Campaign encourages sector to delve deeply into its own white privilege
A campaign to expose racism in the charity sector has gone viral after the #CharitySoWhite hashtag was launched.
It was created after training guidelines used to train staff at Citizens Advice were exposed for being racist.
Fatima Iftikha, who is behind the campaign, called for “urgent action” to stem a tide of racism within the sector.
“A few of us are coming together to launch this campaign #CharitySoWhite to kick-start wider conversation and action in the charity sector,” she said.
“We want people to understand that the Citizens Advice training is not a one-off shocking incident and that urgent action needs to be talking about institutional racism across the sector.”
Citizens Advice apologised and launched an investigating after a training slide designed to assist staff when working with BAME communities described ethnic minorities as “cash centric” with low levels of literacy and a “cultural focus on honour and shame,” among other stereotypical descriptions.
Gillian Guy, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: “We agree these materials are not acceptable and apologise unreservedly. “We have taken them down from our website and will be investigating how this has happened. “Citizens Advice helps anyone, anywhere, whatever their problem. We strive to ensure our service is truly inclusive. “The charity has now launched an investigation which will be engaging with staff and staff-led internal network groups.”
The hashtag has led to a deluge of people recounting their experiences of racism on social media.
Rita Chadha, who was appointed as chief executive of the Small Charities Coalition in June, sais she had tro clean her own office to save money while her white male successor was given a cleaner, an assistant and was paid £5,000 a year more than her.
Zoe Amar, who is a digital skills professional in the third sector, said she took action when her plea for diversity fell on deaf ears:
Kristiana Wrixon, Acevo's head of policy, reached out to BME people to talk to the organisation about what it could do better.
And Megan Veronesi, who works with the Scottish funder Firstport, asked if there was going to be a Scottish version of the hashtag.
Ruchir Shah, head of policy at the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations, said:
