Our commitment to anti-racism on Stephen Lawrence Day and beyond

Image of Ruth

Ruth-Anne Eghan, Inclusion and Diversity Consultant and ARWG member

At Inclusive Employers, our core values centre around fostering workplace inclusion and driving equity. The golden thread of anti-racism runs through the fabric of our inclusion efforts. On Stephen Lawrence Day, we acknowledge the profound impact of racism on Global Majority individuals like Stephen Lawrence. His unfulfilled dream of becoming an architect, cut short by racial hatred, serves as a pertinent reminder of the work that lies ahead.

 

In our pursuit of becoming an effective anti-racist organisation, we have set up an internal Anti-Racism Working Group (ARWG) consisting of dedicated employees united in this vision regardless of racial background. Together, we are committed to cultivating an environment that authentically champions inclusion and confronts the roots of racial inequity. We have each assigned ourselves to lead and take part in specific projects to develop the anti-racism work further at Inclusive Employers. These projects include positive action, racially inclusive terminology, anti-racism training, behavioural standards and much more.

In solidarity with the memory of Stephen Lawrence, we call upon our members to stand against racism not just today but every single day. We affirm our commitment to combat racism in all its forms. We recognise that, despite the length of time since Stephen Lawrence’s tragic murder, Global Majority communities still endure racial discrimination across various aspects of life, the workplace being one of them.

Global Majority Communities face:

  • Underrepresentation, particularly at senior leadership level
  • Racism in many forms
  • Healthcare discrimination and lack of access to healthcare
  • Most likely to face layered discrimination, especially coupled with other protected characteristics (intersectionality)
  • Allostatic Load (extensive trauma and its impact on the body) affecting global majority groups more than white counterparts
  • Brunt of stereotypes and bias, especially within recruitment
  • Lack of privilege, recognition, and promotion in comparison to white counterparts
  • Today, as we recognise Stephen Lawrence Day, it marks the launch of our commitment to creating a workplace that is genuinely better for our Global Majority employees and members.

Our commitments include:

  • Striving for continuous improvement in our Anti-Racism work
  • Endeavouring to use racially inclusive language
  • Speaking out against racial inequity in its many forms
  • Robust anti-racism content from a variety of perspectives
  • Working diligently towards racial equity for Global Majority communities internally and externally
  • Identifying and actively combating workplace disparities
  • Engaging in introspection and the crucial work of building trust
  • Translating anti-racist rhetoric into tangible, meaningful action
  • Holding ourselves accountable for our actions, even when we fall short
  • Together, let us push towards a future where inclusivity and racial equity are not ideals or performative tokenism but fundamental principles embedded in our practices and processes.
Photo of Addison Barnett, Director of Impact

Director of Impact and ARWG sponsor Addison Barnett

As the Director sponsor for our Anti Racism Working Group (ARWG) I am honoured to serve in this capacity. I can say with confidence that commitment to anti-racism is everywhere in our business, and I’m really pleased for the AWRG to have been established to help us drive this forward.

 

Our work in anti-racism over the years reflects our approach to all areas of inclusion: continually assessing and adapting our response to global events, as well as the evolving needs of our members and clients. You can find out more about how our work has evolved over the years in our anti-racism timeline below.

While we aspire to excellence in all aspects of our work, we recognise that true progress requires honesty, introspection, and openness. What can we improve? Are there perspectives we have overlooked? Our anti-racism journey is a marathon not a sprint. We remain committed to growth, change, and continuous learning.

We look forward to sharing our progress with you in the years to come.

Anti-racism timeline

Since Inclusive Employers began 2011, we have worked with organisations on all areas of inclusion, including race, ethnicity and anti-racism. As part of marking Stephen Lawrence Day and sharing our commitment to anti-racism we’ve compiled our anti-racism timeline to share how our approach to race, ethnicity and anti-racism has evolved over time.

A diverse group of colleagues standing in a line. They are getting ready for a meeting, all holding different sheets of paper

2017/2018 – The BAME challenge and BAME toolkit*

Inclusive Employers recognises that conversations and actions around racial equity are not progressing or being prioritised as they should. We setup ‘The BAME challenge’ with the House of Commons, bringing together our members in task and finish groups on the topics of recruitment and retention, development, and leadership. Groups were led by a member of the Inclusive Employers team, and met over a period of 6 months with monthly get togethers. The activity and findings from the groups informed the BAME toolkit, made available to members to support them in their anti-racism journey. This toolkit was the first large scale race and ethnicity resource created by Inclusive Employers.

*At the time BAME was the most commonly-used terminology for race and ethnicity work in the UK. Since then, the conversation around terminology has evolved and become more nuanced. 

A Black person wearing a yellow jumper. They have headphones on and are working on a laptop at home.

2019 – Anti-Racism as a focus begins to emerge via training, blogs and content

Through 2019 our approach began to evolve. Up to this point a lot of our work around race equity focused on how to improve the position of Global Majority staff in the workplace with development programmes, mentoring and networking. Over 2019, our work began to explore anti-racism as a broader systemic focus for organisations by expanding content via blogs, training and webinars.

A black and white photo of a sign at a protest. It says on it, Black Lives Matter.

2020 – The murder of George Floyd results in catalyst for anti-racism training and a rise in the Black Lives Matter movement

In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, Inclusive Employers responded quickly to the heightened demand for anti-racism training and content. We see the conversation broaden to accountability, allyship, privilege, whiteness, colonialism and challenging institutionalised racism. Anti-racism becomes front and centre for us with an aim to create meaningful change internally and with our members and clients.

A section of the front cover of the Building an anti-racist culture toolkit

2021 – Inclusive Employers commissions and launches the Anti-Racist Cultures Toolkit

Inclusive Employers hires Sandy Sohal on a 12-month secondment to develop the Anti-Racist Cultures toolkit, a 150-page practical and tangible guide to support organisations to take bold steps and develop further on their anti-racism journey. We were really excited to have created this opportunity, and Sandy’s work culminated in our comprehensive Anti Racist Culture Toolkit.

A small group colleagues of mixed racial heritage.

2022 – Broadening our approach

Inclusive Employers begins to broaden its anti-racism and racial equity offering. Until now, much of Inclusive Employer’s anti-racism work has focused on the Black experience, particularly since the murder of George Floyd. In 2022, our blogs and webinar offering expands to include those of East and Southeast Asian heritage, South Asian heritage, multi-racial heritage and more. We launch The Sparks Programme giving people from under-represented backgrounds the opportunity to kick-start a career in Inclusion & Diversity, and the first cohort for Sparks opens for Global Majority applicants.

A small group of colleagues working closely together. A White man, an Asian woman and a Black woman.

2023 –Anti-Racism Working Group begins

As part of our commitment to anti-racism Sandy Sohal is invited back to Inclusive Employers to hold confidential listening sessions with staff. These sessions explore a number of anti-racism themes and identify how we could ensure anti-racism is a golden thread through everything we do, internally and externally. Shortly after, we launch our internal anti-racism working group to drive this work and ensure anti-racism is embedded into all our internal and external workstreams.

Four colleagues working at a coffee table. They are reviewing a document together and look happy.

2024 and beyond

We solidify our commitment to anti-racism as a ‘golden thread’ through our work externally and internally, through the creation of the Anti-Racism Working Group and the establishment of anti-racism as a core theme within our internal ESG and responsible business activity. We’re looking forward to what the future brings.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about the work that is explained here or would like to talk to us about anti-racism support for your workplace please get in touch using the form below.


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