Proud brothas and sistas show their strength

Maat · (#1 (**permalink**))

This article has been sent by BLINK (Black Information Link), website of the 1990 Trust.
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TOGETHER WE'RE STRONGER. That was the title of a conference of Black and minority civil servants.
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Jennifer Joseph: working to eliminate harassment.

Hundreds of members of PROUD, a support network for Black and ethnic minority staff working at the department for constitutional affairs, attended their annual conference in London.

PROUD (People from diverse Racial Origins Uniting the Department), which has a membership of 2,000, held its fourth conference entitled Together We're Stronger in north London.

Conference delegates were treated to addresses by Jennifer Joseph, head of PROUD, Jane Elliott, American creator of the Blue Eyed Brown Eyed exercise and the Eye of the Storm award-winning film, and by John Lyon, BME staff champion at the DCA and Valerie Willer, head of the DCA's equality and diversity unit.

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Ms Joseph, who took over as network co-ordinator in 2004, told delegates that discrimination occurred in many forms and guises and took away people's confidence and self-worth, respecting no one.

John Lyon: 'I want people to feel free to talk'

If unchallenged, it impacted hard on the lives of the people at the receiving end, their families, and their working environment.

She said PROUD and other corporate staff networks existed to help the department, to make life better for everyone.

One strategic objective was to 'work towards eliminating race discrimination and racial harassment' in the department.

This is done by commenting on policies to ensure they do not impact adversely on BME staff, involvement in impact assessments, providing support and advice to members to raise members' confidence and equip them to take charge of their own progress.

PROUD supports members in tackling discrimination or unfair practices, reports such to the department and encourages victims to report incidents.

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Ms Joseph said it was vital incidents were brought out into the open, adding: "I know how difficult that can be, but unless we have the courage to take a stand, then those perpetrating this hideous behaviour, will get away with it and do it to others.

"It is hateful and demoralising - unless it's challenged it sends the wrong message that it's OK. When clearly it is not."

Mr Lyon, who is director-general of legal and judicial services at the DCA, said that 700 members had joined over the past year. He told Blink that he was delighted with the rise in membership.

"The network has a great capacity to help a lot of staff both in practical problems and helping them go for opportunities and promotion. People do need support. I want people to feel free and talk about their experiences."

Valerie Willer told delegates she came from a strong family of Black women and had always been encouraged to do anything she wanted to, adding: "I did not have a to deal with any form of harassment or discrimination."

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Her advice to delegates was to obtain as much knowledge about their field as they could, go on training courses and set personal goals.

The conference also heard from Ms Elliott, a diversity trainer who exposes prejudice and bigotry through her talks. In response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. over thirty years ago, Ms Elliott devised the controversial "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise which labels participants as inferior or superior based solely upon the colour of their eyes and exposes them to the experience of being a minority.

During her one-hour presentation on Power, Perception, And Prejudice, Ms Elliott, a white-haired Caucasian woman in her 60s, used two audience members, including, to the delight of delegates, Mr Lyons, and visual aids to help recognize, identify, and appreciate the differences on which power is assigned, and some of the ways in which people are conditioned to develop their perceptions.

She said that racism was "carefully taught" and had to be repelled: "I know how to be racist and so does every White person in your country and mine."

She told delegates that everyone should move from thinking of their country as a melting pot, where colour and diversity is not distinguishable, to a stir-fry, a "place where people are appreciated for what they are."

Ms Elliott said Black talent in the UK was being wasted and that it was everyone's responsibility to fight racism: "Can you imagine a world in which you take all the strengths of the Black community? We are wasting that strength, we need to be using it."

She added: "Everybody has responsibility to do something about racism." To claps from the audience, she said of US president George Bush: "He doesn't know his terrier from a depression in the sand."

Asked how she felt about being accused of being negative, she said: "People with colour did not cause the need for positive action. Positive action is the reaction of negative action. I'm describing it as it is. White people don't live in the same reality as you. Of course we don't see it the same way."

SoulRebel · (#2 (**permalink**))

Maat wrote:

Quote:

The conference also heard from Ms Elliott, a diversity trainer who exposes prejudice and bigotry through her talks. In response to the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. over thirty years ago, Ms Elliott devised the controversial "Blue Eyes/Brown Eyes" exercise which labels participants as inferior or superior based solely upon the colour of their eyes and exposes them to the experience of being a minority.

During her one-hour presentation on Power, Perception, And Prejudice, Ms Elliott, a white-haired Caucasian woman in her 60s, used two audience members, including, to the delight of delegates, Mr Lyons, and visual aids to help recognize, identify, and appreciate the differences on which power is assigned, and some of the ways in which people are conditioned to develop their perceptions.

She said that racism was "carefully taught" and had to be repelled: "I know how to be racist and so does every White person in your country and mine."

She told delegates that everyone should move from thinking of their country as a melting pot, where colour and diversity is not distinguishable, to a stir-fry, a "place where people are appreciated for what they are."

Ms Elliott said Black talent in the UK was being wasted and that it was everyone's responsibility to fight racism: "Can you imagine a world in which you take all the strengths of the Black community? We are wasting that strength, we need to be using it."

She added: "Everybody has responsibility to do something about racism." To claps from the audience, she said of US president George Bush: "He doesn't know his terrier from a depression in the sand."

Asked how she felt about being accused of being negative, she said: "People with colour did not cause the need for positive action. Positive action is the reaction of negative action. I'm describing it as it is. White people don't live in the same reality as you. Of course we don't see it the same way."

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Jane Elliott still going strong? Wonder how she went down....I've heard that she's a little too truthful for most UK audiences......