Dear Neil,

I think discussing ‘diversity’ /equality inevitably and necessarily leads to discussing racism (and other discriminatory practices and attitudes like antisemitism and Islamophobia). So equality and diversity being off the agenda is really equivalent to racism being off the agenda.  I think the ‘Obama effect’  (‘post-race’ theory) may have something to do with this but I think there are other forces in action.  It is essential at this time of social-political instability that we talk about all this (as ‘institutional racism’ perhaps) at conferences and meetings and in publications, so it’s out in the open.  Under the carpet approach, hoping it will go away is always counter-productive. That means I think white and non-white (‘people of colour’ / BME) of good will (and there are many in the UK) talking together is essential. In my view, potentially racist attitudes and behaviours are there is all of us and in our systems (like education and mental health) and it our responsibility to keep them at bay as much as possible.  

Suman

I was aware that Equality and Diversity were “off the agenda” since 2010 but wasn’t aware that race and racism were also off the agenda too. I must say that it doesn’t come up much in any frequent discourse in our Adult Social Services Department here. That doesn’t mean everyone has now become racist again though.

Neil

Dear All,

Interesting link to Kwame McKenzie’s activity in Toronto. (Kwame was well-known psychiatrist in UK latterly active in an anti-racist stance before he emigrated to Canada)

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/06/20/11th-hour-motion-says-racism-must-be-discussed-at-andrew-loku-inquest.html

It seems that the tendency to not talk about ‘race’ and racism evident I think in UK  seems to be evident in Toronto too!   I have noted this tendency at meetings and conferences in UK over the past ten years or so—just at a time when racism is increasing in all avenues of our multicultural society including mental health.

For those who do not know much about Toronto, Across Boundaries was established about 20 years ago openly anti-racist but has had to pull back on its anti-racism recently.

I have just returned from a meeting at OISE (University of Toronto) where this malady (don’t mention ‘race’ disease) was obvious and commented upon. Have others on this list noticed it too? 

Suman

Suman Fernando

WEBSITE: http://www.sumanfernando.com

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