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Robin's Blog - Institutional racism is still alive and thriving in Britain

28th February 2009

The following letter was published in The Guardian, Friday 27 February 2009. Colleagues are welcome to comment on this letter via this blog. To read the letter and other contributions visit The Guardian Online.

I offer my unequivocal support of the analyses of Doreen Lawrence, Herman Ouseley and Ali Dizaei (Comment, 24 February). Institutional racism is alive and thriving, not only in the police service but throughout civil society. Like Hugh Muir, I also believe there have been some small victories, but it is clear we have squandered the opportunity that the Macpherson report and the subsequent Race Relations Amendment Act offered to address this issue properly.

Many members of black and Asian diaspora communities and professional organisations, like ours, view with growing alarm and disappointment the assertions by Trevor Phillips, chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, that institutional racism is an outmoded phrase, no longer relevant in the current climate. We believe he has rushed to judgment in this assertion. The police service is by no means an isolated example of underrepresentation - look at education, the civil service, local government, the political parties. The difference is that these areas of civil society are not under the same levels of scrutiny.

Both the Business in the Community report Race to the Top and the imminent Runnymede Trust report Stephen Lawrence 10 Years On support our own evidence, and overwhelming anecdotal verification, that the employment position of black and minority-ethnic Britons in the workforce is as bad as ever, and in some cases getting worse. Under Phillips, the Commission on Racial Equality increasingly became a paper tiger, with the exception of some empty threats, making no attempt to use the weight of the law to improve either race relations or the position of black Britons. We see no reason why the EHRC will behave differently.

We believe that Mr Phillips's assertions are wrong and precipitate in their timing, and believe that his public positions on race relations in Britain are so out of step with the day-to-day experiences of our community members as to place his credibility at risk. It is becoming difficult to regard him as having the authority, irrespective of his job title, to adjudicate on these matters or to represent the black British experience. If the CRE and now EHRC were doing its job, and making the tough but necessary decisions, we might now be further advanced down the road to a more equitable society.

Robin Landman
Chief executive, Network for Black Professionals
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R Patel - 28th Feb 2009 13:11
Hear! Hear! Look at what's happened with the restructuring of Colleges, the same people in senior management positions, with doors closed for any progression for Black members of staff, now or in the near future. "Equality and diversity" is just lip service in many organistions.
Still A Long Way To Go - Lenford White - 1st Mar 2009 17:00
Hi Robin, just to say that I though that your Guardian article was good and timely given recent reports which demonstrate that BME staff have moved very little in terms of their positioning in various orgnaisations over the last ten years – Race to The Top demonstrate this, not sure how much further down the line, in evidence terms, the forthcoming Runnymede publication will take us. But this is also a great time to do the follow up Commission work which I believe Rajinder has secured support for.
Elicia Jonas - 1st Mar 2009 23:56
As Martin Luther King Junior stated. "Let us be dissatisfied until men and women, however black they may be, will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not on the basis of the color of their skin." Mr Phillips needs to come out of his ivory tower and join the real world.
Doreen Lawrence radio interview - 2nd Mar 2009 00:41
I would like to add my empathy with your blog and the viewpoint that racism still exists in some institutions. I have not been tracking Trevor Phillips's comments recently, but i am very impressed with Doreen Lawrence's PR. She handles te press and media very well and judging by her recent radio interview she has worked very productively since her son's death to propagate the awareness of entranched racism and strived to bring about solutions to elimanate it. I'm very impressed with her.
Jenny Brook - 2nd Mar 2009 09:22
Robin - excellent letter to the Guardian. Are you the Robin Lenman who used to teach at Crown Woods School? jsb@ssfc.ac.uk
Sir David Melville - 2nd Mar 2009 09:34
It is very important that we do not take our eye off the core issues. I agree entirely with your analysis Robin. There is actual, incipient and institutional racism in our society with increasing numbers of 'respectable' apologists for racist comments, language and acts. Trevor Phillips views only help to fuel this dangerous trend.
Institutional Racism - 2nd Mar 2009 10:25
I could not agree more with what is being said here. I am a qualified black teacher working in further education in south london for the last 8 years. In the last 2 years our organisation has made some managerial changes to its structure and when it was completed most of the post were appointed to whites. This in itself would not be cause for alarm but the fact that these individual hold less qualifications that the black staff and have less experiences than the black staff is a clear indication that institutional racism still exist. As a result our Ofsted Inspection in the late part of 2008 was a failure, the organisation was given an overall grade 4 unsatisfactory and management and leadership were given a grade 4 and their Capacity to Improve grade 4. The inspectors got it right and I hope now that the people in charge will sit up and take notice, both the principal and vice principal have since left the organisation and I hope that the other incompetent individual will follow suit as this would be the only way our organisation will move forward for the better. A Teacher
we move one step forward, institutions put us 2 steps behind - 2nd Mar 2009 11:45
yes I have been in education for 20+ years and I see it's still happening...not obvious, but still there...yes there are more Black staff being recruited, BUT they are all at the lower end of the scales...sometimes its so disheartening that I don't think its worth my while trying to move up the ladder anymore...
Kevin Littlejohn - 2nd Mar 2009 11:59
I believe that Parliament is institutionally racist. Until the policy makers address this problem, other public institutions will continue to suffer as a result.
Marlene Ellis - 2nd Mar 2009 14:27
Hi Robin, I absolutely agree with you. I was amazed to hear Mr Phillips comments on Radio 4 and disappointed that the station was seemingly content for him to offer these views without challenge. Quite obviously, they would not have been short of commentators with a contrary more informed, point of view. For this and his failure to maintain the existence of the CRE, he is already discredited at least form the perspective of the people he purports to care about, nevermind represent. Nevermind, there will always be people like Mr Phillips around. The challenge is to make sure that the media understands that Mr Phillips is not informed in any real substantial way and certainly is respresentative.
Empathy & Courage Required To Challenge - Samar Malik - 2nd Mar 2009 16:11
Thanks for your efforts Robin. The unfair practice, I'm afraid, is not only on the increase but deepening in the current economic situation. I agree with and support the following on Mr Phillips's assertions, "It is becoming difficult to regard him as having the authority, irrespective of his job title, to adjudicate on these matters or to represent the black British experience."
Trevor's view is just one view - 2nd Mar 2009 16:37
Nothing Trevor says surprises. Before the Human Rights Commission was formulated he sent a delegation to a UNISON Black Workers National Conference to persuade us that that was the right way to go. We argued vehemently against it on the basis or our collective experience - from London to Birmingham to Scotland, etc. We were adamant that the Black experience could not be generalised. Yes, we were all humans and deserved the same rights but, the reality was that we were being dehumanised by the fact that people saw our colour before anything else - whether a doctor, lawyer, teacher, mother, father, etc. His underlying message was that of integration of Black People into English society. Our central response was: 'On what and whose basis?' I don't think we ever got an honest answer - perhaps we can take his position as read. That being said, our children (as bright as they are) are being 'mashed-up' within the education system by a bonus-related culture, for want of a better phrase. Black professionals (at least in the public sector) are being driven to the ground and, when that's not happening, they are stabbing each other in the back - much like what our kids are doing on a physical level in the streets. Compete and win at any cost! .... even life. In the final analysis, children copy only what they see adults do and I am afraid not very good examples are being set - by the likes of Trevor Philips who trivialise individuals' very profound, soul-destroying and constant battles against racism; the sadism of governments that psychological castrate those who dare to offer solutions (usually at no cost to the taxpayer); the media and some of our beloved rap 'stars' who promote self-denigration for 'bling'. Half the time our youths don't know whether they are coming or going. Send them to represent England with their talents and they are called 'British', standing next to white counterparts (English) who may not even be 3rd or 4th generation UK born like themselves. Thinking of Colin Jackson, is it true that the Blacks in Scotland, Wales and Ireland are treated differently in this respect? If so, well! By the time Black children are four, if they don't know their 'place', they will certainly be systematically shown to it until at some point of expulsion and, from speaking with many Black boys, even the most mild-mannered can be goaded into exclusion by the constant nick-picking. If they are excellent they are graded as 'good'; good, 'fair' or 'below average' and, 'outstanding' means that they can be deemed as having 'social difficulty' with their peers - sometimes by the very people who ought to know better but choose not to for want of that golden purse or 'handcuff'. I speak of one Black Headmaster in an East London school, populated by mainly black boys. He offered that pathetic excuse when he could not justify why my son was always being verbally abused by his English subject teacher who kept my son, despite his efforts, on the same grade he left primary school with (5A) for two years. There was also the problem of a child (not Black or excluded) attempting to set my son alight being described as having simply flicked the lighter four times. So what was the same child trying to do when he used the lighter in conjunction with an aerosol against another boy? What could justify such evil on the part of that Head? Money? Fear of losing status? Rejection by mainstream society? Desperation for acceptance? Network security? Being accused of being racist? And isn’t something terrible wrong when Black boys who want learn and excel are left open to attack by either those employed to provide a duty of care or peers who should be looking out for them? During the two years he was at that school, he altered the way he spoke to meet expectations (he was not ‘Black’ enough, a ‘cocoanut’; he spoke like a girl; was a posh ‘txxt’). I managed to check the walk but the ghetto speak and attitude were a little harder to contend with. After six months of being away from that dreadful place, we are beginning to progress. ‘What part of what ghetto were you or I born in?’ I often ask. ‘When did you ever see people behave like that when I took you back home? Do my father, brothers or cousins speak like that? Do they know that I and other members of your family don’t always speak English? Do these individuals know your or even their history, ancient, past and present?’ (Nowhere, never, no and don’t know but probably not.’ So what do they know? And do their opinions really matter?) Where did it start? The local council where I worked. Perceived as being too 'white' and 'middle class' - because of my vernacular - by Black staff, many of whom got promotion and access to quality training because of my constant fights behind the scenes. The less confident Whites felt me too big for my boots. Blue colour workers thought that I was sarcastic/patronising when I greeted them with 'Good morning, Mr ....' (Known as good manners where I originated from.) The culmination of this? Lies and more damning lies, validated by Black individuals with their illogical grudges, committing obscenities about me in writing and circulating these from office to ET floors. When they could not break me, they teamed up with the same institution they claimed to be racist and went for my son - only six at the time. When I took him out of their clutches and put him in the private sector, they made me redundant. My son is now 14, two primary/two secondary schools later and so traumatised that I don't even recognise my baby anymore. The whole thing has made him every ill and I am keeping a very watchful eye on him. Sometimes, I feel I have little control because parents' responsibility and management of their homes and families been interfered with so much in UK. Given that kind experience, how can our boys be remotely motivated when they are thwarted at the slightest sign of interest on their part. To make matters worse, having successfully transferred my son to a better school, I very much suspect (as indicated in a very negative end of year report) that this Head, who informed me that he had connections with an associate school, contacted the new school to 'prepare' the passage for my son. Anyone who has had to fight discrimination and harassment can identify the cues instantly. The repetition or confirmation of scenarios. We've heard of transferable skills in the workplace, so we have transferable scenarios following us from establishment to establishment. In some cases, all it takes is one discreet call. One senior manager wanted my head on a plate because I challenged the process of my being asked to say that a Black woman - who hated me at the time, by the way – was claiming to have qualifications she did not possess when, in actual fact, she was recording programme workshops she had attended. I disassociated myself by phoning her potential employer to confirm the facts, followed by a written letter. She got her promotions outside the organisation and moved on. The point here is that we all have free will and, if enough of us practice this, there would be fewer attempts made to undermine us in this way. Let's have a conference and be brutally frank with ourselves about our roles and responsibilities around our as well as our children's social/educational development. Let's put some short to long term strategies in place. Recently, I was at the annual Black Child Conference convened by Diane Abbott and, whilst she must be acknowledged for her commitment/effort, I still get emotional about the fact that we are allowing our children to be perceived as the problem, when we know full well its the education system which tries to make one size fit all. We should be brave enough to say so and prepared to support this with empirical evidence. Personally, I think the rhetoric of some is a lost cause (Diane, not you!). Those of us who actually care do not need their endorsement and, if enough of us are the saying the same thing in different parts of the country, our voices must be heard. However, we will benefit only when we take constructive action. M Augustin, London
Institutional Racism - A Teacher - 2nd Mar 2009 16:45
Good, talented black teachers (PhD, Msc, MA) were also pushed out with the help of the so competent black ones? If I'm not mistaken, one or two of the caring white ones left too. Another Teacher
Important to take notice and action - 2nd Mar 2009 17:54
Well presented and very relevant. This highlights the need for increased membership to the NBP. It is very evident that the strategies used are very stealth and covert. It is important that these issues are constantly highlighted for change to really occurr, at present this is really a quality, tick box exercise stating that equal opportunities and diversity programs are in operation, if they are they are usually poorly monitored and what is said at PDR meetings does not constiture that training required will actually be provided.
Well said! - 2nd Mar 2009 22:07
I read the letter in the Guardian on Friday and I think everything you wrote was well said and overdue. It is not enough that black staff are appointed, they need to be developed, encouraged and promoted on an equal playing field with their white counterparts. Whilst we know we have to put in our 10,000 hours to become experts, it is quite often never going to be enough. The Story of O remains as relevant today as ever. I don't remember anyone challenging Trevor Phillips in a long time and it will be interesting to see if he responds. Meanwhile black staff everywhere continue to fight for parity on all levels. Good for you! - April
Slave Mentality - 2nd Mar 2009 22:38
Robin, well done, long time no see but we will catch up. It is important that these issues are brought to the fore and discussed openly. Too often these discussions take place in dark, secluded corners of corridoors where no one can see us, under the quiet breath of a wisper in fear of someone over hearing us where we then end up losing our job. We all know that institutional rascism exists, however, the issue for me isn't the white establishment, we know where we stand with them, its our own thats the issue. Many of the so called professionals, lead figures like Mr Philips, has wholeheartedly embraced Britishness to the point where they now speak on the behalf of the establishment. The likes of Mr philips are placed in these positions as a token gester in an attempt to demonstrate that equal opportunity is alive and well in the UK. These guys are in fact an hinderance and they need to be thrushed out. Five hundred years ago our ancestors had chains around their necks, hands and feet were bound but now we have positions and status keeping us in bondage. Many of us have become slaves to our ambitions and prisoners of our success. Many started out with good intentions but have been bought out with large salaries. They are simply the modern day house slave who work hard at keeping the field slaves at bay and only remember that they're a slave when an uprising takes place. Rob, keep up the fight, i'm with you on this BRO.
J, Morgan - 3rd Mar 2009 09:33
Thank goodness I am not the only one suffering mentally and physically here and if Trevor Phillips cannot help then who can we just will have to keep suffering at times in silence or move on to another job hoping that it will not happen again but it does something needs to be done instead of just talking about it more publicity and more court action needs to be taken to rise awareness and March just like we had to in the 50's and 60's and unite but we are so afraid on the other hand of what might happen and so do nothing. It has got to stop!
Activist - 4th Mar 2009 12:08
Hi Robin, just to say I'm appalled at the amount of response you and others have given the an article... (expressing the views of Trevor Phillips). I feel this just another expression of covert racism where victims constucted as 'other' seek appear voiced but overlook the effects of language (the real agency of IR). Just crabs in a barrel,  we sound off using the agency that constructs us as 'other'. IR vs Family & language is the issue. Haven't we lost the plot. Challenge terms like Black is where its at.  
Roger Ballard - 4th Mar 2009 13:20

Dear Robin,

I wholly agree with the arguments you set out in your letter to the Guardian last week, and am equally appalled by the complacent take on current developments currently being promoted by Trevor Phillips. With that in mind I wondered whether you had come across a chapter entitled “Minority professionals’ experience of marginalisation and exclusion: the rules of ethnic engagement” written by Tahirah Parveen and myself in a recently published book entitled Advancing Multiculturalism, Post 7/7 Cambridge. In fact the argument which we advance in our chapter goes against the grain of that set out in the rest of the book: moreover the final section of our chapter in which we discussed the experiences of Ali Dizaei mysteriously disappeared from the published version. These things happen. Nevertheless we think that you and your colleagues might well be interested in our arguments if you have not yet come across them, so we have attached the full version of the chapter (follow link)

Best wishes,

Roger Roger Ballard MA, PhD, FRAI Consultant Anthropologist

Blacks can be racist to their own too! - 5th Mar 2009 16:56
I agree with all that you've said. Blacks also need to realise that when they rise up in the ranks that they should also encourage and help their fellow black/ethnic members not become 'turncoats' or 'coconuts', which is sometimes the case and what I have witnessed on many occasion. What has happened to helping each other out there is plenty room at the top (when we get there), there's no need to stab each other in the back or trying to score brownie points off of each other. We need to bear that in mind as well in future. We have a long way to go and as Obama said 'Yes we can'. Change has been a long time coming but it can happen, that I believe.
If I may suggest - 8th Mar 2009 02:00
Let's send a petition to Trevor Phillips, cc Parliament. Then, we could identify common goals and strive to meet these, whilst accepting that the Black community is as diverse as the Black family. Even as brothers and sisters we differ; as cousins we may not always be born in the same region, speak the same language or with similar accents. Friends may not always see eye to eye but still respect each other's differences. The Trevor Phillips of this world are there to test us. Testing us he is but we should not allow ourselves to be pushed off course as a result. Could he have been reaching out to us? What's is he afraid of? Is he so lonely up there that, from time to time, he has to remind us that he still exists? What are the real issues here? Can we turn what appears to be a negative on his part into a positive? (YES WE CAN!) SM
Racism and Underachievement - 16th Apr 2009 23:05

 It is absurd to say that institutional racism is dead. It is still alive in the form of Islamophobia. . One of the deepest expressions of institutional racism affecting immigrant communities, and one that has been long documented is the unequal treatment of their children by the education system. They are motivated, but knocked back by their experiences of the school system. They are often treated more harshly and viewed with lower teacher expectation on the basis of teachers’ assumptions about their motivation and ability. LAs are failing in their duty to combat racism in schools, according to OFSTED, Education system exhibits “aspects of racism”. A quarter of authorities are not doing enough to promote equal educational opportunities. A Brighton University study found that the Britain education system is institutionally racist, with pupils and teachers vulnerable to abuse by peers, teachers and management. I discovered the element of racism in early 70s. National Curriculum does not reflect cultural diversity and minority pupils are being held back by native teachers. London Borough of Newham was judged by OFSTED as unsatisfactory in tackling racism. There are big issues about racism in schools needed to be tackled but could not understand that Bilingual Muslim pupils need state funded Muslim schools with bilingual Muslim teachers as role models during their developmental periods. It is a crime against humanity to deprive a child of his mother tongue but in the name of integration every thing is fair. Independent schools are also racist in nature. The parents of a Pakistani boy who was racially abused by his classmates and teachers are suing St. Christopher School. Education report by Birmingham Advisory Service recommends that school lessons should take into account cultural differences in order to improve pupils’ performance. It calls for teaching “the need for mutual respect and understanding”. Minority pupils are underachieving at school because the curriculum is racist. The study found lessons often failed to motivate or interest pupils because curriculum did not provide enough positive role models. The curriculum needs to be more balanced and less Eurocentric. Pupils grow up thinking there is no other playwright than Shakespeare. An ethnicity “Tsar” should be appointed to reform British schooling. Muslim schools performed best overall, although they constitute only a fraction of the country’s 7000 schools. Muslim schools do well because of their Islamic ethos and a focus on traditional discipline and teaching methods. They teach children what is right and what is wrong, because young children need structural guidance. Muslim school is responsible for the development of the whole child. Muslim schools give Muslim children “pride, identity and a sense of culture and languages.

Iftikhar Ahmad Established 1981 London School of Islamics An Educational Trust 63 Margery Park Road London E7 9LD Email: info@londonschoolofislamics.org.uk www.londonschoolofislamics.org.uk Tel/Fax: 0208 555 2733 / 07817 112 667

Retired lecturer - 23rd Jul 2009 17:32
Yes, I agree with all that Robin says and the rest of the blogs about INSTITUTIONAL RACISM. However, attacking Trevor Phillips on its own WILL NOT GET US ANYWHERE! He's one Black man amongst the rest of the crowd! What i think he's been allowed to do, is to let him to use the "Hit and Miss" strategy, which as you know if you in shaky situations, there will be more misses than hits! What should we as black teachers/lecturers do to CHANGE our White contemparies attitude?! That's the issue. Trevor can't do it alone! We as black britons MUST go about making CHANGES! I'm hopeful for the sake of both BLACK & WHITE Britons! Finally, I'm pleased that Robin was given a space in the Guardian to highlight to the public at large about the injustice that going on in this country and the way everyone including Trevor is brushing it under the carpet. "Equality and diversity" was, and probably still is, a way to deceive the world from finding out about the truth.

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