09 Oct 2020

Diversity Lens - Issue 47

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Oct 9

Diversity Lens - Issue 47

Diversity Lens

In a rush? This week we talk pioneering trans activists, a Bumble Black love campaign and the inspirational, fraught journey of Diane Abbott to MP. The Duke and Duchess talk honestly about UK racism while a football captain opens up about mental health. Take a look at the stark inaccessibility of the Presidential Debate, and don't miss the Women in the Workplace 2020 report just released. Scroll down for job vacancies.

Latest News

What does #BlackHistoryMonth mean to you? | Denise
Our video series kicked off this month in honour of Black History Month. Find out more about the BAME Recruitment team members, along with some of our clients, and what Black History Month means to them. We hear first from Denise, a Talent Acquisition Coordinator at BAME Recruitment, and her thoughts on the significance of this month. Subscribe to our Youtube channel and watch out for more of these videos, released throughout the month. Watch Denise's video below!

"Black is beautiful, black is powerful, black is inspiring."

Why trans activists lead the way in protest movements
"Trans people have no choice but to become experts in resistance."
Trans Americans have historically been on the front line in the fight for social change. However, their sizeable contribution towards political activism beyond the rights of LGBT+ citizens in the US has often been overlooked. Guardian's Sam Levin uses this year's upheaval of black trans activism to expose the latest example of trans involvement in resisting the continued human rights abuses of minorities. Levin also sites how this is involvement is historically under-appreciated - at best. For example trans resistance was not just part of the civil rights movement, but a prerequisite for it. Click the picture below to read more.

Read time: 6 minutes

Harry and Meghan call for end to structural racism in the UK
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex address the public this Black History Month. Meghan admits that she was not aware that Britain had its own Black History Month, and Harry says he has had an "awakening" to many of the issues Black people face in our society. The couple have launched a campaign to celebrate Black British trailblazers in partnership with the Evening Standard, recognising notable leaders making a "positive and lasting change" in our culture. The list includes the disability campaigner Danielle Oreoluwa Jinadu, the poet Henry Stone, and Liv Little, who founded gal-dem magazine.

Read time: 3.5 minutes

Diversity and Inclusion Insights

Ethnic minority employees face ‘psychological burden’ of fighting racism at work
Diversity and Inclusion have become incentives that organisations can no longer ignore. However, ethnic minorities in majority-white workplaces have constantly carried the psychological burden of being the guinea pigs of these incentives. The constant paranoia of not knowing whether one is being rewarded for their performance or whether one is part of another virtue signalling campaign can take its toll one's mental health. Natalie Morris documents the pressure that non-white employees are faced with as companies ramp up their diversity output. These employees often find themselves saddled with the responsibility of leading these projects with little support from those who have initiated them. Hear their stories by clicking the graphic below.Read time: 5 minutes

Women in the Workplace 2020 report by McKinsey
In this sixth year of Mckinsey’s Women in the Workplace study, they track the progress of women in corporate America in this pivotal year. We are in a period where boundaries between work and home are blurred, financial worries are pushed to the forefront and mental health concerns are on the up. Women, and particularly women of colour, are disproportionately effected by these issues. “More than one in four women” are now forced to thinking about downsizing their careers or leaving work completely. The Mckinsey report describes this unprecedented situation as an “emergency” but also an “opportunity” to make long-term changes that nurture a culture of equal opportunity. Read the in-depth report of their findings by clicking the image below.

Read time: 15 minutes

The Kids Network: become a mentor today
The Kids Network is a community of children and young professionals connecting through fun, friendship and hardship for positive social change. They are now looking for fun, passionate and committed individuals interested in making a meaningful impact to the lives of little Londoners as their mentors. They are currently in need of mentors who live in South or East London. Think you could be a good fit? Get involved today and start making a difference, click the picture below to find out more.

Events

M ental Health Day 2020
Tomorrow marks perhaps the most important mental health day ever. In a time where prioritising our mental health and others has never been more crucial, Mind UK have launched the 'Do One Thing' campaign. Do one thing for better mental health today! If you struggle with taking time out for yourself, Mind have created a monthly calendar "packed with actions you can take for better mental health", from having a cup of tea with someone to going for a walk or learning a new skill. Click the poster below to access helpful resources. What will you do?

Black Lives Matter & Business: Recruitment
UN Global Compact is the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative. They are leading a webinar series to enable important conversations to take place, share knowledge across sectors, and “actively shape the responsible business environment”. Cynthia V Davis, CEO and Founder of BAME Recruitment, will explore how companies can attract and hire more Black talent, and knock down those systemic barriers. Register your attendance for October 14th at 2pm - click the banner below.

TINIE, KREPT & KONAN, RAYE and MS BANKS inspire young people to get work-ready via Apprentice Nation’s webinar series
Apprentice Nation, supported by BT, launches a six-week series covering important work-ready topics and featuring exclusive video content with music artists following on from their livestream concert. Highlights can be viewed h ere. The series runs through October and November, with each live webinar live at 7pm on Tuesday evenings; featuring industry experts and covering topics such as personal branding, diversity & inclusion, wellbeing and resilience and many more. Sign up by clicking the banner below.

Story of the Week

Bumble aims to amplify Black love with #MyLoveIsBlackLove campaign
Bumble have conducted research concluding that 79% of users think there is a lack of relatable images and stories about dating as a Black person. Black women find the lack of representation even more stark. Bumble, together with Metallic Inc and British artists, actors, athletes, entrepreneurs and activists, is launching a new campaign to better document Black Love. The campaign #MyLoveIsBlackLove aims to represent the broad diversity of Black British romance throughout October. Clara Amfo and Nicola Adams are among the voices sharing their unique and authentic love stories. Naomi Walkland, head of Bumble, explains "The Black community deserves to see themselves in images of love and joy and their love stories should be celebrated in mainstream spaces." Take a closer look at the campaign by clicking the photo series below.

Read time: 3.5 minutes

Featured Video

"This is possibly the bravest thing she's ever had to do" | Squad Goals
Gilly Flaherty, captain of West Ham football team, decided to speak out about her struggle with mental health. Though it was hard for Flaherty to expose her vulnerability so publicly, she felt strongly that her story could help others struggling to find help and keep fighting. "If I can save myself, then anyone can", she emphasises. Watch her story below.

Gilly Flaherty, West Ham captain, opened up to her teammates and the world.

Inspirational Person of the Week

How Diane Abbott fought racism – and her own party – to become Britain’s first black female MP
In the 1987 election campaign, Diane Abbott was branded as an “extremist” by opponents and treated with resistance by the Labour party. It was thought that “white voters would not turn out for black candidates, and certainly not for black women”. Abbott was undeterred however and refusing to hide, she made sure her face was front and centre in her campaign. When white activists wouldn’t work for her campaign, she recruited volunteers from local Black organisations. Resistance against Abbott soon escalated; windows in her campaign headquarters were smashed and a protest was led against her candidacy. Support from Labour’s big names was mostly absent as they were “keen to hold her at arm’s length”. Despite these disadvantages, Abbott entered parliament and was inundated with work surrounding issues of racism and discrimination the Black community faced.

When Abbott gave birth, she was expected in parliament eight days later; with no creche, she brought her newborn son into the commons. Despite these many obstacles, Abbott persevered to be a powerful voice for the largely unrepresented Black community.

Read time: 10 minutes