8 Jul 2020
In the first of a new blog series from members of the British Veterinary Ethnicity and Diversity Society (BVEDS), Alistair Wilson considers a book from the BVEDS reading list, which comes highly recommended for anyone keen to broaden their understanding of racism and racial bias.
Alistair Wilson
Job Title
If you’re reading this, you’re probably white. As a self-help tool, this book is largely for you…
To a person of colour, it’s been described to me as more of a crystallisation into words of what was already clear, and a very lived experience. Its value to white people is proportional to the number who are willing to read it, and to consider its message deeply and thoughtfully – especially those in positions of authority and leadership.
You will learn things from this book that you probably never knew – evidence in its own right of a bias in our upbringing, of education and history lessons, and in opportunity throughout education and employment, all of which either still exist today or still influence the way we live, see and treat each other.
Part dissection, part polemic, arising from an original blog post by author Reni Eddo-Lodge, the book is borne of a frustration at the failure of white society to comprehend the insidiousness of racism. It analyses the roots and branches of racism in Britain today, and the persistent, often instinctive, measures we take to muzzle any rational and honest analysis of it.
When I hear people of colour challenge structural racism, it is rare for them to be popularly heeded and supported by their white peers.
Eddo-Lodge explains that we have a simplified view, defined by far-right extremism and offensive vocabulary, but something much more insidious is at play if we only opened our eyes to it: “We tell ourselves that good people can’t be racist. We seem to think that true racism only exists in the hearts of evil people… that it is about moral values, when instead it is about the survival strategy of systemic power.”
Our profession is largely full of good people, but that doesn’t absolve us of our responsibilities to our colleagues.
She goes on to explain: “When swathes of the population vote for politicians and political efforts that explicitly use racism as a campaigning tool, we tell ourselves that huge sections of our electorate simply cannot be racist, as that would render them heartless monsters. But this isn’t about good and bad people.”
Racism goes deeper than the colours we see – or claim not to see – and condensing the issue into interpersonal discrimination or nothing avoids more insidious problems. Eddo-Lodge illustrates this with evidence from research in the fields of education and employment.
In one example, a study by the Department for Work and Pensions in 2009 showed that applicants with the same qualifications and skills, but with Asian or African-sounding names, were called to interview far less often than those sounding more Anglo-Saxon or white.
Many reasons exist as to why diverse workplaces – and therefore professions – are beneficial, and ours should reflect the society whose animals we treat, so we must strive to achieve more diversity.
The demographics of our country and our profession will continue to change, yet if barriers like these remain unchallenged, we will remain predominantly white.
To make our profession – and indeed our nation – fairer, we need to share rational discourse about racism, and we need to listen, avoid responding with offence, aggression, tears and decrying limitations on our freedom of speech with accusations such as reverse racism.
This is not a book without hope. Eddo-Lodge offers a pathway for change by listening, intervening when we see injustices, addressing inequality and accepting responsibility for our role in propping up the status quo.
Striving to treat others more fairly and dismantling barriers does not create barriers for ourselves; we are the majority, and are already well catered for.
You may feel that the path to navigate these issues is too tricky. Phrases like “walking on eggshells”, “can’t say right for saying wrong”, “political correctness gone mad” – all weak excuses for allowing injustice to remain unchecked safe in our position of privilege, because it is easier than reading this book for some insight, for example.
There is much to learn, but learn we should, and this book is a good starting point.
It may not be comfortable reading, and as a white person you may feel slighted at times – but that’s your privilege crying out, and evidence that your learning is justified.
