The critical need we are addressing
҄ Over 70% of ethnic minority workers said they have experienced racial harassment at work in the past five years (University of Manchester, 2019) ҄ 33% of Black employees feel that their ethnicity will be a barrier to their next career move compared to only 1% of White employees (Business in the Community, 2020) ҄ Ethnic discrimination in the workplace costs the UK £40 billion annually ( Route2, 2020) Experience of racism in daily life ҄ Race remains the most commonly recorded motivation for hate crime in England and Wales, at 72% (Office for National Statistics, 2019-20) ҄ In the UK, Black people and People of Colour are 10 times more likely to be stopped and searched than White people. Police in the UK are also 5 times more likely to use force against Black people compared to White people (In Your Area, 2020) ҄ 2/3 of Black Britons have had a racial slur directly used against them or had people make assumptions about their behaviour based on their race (YouGov poll reported in FT, 2020) The experience of such prevalent racism – both direct and indirect – can have a devastating effect on a person’s mental health. Racial trauma can lead to depression, hypervigilance, chronic stress and fatigue, bodily inflammation, and symptoms similar to post traumatic stress disorder.
We live in a biased system that disadvantages People of Colour and Black people. The impact of racial inequity on mental health is both devastating and profound. Research has proven that People of Colour and Black people experience poorer mental health outcomes than the rest of the population. Understanding and recognising how racism operates as a system to create disparities for People of Colour and Black people – and how this can affect their mental health – is vital to dismantling racism, if we are to make real, lasting changes across our society. Racism and its impact on mental health For People of Colour and Black people, experiences of racial inequity permeate every aspect of life as illustrated in the stats below. An article published in the Guardian , shortly after the murder of George Floyd, presented a wide ranging and growing body of evidence to suggest that racism, racial prejudice and the many inequalities experienced by People of Colour and Black people leads to illness, both physical and mental. Racism and racial inequity in the workplace ҄ Half of Black Britons say they are as likely to have experienced racism at work as in the street (YouGov poll reported in FT, 2020) ҄ Over a quarter of Black people (29%) say their mental health has been negatively impacted by racism experienced at work (City Mental Health Alliance, 2021)
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