A FIGHT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
As a victim of racial discrimination, I was shaken to the core. My thirty-three years of dedicated service to my organisation melted away in a heartbeat, leaving me exposed and feeling the most vulnerable I have felt in my entire adult life. I had two options: to fight back or join the broken black victims who had also endured the injustice of racial discrimination, without the means of holding those responsible to account. I had every intention of fighting back and I also intended to win.
Racial discrimination is debilitating and traumatising, more so when it comes in the form of institutional racism in the workplace, because those with a duty of care to protect, abuse their positions of power and authority. I experienced racial discrimination in the form of conscious and unconscious bias, which is even more pernicious in the manner in which it causes physical and mental harm to the victim. Nothing could have prepared me for the situation I found myself in because I trusted Line Management and HR systems and procedures would be applied in a fair and transparent way. I realised too late that I had been operating under a false sense of security as a black person within my organization.
Many senior managers are either oblivious or choose to ignore the fact that racial discrimination, like other forms of discrimination is unlawful under the UK Equality Act (2010). As a PhD candidate researching Leadership, the deficiencies in leadership within my own organization are glaringly obvious because fundamental requirements such as ethics and integrity are lacking in some individuals. My claim of racial discrimination was treated by white managers as a personal attack on them, rendering them incapable of applying impartiality and objectivity in handling the matter. Rather than being able to step back and re-assess their behavior, they acted in what I can only describe as a rogue manner, driven by their own personal prejudices and were unhindered due to impotent HR systems. The resulting institutional racism meant that I had no choice but to escalate my claim of racial discrimination to an Employment Tribunal.
I had to trust the legal system to gain racial justice despite being skeptical about whether or not those adjudicating could understand how racial discrimination had harmed me. I also knew that the odds were stacked against me because claims of race discrimination are almost 50% less likely to succeed in comparison to claims of sex discrimination. However, I felt reassured from the start of the proceedings that the three white female judges had “done the work” and gained a good understanding of the various manifestations of racial discrimination. I would finally get a fair hearing on the matter. The conclusion was as follows: “The unanimous judgment of the Tribunal is that the Respondent contravened the Equality Act 2010 by directly discriminating against the Claimant because of her race contrary to sections 13 and 39(2)(d) as set out in this judgment.”
This is a victory for racial justice. I had the strength and resilience to fight and win this battle, but I recognize that many victims of racial discrimination do not. Therefore, this victory should be used to power advocacy for racial justice. As a priority, organisational reforms are needed to protect and safeguard black people in the workplace. Discrimination against any of the protected characteristics under the Equality Act (2010) must be challenged, but it is also important to recognize that progress in the fight against race discrimination has gained little ground. I strongly believe that the war against racial discrimination can be won, but victims must be prepared to stand and fight.
Sonia Warner
Racial Justice Advocate
