{"id":23939,"date":"2020-09-25T14:10:27","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T13:10:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=23939"},"modified":"2020-09-28T13:21:06","modified_gmt":"2020-09-28T12:21:06","slug":"keeping-up-the-momentum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=23939","title":{"rendered":"Keeping up the momentum"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown first hit the UK, like so many organisations, there was a moment of panic for anti-racist charity Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what we were going to do,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 SRtRC founder and chief executive Ged Grebby told UniteLIVE. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe of course furloughed all our staff who couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t work \u00e2\u20ac\u201c on full pay. Then we had to have a fundamental rethink of how we deliver our work.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Show Racism the Red Card, a charity Unite has long supported, has delivered anti-racist education to schools and workplaces for more than a decade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Formed in 1996, the charity goes out into communities, classrooms and football clubs and educates roughly 50,000 schoolchildren each year in England, Wales and Scotland about racism, using football and other sport to inspire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWith the pandemic, we of course couldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t go into schools or take children into football clubs,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Ged noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Challenging racism in workplaces<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But they rolled up their sleeves and soon got back to what they do best \u00e2\u20ac\u201c their work, after all, is far too important to postpone, pandemic or no pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAt the beginning of lockdown the NHS asked us to do a film about challenging racism in the NHS,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Ged explained. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe film was very successful and looked at institutionalised racism in the health service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bJust to give you an example, 44 per cent of NHS staff are from a Black and Asian Ethnic Minority (BAEM) background. The NHS relies, as everyone knows, not only on Black workers but on migrant workers, and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s throughout the service from nurses to administrators. And yet racism is still rife in the health service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe interviewed one nurse who told us that a patient said they didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to be touched by her just because she wore a hijab. These experiences are sadly very common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe also looked at why are Black people are overrepresented in key worker roles that are often the lowest paid and on insecure work contracts like zero hours, while at the same time there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hardly any representation of Black people in more senior roles – this is how institutional racism operates.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the success of the NHS film, Show Racism the Red Card has over the last few months expanded further into adult education, and has worked closely with Unite to create similar educational films for workplaces, featuring Unite members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And, like schools themselves, the charity quickly adapted many of its materials to reach children online, through for example, Microsoft games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Black Lives Matter<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like no one predicted the massive impact the Covid-19 pandemic would have globally at the beginning of the year, no one saw coming another unstoppable force that would sweep the world \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the Black Lives Matter movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFor months everything was secondary to the Covid-19 pandemic, and then everything changed with the murder of George Floyd,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Ged told UniteLIVE. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhat struck me is the number of young people and people of all races getting involved in the movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been really inspirational \u00e2\u20ac\u201c we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never had so many people approach us wanting to get involved. People from everywhere have started raising money for us \u00e2\u20ac\u201c people selling Gucci handbags, people shaving their beards, people running laps in the park.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Ged, Black Lives Matter was a movement waiting to happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been saying for years that racism is on the rise everywhere \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and while many people, Black people especially, have long known this, there wasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t that global, widespread recognition. So many more people now recognise the reality of racism \u00e2\u20ac\u201c that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s from schools to companies and much more in between. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve never had so much demand for our work.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wear Red Day launch<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ged spoke to UniteLIVE ahead of Show Racism the Red Card\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s annual launch of its fundraising campaign Wear Red Day <\/a>on Thursday (September 24). Typically held at Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s headquarters, the charity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s sixth launch event was convened online for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe only real difference with this online launch compared to other years is that we expect to get audience figures in the thousands \u00e2\u20ac\u201c typically there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s only a couple of hundred of us packed into a room but now we can reach so many more people,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Ged noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Wear Red Day launch event saw a range of superstars from football and other sport contribute, including John Barnes and Howard Gayle from Liverpool FC, Chelsea FC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Paul Eliot, Nevil Southall from Everton FC, Arsenal FC\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Paul Davis and Rachel Yankey, as well as Tottenham\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Chris Hughton, Leroy Rosenior of Fulham FC fame, Newcastle United\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Shaka Hislop, and England cricket legend Monty Panesar, among dozens of others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simone Pound of the Professional Footballers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Association as well Labour politician Laura Pidcock were also in attendance, while Unite assistant general secretary Howard Beckett moderated the discussion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘My favourite charity’<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey gave an opening speech highlighting why the charity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work was so close to his \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and his union\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u201c heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015b[Show Racism the Red Card] is my favourite charity because it deals with perhaps the greatest evil in our society – and that is the evil of racism,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he said. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe idea that people are subjected to discrimination and abuse because of the colour of their skin or where they come from is something that is the mark of a society that isn’t right. A civilised society embraces people no matter what colour or gender they are.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCluskey praised how \u00e2\u20ac\u015bShow Racism the Red Card hit on this idea of using this beautiful, beautiful game of ours – the national game – to utlise their anti-racist message and to take that message to young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis isn’t just about kicking racism out of football – this is challenging what’s going on in our societies.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

McCluskey went on to thank footballer Marcus Rashford for his campaigning on child poverty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAlthough child poverty affects all children of all creeds, the fact is that Black and Asian ethnic minority children are disproportionately affected. I have huge admiration for the work Marcus is doing.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that Unite is \u00e2\u20ac\u0098100 per cent behind\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 the charity\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work and is committed to continued sponsorship and involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThe impact this organisation is having will make sure we have a better future for all our children and all our nations,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ged also hailed the relationship his charity has long had with Unite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur partnership with Unite keeps building and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re very keen to further develop adult education with Unite members,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than anything, Ged encouraged everyone to keep the Black Lives Matter movement\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s momentum going and take part in Wear Red Day on October 16, where participants wear red and post pictures on social media to raise awareness about the charity. People are also encouraged to donate to Show Racism the Red Card.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThis year, you can take part by wearing red at home, and get others in your household or social bubble to join in and post pictures on social media with the hashtag #WRD20. Last year, 77,000 people participated and we expect this year to be even bigger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bOur theme this year is \u00e2\u20ac\u0098keep up the momentum\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 and our strapline is \u00e2\u20ac\u0098You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve taken the knee, now stand up with us against racism\u00e2\u20ac\u2122,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 Ged added. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWear Red Day is a unique opportunity under the current restrictions of the pandemic to come together and stand together against racism. We don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want the Black Lives Matter movement to become a moment. We want it to have long-lasting change.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you missed Thursday\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Wear Red Launch event online, you can still catch up and re-watch it here<\/a>. Find out more about how you can take part in Wear Red Day on October 16 here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Hajera Blagg<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown first hit the UK, like so many organisations, there was a moment of panic for anti-racist charity Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC). \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know what we were going to do,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 SRtRC founder and chief executive Ged Grebby told UniteLIVE. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe of course furloughed all our staff […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5816,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[17],"tags":[352,1346,160,242,395],"wps_subtitle":"Show Racism the Red Card founder Ged Grebby tells UniteLIVE why anti-racism education is now more important than ever before","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23939"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=23939"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23939\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23943,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23939\/revisions\/23943"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5816"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=23939"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=23939"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=23939"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}