21 March marks the UN international Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The day is observed each year to commemorate the day South African police shot and killed 69 people at a peaceful anti-apartheid protest.
Although the system of apartheid has since been dismantled in South Africa, people and communities across the globe continue to be impacted by racism in all its forms. The international rise in hate against East and Southeast Asian people over the course of the pandemic shows us that racism is far from being eliminated.
The theme of this year’s anti-racism day is “youth standing up against racism”. It’s in honour of the young people who rose up against systems of racist oppression following the killing of George Floyd in summer 2020.
Here are some of the most exciting organisations led by young People of Colour in the UK. They’re fighting against racist oppression in our education, justice, and immigration systems, working towards climate justice, and uplifting young Black LGBTQI+ people and girls of colour.
Education
We're about to go live with @SistersUncut @SexWorkHive @ukblm + others for the #KillTheBill public meeting.
Solidarity with everyone fighting the #PoliceCrackdownBill
Here's our guide to how and why we can and will #AbolishExclusions https://t.co/tslqEjI4UX
— No More Exclusions #Free 🇵🇸 (@NExclusions) March 18, 2021
‼️BIG NEWS: If you haven’t already, Please check out the link below of us explaining the school-to-prison-pipeline and why our campaign is so important. https://t.co/J0lFLs5mpT
— NLC (@NLCauses) January 10, 2020
This is a different type of post from us, but a necessary one nonetheless.
Here are some of the *real* comments under our interviews about the importance of diverse & inclusive curriculums.
Comments that show more than ever why Black history is needed – everywhere.
👇🏾 #TBH365 pic.twitter.com/wlQ7QdfjZR
— The Black Curriculum (@CurriculumBlack) December 11, 2020
And Fill in the Blanks is “a campaign led by students from former British colonies seeking to mandate the teaching of colonial history”:
It would be amazing if this was real! We’re a group of black & brown teens from formerly colonised countries who wish Britain’s full history was taught to everyone! @EducationGovuk @NickGibbUK will you make this happen to create a more united Britain? https://t.co/4wqc3kHNf4 pic.twitter.com/qEret1EfKo
— FILL IN THE BLANKS (@fillinthblanks) January 9, 2020
Whereas A Tribe Named Athari is group of young people working towards ‘Black liberation and racial justice through healing, direct action and radical education’:
We aim to build a model where black life is valued not just within the UK but across borders and work towards transformative justice. (2/3)
— Tribe Named Athari (@TribeNAthari) June 29, 2020
Justice
Kids of Colour works to challenge institutional racism in young people’s lives by campaigning for anti-racist education and police abolition. Its latest campaign is in collaboration with the Northern Police Monitoring Project. The campaign challenges the harmful presence of police in Manchester’s schools:
LAUNCH: 'Decriminalise the Classroom: A Community Response to Police in Greater Manchester's Schools'.
With @npolicemonitor we collected the views of 554 young people and adults. Their contributions are invaluable, making the case for #NoPoliceInSchools.https://t.co/G0eVTFUJ3n pic.twitter.com/Ff3NsPKral
— Kids Of Colour (@KidsOfColourHQ) August 25, 2020
We are ICFREE and we are aiming to end of criminalisation of Black & Brown Youth in the Criminal Justice System & the Education System! #ICFREE #ICFreeNotIC3
Share your stories with us! pic.twitter.com/H3XI4yzySG— ICFree #ICFree (@ICFreeUK) December 21, 2019
And the 4Front Project works to empower marginalised young people ‘to fight for justice, peace, and freedom’ in their communities and beyond:
On this day last year, Jahiem Legister-Hall, a beloved 4FRONT member, lost his life. This 22/10/20, on his 19th birthday, we will build his legacy by launching Jahiem's Justice Centre – a powerful new youth space for creativity, empowerment & healing. #RestInPower #AtThe4Front pic.twitter.com/U6CDb5WHRL
— THE 4FRONT PROJECT (@4FrontProject) September 3, 2020
Remember & Resist seeks to “expand abolitonist practice and thinking” in the UK’s East and Southeast Asian communities:
Thank you to those who attended our 'Abolitionist approaches to hate crime' workshops!
We ran three rounds of this 2-part workshop series, with around 35 participants in total.
Grateful for these nourishing conversations—& excited to keep building ✨🌱 pic.twitter.com/gpUr8aTCJe
— Remember & Resist (@remember_resist) February 15, 2021
Climate justice
Wretched of the Earth is a grassroots collection of young People of Colour working towards climate justice in the UK and beyond:
Black Liberation & Black Joy, a statement of solidarity by Wretched of the Earth
It is a radical and necessary act to envision a world where all Black lives are liberated from the violence of white supremacy and capitalist exploitation. #BlackLivesMatterhttps://t.co/xrtSQPLgWr
— WretchedOfTheEarth (@wretchedotearth) June 23, 2020
We grew up along the polluted streets of London, breathing illegal air. Our stories have been forgotten and overlooked. But not anymore.
We believe our dream of #CleanAirNow is not unrealistic or too much but exactly what we deserve.
Here’s to restoration. pic.twitter.com/HwtjXdHRje
— Choked Up (@ChokedUp_UK) February 28, 2021
Sign the petition and call on @LancasterUni to remove its investments in climate-destroying fossil fuelshttps://t.co/E9tjmb6BdD
— People & Planet (@peopleandplanet) March 17, 2021
Migration
LGBTQI+ rights
Applications for our Black Queer Care Packages are now open! Dont be shy to sign up and receive a package if you need it. As we all know its such a difficult time at the moment but we at BLAQ UK are here to help❤️ https://t.co/C7yJffiTWV #blacklgbtuk pic.twitter.com/fL0yIYavw9
— BLAQUK (@blaquk) March 4, 2021
We are so excited to officially announce we have gone into a long term research partnership with @WeAreNKG to continue building upon our research into the lives and experiences of queer and trans Black youth in the UK! pic.twitter.com/VydkuGgM4L
— ExistLoudly (@ExistLoudlyUK) January 27, 2021
Gender
‘HIJABS & MINISKIRTS’ 👀 Look what we developed over zoom – Lockdown didn't stop our young activists! #GirlPower #Sisterhood #WeChoose https://t.co/lXA8JXx6XO
With huge thanks to @HarryDunkley1 @sunandmoon_anim @cmroliveira @LauraIzzSounds @Inaz_HN, Alba, Louie, Ned & Chris! pic.twitter.com/7dm3FnGPZy
— Integrate UK (@_IntegrateUK) February 23, 2021
Milk Honey Bees creates safe spaces for Black girls to heal and thrive:
We have so many exciting things coming up for Black and Mixed Black Girls and we don’t want to miss it… So follow us and encourage other Black/Mixed Black Girls to follow as we created this with and for H.E.R 🐝https://t.co/xwCIt3hMkx pic.twitter.com/FK1dXAUdqw
— Milk Honey Bees🐝 (@MilkHoneyBees) October 15, 2020
Hair discrimination
Happy Sunday everyone! We hope you’ve had a lovely start to the new year and term🤍 🤍
Even though sadly we aren’t physically in school right now you can still take steps to become a Halo School before in-person learning starts. #ADOPTTHECODE #HALOHAIR please retweet& share! pic.twitter.com/YTklIx94qM— The Halo Code 👸🏾 (@TheHaloCode) January 10, 2021
And the Halo Collective works to end hair discrimination in UK schools and workplaces:
Welcome to the Halo Collective. Follow us, to get updates on our journey to ending hair discrimination, in workplaces and schools across the UK.#ADOPTTHECODE#HALOCODE#HAIRREVOLUTION#HALOHAIR pic.twitter.com/zUBYCMjy42
— The Halo Collective (@thehalocltv) December 8, 2020
The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination presents the perfect opportunity. We can all start uplifting the next generation of change-makers in the UK who are working to eliminate racism.
Featured image via James Eades/Unsplash
