Race report ‘ignores need for structural change’
Quakers describe 'an ongoing narrative of British superiority towards other countries and peoples' in submission.
Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) has said that it is ‘disappointed’ in the UK government’s race report that was released last week. It said that BYM had called ‘for action to carry out the recommendations of previous reports and tackle structural inequalities’. The Quakers in Britain account tweeted: ‘We’re disappointed that the #RaceReport… ignores the need for structural change.’
The report on racial disparity released on 30 March denies the existence of ‘institutional racism’ and says factors such as family influence, religion and socioeconomic background have more ‘significant impact’ on life chances.
BYM submitted evidence in December to the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, calling on the government to embed anti-racism in policies, practice and discourse across society.
In their submission, Quakers describe the main cause of racial and ethnic disparities in the UK as ‘an ongoing narrative of British superiority towards other countries and peoples. This approach is embedded in structures across government and society’.
They called on the government to ‘challenge this narrative and proactively tackle racism in its policies and practice’.
The report, by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, feels ‘deeply cynical’, according to one equalities campaigner.
