You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Let's focus on solving the real problem, rather than attacking the BME label
The BME label is needed to help combat lack of diversity, argues Monique Green
Why the BME label is needed, by @MoniDavina #ukhousingInitiatives such as Inside Housing's BME Leaders List are important, writes @MoniDavina #ukhousing
Like most people, I’ve had many labels applied to me; some I would consider good, others not so good and a few that I would consider neutral – I’ve always felt that BME was somewhat neutral.
It’s clear that there has been an ongoing debate about the label used to identify people who are ‘non-white’, and after reading a recent article on the issue, I decided to stop for a moment to review my stance.
There is merit in the argument that the BME label lacks nuance as it groups all non-white people together.
“The problem is not the ‘BME’ label – the problem is people’s perception and bias.”
It fails to acknowledge the different nationalities that fall within this group, which could result in a person who falls into this category feeling that they lose parts of their identity when they are slotted neatly into this wide-ranging BME category.
I know that heritage is often an important identifier for BME individuals and I have to agree that the BME label fails to acknowledge this so it is understandable that some people refuse to identify with it.
Read more
When I think of all the things that form my identity as a whole, being black British Caribbean is one part – but it is not all that I am.
For some people, my ethnic background and heritage is all they will see and this is all it will take for them to dismiss or exclude me.
What is clear to me, based on this, is that the problem is not the label – the problem is their perception and bias.
I fully acknowledge that I am not in a position to comment on other people’s experiences, however, I do think it is potentially harmful to categorise the BME label as being ‘bad’ because in doing so we fail to acknowledge the reasons why it’s needed and by focusing solely on the label we miss the opportunity to challenge the prejudice that so often lies behind it, which in my view is a bigger problem than the label itself.
Does removing the label solve the problems that BME people often face, whether those problems are access to housing or a lack of leadership role models? I can almost guarantee that the answer would be no. Clearly then, the label cannot be the problem.
From a purely statistical point of view, the label allows us to identify and evidence problems such as the discrimination many BME people face at work and in society as a whole.
Without the label, there is a very real possibility that the problem would be driven underground and the BME community’s very real experience would simply be disregarded as imagined.
“Campaigns such as Inclusive Futures and the BME Leaders list are so important as they keep the focus on the real problem.”
Furthermore, a collective voice carries greater influence, meaning there is little room for avoidance when we are all highlighting a problem; the label facilitates that voice.
This is why campaigns such as Inclusive Futures and the BME Leaders List are so important as they keep the focus on the real problem and recognise the dedication from those who are working to make a difference.
Focusing on the label is almost like a magician’s sleight of hand, a means of distracting ourselves from the real problems and the fact that they do not seem to be going away any time soon.
If we spend too much time debating what the label should be then there is a risk that we will continue to be stuck in the debate and fail to follow this up with any real action.
This debate has been ongoing for some time now, language has changed and labels have changed along with it. Now is the time to ask ourselves where the best place is for us to invest our energies: in attacking a label or in fighting the problem?
Monique Green, housing services manager, Yarrow Housing
BME Leaders List
Inside Housing is inviting nominations for our first ever BME Leaders List, which will highlight the black and minority ethnic (BME) individuals who make an outstanding contribution to the housing sector.
This is part of our Inclusive Futures campaign to promote greater diversity among the sector's leadership teams.
Inclusive Futures
Inside Housing’s Inclusive Futures campaign aims to promote and celebrate diversity and inclusion.
We are pledging to publish diversity audits of our own coverage.
We are also committed to proactively promoting positive role models.
We will do this through the pages of Inside Housing. But we will also seek to support other publications and events organisations to be more inclusive.
Our Inclusive Futures Bureau will provide a database of speakers and commentators from all backgrounds, for use by all media organisations.
We are also challenging readers to take five clear steps to promote diversity, informed by the Chartered Institute of Housing’s diversity commission and the Leadership 2025 project.
THE INCLUSIVE FUTURES CHALLENGE
Inside Housing calls on organisations to sign up to an inclusive future by taking five steps:
Prioritise diversity and inclusion at the top: commitment and persistence from chief executives, directors and chairs in setting goals and monitoring progress.
Collect data on the diversity of your board, leadership and total workforce and publish annually with your annual report. Consider gender, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, age, and representation of tenants on the board.
Set aspirational targets for recruitment to the executive team, board and committees from under-represented groups.
Challenge recruiting staff and agencies to ensure that all shortlists include candidates from under-represented groups.
Make diversity and inclusion a core theme in your talent management strategy to ensure you support people from under-represented groups to progress their careers.
INSIDE HOUSING’S PLEDGES
We will take proactive steps to promote positive role models from under-represented groups and provide information to support change.
We pledge to:
Publish diversity audits: We will audit the diversity of the commentators we feature. We will formalise this process and publish the results for future audits twice a year.
Promote role models: We will work to highlight leading lights from specific under-represented groups, starting in early 2018 with our new BME Leaders List.
Launch Inclusive Futures Bureau: We will work with the sector to compile a database of speakers, commentators and experts from under-represented groups. The bureau will be available to events organisers, media outlets and publications to support them to better represent the talent in the sector.
Take forward the Women in Housing Awards: Inside Housing has taken on these successful awards and will work to grow and develop them.
Convene Inclusive Futures Summit: Our new high-level event will support organisations to develop and implement strategies to become more diverse and inclusive.
Related stories