Recognising Islamophobia in the Scottish Council
Scotland has always considered itself a society that is “open, inclusive and outward-looking” according to its first minister, Nicola Sturgeon. But the nation’s popular and persistent belief that it does not have a problem with racism has been contradicted by a study by Tackling Islamophobia, a cross-party group of the Scottish government. This starkly reveals […]
Factors that Enable Islamophobia
The inquiry identifies the key factors that enable Islamophobia in Scotland. One set focuses on politics, whereby Islamophobia is reinforced by Scottish politics, politicians and elections, by far-right politicians and as a result of Brexit. Another set relates to military intervention abroad and problematic counterterrorism policies, alongside terrorist incidents, in allowing it to thrive. A […]
Why is IAM Important?
IAM (Islamophobia Awareness Month) raises awareness within society of how Muslims are discriminated against in various spheres, along with providing information on the positive contributions of British Muslims to the UK. It helps break down barriers and challenge incorrect stereotypes people may hold about Muslims, as well as providing an avenue for people of other […]
What is Islamophobia?
Islamophobia is defined as: a prejudice, aversion, hostility, or hatred towards Muslims and encompasses any distinction, exclusion, restriction, discrimination, or preference against Muslims that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or […]
What More Can Be Done?
The UK needs more regional Black archives so it can celebrate Black British history in its entirety.Located in the heart of Brixton, London, an area that instantly brings to mind the capital’s Black community, is the national Black Cultural Archives (BCA). Founded in 1981, the BCA is the only national heritage centre dedicated to collecting, […]
Edinburgh’s Part in the Slave Trade
It is a side of Scotland’s past not widely spoken of – the disproportionately high connections to the slave trade, the legacy of that wealth on spaces like the New Town, and the relevance which carries to the modern day.Remembering how Edinburgh benefited from the mistreatment of enslaved people is important in ensuring that the […]
The Reality of Being Black in Todays Britain
Britain’s racism problem—we’ve made progress, but not enoughIt’s starkly evident that major ethnic and racial inequalities persist in employment, housing and the justice system. Black and Muslim minorities have twice the unemployment rate of their white British peers and are twice as likely to live in overcrowded housing. They are also much more likely to […]
British Black Panther Party
Inspired by the Black Power movement in the U.S., the Nigerian playwright, Obi Egbuna, founded the British Black Panthers (BBP) in 1968 in London’s Notting Hill. In Britain, people of Caribbean, African, or South Asian descent, who were mainly immigrants from former British colonies, were considered to be “black.” The tripling of Britain’s black population […]
The black British history you may not know about:
“We have existed in Britain and been pioneers, inventors, icons. And then colonialism happened, and that has shaped the experiences of black people – but that is not all we are.”These are the words of Lavinya Stennett, founder of The Black Curriculum, an organisation which teaches black British history in schools – and is campaigning […]
Dr Mark Richards
Dr Mark Richards has a BSc in Chemistry (Manchester) and a PhD in Physics from Imperial College London. And, is also a DJ (DJ Kemist). His research centred on the spectroscopic study of nitric acid vapour for atmospheric remote sensing retrievals. After working in finance for a while, Mark returned to Imperial in 2002 as […]