/

They are addressing this in the charity sector.

It's blindness to privilege and structural racism isn't it?