The Persistent Challenge of Racial Inequality

The persistent and relentless rise of racial inequality continues to cast a long shadow across societies worldwide. With discrimination on the rise and its impacts spreading far and wide, the urgency for leaders to champion justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) principles has never been greater.

1. The Growing Divide - The Facts

Recent data paints a stark picture of the racial divide that continues to widen:

• According to the Pew Research Center , the wealth gap between Black and white Americans has shown no signs of improvement over the past 20 years. In 2021, the median wealth of white households was $250,400, compared to just $27,100 for Black households—a nearly 9.2-fold difference.

• The World Justice Project reports that discrimination has worsened globally, with 70% of countries seeing an increase between 2021 and 2022. Dataset: https://worldjusticeproject.org/rule-of-law-index/global

• The UN highlights that people of African descent are up to 9 times more likely to die from COVID-19 in some countries, underscoring deep-rooted health disparities. Additionally, the Kaiser Family Foundation (@KFF) highlights significant health disparities, noting that people of colour fare worse than white people across 64 measures of health and healthcare.

• In the UK, ethnicity pay gap reporting reveals that in 2022, employees from ethnic minority backgrounds earned on average 8.9% less than their white counterparts. The Inclusive Britain update report, published in April 2023, outlines the progress made in addressing these disparities. The action plan includes 74 tailored actions aimed at tackling entrenched inequalities in education, health, criminal justice, and the workplace. As of the latest update, 32 actions have been completed, focusing on increasing trust, promoting fairness, and ensuring equal opportunities for all.
• A 2023 study by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights found that 45% of people of African descent in the EU experienced racial discrimination in the past 5 years, up from 39% in 2016.

2. Real World Manifestations

The statistics above translate into tangible, often painful realities of inequality for people of colour:

• Employment Discrimination: Qualified candidates with "ethnic-sounding" names are less likely to receive callbacks for job interviews. A Canadian study found resumes with Asian names were 28% less likely to get called for an interview compared to identical resumes with Anglo names. Similarly, in the UK, a study by the Centre for Social Investigation found that applicants from ethnic minority backgrounds had to send 60% more applications to receive the same number of callbacks as their white counterparts.
• Educational Disparities: In the US, schools with predominantly Black and Hispanic student populations receive $23 billion less in funding annually compared to predominantly white schools, despite serving the same number of students. This funding gap translates into fewer resources, larger class sizes, and lower teacher salaries, which significantly impact the quality of education and future opportunities for these students.
• Criminal Justice Bias: People of colour face disproportionate rates of police stops, searches, and use of force. In the UK, Black people are 9 times more likely to be stopped and searched by police than white people. Additionally, the Lammy Review found that Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) individuals are more likely to be charged and sentenced to prison compared to their white counterparts for similar offenses.
• Housing Discrimination: Studies consistently show that people of colour face higher rejection rates for mortgages and rental applications, even when controlling for income and credit scores. The Urban Institute found that Black applicants were denied mortgages at a rate 80% higher than white applicants with similar financial profiles. In the UK, the Equality and Human Rights Commission reported that ethnic minorities are more likely to live in overcrowded and substandard housing conditions compared to white households.

3. The Rise of Far-Right and Fascist Movements

A deeply concerning trend exacerbating racial inequality is the resurgence of far-right and fascist movements across the globe. This phenomenon is contributing to an atmosphere of increased hostility and discrimination against people of color:

UK and European Trends in 2024 Election Year

• UK: In July 2024, the UK witnessed a series of violent far-right protests that marked a troubling escalation in extremist activities. Fuelled by political neglect and social media disinformation, it ignited Islamophobia and anti-immigrant sentiment with demonstrations targeting refugees, asylum seekers and people of color across several cities. The severity of the situation witnessed the arson of a refugee centre including widespread vandalism of Muslim-owned businesses and places of worship. These events exposed the growing threat of right-wing extremism and the urgent need for more robust strategies to combat online radicalisation and protection of those vulnerable in local communities.
• Austria: Voters have elected far-right Freedom Party (FP?), founded by former Nazi SS officer Anton Reinthaller, has seen significant success in recent elections that could reshape Europe's political landscape and potentially tilt the balance of power between Russia and the West.
• Germany: For the first time since the end of World War II, a far-right party, The Alternative for Germany (AfD), has won a state election in Germany. According to investigations by the German magazine Der Spiegel, there has been considerable cross-pollination between the AfD and neo-Nazi movements, with representatives of the latter working as advisors for the former.
• France: The Le Monde reports the far-right recruits neo-fascists. In the 2022 presidential election, the far-right National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen received 41.5% of the vote in the runoff, the highest ever for a far-right candidate in France igniting a far right renaissance.

Online Radicalisation

A 2023 study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue found a 600% increase in the number of white supremacist channels on Telegram since 2021. These channels had over 900,000 combined followers. Online radicalisation is a growing concern, as extremist groups increasingly exploit digital platforms to spread their ideologies and recruit members. The case of the Terrorgram Collective, as highlighted in the ProPublica article, exemplifies how neo-Nazi groups use encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram Messenger to promote far-right extremism and incite violence.

Economic Factors

The OECD - OCDE reports that income inequality has reached its highest level in 50 years in OECD countries, with the average income of the richest 10% being about nine times that of the poorest 10%. This economic disparity often fuels far-right narratives.

These developments pose a significant obstacle to advancing racial equality, as they normalise discriminatory attitudes and encourage those harbouring racist beliefs to express them more openly. The convergence of economic inequality, online radicalisation and political opportunism has created a fertile ground for far-right ideologies to thrive, making it an imperative for governments, civil society and individuals to take swift urgent action counter this trend.

4. The Ripple Effect: Impacts of Racial Inequality

The consequences of racial inequality extend far beyond the immediate victims, affecting society as a whole:

• Economic Stagnation: McKinsey estimates that closing the racial wealth gap could add $1-1.5 trillion to the US economy by 2028.
• Social Cohesion: Persistent inequality erodes trust in institutions and between communities, threatening social stability.
• Mental Health: The chronic stress of experiencing racial discrimination is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues among people of colour.
• Innovation Loss: When diverse voices are systematically excluded, societies miss out on a wealth of perspectives and ideas that could drive progress and solve complex problems.

5. Call-to-Action: Become a JEDI Champion

The path to racial equality is long and challenging, but a journey that collectively must undertaken together to safeguard environments for future generations. It requires a concerted effort from individuals, organisations and society at large.

Connect and join the community of JEDI (Justice, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) champions:

1. Educate Yourself: Commit to ongoing learning about the history and current realities of racial inequality. Seek out diverse voices and perspectives.
2. Speak Up: Call out to challenge racist and discriminatory behaviors when you encounter them. Amplify the oppressed and marginalised voices affected, standing shoulder to shoulder.
3. Advocate for Policy Change: Support legislation and initiatives that address systemic racial inequalities in education, housing, healthcare, and criminal justice.
4. Promote Inclusive Practices: In your workplace or community organisations, champion inclusive core values, diversity in hiring, mentorship programs and leadership development to create environments that bring out the best qualities in people
5. Support Minority-Owned Businesses: Make conscious choices to support and invest in businesses owned by people of colour.
6. Engage in Cross-Cultural Dialogue: Create opportunities for meaningful interactions and understanding across racial and ethnic lines.
7. Hold Institutions Accountable: Demand transparency and action from governments, corporations and other powerful entities in addressing racial disparities.
8. Counter Far-Right Narratives: Actively work to debunk misinformation and hateful rhetoric. Support organisations that monitor and combat extremist groups.
9. Promote Media Literacy: Educate others on how to identify and critically evaluate sources of information, particularly regarding issues of race and immigration.
10. Foster Inclusive Welcoming Communities: Organise and participate in local initiatives that bring together people from diverse backgrounds to welcome, build understanding and solidarity.

In the face of rising far-right movements, it's more crucial than ever to stand united against discrimination and racial inquality. By committing to JEDI principles and taking consistent action, a more equitable and just society for all can be achieved.

??The time for change is now – will you answer the call?