#CharitySoWhite exposes the real, and shocking, stories of racial inequality in the charity sector
Charity sector workers from BAME (Black and Miniority Ethnic) backgrounds are sharing their experiences of institutional racism and descrimination as part of the #CharitySoWhite hashtag that has taken Twitter by storm over the last couple of days.
It all started when Citizens Advice Bureau were called out for racially offensive training material brought to light by Fatima Iftikhar, an organiser with #POCIMPACT, a community that recognises, supports and connects people of colour working in the charity sector.
.@CitizensAdvice any explanation for this horribly racist training on ‘Working with BAME communities’? pic.twitter.com/gM0CS9xtke
— Fatima (@IftikharFatima).@CitizensAdvice any explanation for this horribly racist training on ‘Working with BAME communities’? pic.twitter.com/gM0CS9xtke
— Fatima Iftikhar (@IftikharFatima) August 9, 2019
Citizens Advice Bureau eventually came forward saying: "We agree these materials are not acceptable and apologise unreservedly. We’ve taken them down from our website and will be investigating how this has happened. We help anyone, anywhere, whatever their problem. We strive to ensure our service is truly inclusive."
However the Tweet has since had over 500 retweets in outrage at the racist stereotypes that the document propogates. As shocking as the original Tweet is, when Iftikhar kicked off the #CharitySoWhite hashtag encouraging people to share their own stories of racial descrimination in the charity sector, that is when the Pandora’s box really opened.
Many charity sector workers professed to being at the recieving end of shocking racism and descrimination going unchecked. The outpouring of responses from BAME charity workers reflect many of the issues that we heard recently from people such as Susheila Juggapah and Saimah Razak, speaking in our recent article: damaging assumptions, a lack of representation where it matters and a glass ceiling around upward promotion. We’ve featured just a sample of the stories below:
In one of my ex roles, as ceo of a small charity, like so many others I also cleaned the office to save money. When I resigned the White Make who took over from me was given 1. A cleaner 2. A £5,000 pay increase for working 4 days (I worked 5) 3. An assistant #CharitySoWhite
— RitaChadha - Serious (@SeriousRita)In one of my ex roles, as ceo of a small charity, like so many others I also cleaned the office to save money. When I resigned the White Make who took over from me was given
— RitaChadha - Serious (@SeriousRita) August 20, 2019
1. A cleaner
2. A £5,000 pay increase for working 4 days (I worked 5)
3. An assistant #CharitySoWhite
In one of the non exec roles I’ve had, I calmly suggested to the chair that the board should be more diverse, pointing out that I was the only BAME person on it. My advice was ignored and I decided to take my skills elsewhere #CharitySoWhite
— zoe amar???? (@zoeamar)In one of the non exec roles I've had, I calmly suggested to the chair that the board should be more diverse, pointing out that I was the only BAME person on it. My advice was ignored and I decided to take my skills elsewhere #CharitySoWhite
— zoe amar\uD83D\uDCDD\uD83D\uDCF1 (@zoeamar) August 20, 2019
When leadership only shows interest in your concerns about diversity at the organisation when there is a potential funding bid involved.#CharitySoWhite #CharityTuesday
— Fatima (@IftikharFatima)When leadership only shows interest in your concerns about diversity at the organisation when there is a potential funding bid involved.#CharitySoWhite #CharityTuesday
— Fatima Iftikhar (@IftikharFatima) August 20, 2019
Talented people are leaving the charity sector - I’ve seen them leave and so have I #CharitySoWhite #CharityTuesday t.co/TidUzaRMHi
— Susheila Juggapah (@sushi_juggapah)Talented people are leaving the charity sector - I've seen them leave and so have I #CharitySoWhite #CharityTuesday https://t.co/TidUzaRMHi
— Susheila Juggapah (@sushi_juggapah) August 19, 2019
When I was promoted to a senior management position, I was offered a salary less than a quarter of my younger, whiter, less experienced predecessor. #CharitySoWhite
— Gloria Davies-Coates (@gl0ria)When I was promoted to a senior management position, I was offered a salary less than a quarter of my younger, whiter, less experienced predecessor. #CharitySoWhite
— Gloria Davies-Coates (@gl0ria) August 20, 2019
At casual charity sector social, am cornered by a white man who aggressively asks me why I would vote for Priti Patel just because she is Indian. I’m not Indian. I’ve never said I would vote for her. #CharitySoWhite #charitytuesday
— Fatima (@IftikharFatima)At casual charity sector social, am cornered by a white man who aggressively asks me why I would vote for Priti Patel just because she is Indian. I’m not Indian. I've never said I would vote for her. #CharitySoWhite #charitytuesday
— Fatima Iftikhar (@IftikharFatima) August 20, 2019
I get the gripe from directors about being mistaken as interns or secretaries, but one of the big problems with the charity sector is that a lot of us poc ARE in those positions and that it’s so hard for us to move ‘up’. #charitysowhite
— Nadia Inha (@nadiaiona)I get the gripe from directors about being mistaken as interns or secretaries, but one of the big problems with the charity sector is that a lot of us poc ARE in those positions and that it’s so hard for us to move ‘up’. #charitysowhite
— Nadia Inha (@nadiaiona) August 21, 2019
When I talked to white staff working with BAME members of the community about white awareness, racial identity and the harm caused by ’good white people’ + offered to deliver free training on it, I was met with astonishment & bewilderment#CharitySoWhite
— Ruth Smith (@RooKate)When I talked to white staff working with BAME members of the community about white awareness, racial identity and the harm caused by 'good white people' + offered to deliver free training on it, I was met with astonishment & bewilderment#CharitySoWhite
— Ruth Smith (@RooKate) August 21, 2019
#CharitySoWhite Where to start..1/2 Microagressions eg When I got promoted and other colleagues asked me to my face if it was "positive discrimination". The stares I got anytime I interacted with another black colleague. So many times I got "confused" with another WOC colleague. t.co/6RudTeqqwm
— Collette (@brandbycollette)#CharitySoWhite Where to start..1/2
— Collette (@brandbycollette) August 20, 2019
Microagressions eg
When I got promoted and other colleagues asked me to my face if it was "positive discrimination". The stares I got anytime I interacted with another black colleague. So many times I got "confused" with another WOC colleague. https://t.co/6RudTeqqwm
2/2 and the big stuff... Being the only one in the running for a senior role then being told I didn’t get it cos I wasn’t ’assertive enough’. Being verbally attacked by a colleague who said I was ’aggressive’ when I challenged their poor behaviour. #CharitySoWhite t.co/6RudTeqqwm
— Collette (@brandbycollette)2/2 and the big stuff...
— Collette (@brandbycollette) August 20, 2019
Being the only one in the running for a senior role then being told I didn't get it cos I wasn't 'assertive enough'. Being verbally attacked by a colleague who said I was 'aggressive' when I challenged their poor behaviour. #CharitySoWhite https://t.co/6RudTeqqwm
It’s when you have 10 years of experience in your field, yet when your boss leaves the company they select your 24 year old white colleague to step into the "interim" leadership role in your department. The same colleague who was an intern when you started. t.co/LJKBnPRqJl
— NaturElleSpark (@NaturElleSpark)It's when you have 10 years of experience in your field, yet when your boss leaves the company they select your 24 year old white colleague to step into the "interim" leadership role in your department. The same colleague who was an intern when you started. https://t.co/LJKBnPRqJl
— NaturElleSpark (@NaturElleSpark) June 25, 2019
I’m the director of a national migrant rights charity but people have assumed, on countless occasions, that I’m associated with the organisation as a beneficiary. #CharitySoWhite
— Satbir Singh (@SatbirLSingh)I’m the director of a national migrant rights charity but people have assumed, on countless occasions, that I’m associated with the organisation as a beneficiary. #CharitySoWhite
— Satbir Singh #GratuitousSikh (@SatbirLSingh) August 20, 2019
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While the stories are incredibly sobering, they clearly made a lot of people on Twitter uncomfortable, as the barrage of responses show. As Samir Jeraj Tweets: "On a cultural level, there is the pervasive assumption in charities that because you’re ’nice people’ doing ’good work’ that you’re exempt from structural discrimination or unconscious bias." The backlash seems to reflect this, with a large number of responses denying the problem, exclaiming ’PC gone mad’ and even accusing the Twitter users of a ’victimhood mentality’... and some even outright racist.
So wait - charitable organisations aren’t diverse enough. So it’s somehow a problem that there are too many white people working...for charities.
Is that right? Is that what you’re saying here, or have I misread? — Arthur Pewbglount (@Tigzy_J)So wait - charitable organisations aren't diverse enough. So it's somehow a problem that there are too many white people working...for charities.
— Arthur Pewbglount QC (@Tigzy_J) August 20, 2019
Is that right?
Is that what you're saying here, or have I misread?
Yeah it’s gotta be white peoples fault that other people aren’t doing charity. Maybe whitey should just stop altogether
— CK (@CK32035440)Yeah it’s gotta be white peoples fault that other people aren’t doing charity. Maybe whitey should just stop altogether
— CK (@groypersriseup) August 20, 2019
Go ahead and bite the hand that feeds you.
— Temperator (@TemperatorBot)Go ahead and bite the hand that feeds you.
— Temperator (@TemperatorBot) August 21, 2019
#CharitySoWhite just shows that no other group is willing to give nearly as much to others.
— ClownPrideWW (@WwClown) August 21, 2019
Not going to lose my shit but any charity promoting #CharitySoWhite just lost a donor
— Blammo77 (@Blammo771)Not going to lose my shit but any charity promoting #CharitySoWhite just lost a donor
— Blammo77 (@Blammo771) August 20, 2019
Remember, kids, it’s not about helping the disadvantaged that matters - it’s your skin colour if you do it. #CharitySoWhite
— Daniel Jordan (@Dan_McDanielson)Remember, kids, it's not about helping the disadvantaged that matters - it's your skin colour if you do it.
— Daniel Jordan (@Dan_McDanielson) August 20, 2019
#CharitySoWhite
Remember, if you’re white keep charity to whites only.
Clearly they don’t appreciate us. — Michael Bruce Snow???? (@MBruceS649210)Remember, if you're white keep charity to whites only.
— Michael Bruce Snow\uD83C\uDDEC\uD83C\uDDE7 (@MBruceS649210) August 20, 2019
Clearly they don't appreciate us.
Whether or not these Tweets are just internet ’trolling’ and being purposely provocative, they are evidence of a deeper problem that urgently needs addressing. The unfortunate thing is that the stories shared are likely to be the tip of the iceberg of stories from BAME people facing descrimination in the charity sector, not counting the many people unwilling to come forward and put their careers at risk, or face bullying such as this. As Seyi Akiwowo puts it:
#CharitySoWhite is when you can’t even tweet about your horrific experience because of the fear of backlash and bullying.
— Seyi Akiwowo (@seyiakiwowo)
#CharitySoWhite is when you can't even tweet about your horrific experience because of the fear of backlash and bullying.
— Seyi Akiwowo (@seyiakiwowo) August 20, 2019
To all the white people losing their shit about #CharitySoWhite (most of whom dont appear to be charity workers): you’re proving the point. It’s not enough to be ‘doing good’, AND we won’t be able to do good without a much broader, balanced range of talent & experiences
— Alice Fuller (@AliceFuller)To all the white people losing their shit about #CharitySoWhite (most of whom dont appear to be charity workers): you’re proving the point. It’s not enough to be ‘doing good’, AND we won’t be able to do good without a much broader, balanced range of talent & experiences
— Alice Fuller (@AliceFuller) August 20, 2019
Dear people getting all butthurt about the #CharitySoWhite hashtag... 1. No-one is saying white people are therefore bad people 2. No-one is advocating discriminating *against* white people 3. Access to opportunity is a *big* part of the resultant demographics
— Miss IG Geek (@MissIG_Geek)Dear people getting all butthurt about the #CharitySoWhite hashtag...
— Miss IG Geek (she/her)\uD83D\uDD77 (@MissIG_Geek) August 20, 2019
1. No-one is saying white people are therefore bad people
2. No-one is advocating discriminating *against* white people
3. Access to opportunity is a *big* part of the resultant demographics
In our video below, Charity Digital’s own customer service manager Raabia shares her own views from her decade of experience in the sector:
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