Though first observed in the United States in the 1970s, Black History Month was first celebrated in the UK in October 1987. Taking place mainly in educational and local council institutions, the idea behind it was to give some exposure to Black historical figures who’s achievements had been previously overlooked by the existing school curriculum,…
The Department for Education has produced a guidance document for schools when they re-open in September after the Covid-19 closures. ROTA has some thoughts. The period of lockdown has proved particularly challenging for some pupils, particularly those from disadvantaged communities. Refugees, asylum seekers, children from some BAME communities and from Gipsy, Roma and Traveller families have had difficulty accessing…
Since 2012 ROTA has been gathering evidence on informal school exclusions – and its various guises such ‘off rolling’ and ‘home schooling’ – to the detriment of pupils and their families who have experienced this. We also have evidence that young BAME pupils may be disproportionately affected. It comes as no surprise to ROTA that…
Read our blog by Hanna Stephens: ROTA Interviews Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff, Editor at Galdem.
Last week, the APPG on Social Integration led by Chukka Umunna MP, released its interim report, centred on 6 principles. Some of the recommendations are welcome, but it left us with more questions than answers. More clarity is needed on what the recommendations would look like in practice. Welcome news The inquiry suggested government create…
It has become a commonplace idea that the more ethnic diversity there is in a society the more conflict and ill-feeling there is. Difference and diversity are seen as negative and dangerous rather than as positive and engaging. Actually this assumption is highly questionable, but of course the Sun, the Daily Mail and the Daily…
A quick Google search defines mental illness broadly as, ‘a condition which causes serious disorder in a person’s behaviour or thinking.’ When we live in a context where a “serious disorder” is often attached to acting and speaking out about racism rather than being racist, we must be critical about our own understandings of mental…
“There is no thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.” – Audre Lorde In researching BAMER issues in the UK, it is important not to homogenise racial struggle and instead understand the diversity of identities that are present in different racial groups. For this, it is important that we view…
Pandora’s Box has been opened by the Brexit referendum and it is difficult to see how the evils that it has allowed to escape can be put back in the box. Already there are reports of increasing race hate crimes – many directed at Polish and other European migrants but also directed at Muslims and…
In my blog of 6th March 2014, I forecast that the Immigration Act would make private landlords into unpaid and untrained Immigration Officers. The Immigration Act would become “in effect, a charter for racial and other forms of harassment and abuse where people encounter rogue decision-makers (e.g. rogue landlords)”. We have just been proved right…
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