It has become common knowledge that the jobs sector is becoming ever increasingly difficult for the youth of Britain, from fresh graduates, to those wanting to undertake apprenticeships, the struggle for full time and satisfying work seems extremely distant. Mix this in with racial discrimination and the results are staggering.
The survey found that instances of racial discrimination are still rife in the workplace for visible ethnic minorities.
The keyword here is visibility: the outside of a person still matters in modern society today more than ever. The saying "never judge a book by its cover" seems to have lost its meaning a long time ago. If you look slightly different, then already society has decided on your behalf where you can and cannot work. This is to say that a woman who wears a headscarf, a man who wears a turban or simply, your skin tone will reduce your chances significantly in the work force of Britain. Harsh? Yes. Yet, a very sad and real reality. Though Britain may not exactly be en par with its French counterparts circa religious adornment ban (though this ban hit Muslim women the hardest in France), it is dangerously on its way.
Despite all the findings, most people spoke out by saying they are positive that racism can be eliminated in a generation.
Alongside these findings, the launch of a new campaign was also released: the 'End Racism This Generation' campaign by the Runnymede Trust. The initiative is simple: to call on individuals, workplaces and communities from all over Britain to tackle and pledge that they understand racial inequality still exists, and to fight against it. Pledges are being recorded, tweeted and posted all over social media, as well as interactive videos. Pledges are all mapped by area, allowing all to see where in Britain people are acknowledging the importance of race relations.
The findings welcome for such a campaign to take place, and also help to shed light on an issue that is somewhat overlooked in what many believe is a 'colour-blind' modern world we live. With the underrepresentation of ethnic minorities and religions, something must be done to make sure the subject is not simply swept under the carpet. The time, effort and contributions ethnic minorities implement in society is something that must be acknowledged and praised. The redistribution of race relations must start, and it must start today.
Join the End Racism Campaign on Twitter today.
#EndRacism
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