Scotland needs diversity after George Floyd case so no-one is left behind

We averted our gaze when it happened May 3, 2015, to Sheku Bayoh here in Scotland. One wrongful death in police custody is one death too many. It is time to dismantle institutionally racist structures where justice is not served to the most marginalised and vulnerable in our midst.

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Afua Hirsch, in an article published last month, talked about how black and brown people must be at the heart of Britain’s story as we move forward past the pandemic, to ensure that our contributions to British history, its economy, education and society are not discounted, dismissed or removed from the retelling of the narrative, as happened after the Second World War.

In Scotland, we suffer from a similar myopic vision when it comes to analysing the contributions of slavery and immigration to Scotland over the centuries. As part of the ethnic minorities community living and working in Scotland, my observations have been that we are easily pleased and set the bar quite low when discussing or pushing our concerns around equality. We have a tendency to be satisfied with a nod to our presence, for our potential vote near election time; through rhetoric and analogies that we are part of Scotland’s “tartan”. These post-racial narratives of inclusivity, social justice and fairness, held up by Scottish Government policies, sadly fall apart at the first stage of inquiry, when you look past the glossy reports and examine the evidence with an informed approach, its analysis and its recommendations, and how they are operationalised outside policy pages.

We know discrimination exists, and that it changes and manifests itself differently in different contexts. We know that it is protected and normalised by those that hold power, and where the creation of policies, which structurally disadvantage minority groups, protect and maintain the privilege and advantage of the host society.

The structural inequalities faced by the marginalised and those on the fringes of society become more apparent framed against a backdrop of austerity, which is why I welcome the work of the Social Justice and Fairness Commission. Scottish politicians, policy-makers, board members and decision-makers of public sector bodies are predominantly white, able-bodied, heterosexual, middle-class (mainly) men. These bodies influence, normalise and embed structural inequality, so only those like them can join them and have a voice at the decision-making table. Those that are positioned outside that circle of privilege and belonging are problematised, demonised, “othered”, imprisoned or murdered, as in the case of George Floyd, with little or no repercussions.

The impact of inequality is felt most keenly by those who fit under a grouping encompassing one or more of these factors – disability, emotional or mental ill-health, age, substance and alcohol abuse, having a different sexual gender, identity or orientation from the accepted “norm”, a different religion, a different colour; being a refugee, living in poor housing, having precarious and low-paid employment, being unemployed, affected by austerity – or an intersection of the above.

They are falling further and further behind, while discrimination becomes more and more normalised, embedded and justified, through cost-cutting austerity measures, removing avenues for support and continuing erosion of their human rights to be treated as equal citizens. This is why I welcome the concept of a Universal Basic Income model which is fit for purpose and supports those of us who need it the most.

Here in Scotland the myth that we are living in a post-racial society, a socially just society, is one that I aspire to, and what I would like an independent Scotland to look like. We are not there yet, and have a fair distance to travel. With the powers we currently hold, the policies, the different strands of equality legislation, processes and procedures should enable all of us to start working effectively towards this aim. There is abundant evidence to show how the inequalities impact on the most vulnerable amongst us. Evidence on the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on ethnic minorities has been submitted to the Scottish Government and provides us with a baseline on how we choose to move forward and address each of the themes highlighted by the commission of a secure income for all, homes and communities for all, and health and wellbeing.

Consultations such as the Social Justice and Fairness Commission are important. It is important to have a diversity of voices represented to ensure that we are heard, and that we are able to handle the criticism alongside the praise if we are to learn and keep moving forward to a space which is replaced by action and not rhetoric or spin, as in the past. We must continue to ask critical and difficult questions which may make others feel uncomfortable, fragile, defensive. But unless we start to problem-solve, engage and negotiate we will not be able to move forward, and move forward we must if we truly wish to leave no-one behind.

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As an educator and activist, I would ask the Scottish Government, that the change begin with not just decolonising our curriculum from early years provision to higher education, but to action an anti-racist curriculum which would benefit us and our future generations.

Let’s discuss and own up to the role Scotland has played in the Empire’s colonial history, our involvement in the slave trade, the significance of our merchant cities and street names we walk past daily. It is in Scotland’s remit to weave us back into history, to include world views if we wish our society to be underpinned by the values of social justice, fairness, equality and equity. We need to start building an inclusive, diverse society. If we truly want change, we owe it to ourselves to work together as allies to make change happen, to be bold, to be honest and to be brave. We must not let the sacrifices, deaths and lessons we have learned go to waste. This is my vision for Scotland for where we are now, for where we can go in the future, and what it an independent Scotland can look like if we get it right, starting now.

Dr Nighet Riaz is a member of the Social Justice and Fairness Commission, an anti-racist educator and a community and political activist. Her research focuses on how communities can become “othered” fuelled by moral panics, and she co-convenes the BERA Special Interest Group on Race, Ethnicity and Education. Riaz is also a board member of a feminist organisation and training and development partner of the Scottish Association for Minority Ethnic Educators (SAMEE)