Harry Coombes, Copywriter

October is Black History month - the only month of the year given to notice Black lives and history here in the UK. Yet socio-economic inequalities make life difficult for these communities every day.

We know one month isn’t enough; but we want to take advantage of the heightened discussion surrounding Black History Month to raise some key issues. We hope that this blog will help to educate people who don't have the same lived experience of being a Black person or a person of colour. And at the same time show support for organisations advocating for change.

We also want to acknowledge that there is a difference between the lived experience of Black people and other ethnic minority groups. Our focus in this blog is more on Black people of African and Caribbean heritage, who are disproportionately affected. However, some of the statistics we mention also include other minority ethnic people in the UK.

Food insecurity is a racial issue

Food insecurity doesn't affect us all the same. For instance, Black people from Islington, Lambeth and Wandsworth make up 16.8% of the local population but 39.6% of the food bank usage. And it’s estimated that Black and ethnic minorities in the UK are 1.5 times at risk of food insecurity as White-British.

So, what’s causing the disparity?

Systemic racism

Stokely Carmichael coined the term 'Systemic racism'. It consists of acts by both individuals and institutions. Only, it's the conduct of institutions that slips under the radar. Society's "established and respected forces" receive "far less public condemnation" than individuals. An overt act from one person is far easier noticed than a covert one by an institution.

So where has this come from? Historic events have shaped UK attitudes towards Black and ethnic minorities. Like the transatlantic slave trade. And they still have residual effect on institutions today.

Yet people may say “Racism isn’t a problem anymore in the UK, we were one of the first to abolish the slave trade!” or something similar when the topic comes up. Rather than stamp out the problem for good, instead this shifts it from an obvious to a more insidious form. It’s still very much present, only now it’s less easy to detect and more likely denied.

Income inequality

39% of UK food bank referrals in 2019-20 were a result of low income. And it's people of African and Caribbean heritage who are worst affected. They hold only 5% of managerial or directorial positions. It's the lowest percent of any ethnic group, and it's not an anomaly. They also hold the highest percent of elementary positions at 16%.

What does this say about the obstacles people of African or Caribbean heritage face? It shows the negative attitudes to hiring a diverse range of employees for senior roles. Researchers sent out CV’s with African sounding names and identical White-British CV's. They had to send 74% more CV's with African sounding names to get the same response.

What about diversity policies? Some employers will have one when hiring, but this is more often than not a box-ticking exercise. Rather than tackling the negative cycle, these policies often reinforce it and are in need of serious improvement.

So, Black people are more likely to work low income jobs, putting them at higher risk of dependency on food banks. For every £1 owned by White-British households, black Caribbean households have 20p. And Black African households only 10p.

We are now facing a second wave of coronavirus. And it’s the low-income jobs in hospitality and retail which are hardest hit. They rely on face-to-face interaction - the main mechanism of transmission. These institutions will suffer profit loss through at least partial closure. And for companies to combat this, it means letting people go and reducing hours. Not only that, the likelihood of people in those jobs catching the virus and being unable to work is high. And if they're unable to work, the cycle of insecurity starts to snowball.

Housing inequality

And it’s only made worse when it comes to housing. Only 30% of black and ethnic minority workers in routine or manual jobs are homeowners. A stark contrast to the 53% of white British workers in the same jobs. It means Black and minority ethnic people are more likely to live in cramped public housing. And by this the risk of contracting Covid-19 becomes greater still.

What can we do?

The UK is a country still in denial about its relationship with race. But it’s impossible to tackle a problem until we admit there is one. The narrative needs to change.

That’s why we must raise awareness for and support organisations like Runnymede trust. It’s a think tank that investigates into these inequalities and gets Black voices heard. They found many Black and ethnic minorities unable to access basic financial services. Simple support like opening bank accounts and taking out loans. Without even this they're more vulnerable to emergencies, continuing the cycle of poverty.

It isn’t a problem we can solve overnight. But our Black and minority ethnic neighbours deserve equality just like anyone else. Working together to make it happen requires us to challenge ourselves and consider our own experience of race.

Share this blog on social media to help raise awareness and check out the links below. They offer more educational resources and guidance on how to help change the narrative. Be it as an individual, governing body or institution. Or GIVE NOW to Bankuet and help combat food insecurity for all.

Links:

Sources:

Food bank racial disparity statistics are taken from a study by Oxford Academic Journal of Public Health against the census information for the food banks in 3 London boroughs (Islington, Lambeth and Wandsworth) from Office For National Statistics.

Looking for ways to help those going hungry right now?

Bankuet helps get food banks what they need, when they need it. Give now to Bankuet and help combat food insecurity for all.

Shining a Light on Racial Inequality and Food Insecurity