To ask for your practical ANTI-RACIST things to do?

[WhenAllsSaidandDone]

What I've learned recently is that there's a difference between non-racist and anti-racist. Being non-racist is all well and good (and we all claim to be) but the real change happens when one is anti-racist. Non-racism is passive, Anti-racism is active.

I'll like to ask you to join in writing out a list of practical everyday stuff we could all do in our bid to be more anti-racist (if you're not already) and join in this fight against racism. Some are:

1. Shopping for black dolls/books with black characters especially as the lead (Prince/ss, Scientist, Superhero, etc) and not just the token friend to the white character, so your DC gets used to having beautiful dolls of different colours and books with different races working together and seeing them equally.

1. Writing to shop management about the lack of black representation on their website, posters etc and asking for a more diverse range of toys/books to be displayed in the shops, available for all to buy. (Not just for black people to buy black dolls or books with black characters but for white people to do the same. BAME have had to buy white dolls/books with only white characters for ages).

1. Writing to school management/head teacher about something similar for their website, etc.

1. Not only raising children to be decent human beings but also having ongoing active conversations with them regarding how some people in society are treated and letting them know it is unacceptable to [insert different ways they can be unfairly treated] and what they can do if they witness this.

1. Actively searching out films with more than a token black/BAME character to watch, etc and petitioning to have much more than one in a film.

The aim is to ensure that our children grow up seeing and appreciating people of all colours in their daily lives, particularly if we don't live in very diverse areas. We've no excuses now.

Please add to this list, thanks.

@StillWeRise - how are blue plasters anti racist? Aren’t they for food preparation etc (so you can see them if they fall in a sandwich). Wouldn’t anti-racist plasters be the ones in different shades. But then how could you be sure to have the right shades at any given time?

I wear dds dinosaur plasters at home as I always forget to buy adult ones. Maybe we should just go for that. It would cheer me up a bit anyway.

I predict that after tomorrow's BBC Windrush drama everyone will be virtue signalling like mad but very few will actually focus on what needs to be done, which is not to buy a black doll, or to demand more black strictly contestants or to 'bring people of other races into your homes as normally as you would white people' ().

What needs doing is to change the law so that nobody is subjected to a hostile environment, regardless of race, ethnic origin or nationality. This is urgent.

The idea that institutional racism can be separated from other forms of racism is false. The hostile environment is designed to make every landlord, employer, NHS and council worker, among others, a border force agent.

And lots of them have bloody loved these policies because there are a lot of racists.

Following the great ideas and lists here. Thanks to all who have made suggestions.

Surely it's not either, or, is it?

I appreciate there are bigger fights to have and surely we can benefit from the knowledge of all of it, both the big and small.

Not sure why you seem to have a bee in your bonnet regarding "dolls and strictly" as if it takes away from the others but carry on.

No it's not either or but if you want to effectively tackle racism this is the stuff that will make the biggest difference.

I just try and treat everyone the same. On a side note and seems a bit shallow but when out and about i always try to nod or smile at non white people i pass, especially women in hijab - this started when we had terrorist after terrorist incident and my hijab wearing friends told me how visible and nervous they felt when out walking, shopping. I just thought a friendly smile might help.

I don't know why people are getting their knickers in a twist about black dolls (well I do, and find it qwhite interesting). I would have loved a doll that looked like me growing up. And seems loads others would have too, so Karens need to sit this one out

twitter.com/TheYelitsa/status/1269275920201854982?s=19

@AKissAndASmile Absolutely beautiful...thanks for that link. It seems inconsequential to some but for others, this is a big deal and should be for all too...as well as other big deals.

@WhenAllsSaidandDone thank you for your thread 🥰

I know I was told not to bother but I really really have to give some credit to a lovely lady on here (who happened to be black and muslim btw) for encouraging me to start this thread when I reached out to her and she also helped with the editing (I started a very long one before this).

I just don't want to not mention her, wasn't all me (So sorry luv x )

I wrote 'happens* , not happened.

Nasty misogynist post there AKissAndASmile.

I don't know why everyone's completely ignoring the fact that an 8 year old child had to take our government to court over racist laws that left him and his mother, a care worker, homeless and destitute, or the fact that there are an estimated 100,000 children in the same situation in the UK.

Learning about this and why it's happening, and then writing to your MP about it, is one the most impactful practical anti racist thing you can do right now.

@LangClegsInSpace
Rather than posting passive aggressive posts, why not just explain what you're on about? I've not heard of the case you're ranting about and I'm guessing most haven't either, which answers your question.

I've posted the link twice already. Here it is again:

ukhumanrightsblog.com/2020/06/03/the-law-of-humanity-home-office-no-recourse-to-public-funds-policy-ruled-unlawful/

And please stop trying to make us all feel guilty for being white

That is just such shit though, sorry.
I say this as someone who is white.
Also, what's wrong with asking what we can do to be anti racist?

I predict that after tomorrow's BBC Windrush drama everyone will be virtue signalling like mad but very few will actually focus on what needs to be done, which is not to buy a black doll, or to demand more black strictly contestants or to 'bring people of other races into your homes as normally as you would white people'

Why is it "virtue signalling" to be made aware of problems and highlight it on social media which some will inevitably do after a programme raising awareness will do?
Also point lost a bit when you're coming out in support for an oppressed group (for want of a better term) whilst actively on here against others.

Such virtue signalling twaddle😐

Such virtue signalling twaddle

Why is it? What is that even supposed to mean?

The whole premise of this thread makes me so angry.

I don't need or want anybody's help with being a BAME person in the UK.

I am not downtrodden and oppressed and neither is my adult son. So back off!

Ha! "Virtue-signalling". All I have to say to those using the phrase here.

I am not downtrodden and oppressed and neither is my adult son. So back off!

So because you and your son aren't oppressed, people should stop campaigning and working for a less racist society @MsHeffaPiglet?

@Ikeasucks Even a smile can make a difference. I know someone who's said this to me about a small town she moved to, people's obvious willingness to help when stopped to be asked a question and the friendly smiles from those she passed on the street helped her feel welcome. She said it would've been normal for her if she didn't receive the smiles but it made a remarkable difference to how she viewed the place and people there and made her feel less wary.

Sad though that it could take such basic gestures for some among us to feel remotely comfortable when their comfort and safety should be rightly expected as the norm.

I think if schools taught the truth about colonialism, black British history (anyone remember the hate for Mary Beard when historically accurate depictions of black Romans in Britain aired?) the truth about Winston Churchill’s racist genocide and so on and so forth we could have a future where people are less ignorant than at present. This is something anyone can write to their MP about via writetothem.com

Nothing any of us do will end institutional racism tomorrow. The OP is one person who shared her ideas and asked for others. She didnt claim in any way to have all the answers. I think it's good to see an open positive thread with (most) posters looking to learn about and practice anti-racism. We all have things to learn.

I think having black dolls and black main protagonists in books etc is an important way to reduce racism amongst children who will be the recruiters and police and job centre employees of the future, especially if they dont live in a very diverse area. Even that. Why are there so few black/asian/muslim etc people living in more suburban or rural areas? I dont know the answers to that question. I mean I could guess at a few but I dont know.

Back when I used to read a book a week i remember a phase of only buying books written by women because despite being a woman most of the books on my shelves were by men. If you're a reader why not actively seek out books written by black authors.

My suggestion would be seek out and read a little about why rioting and looting happens or about policing strategies. I want to challenge all the 'I support BLM but when the protests stop being peaceful....blah blah blah..' people but I don't have the knowledge to do so.

Yesterday I learned that many/most police in the US undergo training devised by a man called David Grossman. He calls his policing 'philosophy' killology....

This Twitter thread about FBI strategy when policing black protest was really helpful @wafflyversatile

mobile.twitter.com/clairewillett/status/1266894029498675200?lang=en