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I was asked why @EsmeeFairbairn has started using the term "racialised communities" instead of BAME in its communications.
It would be great to get feedback on this - positive or negative! 1/8
It would be great to get feedback on this - positive or negative! 1/8
WHY DO WE NEED A LABEL?
As a funder, we'll try to refer to people we work with, or who benefit from the work we fund, as specifically as possible.
If we need to use a label to describe them, we'll use the one they use to identify themselves: non-binary, Black, Syrian, Deaf 2/8
As a funder, we'll try to refer to people we work with, or who benefit from the work we fund, as specifically as possible.
If we need to use a label to describe them, we'll use the one they use to identify themselves: non-binary, Black, Syrian, Deaf 2/8
Where people/ organisations are working to tackle a structural injustice (eg ableism, racism, homophobia) & have organised into a sector, we need to understand how well (or not) we're supporting them so we use a label to group people/ orgs together eg LGBTQ, disability-led. 3/8
WHY "RACIALISED COMMUNITIES"?
We're using the term “racialised communities” to acknowledge that Black & Asian people, & people from other minority ethnic groups (often termed “BAME”) are categorised by race like this, only because of the white-led systems they exist within. 4/8
We're using the term “racialised communities” to acknowledge that Black & Asian people, & people from other minority ethnic groups (often termed “BAME”) are categorised by race like this, only because of the white-led systems they exist within. 4/8
“Racialised” doesn’t define people’s community/identity, but the phenomenon that's happening to them. Credit to @Sparkandco_ who chose it after user-testing communities they're trying to serve & realising it’s not about a term, it’s about why we need to put people in a box. 5/8
WHAT ABOUT BAME?
The acronym is commonly used to group non-white people together in statistical analysis, but is disliked or hated by many of those people. We have been asked directly by people we work with, and members of our staff team, not to use it. 6/8
The acronym is commonly used to group non-white people together in statistical analysis, but is disliked or hated by many of those people. We have been asked directly by people we work with, and members of our staff team, not to use it. 6/8
BUT... we currently still use it on our database to track "BAME-led" organisations, & "BAME" beneficiaries. We would like to change this, but need to use a term which is commonly used by other funders & the wider sector, so that our funding data can be published and compared. 7/8
THE FUTURE? We are currently working with @360Giving on a shared set of questions for collecting diversity data, which might help resolve this. It is possible we'll have to stick with BAME for data comparison, but we will not use it in comms or in conversation.
Thoughts? 8/8
Thoughts? 8/8
