Solidarity and compassion in the face of racism

Over the past month, the UK has seen a rise in far right, anti-immigration protests and riots. These events have left lasting impacts on their communities, the echoes of which have been felt across the UK.  

If you have read the news or social media in recent weeks with increasing dismay and anger, you are not alone. We, like many others, have been horrified to see racism and xenophobia become increasingly normalised as a response to crimes committed by individuals.  

As a team of staff and a wider community of people involved in co-production, we are committed to building inclusive communities that collaborate and listen to each other. To do that, we must first say: violence, racism and dehumanising behaviour are not welcome here.  

When co-producing, we often see one person expected to represent an entire community. We know this fuels harmful stereotypes and places disproportionate and unfair responsibility on one person. In much the same way, we have seen this same dehumanisation and stereotyping play out across the UK, this time with appalling, violent consequences. Political leaders have stirred up fear for their own political gain, rather than challenging this misinformation. The actions of individuals must not be used to stigmatise entire communities.

To our community members from global majority backgrounds: we are with you. We know how distressing and isolating this is and want to let you know you are not alone.

Being anti-racist

Activist and philosopher Angela Yvonne Davis said

“In a racist society, it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be actively anti-racist.”

We all need to reject the harmful misinformation and rhetoric spread by those in our society seeking division and hatred. Instead, let’s lead with empathy, understanding and compassion.  

You can be actively anti-racist by:

• Challenging harmful comments when it is safe to do so
• Challenge misinformation when you see it. Make yourself aware of the facts around immigration and asylum seekers – The Refugee Council has a set of webpages that you may find helpful.
• Take a stand against racism at protests, in your community and in your workplace.
• Share resources and support and have conversations with friends and colleagues about what being anti-racist might look like for you.

At Co-Production Collective, we are drafting guidance for our community about how to facilitate anti-racist spaces and work through difficult conversations together.

You can learn more about our Anti-Racism programme in this blog. We will also be inviting our community to take part in a workshop in the Autumn to give feedback on our draft anti-racism strategy.

Resources and further reading

• Read our report with People's Voice Media: "Understanding Anti-Racism in Co-Production Spaces: Centring the Voices of Racialised Individuals" which explores how racism manifests within co-production spaces and what we can all do to make them equitable and inclusive.
• Resources for migrants from the Migrants Rights Network
• Opportunities to get involved and training for Black activists from Black Lives Matter UK
• Resources from Anti Racist Cumbria, a charity supporting anti-racism.
• Information and resources from Show Racism The Red Card, an education-focussed charity using sport to tackle racism.

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This blog was written by Aleem, Asma, Hania, Helen, Nicc, Rosie and Sarah.

Image credit: Nino Souza Nino from Pixabay