Far-right violence on our streets is impacting our workplaces .. we simply have to ask (and act)

I well remember when we got a shiny new letterbox when I was a child. It had a big metal box behind the door to, apparently, collect all the letters so they didn't fall on the floor. Money was extremely tight, and this was a middle-class luxury that we certainly could not afford, particularly as many of the letters we got were final demands. But it wasn't being fitted to protect all our (non-existent) social invitations. It was being fitted to try and stop more far-right arson attacks; the previous ones had mercifully been unsuccessful.

Living as a person of colour in the 1980s and 90s, you got depressingly used to the low- and high-level racial violence that was a part of everyday life, whether it was racial slurs on the street or acid thrown on the car. So I think some of us were unprepared for the level of understandable shock and distress that younger people of colour have felt at the upsurge of far right and racist violence over the last week. I was given a sobering reminder of just how wide and deeply this has affected so many communities in the UK by an e-mail from our Diverse Sustainability Initiative lead, Caris Graham, who had arranged an emergency catch-up for our People of Colour network (available to everyone who works in environment and sustainability):

Today, I had a powerful and emotional conversation with the People of Colour (PoC) network, which I feel compelled to share with you. The network expressed significant frustration and distress. Despite the ongoing violence, racism, Islamophobia, and riots in the news, many feel overlooked by their organisations. Most shared that no one had checked in on their well-being, despite being advised not to leave their homes due to safety concerns, caring and worrying for the safety of family members, witnessing violence in their own areas, or dealing with their own anxiety. For most of the network on the call, the situation is impacting their daily lives, and it was disheartening to hear comments about feeling like tokens within their organisations—seen as boxes to be ticked for diversity, rather than individuals who are genuinely cared for. As leaders committed to supporting diversity in the profession, I know you want to ensure no colleague feels this way.

Platitudes are very easy in this space. It's easy to say that you are an anti-racist organisation, or that you offer care and support to your colleagues. But what does that actually look like? Until I had received Caris' e-mail I had assumed that we were giving support to all colleagues, whatever their heritage, who had been affected by the riots. But I hadn't actually, actively checked until then.

So I have two messages. The first is for any person of colour who feels anxious or distressed by what has happened in the last week. It's my honour to chair some of the DSI's People of Colour network meetings, and I know, from the examples that colleagues in that network have been brave enough to share, that there are incidents of discrimination and racism happening pretty much every day in the UK workplace, even in professions like sustainability and the environment that pride themselves on their values driven missions. So if you are feeling anxious or distressed, do not self-edit, or think your distress is inappropriate. Never feel you have to put a brave face on how you feel, and never feel that your concern is invalid, or an over-reaction. Ask for help and support from your organisation and seek out people who can relate to your distress. Our next People of Colour network meeting is on 19^th August, and you are more than welcome to join.

The second is to leaders. Are you assuming everything is OK, or are you actively reaching out to colleagues to see if they are supported? What messages are you sending through your communications and through your senior team? What procedures are in place to ensure that a diverse workplace is actively encouraged and supported. Are you one of the organisations "ticking a box", or have you actively supported diverse members of the team?

This last week has shown the worst but also the best of Britain - those who protected their communities, helped with the clear up or provided practical support to those who had suffered. It has also shown that there is still much more to do.

Sarah Mukherjee MBE

CEO of IEMA, IEMA

Sarah Mukherjee MBE is the CEO of IEMA. Previously Sarah was the BBC’s Environment correspondent, presenting on national and international BBC radio and television, winning awards across the world. After leaving the corporation, she held leadership roles in various sectors including utilities and agriculture. Sarah was a panel member for the National Parks Review and the Glover Review and also sat on the National Food Strategy Advisory Panel. She is co-chair of the Natural England Landscape Advisory Panel as well as Non-executive Director on the Board of the Environment Agency. In 2021 Sarah was awarded an MBE for her services to agriculture and farmer well-being.

Since joining IEMA Sarah has been instrumental in implementing a Diverse Sustainability Initiative (DSI) strategy.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys martial arts, has been a 'Campaign for Real Ale' judge, as well as a rugby reporter.