How diversity challenges prejudice and promotes understanding in Scotland

Scotland is a beautiful land with a rich history that reflects multiple identities, traditions, and perspectives.

But, like many places around the world, issues around inequality, racial prejudice and discrimination can also be found in Scottish history. From the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, of which Scotland’s involvement is well-documented, to the experiences of the Windrush generation and many other contemporary examples, racial prejudice continues to show its face in various aspects of Scottish life.

Some examples of racial prejudice that still exist today include:

• Recruitment and hiring biases: Research has shown that ethnic minorities face greater challenges in securing quality employment opportunities compared to their white British counterparts.
• Housing and accommodation biases: Though a long existing problem, racial discrimination in housing persists and has even worsened in recent years. Studies have shown that ethnic minorities find it more difficult to access standard and secure accommodation giving rise to homelessness in their communities.
• Looks-based biases: The natural appearance of black people, especially their hair, have regularly faced undue scrutiny in various social settings, including schools, workplaces, and public spaces.
• Prejudice in healthcare: The unevidenced belief that black people are ‘stronger’ among other biased mindsets and cultural differences often affects black people’s access to quality and compassionate health care.

Regardless of how it shows itself, racial prejudice is an issue that has negative impacts on both ethnic minority communities and white British society but one way we can all make progress is by embracing diversity.

What is diversity?

Diversity means recognising and valuing the differences within and between various groups. Racial diversity involves acknowledging and celebrating the unique qualities of various racial groups as important elements that enrich our communities.

How does diversity challenge prejudice and promote understanding?

Diversity challenges prejudice in many ways. One of the key ways is by confronting stereotypes head-on since prejudice is often premised on negative stereotypes. Stereotypes are oversimplified, overgeneralised and often distorted perceptions of certain groups of people. Therefore they can be dismantled when individuals from diverse backgrounds come together and share their stories, experiences, and perspectives to reveal the complex and diverse nature of modern communities.

Diversity education plays another crucial role in challenging prejudice and promoting understanding. If diverse perspectives are incorporated into school curricula and multiculturalism is promoted in classrooms, young people will develop empathy, critical thinking skills, and a broader understanding of the world around them and the experiences of others.

Workplace diversity also offers numerous benefits. Diverse teams bring together individuals with different perspectives and problem-solving approaches, leading to more effective decision-making and problem-solving, increased innovation, creativity, and productivity. By fostering diverse and inclusive work environments, British organisations can tap into a wider talent pool, access new markets, and better serve the needs of their diverse customer base.

At Fair Justice System for Scotland (FJSS) Group, promoting diversity and inclusion lies at the heart of what we do and our work cuts across all the points highlighted above. Our programmes and activities are focused on promoting the human rights, empowerment, and inclusion of ethnic minorities, especially the black community, in Scotland.

Through strategic partnerships with the public and private sector, we create an effective platform for addressing systemic inequalities, promoting social cohesion and providing support to minority communities. At our workshops and policy symposiums, we sit down with key decision makers from various fields and support them in making their policies more diverse and inclusive.

Through our other engagements such as the High School Debate Series and Windrush community engagements, we raise awareness about important historical events to enhance knowledge, foster empathy, and solidarity among one another.

Overall, our organisation views diversity and inclusion as a powerful force for building understanding and driving sustainable change across Scotland and the whole of the UK.

We call on all stakeholders to embrace diversity in its various forms.

To support or learn more about our work, visit www.fjssgroup.org or send an email to [email protected].