Structural Inequalities

It is with great sadness that we are reading yet again of the death of another black man in the US. Now is the time to also discuss the emotional trauma of minority groups screaming for equality, as their dreams and aspirations are constantly suppressed.  

Having listened to Dr Anita Phillips, a formidable black American mental health specialist, she touches on how one single event can open the door to trauma in multiple areas. Our role is not to help rationalize people’s pain but to show empathy, not to ask questions but instead to stand by each other.  

There were three other policemen at the scene of George Floyd’s arrest, however, our rage seems to center on the main offender. Could the other three not have intervened? When our allies remain silent, they become equally complicit and responsible. 

Here in the UK, whilst we may not experience overt police brutality, or outright racism, our young men are dying from knife crimes. We are starting to see the protest spread to the UK. It is easy to point the finger, but we need to listen to their story? When a society works against you, against your parents, with no access to job security, pay, a good education, it works its way to undermine and destroy self-confidence. Sadly, these recent events in the US have opened up other wounds within black and ethnic minority groups. 

I started posting on Linkedin a few weeks ago but it seems there is still some confusion about what this platform achieves. I have read several posts today where writers have hesitated prior to sharing their posts, as it may be inappropriate to talk about race. Linkedin boasts of having 660 million+ “professional” users and is the most-used social media platform amongst Fortune 500 companies with all levels of influence that can effect change: in hiring practices, in pay, retention and training programs. If these organisations proudly support Diversity & Inclusion, then we must talk about race. Inclusion must start with good representation in key decision-making bodies.   

There has to be a sense of urgency for every corporate leader and policymaker to act now, your positive actions will open up doors that can reverse trends and repair the cracks we see in our communities. We need to address the employment gap, gender gap, pay inequality, educational disparity, and economic inequality. These affirmative actions can help to restore our communities; the solution lies with all parties being equally responsible to cater to the underserved.