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Original poster

Diversity schemes for young people - mixed race child.

287 replies

Florencesndzebedee · 20/08/2025 15:33

I have a dc who is currently an undergraduate. I am mixed race, my dh is white. Dc is fair skinned but, through my heritage, also has black heritage (my dad is from the Caribbean).

The landscape is tough at the moment getting work placements/internships but some of these schemes are open to dc of black heritage only. My dc is reluctant to apply as he said he’d feel like a fraud, purely on looks - he looks like he might be Spanish or Greek but has blue eyes. The criteria are quite vague other than under represented people )within the organisation) of black/african /Caribbean heritage. I feel like he is entitled to apply and these schemes would give him more options.

Does anyone have any experience of these particular schemes or how they select?

OP posts:
SquishedMallow · 20/08/2025 23:55

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Go on then explain yourself? I'm genuinely baffled

PinkArt · 20/08/2025 23:57

StripyShirt · 20/08/2025 23:41

Approximately 80% of the UK population is white, overall, with only 4% being black. Scotland is around 90% white, if I remember correctly.

Given the above, most institutions/workplaces should be overwhelmingly white.

There is an unquestioned assumption that diversity is good. That also raises the question 'what is diversity and how do we measure it?'

Is there a heirarchy of diversity? Is a white working class woman more or less diverse than a middle class black disabled man? If they are both employed in a factory, putting jam jars into boxes, how would diversity be of value? There's a strong argument that homogenity can be more useful - a team of similar people may be much more cohesive than a team of disparate members.

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I'm not really sure what to say to the suggestion that more diversity isn't a positive thing, in relation to my industry. Is the best telly going to be made for everyone if the ideas only come from one small sector of society? Not to my mind. Presumably the industry that the OPs son is considering has some similar issues that it's looking to address.
I can't speak personally on race or disability but I know as a woman I can tell when other women haven't been involved at important stages of the creative process. It shows in the initial concept, in the stories, in the casting, in the hiring of the team.
A truly diverse workplace would be one where there was no diversity hierarchy, because so many different, intersectional, groups would already be represented. TV needs more working class workers as much as it needs more POC as much as it needs more disabled workers.

SquishedMallow · 20/08/2025 23:58

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Go on: explain exactly how you've diagnosed a "personality disorder" from my posts ! I'm interested...

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:03

I will say this (and not make apologies) discrimination against non white people does not exist in the UK. It's not allowed . It's illegal.

Go to Qatar, UAE, anywhere in fact? You'll find there's overt racism. The UK : not.

BeverleyMackerr · 21/08/2025 00:08

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SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:11

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SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:12

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Ps you do realise Randall wasn't mad don't you ? Or do you not know the story ?

BeverleyMackerr · 21/08/2025 00:18

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SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:19

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Go virtue signal elsewhere. The amount of 'likes' on my comments shows I'm not the "mad" one.

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:22

Alicealig · 20/08/2025 17:29

Where is the inequality? We are equal! If you believe you've been genuinely discriminated against based on the colour of your skin then we have courts and tribunerals that will make a judgement against someone for this.

What has happened is we've created an environment that rewards victimisation. So the first thing many people do, if for example someone of a specific race doesn't get the job they wanted over a white person, is to shout and scream racism when in reality this was nothing to do with it.

It's so damaging to black people to be told over and over they're disadvantaged and by default are seen as 'lesser than' by the society they live in. Please just stop this buying into the narrative and assuming because people say there is research that it exists, as it doesn't!

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Well said. Get ready to be told you a.) have a personality disorder.

Or b) you're mad

I've been told both.

Imagine if I did indeed suffer with mental illness. Clearly good game for the white virtue signallers.

BeverleyMackerr · 21/08/2025 00:22

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SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:23

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You're very clever.

Or......

Yup it's the latter.

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:25

Alicealig · 20/08/2025 16:42

What barriers have they faced? And if they have, you are advocating that this is the right way forward. Surely two wrongs don't make a right and it discriminate against young people who had nothing to do with any of that. Surely today we should be pushing the fact that skin pigmentation plays NO part in job hiring.

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Good point

Allegedly I'm mad for implying we're all equal (good, bad, indifferent) UK law also supports this

BeverleyMackerr · 21/08/2025 00:27

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SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:27

Alicealig · 20/08/2025 19:30

I don't think white people are over represented. Obviously there will be variation amongst different sectors. But if we look at sectors like TV and advertising then POC are vastly over represented and make up nearly 17% of the workforce. Considering the only make up less than 4% of the general population there's a likely chance that's due to racist hiring practices to make them look good.

Can you show any evidence of what you claim as so far no ones actually produced any despite many claims that it exists.

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I agree .

Apparently I'm "mad" /"have a personality disorder"

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:29

Alicealig · 20/08/2025 21:02

Why would it be useful or otherwise to have more black men in law. Why would skin colour make any difference?

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Because "diversity" makes the whites feel good. But I'm "mad" so don't listen to me 🙄

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:30

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BeverleyMackerr · 21/08/2025 00:31

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I think I don’t care what you think

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:32

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Yeh. Your "we" who are they ? So far nobody else has come on to support your (nasty, judgemental, wrong ) point.

You do realise there are people with diagnosed personality disorders that read this thread don't you ? Or do they not matter ?

Nah, thought not. (Not enough virtue signal points)

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:33

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SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:38

Alicealig · 20/08/2025 19:30

I don't think white people are over represented. Obviously there will be variation amongst different sectors. But if we look at sectors like TV and advertising then POC are vastly over represented and make up nearly 17% of the workforce. Considering the only make up less than 4% of the general population there's a likely chance that's due to racist hiring practices to make them look good.

Can you show any evidence of what you claim as so far no ones actually produced any despite many claims that it exists.

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Unfortunately your mad according to some 🥴

BeverleyMackerr · 21/08/2025 00:38

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:32

Yeh. Your "we" who are they ? So far nobody else has come on to support your (nasty, judgemental, wrong ) point.

You do realise there are people with diagnosed personality disorders that read this thread don't you ? Or do they not matter ?

Nah, thought not. (Not enough virtue signal points)

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I don’t need anyone to support me lmao I don’t rely on mumsnet ‘likes’ to validate me unlike you clearly 😂

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:44

EmeraldShamrock000 · 20/08/2025 23:07

I disagree.
It very much exists, especially today, in this raging racist society.

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Have you lived in other countries apart from the UK? The UK has laws in place (that are upheld) that will not allow someone to be discriminated against based on their (non white) ethnicity. And rightly so. Go to other countries. You'll find we're the fairest far and wide

SquishedMallow · 21/08/2025 00:47

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TempestTost · 21/08/2025 01:37

This kind of thing is a huge problem now in certain sectors in my country, for example academia.

There are far too many candidates for positions, and having certain heritage or other characteristics gives you a leg up for positions - in fact some are only open to certain groups of people.

Unsurprisingly, there are sudden;y all kinds of people getting in touch with some element of their heritage. I knew one person who (sucessfully!) claimed membership to a certain group through a step grandparent in a homosexual relationship.

There will likely be all kinds of people who looked very mixed OP, if there is an advantage to be had everyone will try and use it.

Personally I would not feel comfortable bumping other people out of a spot because they don't tick the right race box.