January 12, 2021 • News • 3 min read
Tecknuovo partner with War Child as their first dedicated charity partner
Tecknuovo announces a special partnership with the child protection organisation War Child UK – kicking off with…
It’s October already and after the year we’ve had so far, it’s important – now more than ever – that we acknowledge and celebrate Black History Month. I am proud that as a company, Tecknuovo sees the importance of celebrating Black history and raising awareness not only in this month but all year round. In Tecknuovo’s style of upskilling, throughout the month we have a series of lunch and learns for the office scheduled, and lots of resources being circulated for team members to take time to educate themselves on such a prevalent subject.
This article is the first in a series that we are publishing throughout October. Starting with the history of this important movement we will also be showcasing some of tech’s great Black innovators, shining a spotlight on Black Valley – a community dedicated to increasing equity in tech – and finally learning more about how to be actively anti-racist in the workplace.
Last week, I kicked off the sessions with an overview of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, the history, how it affects us in the UK and shared personal stories of how my life has been affected because of the colour of my skin. Many are quick to dismiss the movement here in the UK; claiming it’s a US issue; they couldn’t be more wrong. Police brutality, workplace discrimination, white privilege, housing discrimination, institutional and systemic racism all takes place on our own doorstep. It’s time to take ownership, acknowledge it exists, and take the necessary steps to begin the work to eradicate it. Below is some info and pointers on how you can become a good ‘ally’ to your friends, colleagues and family members that are BAME.
There has always been a movement for Black rights, long before the BLM movement began. Although today it is heavily linked to police brutality, the movement was brought to life in 2013 in response to the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who shot and killed an unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in 2012. Activist Alicia Garza, like so many, was outraged and upset when she posted on social media “Black people I love you, I love us. Our lives matter, Black lives matter”. Patrisse Cullors reposted the final three words #BlackLivesMatter, inspiring Opal Tometi to create social media platforms and the website BlackLivesMatter.com, creating a space for Black activists to connect and talk to each other.
There are significant parallels between the Black British experience and the African American experience. Whether it is the treatment of Black people by the police, the Windrush scandal, the British taxpayer repaying slave owners until 2015 for ‘loss of property’, or the fact that applicants from minority ethnic backgrounds have to send out 80% more applications to get a positive response from an employers than a white person of British origin (with the exact same qualifications & experience). The UK is far from innocent and the first step to being an ally is opening our eyes to discrimination faced by Black people in the UK.
Unless we are prepared to have a discussion about the impact of stereotypes
and how they affect decisions that are made within organisations,
we are not going to make any progress towards eradicating racism
– Binna Kandola
There has been so much information and resources being shared on how to help the movement and be an ally to Black people; how to recognise and use your white privilege for good and generally educate yourselves on the current issues Black people are facing in the UK. Some ways to support require more effort than others but all are equally as important:
Thank you for reading and your interest in being an ally to Black people. As an organisation we are striving to be a part of the change, committing attention and focussing our energy in the long-term capacity. We hope you will join us in that journey.
Lizzie Harvey, Marketing Manager
I always welcome feedback on what we’re doing, if you’d like to reach out to talk about how Tecknuovo are working towards being an ally please contact me below.
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