When did it become ok to be a racist? - Blair McPherson

 

I was not surprised that in a recent survey a third of those responding admitted to being  racially prejudice. I was surprised that they admitted it. When did it become ok to be racist?

 

If this is how it is in the wider society it must be how some staff feel in hospitals, housing offices,social services departments, schools, police forces, the benefits agency.

 

In all the years I have worked in Local Government it has been made absolutely clear that it is totally unacceptable to use racist language, to make so call racist "jokes" or to show a prejudice against some one because of the colour of their skin or their country of birth. 

 

We couldn't control what employees really thought so we focused on their behaviour. We made it so that people were very careful about the words and expressions they used when talking about people from black and minority ethnic groups. Often people were unsure of the right words to use so they avoided the topical altogether. People didn't say what they were really thinking about the organisation attempts to recruit more black staff, the establishment of a black workers support group, the fast track management development scheme for black employees or the setting up of services specifically for black and minor ethnic groups. They felt this special treatment was unfair but knew enough to know that it wasn't acceptable to say so. As a result their prejudices remained unspoken and therefore unchallenged. Their questions remained unanswered and their unconcerned unaddressed. It just needed someone to give them permission to say what they were really thinking.

 

It may appear safer to steer clear of controversy but only when people feel safe enough to say what they are really thinking can you expose myths, challenge stereotypes and counter ignorance. Most people are not racists they do not hate people because of the colour of their skin but they have concerns, they don't feel comfortable and they don't understand how we can claim to treat everyone the same and then give special treatment to one group because of the colour of their skin. Which is a good starting point for an open and frank discussion because equality does not mean treating every one the same. That would be like saying to a vegetarian we offer every one meat and two veg. At one time senior managers in the NHS use to refer to a colour blind approach another example of treating everyone as if they were the same.

 

They say sunlight is the best disinfectant so let's get these concerns out in the open and address them,expose the myths and challenge the negative stereotypes,replace ignorance with accurate information. We may not yet be comfortable with our increasingly racially diverse society  but we won't get more comfortable by not talking about it.

 

Senior managers need to lead this discussion by a willingness to answer questions about the thinking behind equal opportunity recruitment policies, fast track training schemes, the development of culturally sensitive services,the rational for targets and why monitoring involves recording an individuals ethnicity. This is where the problem which is so rarely acknowledged may occurred. Can we be confident that managers can provide these answers. Do managers really believe in these polices and strategies or do they just mouth the words provided by HR. ( Recent example of the chief executive of the Premiership caught expressing how he really thinks in a private email.) The recent survey revealed that with in those admitting to being racially prejudice was a significant number of white middle class males. The very people disproprtionatly represented in senior management!

 

Blair McPherson author of An Elephant in the room- about equality and diversity in the public sector published by Russell House www.blairmcpherson.co.uk 

 

 

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