“Racial discrimination is when a person is treated less favorably than another person in a similar situation because of their race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin or immigrant status.” Credit: Mallak Mansour.
The United Kingdom Friday commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, under the theme, “The Role of Leaders in Combating Racism and Racial Discrimination.”
This day is annually observed on 21 March, since it was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1966, in light of the killing of 69 people by the police at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid ‘pass laws’ in 1960.
The UN hosted a panel discussion at its Geneva office as well as a special meeting at the headquarters in New York to address this day and world leaders’ role in terminating racism and racial discrimination.
Speaking at the All Wales Annual Race Equality Conference in Cardiff, the chair of Race Council Cymru, Judge Ray Singh confirmed that racism is “very much in existence in Wales,” while stressing that there has been some progress.
The BBC reported on Singh claiming that “the tough economic climate is hitting people from a black or minority ethnic background harder than others.”
Meanwhile in an anti-racism rally in Trafalgar Square, London, Romanian, Muslim and Roman communities spoke about their fears of a rising tide of xenophobia and blamed the media for distorting the immigration debate.
Around 7,000 people participated in the protest, which was organized to deliver letters to Prime Minister David Cameron, calling for stricter measures to ensure the protection of communities from discrimination.
Screen shot of a segment in an overview of Hate Crime in England and Wales. Credit: Home Office, Office for National Statistics and Ministry of Justice.
While some tend to take their own experiences as a proof that racism is dying in the UK, the Guardian reported on potential ‘institutional racism’ in light of statistics reported in the recently published Graduate Teacher Training Registry.
It said, “Just 17% of black African applicants, and 29% of black Caribbean applicants were taken on as trainee teachers across all subjects, compared with 47% of white applicants.”
In a related story, Professor Aneez Esmail, a leading academic and GP, claimed in a 2013 journal published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), that “ethnic minority doctors trained in the UK were four times more likely to fail the exam at the first attempt than UK-trained white candidates,” which might indicate a possible racial bias.
Meanwhile, former Arsenal football player Sol Campbell claimed that the Football Association (FA) doesn’t want a ‘black England captain.’
Campbell’s allegations were met with accusations that people of color are the reason that racism is alive and that Campbell is using the race card to achieve personal interests.
An angle which brings up the question of “anti-white“, which some believe is as prevalent as anti-color. Violence Against Whites, is an entire blog dedicated to documenting race-based crimes against white people.
“Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white.”
Several people of white race feel that anti-racism is being used to dehumanize them in favor of people of different color. Credit: Rationalwiki.
Whether valid or unsound allegations, the fact many feel that they are being put at a disadvantage due to their race, is a strong indicator that the UK is not as tolerant as many would want it to be.
Zero Tolerance 