Lytchett Minster School saw thousands of students tuning in LIVE from 88 schools around the country and abroad to take part in the first ever national schools’ conference on racism and inequality. 250 students attended this ground-breaking event in person designed to educate and inform about the injustices and inequalities experienced by so many in UK society today.
FREE AND EQUAL?, organised by Dorset Chamber member Peter Radford of Beyond This, provided an opportunity for students and teachers to hear first-hand about the reality of growing up in the UK as a black, Asian or minority ethnic person. Participants heard from local Bournemouth surgeon Mukhtar Ahmad about his experience of systemic bias in the NHS right here in Dorset and how, together with conference co-host and biomedical scientist Joy Johnson, he has worked to establish a BAME network at the University Hospitals Trust in Bournemouth and Poole.
Another highlight was keynote speaker Lee Lawrence. Lee was 11 years old when his mother Cherry Groce was shot in front of him by police officers in Brixton in 1985. Lee spoke powerfully of his own journey in seeking justice and his work promoting Restorative Justice as a means to bring people and cultures together.
Beyond This founder and conference director Peter Radford says, “Our society is losing the ability to listen openly and dialogue with people who have a different experience to our own. Today was a chance to listen and recognise that we all have a part to play in building a fairer future.”
The past couple of years have exposed in alarming ways just how much racism still pervades society and remains inherent in the national consciousness, institutions and systems. Racial inequality is undeniable, and recent events have brought this fact to the fore. The power of social media to inform about and expose injustice has galvanised a generation. However, its power to misinform and exacerbate echo-chambers which undermine meaningful dialogue and engagement has the potential to nullify calls for change and create further division.
As leaders and employers we have a responsibility to ensure equity by establishing systems and policies that facilitate change and equal opportunity. But the fact is we all have blind spots; in Britain, we’re all products of a majority-white society that is inherently biased. So how on earth can we go about building equitable businesses?
“The first task is just to listen,” says Peter. “And that’s what this conference was about: listening to the lived experience of people of colour in the UK and being willing to recognise the part we each may have unwittingly played in exacerbating unjust systems and practices.”
The conference, run in liaison with Amnesty International UK and Unicef UK, and sponsored by Dorset-based employability skills company the Young People Index inspired students and schools to be proactive in making sure that black, Asian and minority ethnic voices are heard in every part of society. Conference recordings are available for purchase from Beyond This.
In next month’s magazine look out for Peter’s article on the three essential steps businesses can take to tackle systemic racism in the workplace and build a fairer a society.
BREAKING NEWS: Peter Radford has teamed up with Dorset Race Equality Council to offer a an essential and timely Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Training for leadership and staff teams. Special Offer for Dorset Chamber members: 20% discount on a one-hour taster training.
Contact Peter@beyondthis.co.uk for more details.