Equality is everyone’s right

4.5 miles yesterday

An MP has said she is "delighted" after her bill enabling carers to take unpaid leave was approved by Parliament.
Liberal Democrat Wendy Chamberlain's bill got final approval in the House of Lords on Friday where it received backing from MPs and peers
The Carer's Leave Bill allows voluntary carers to take leave in either half or whole days of up to one week a year.
The new entitlement will be available to employees regardless of how long they have been working for a company.
It will not apply in Northern Ireland, where employment law is devolved.
The legislation, which was backed by MPs earlier this year, is expected to come into force in 2024.
Millions could benefit from the new law, with the Office for National Statistics estimating that in 2021 there were five million unpaid carers in England and Wales.
'I've been stuck in my bedroom for two years'
Value of unpaid care matches NHS budget - research
'Caring for my autistic brother changed my life'
Under the bill's provisions, carers would not need to provide evidence when requesting the leave.
The legislation would ensure carers' leave gets the same employment protections as other family-related leave such as parental or bereavement leave - for example, employees would have protection from dismissal if they took the leave.
The government - which supported the bill - has estimated the new provisions would cost businesses £4.7m to become familiar with the new policy, and a further £40m a year due to staff absence and administration costs.
Speaking in favour of the bill, Labour's Baroness Blake of Leeds argued it would help employers by increasing staff retention and reducing turnover.
Liberal Democrat Lord Fox drew attention to research by Carers UK and the University of Sheffield which said unpaid carers in England and Wales contributed £445m to the economy every day.
"The stresses and strains of having to juggle paid work alongside unpaid care without the support they need has left many exhausted and burnt out, and too often it is impossible for them to manage."
He said allowing workers to take time off would stop employees being forced out of their jobs by the need to provide care to others.
Business minister the Earl of Minto said it was a "huge step in the right direction" and would be particularly beneficial to women who are more likely to be providing care.
Liberal Democrat MP Wendy Chamberlain, who introduced the bill in the House of Commons, had said she would like to have seen the leave entitlement be longer and paid.
However, she said the bill was "a vital first step in getting these rights on the statute book".

If you have a cat be aware owners will have until 10 June 2024 to microchip their cat

New legislation to introduce compulsory cat microchipping is being laid in Parliament today (13 March), making it easier for lost or stray pet cats to be reunited with their owners and returned home safely.

There are over 9 million pet cats in England, with as many as 2.3 million unchipped, meaning that it would be very difficult to reunite them with their owner if they get lost or stolen.

The new rules mean cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database. All owners must have their cat microchipped by 10 June 2024 and owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or may face a fine of up to £500.

Don’t label me

Don’t label me I am not a tin
Stop referring to me as BAME, coloured and other descriptions of my skin

It’s not ok to refer to me as a minority
It’s not ok to describe me as lesser than because you think you are superior to me

I have been hearing these insults for over sixty years
I am hurt, traumatised and constantly in tears

Walk a day in my uncomfortable shoes
I face Discrimination, I face harassment, bullying and upset by the words that you choose

Stop justifying and defending yourself when you label me and others with your discriminatory words
Stop your selfish behaviour, not listening and allowing my feelings to go unheard

Alyson Malach
20/11/22

Do people judge you because of the colour of your skin?
They glance at you and don’t look deep within.
They don’t value the work you do for free.
Start to value volunteers like me
We don’t ask for payment to do this strategic work
But often when you speak up/ speak out you are treated like dirt
We are there to be critical friends
We do our own work and the volunteer work never ends
However, we are taken for granted criticised and dismissed
I think it is time after years of dedication to walk away from this
Farewell to you, my work ends here
Have a great Christmas and a happy New Year
Perhaps when I am gone and the work stands still
You will regret that you abused my experience, knowledge and my good will

What are you doing this Black History Month? The theme this year is Action Not Words

Here at EDUK we are raising awareness and supporting staff and management to talk about racism
Today we have a Courageous Conversation fireside chat facilitated by Dr Patrick Vernon

https://apple.news/AvPPl8FDaQhi3NGIBnhNsbw

Rediscovering the African choir that toured Victorian Britain — gal-dem Between 1891 and 1893, members of The African Choir, a South African musical group, toured Britain to raise money for a technical college in their home country to support the growth of Black labour force. The choir performed “to great acclaim and large audiences at major venues and for Queen Victo...

I'm not pro-murdering babies.

I'm pro-Becky who found out at her 20-week anatomy scan that the infant she had been so excited to bring into this world had developed without life sustaining organs.

I'm pro-Susan who was sexually assaulted on her way home from work, only to come to the horrific realization that her assailant planted his seed in her when she got a positive pregnancy test result a month later.

I'm pro-Theresa who hemorrhaged due to a placental abruption, causing her parents, spouse, and children to have to make the impossible decision on whether to save her or her unborn child.

I'm pro-little Cathy who had her innocence ripped away from her by someone she should have been able to trust and her 11-year-old body isn't mature enough to bear the consequence of that betrayal.

I'm pro-Melissa who's working two jobs just to make ends meet and has to choose between bringing another child into poverty or feeding the children she already has because her spouse walked out on her.

I'm pro-Brittany who realizes that she is in no way financially, emotionally, or physically able to raise a child.

I'm pro-Emily who went through IVF, ending up with SIX viable implanted eggs requiring selective reduction to ensure the safety of her and a SAFE number of fetuses.

I'm pro-Jessica who is FINALLY getting the strength to get away from her physically abusive spouse only to find out that she is carrying the monster's child.

I'm pro-Vanessa who went into her confirmation appointment after YEARS of trying to conceive only to hear silence where there should be a heartbeat.

I'm pro-Lindsay who lost her virginity in her sophomore year with a broken condom and now has to choose whether to be a teenage mom or just a teenager.

I'm pro-Courtney who just found out she's already 13 weeks along, but the egg never made it out of her fallopian tube so either she terminates the pregnancy or risks dying from internal bleeding.

You can argue and say that I'm pro-choice all you want, but the truth is:
I'm pro-life.
Their lives.
Women's lives.

You don't get to pick and choose which scenarios should be accepted. It's not about which stories you don't agree with. It's about fighting for the women in the stories that you do agree with and the CHOICE that was made.

Women's rights are meant to protect ALL women, regardless of their situation!

Overturning Roe does not stop abortions, it stops SAFE abortions!

Abortion is healthcare.

by Antoine Allen

The mother of a 14-year-old Black boy who was thrown to the floor and handcuffed by a group of police officers on his way home from school in a case of mistaken identity feared her asthmatic son would be the next George Floyd, and be killed while being restrained by the police.

De-shaun Joseph was stopped by police in south London on Thursday after officers said he matched the description of a suspect in a nearby robbery.

The officers, who were looking for a Black youth in a blue hoodie, handcuffed De-shaun, who was wearing a grey top over his school uniform, and forced him face-down to the ground outside Blackhorse Road tram station in Croydon.

As officers restrained the child, with one kneeling on his legs and another holding his hands behind his back, concerned passersby stopped to film the incident and question the police's treatment.

De-shaun, who suffers from asthma, shouted out his mum's phone number to a woman who was watching the incident, and she called Janet Joseph, who ran to the scene.

When she arrived her son was handcuffed on the floor and she says she was "worried my son would be the next George Floyd".

"I was upset and scared," De-shaun told ITV News in an interview alongside his mother. "I thought I was going to die."

He added: "I was curious because I haven't done anything wrong and they just stopped me for no reason."

Black man stopped in street by police for wearing a coat in 'warm weather'

De-shaun Joseph, 14, being held on the ground by police officers in a mistaken identity stop and search on Thursday
Officers had snatched his phone, put him in handcuffs and pinned him against the wall with no explanation, De-shaun told ITV News.

Doctors say De-shaun has suffered bruising to his back. As well as physical injury, he has been left feeling mentally traumatised by the incident.

"It's every parent's worst nightmare," Ms Joseph told ITV News.

"It's the same old story - every Black boy fits the description," Ms Joseph said. "There's no excuse for what they did to my son and the excessive force they used on a 14-year-old Black boy."

Officers later released him without arrest, after admitting he was the wrong person.

The police said that after an initial review of the incident, including body-worn camera, has been conducted by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards and "no misconduct is apparent".

A statement from the force added: "However, a public complaint has been made and will be investigated thoroughly by the professional standards unit."

Racism stunts the growth of business and employees. Leadership must develop the necessary skills and behaviours to support an inclusive mindset and equitable organisational cultures.

Leadership must be accountable.... how accountable is your employer?

Racial discrimination at work. Please speak up, share your story and solution. Visit our website to sign up for one of or summer /Autumn forums

Our officer recently has been assaulted on duty. She has been racially abused just because of her origin and a name budge with foreign name. The abuse was so dramatic that it has left her very traumatised. It's to abuse our officers. We hope justice will take place

Booking: https://eduk.uk/shared-voices

Shared Voices Shared Voices.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alyson-malach-5?utm_term=JGBDvqM55

Help raise £5000 to Raising money to support local families feed their children over the summer holidays Weʼre raising money to Raising money to support local families feed their children over the summer holidays. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

Listen to hear, to learn and to empathise
5.5.2022

I want you to take responsibility, to see things from our lens

I want you to listen, to understand to acknowledge rather than to defend

Acknowledge that there is racism standing in our way

Listen to learn, to empathise and see things the way they are today

I fear for my children, my grandchildren and my life

I am tired, triggered and weary of the trouble and the strife

We are all accountable for the wrongs that we do

If we are to face the consequences why on earth don’t you?

People like me experience racism each and every day

Listen to hear, listen to learn, not to reply and let us have our say

Alyson Malach
5.5.2022

Breaking news Wolverhampton elect their first Black mayor in 200 years and their 11th woman.

Her theme for time in office is ‘Dare to Dream’. When we see thi it gives us proof that we can do it especially if we can relate to the person, in ways that were not accessible before

EHRC to investigate Pontins over fears of racial discrimination
01 Jun 2022
People and culture Equality and diversity
Britain’s equality regulator has launched a formal investigation into Pontins holiday parks due to continued concerns about discrimination against Gypsies and Travellers.

Pontins owner, Britannia Jinky Jersey Limited, last year entered into a 12-month legal agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), following allegations that the company operated a discriminatory booking policy.

Alleged practices included publishing an ‘undesirable’ guest list containing common Irish surnames and refusing or cancelling bookings by people suspected of being Gypsies or Travellers. Declining to provide services to guests because they are of a certain race or ethnic group is unlawful under the Equality Act 2010, which recognises Gypsies and Travellers as a distinct racial group.

It is against the law to discriminate against anyone with certain protected characteristics, which are:

Age.
Gender reassignment.
Marital or civil partnership status.
Pregnancy or parental status.
Disability.
Race, including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin.
Religion or belief.
S*x.
S*xual orientation.


After monitoring Pontins’ compliance, the EHRC decided to end the agreement on 18 February on the basis that the company had not satisfied the EHRC that it was taking the required steps to prevent unlawful race discrimination or meet its commitments under the agreement.

The EHRC has now launched a formal investigation that will consider whether Pontins has committed unlawful acts under the Equality Act 2010.

Investigators will look at:

Whether Pontins has committed race discrimination against Gypsy and Traveller guests, prospective guests or their associates in how it provides its services;

Whether Pontins’ booking policies directly or indirectly discriminate on the basis of race, including a requirement that guests, or prospective guests, are on the electoral register; and

Whether Pontins’ intelligence, information and record-keeping systems are operating in a way that discriminates directly or indirectly on the basis of race.

A poem from LinkedIn

OUR COLLECTIVE VOICES

To be historically excluded, can be painful.

we jump to recognise our inability to be accepted into one group.

This is why we move on to form our own. to discuss our own. why should we keep speaking over the group as no one attempts to listen? to our own collective of difference.

Why should we continue to fight if no one listens? those who speak the loudest are the first to get heard, but what about those with loud ideas but no words?

Although we should be a unified group, we can’t be equal until we make additional space for those who intersect, to connect. Our needs will never be met.

so yes, let’s talk about black liberation but us black women and lgbtqia must leave and support from afar.

lets talk about our own black liberation without the perspectives of our loudest , dominant, black, men.

Because if we didn’t, we would continue to be drowned out, voiceless.
We wouldn’t have those voices. that stood up to our collective begging, to, no longer, be voiceless.

Yes we are black, but we are black women.
Yes we are black women, but we are gay, black women.

now we are black, only black. Now our voice has been heard, now we are Black Lives Matter, now we are , now we are ALL Black Lives Matter.

Now our voices are heard and i’m glad we are unified, even though we took some time apart. We were always a collective, and our love was never gone. we needed time to step away and form our own bond.

Empathy

E-encourage others to achieve the best they can
M-make an effort to be kind and caring
P-pay attention to what people are saying listen with intent
A-ask questions with genuine curiosity
T- take time to listen to learn and to understand
H-help others whenever you can
Y-your kindness and support will help others

Does Monzo Bank have an application proces that is intentionally racist?

Here's what happened:

You decide.

I applied to Monzo late last week, for their Growth Marketing Manager position.

https://lnkd.in/eAv_JZHn

I spent a lot of time on my application (one of my responses is over 5 pages long), so I was rather dismayed and more than a little surprised when I received a quick rejection letter.

I thought to myself, would someone have even had time to review my application properly?

Probably not.

Something didn't smell right, but I didn't know what to do. Thanks to a friend's suggestion that I was probably automatically screened out by a bot or an AI of some sort, I decided to apply again and test this.

Why? Why not.

So I did. I re-applied earlier this afternoon and kept every single part of my application the same. Word for word. Just copied and pasted it. But I changed one field...My ethnicity.

When I orignally applied, I checked (in the apparently optional) data collection section that I am Black African.

My application was swiftly rejected.

Today, less than 3 days later, I re-applied with the exact same material and checked that I was White British.

Same CV. Same Cover Letter. Same responses to the application questions.

At 16.31pm this afternoon, I received an email to congratulate me that I had been successful and will be moving on to the next stage to have a call with a recruiter.

That call is now scheduled for 3:00pm tomorrow.

As I sit here writing this, I find myself in a very interesting position. I imagine a lot of people (including Monzo) will have lots of explanations for what has happened.

Perhaps there was a technical AI error. Someone else reviewed my application the second time. I changed a field I didn't realise. My application was somehow "better" the 2nd time. Perhaps something else I haven't yet thought of. Or the easiest one - I'm flat out lying.

Everyone is free to make up their own mind.

All I will say is I am currently staring at two emails from Monzo in my inbox. One is a rejection letter when I applied as Black African. The other is an invitation for a call and the next part of the recruitment process when I applied as White British.

Everything else was kept constant.

Monzo will have the same information.

So back to the initial question - Does Monzo Bank have an application proces that is intentionally racist?

What do you think?

Growth Marketing Manager, Paid Search London

Thousands of strip searches have been carried out by police on children in London in recent years, most of them from ethnic backgrounds, it has emerged in the wake of the Child Q scandal.

Of the 5,279 children searched in the past three years, 3,939 (75%) were from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

A total of 16 of them were aged between 10 and 12 years old.

This data only covers children who were strip searched after an arrest, including 2,000 for drug offences, meaning the real number of youths strip searched in London will be even higher.

The figures wouldn't include the case of Child Q, for instance, as she was never arrested.

The Met's already under pressure over its use of the tactic, after a damning report found racism was a factor in a black 15-year-old girl, "Child Q", being strip searched while on her period at her school in Hackney, without an appropriate adult in the room.

For context, recent ONS data found that nearly 60% of people in the capital are white, suggesting people who are from an ethnically diverse background are far more likely to be strip searched.

We should not underestimate the impact that the use of stop and search has on some individuals and that it continues to cause significant concern within some communities.

Racism in the workplace is real. If we want to make the required changes around diversity and inclusion in the workplace, there comes a point where we need to stop talking and start acting!

Racism stunts the growth of business and employees. Leadership must develop the necessary skills and behaviours to support and inclusive mindset and equitable organisational cultures.

Leadership must be accountable.... are you?

Remember when all professionals were discussing Will Smith smack at the Oscars? And how violence is never the answer?

We'd love the same energy about the terrorist attack in Buffalo denouncing white violence! 10 Black people were killed for being Black...Basically their skin color was a death sentence.

Where are you all now?

Because trauma and mental health of violent events against people who look like you is real!

Because toxic masculinity is at play here, enabled by media professionals and identity politics, replacement theory is at play here.

Because some people come to work and are talking about EDI and going to vote against equal rights for all.

Because Allyship requires you teach your children about racism, you call out your colleagues and you fire bosses and employees that are racists.

Allyship is a verb and an active not passive one.

So show up! as Rihanna said "tell your friends to pull up".

A professor gave a balloon to every student, who had to inflate it, write their name on it and throw it in the hallway.

The professor then mixed all the balloons. The students were then given 5 minutes to find their own balloon.

Despite a hectic search, no one found their balloon.

At that point, the professor told the students to take the first balloon that they found and hand it to the person whose name was written on it.

Within 5 minutes, everyone had their own balloon.

The professor said to the students: "These balloons are like happiness.

We will never find it if everyone is looking for their own. But if we care about other people's happiness, we'll find ours too."

Be kind to someone today!!

Our world desperately needs kindness and love!

When does a child get attacked by an adult leaving a head injury, and the police takes no action? When as in this case, the adult is a white woman, and the child is a Black boy. Cases like the one in the article below are always seemingly looked at through lens desperately lacking in context.

When a Black child is attacked by a white woman there is never the same outrage as would be the case if the roles were reversed. The police informed the boy’s family “no further action was being taken because the woman claimed she acted in self-defence and felt “threatened”.

Violence is never the answer and if you think it’s right to attack children as a matter of ‘self-defence’, after provoking them into a fight. Perhaps consider why you feel that is the answer.

Probably for the same reason this woman attacked the only Black child present, and one of the few who wasn’t active in the actions that led to the disagreement in the first place. Perhaps because she knew she would get away with it.

Perhaps the larger societal context sits at the back of her mind that smashing a rowing paddle into a child’s forehead will bear no consequences, if that child is Black.

The police will not believe it is possible for a Black child to exist without them posing a threat to white women.

Weaponizing victimhood because the colour of someone else’s skin makes some people feel ‘threatened’, sits at the dark heart of a larger context of racism and racial injustice.

The law should work for everyone. Not just those with fair skin.

https://lnkd.in/eyTeDgGc

UK police criticised for not prosecuting woman who hit black boy with paddle White suspect was arrested but police later told Antwon Forrest’s family no further action was being taken

Did you know the Lambeth Metropolitan Police Service has the worst record of recorded Met Police racism and race compliants than any single borough in London? And that these figure have deteriorated over the last two years - the exact period the new Chief Super has been in lost.

Over 250 people attended this Stockwell meeting to challenge their racist profiling of black kids. Lambeth stop more black school kids than any other borough in London.

The meeting goes on for a couple of hours but provides fascinating insight into the stunning lack of ability of the officer to read the room.

Watch if you have the time. It’s worth it…

https://lnkd.in/ep2Wa8bz

Bitly | Page Not Found | 404 This is a 404 error, which means you've clicked on a bad link or entered an invalid URL. Maybe what you are looking for can be found at Bitly.com. P.S. Bitly links are case sensitive.

https://apple.news/A5pMaemHhRkuDImap9UYbBA

Study finds denying existence of structural racism is linked to anti-black prejudice — Sky News Those who deny the existence of structural racism are more likely to be prejudiced against black people, according to new research.

A HATE CRIME!

A white supremacist had the racial slur n**** written on his rifle.

RACISM is a PANDEMIC! Racism against Black people has embedded on every level.

An evil white man filled with hate for Black people, Payton Gendron decided to head to a predominantly (85%) Black neighborhood.

He went into a grocery store and murdered a number of innocent Black people people by shooting them.

👉🏾The murderer live streamed on Twitch.

👉🏾The murderer praised white mass shooters online!

👉🏾The murderer mapped it online for months!

👉🏾The murderer railed about “white replacement theory”(invasion of immigrants producing faster than white) which has been amplified by Tucker Carlson.

🤯Did you know that an 8 year old girl jumped in a cooler inside the grocery store to protect herself?

🤯Allegedly a white man screamed in fear and the murderer apologised to him and carried on shooting Black people in his sight.

If your company is afraid to focus on anti-blackness within your EDI anti-racism efforts, then understand you are upholding white supremacy and you are silently saying that it’s OK if your Black employees were one those people murdered.

ORGANISATIONS BE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND:

It's happened again.
Not just a mass shooting but one carried out to reinforce white supremacy.
Our hearts break for the victims and their families and for the fact that this is still happening.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?!

1.Leaders, please be mindful of the exacerbated impact this has on your Ethnically diverse employees. They might be physically distant from this NY attack, but it's right in their psychological backyards. A familiar wound that has brought new pain.
Allow your team space, even well into the new week. It's a pain that won't fade easily.

2.Senior Leaders bring awareness to this problem.
Don’t rely on your EDI leads to bring this up.
Send out an email and hold space to discuss the action the org will be taking on Monday morning.

3. Organisations should start raising funds for families that were impacted. I’m sure we will learn soon, but let’s prepare to raise! Kids lost parents, homes lost incomes and more

4. Reach out to your mayor, local police department, city council, school departments and understand how much budget is spent to investigate and battle white supremacy.
Gather groups of your friends and people with your org to demand funding towards a comprehensive plan.

5. Start teaching your children early about racism.
Teach them about loving all skin tones and features early.
Expose them to various populations and languages at an early age.
Lead by example as well. Again, lead by example. Your one Black nanny shouldn’t be the only exposure. Purchase dolls of all shades, read to them about Black history and more. No one is born a racist. It’s a learned behaviour.

Equality and Diversity UK Ltd are working with employers to support them to promote equality, tackle all forms of discrimination and to foster good relationships between diverse groups of people
We tailor resources to organisational needs, provide EDI advice and guidance and offer 3 free tailored training sessions each year
Join our Employer network

There is so much power in a name. For many with British sounding names like my own there is no anxiety when you introduce yourself. But for the longest time, many People of Colour and those from minority backgrounds have felt the pressure of changing, abbreviating, or anglicising their names in order to fit in.


For generations our names have been the source of our identity, the binding link to our lineage and cultural heritage. But many of us have since been named in the hope we would fit in better, rather than embracing and drawing attention to people we ‘shouldn’t be’. Anglicising, your name means you’re less likely to end up in the discard pile for employment, education, and other important areas.


I think it is right to expect others to pronounce your name as it is, to say it clearly, to speak to who you are as you are meant to be, to give you a chance to prove your merit, even if they find your name difficult to pronounce and feel discomfort as a result.


Have a watch of this great video and see what you think.


https://lnkd.in/eAZtnZVs

Why I didn't use my real name at work Should you change your name to fit in at work? We look at why some people have anglicised their names.

Black Inclusion Week is being celebrated throughout this week in the UK from 9-13 May 2022.

The annual celebration of Black Inclusion is an opportunity to come together to create a society that is fair and inclusive for everyone.

It has been designed to amplify the voices of Black people across the UK; and to celebrate the achievements and impact that Black people have had and continue to have in Britain.

The event will be celebrated in schools, communities and organisations; alongside a week of varied and insightful events, with engaging and insightful speakers and thought provoking discussion topics.