by Leela Ramdeen, Chair, CCSJ and Director, CREDI
“Every form of social or cultural discrimination in fundamental personal rights on the grounds of sex, race, colour, social conditions, language, or religion must be curbed and eradicated as incompatible with God’s design” (Gaudium et Spes, 29,2)
The world will observe The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination tomorrow, March 21.
As UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says, this “is an opportunity to renew our commitment to building a world of justice and equality where xenophobia and bigotry do not exist. We must learn the lessons of history and acknowledge the profound damage caused by racial discrimination.”
The theme this year is: Challenges and Achievements of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – 15 years after.
There is only one race, the human race. Humanity exists as a single human family. Yet racism, hatred, intolerance, discrimination, feelings of superiority among and between certain ethnic groups, continue to hinder integral human development.
I remember when the late Cardinal Basil Hume held a press conference in London in 1986 after a committee which he had established and of which I was Chair, produced a report entitled: “With you in Spirit?”
The main task of the committee was to explore the Church’s commitment to the black community in the Diocese of Westminster and to make recommendations to His Eminence. After spending two years collecting empirical data through public meetings, interviews and so on, we reported to him.
I sat next to him at the media event. Reporters focused on a key statement contained in the report: “Racism permeates every aspect of Church and society.” When asked if he agreed with that statement, he replied: “If there is even one instance of racism, it is one too many; racism is not in keeping with God’s plan.”
During my many years in the UK, I was also Co-Chair of Britain’s Anti-racist Alliance. The other Co-Chair was Ken Livingstone, former MP and Mayor of London.
My work as coordinator of the Primary Curriculum Development Project to promote success among pupils of Caribbean origin exposed me to the impact of racism on the teaching and learning process. Later, as a member of the team of school inspectors on the ILEA’s Multi-ethnic/Anti-Racist team, I had an opportunity to help develop/ implement anti-racist policies that were intended to give students/families from minority ethnic communities a ‘fighting chance’ – free from racism. And when I was appointed deputy director of Education/Head of Quality Assurance in a London Borough, I was able to build on my work to fight for the rights of all God’s children.
On December 8, 2015, the UK marked the 50th Anniversary of the Race Relations Act (and see further amendments to this Act).
Kehinde Andrews, one of the journalists who has reported on progress since then, said in his article in the UK Guardian: “There’s been some progress since 1965, but focusing on individual prejudice has avoided tackling endemic, systematic racism, leaving significant inequalities.”
“Racism”, he says, “is the systematic oppression of communities based on their colour and can thrive even when open prejudice has declined. If we stopped measuring racism in attitude surveys and legislative change we would realise the real test is to analyse the disadvantages faced by ethnic minority communities. This is a test that Britain is hopelessly failing.”
Sadly, around the world, the issue of migration, the closure of borders, the building of walls and barriers and ‘ethnic cleansing’ are all signs of “raw” racism. As Catholics, we are called to eliminate this socially constructed, hydra-headed monster.
Racism is a sin and should be denounced in all its forms e.g. individual, institutional, direct and indirect (see Sir William Macpherson’s 1999 report). Pope Francis repeatedly speaks out against all forms of racism, and we should too!
Our Catechism tells us: “Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity. The equality of men rests essentially on their dignity as persons and the rights that flow from it.” (CCC 1934, 1935).
We in T&T must address racism in our own society more vigorously. It’s the elephant in the room that we ignore at our peril. Let us strive to build community and the common good.
Pope St John Paul II’s words are instructive: We need a culture “in which we recognise, in every man and woman, a brother and a sister with whom we can together walk the path of solidarity and peace”.
