03 Jul 2020

Diversity Lens - Issue 33

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Jul 3

Diversity Lens - Issue 33

Diversity Lens

In a rush? This week we hear firsthand experiences from non-binary young adults, the disabled who have had care revoked, and a campaign to help the blind navigate better. In a week where the 50 year anniversary of Pride was celebrated and Black authors made history, read our top stories below. Scroll down for our inspirational person of the week and our featured jobs.

Don't call me BAME': Why some people are rejecting the term - our thoughts.

The term BAME has a history of controversy, of being questioned or rejected outright. The word has its roots in an anti-racist movement from the 1970s in which outcasted ethnic groups joined together in order to fight against discrimination. Since, BAME has become increasingly prevalent in our vernacular, particularly over the last couple years. While the ubiquity of the term in society undoubtedly has it merits, the worry is that the term is reductive and it can be used lazily with little thought into the people it encompasses. Most people who fall into the category of BAME would never self-identify as such, which is indeed a problem. We support the right to reject the BAME label, to self-identify in the way that feels most authentic to you. However, in its practical applications, we think it important to remember the anti-racist purposes of its birth into our language, to recall the reasons why there was a need for such a ‘catch-all’ term in the first place, reasons which are still very much relevant today. The broadness of BAME undeniably lumps groups together into a shorthand. This means it can be misused, thrown about unduly. However, it can also be beneficial in that it signposts the mission of an organisation or investigation, a mission to make a priority the ethnic groups that receive undue discrimination. What is vital moving forward is that the term is not relied on too heavily, that we move past the acronym. Whilst we are still fighting to level the playing field, words like BAME and other buzzwords that have been criticised such as diversity and inclusion, we feel are necessary.

Latest News

Blind campaigner asks people to remove overhanging trees
A blind woman has campaigned to remove overhanging trees obstructing pavements. The plea, which she put out on Facebook, has been shared thousands of times over on social media. "These overgrown obstacles make it difficult for me to navigate around safely," Ella Sparrow explained. "I hoped if people shared my post, it will reach other communities to help people far and wide." Listen to Ella's campaign by clicking the video below.

Watch time: 1 minute 43 seconds

'It’s how I feel. It’s not how you feel': four teens explain why they reject the gender binary
The Guardian this week launched their segment Genderqueer Generation, a series of stories exploring the rejection of the gender binary in children and young adults. Non-binary individuals get the chance to tell their own story and dispel common misunderstandings. "The first time someone – not a great friend, just an acquaintance – used my pronouns, I almost cried", Ari says. Read four young people's stories here and educate yourself.

Read time: 8 minutes

Candice Carty-Williams and Bernadine Evaristo Become 1st Black Authors to Win Top British Book Awards
The British Book Awards made history this year in its recognition of Black authors. Candice Carty-Williams, author of Queenie, won Book of Year for her debut novel following the life of a Black woman in London. Furthermore, Barnardine Evaristo took away the Author of the Year prize. Evaristo released her hugely successful book, Girl, Woman, Other in 2019, winning the Man Booker Prize for that year. She has described the experience as “surreal”. Read more by clicking the photo below.

Read time: 1.5 minutes

Diversity and Inclusion Insights

Tiktok is helping diverse students break into songwriting with a new summer songwriting academy
TikTok has announced the launch of its Summer Songwriting Academy with the purpose to provide support to students with less access to resources. The academy helps students showcase their unique voice through mentoring and coaching from industry experts, and a whole curriculum that covers music theory, technology and the business of the music industry. “We set out to build a program to give students from underrepresented communities the opportunity to be heard and to connect with like-minded individuals in the creative community”, Danny Gillick explains, TikTok’s senior manager of music content. Read more, click the photo below.

Read time: 2 minutes

6 Ways To Cultivate A Workplace Culture That Inspires Diversity And Inclusion
In order to make diversity and inclusion a real priority, workplace culture needs to be reformed. Companies need to not only hire diverse individuals but also retain and support them by creating and maintaining safe and welcoming work environments. Forbes suggests driving change through education, celebrating employee differences and 4 more insightful tips on how to put in the work in order to reap the rewards of a truly diverse team.

Read time: 6 minutes

Story of the Week

A phone call can't make tea: how UK's lack of social care is hitting disabled people in lockdown
This unprecedented time has left many vulnerable families without the essential hands-on support they require. The support disabled people rely on has been abruptly discontinued, leaving people like Julie and Sam, pictured below, without the help they need to cook meals, wash, and leave their flat. Caring assistance now comes in the form of two phone calls per day to check-in on the couple. Without practical help from a carer, Julie and Sam rely on each other heavily, slowly managing everyday tasks, putting their health and safety at a real risk.
Read time: 4.5 minutes

Featured Video

This week marked a momentous anniversary. It is 50 years since the very first Gay Pride march in New York, and 51 years since the Stonewall Riots which fought so hard for queer equality. Pride events all around the world have been tragically cancelled or moved online, but smaller crowds still gathered in cities over the weekend to defend Black trans lives, and as a general show of pride. Watch the video below.

Pride can never be cancelled.

Inspirational Person of the Week

Michaela Coel
Michaela Coel, is a British actress, screenwriter, director, producer, singer, songwriter, poet and playwright. She is the writer and star of I May Destroy You, a twelve-episode series for HBO and BBC One. The show is a "semi-fictional portrait" of Coel's life, drawing on her experience of being drugged and sexually assaulted. Coel describes the experience of writing the show as "cathartic" and hopes that people learn from it, to be kinder themselves. "It addresses issues of consent, race, youth culture and working in the media, with the kind of nuance that is rarely seen on screen", GQ says. Watch the trailer below.