08 Oct 2022

Diversity Lens - Issue 97

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Oct 8

Diversity Lens - Issue 97

Welcome to Diversity Lens.
Diversifying your news consumption.

Black History Month is well underway and we're seeing some great initiatives already.

Here at Diversifying.io, we're focusing on both Black history and the Black present this month, with our TikTok on British history that might have been overlooked in your classroom, to the Black businesses you can support right now by putting your money where your mouth is.

What has been your favourite BHM content so far? We're always open to contributions.

STORY OF THE WEEK

"Can women trust the police?"
Today in Focus, The Guardian

6 years before Wayne Couzens stopped Sarah Everard, using his influence as a Met police officer, he was accused of indecent exposure. And again, just two days before the incident.

The death of Sarah Everard at the hands of an active Met Police officer has built on an existing growing mistrust of the force. This week The Guardian asks, can women trust police to protect them?

Indecent exposure is often considered a serious warning sign preceding more dangerous behaviour. This was missed in the case of Couzens, leading many people to consider whether this points to broader issues within the force.

The Guardian asks, could a case like Everard's happen again?

A senior investigator on the Everard case has come under criticism for attempting to distance Couzens from the police, saying, “he doesn’t hold the same values as a police officer, he doesn't have the same personality as we do".

Zoe Billingham in her role as a police watchdog cautions against removing this responsibility from the force. In her reporting, she has witnessed a theme of misconduct among some police officer's treatment of women and urges for improved vetting processes and stronger anti-corruption units.

"I don't want us to be in a position in 5 years time talking about, we didn't seize this moment, because there's a momentum here and an absolute requirement to take this seriously." Zoe Billingham

Forward

IN OTHER NEWS...

Dominic Raab confuses meaning of misogyny in BBC interview

In a BBC interview this week, Raab reveals a crucial misunderstanding of the term misogyny. While rejecting calls for misogyny to be classed as a hate crime, Raab claims it could apply to abuse against both men and women. Misogyny is in fact defined as "hatred or contempt for women or girls". To add to this concern, Raab has previously stated that he is not a feminist.
Read time: 3 minutes

Lewis Hamilton launches scheme to boost the number of black teachers in STEM subjects

This pilot project, in collaboration with Teach First, aims to recruit and train 150 Black STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) teachers. They'll be employing a range of new approaches to identify best practices for recruiting Black teachers and engage them in a two-year programme. Hamilton has pledged to make Motorsport more diverse and this project will explore how Black people with a STEM background can access this.

Read time: 3.5 minutes

“It’s not enough to point to me, or to a single new black hire, as a meaningful example of progress.”

Uber is being sued over its facial recognition algorithm

A UK workers' union is claiming that Uber's facial recognition system discriminates against people of colour. The 'Real Time ID Check' tool asks drivers to submit selfies periodically to confirm their identity. After one driver was fired automatically for failing two identity checks, IWGB argue that the software is flawed and biased against people of colour. Many more cases of facial misrecognition have been alleged.

Read time: 1 minute

THIS WEEK IN D&I...

'I was fed up of being the only Black woman in my workplace - so I made a job site that puts diversity first'
MyLondon delivered a brilliant feature of Diversifying.io co-founder Cynthia Davis this week. Cynthia sat down with them recently to explain the motivation behind our diversity-centred jobboard and they had a great conversation. Read more on Cynthia's story leading up to the conception of Diversifying.io, and our intentions moving forward.

Read time: 7 minutes

"It's that transparency that is really, really key, holding themselves to account and publicly putting this information out there to say: 'Yes, we might not be perfect, but we're working on it.'"

Computer Weekly announces the 2021 Most Influential Women in UK Tech

Our much-admired co-Founder of Diversifying.io, Cynthia Davis has been recognised in a list of the most influential women in UK tech this year. Cynthia is delighted to be among 50 incredibly inspiring women in the sector and hopes to keep using her influence to work towards her underlying mission of social equality.

Read time: 1 minute

Senior black union leader condemns ‘colour-blind’ levelling up

Patrick Roach, the UK’s most senior Black union leader, warns that 'colour-blind' employment processes can be harmful to Black workers. Roach says the government must take a proactively anti-racist approach by addressing issues of racial justice, rather than turning a blind eye. He is calling for legislation from the government to require employers be "transparent and accountable" when it comes to race at work.

Read time: 6 minute