Back

Everyday life

Racism

Racism is not only shouting in the street. It is also the joke in the group chat, the comment about skin tone and the CV put to one side. These scenarios put you in three positions: the person who sees it, the person who did it, and the person it happens to.

Describes racist remarks and behaviour, online and in person. No slurs are repeated. Written for adults.

Start

Social media and group chats

Memes, comments, old posts and abuse in your inbox. 4 scenarios

  1. The memeGroup chats
  2. The comments underneathAbuse of a stranger
  3. Something you postedGetting it wrong
  4. In your inboxWhen it is aimed at you

Out and about

What you see, and what you say, in public. 3 scenarios

  1. On the busSeeing it happen
  2. Where are you really from?Questions that single people out
  3. Can I touch it?Bodies and curiosity

Family and home

Relatives, children and comments about skin colour. 3 scenarios

  1. At the dinner tableRelatives
  2. Stay out of the sunSkin colour
  3. A word he used at schoolChildren

At work

Customers, colleagues, names and who gets a chance. 4 scenarios

  1. Keep an eye on those twoAssumptions
  2. The CV pileWho gets a chance
  3. I want someone EnglishCustomers
  4. We'll just call you NikkiNames

The ideas behind these

  • Impact matters more than intent. "I didn't mean it" does not undo how it landed.
  • Silence looks like agreement. You do not need a speech. "That's not OK" is enough.
  • Look after the person targeted first. Standing with them matters more than winning an argument.
  • No skin tone is better than another. Praise for being lighter is the same prejudice as an insult for being darker.
  • If you get it wrong, listen, apologise without excuses and change it. Being corrected is not an attack.
  • Racist abuse and threats can be crimes, online as well as in person, and can be reported.
If this has happened to you, or you have seen it

These UK services are free to use. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.

  • Stop Hate UKSupport for anyone affected by hate crime, and a way to report it without going to the police.
  • True VisionThe police website for reporting hate crime online.
  • Victim SupportFree, confidential support after a crime, whether or not you report it.
  • Citizens AdviceWhat counts as discrimination, and what you can do about it.
  • AcasFree advice on discrimination and your rights at work.
  • Kick It OutReport racism and other discrimination in football, at a ground or online.
  • SamaritansSomeone to talk to, day or night, about anything.

Reading settings

Text size
Spacing
Background