Strategy to address racism against people of colour
Addressing racism against people of colour is an area of continued and pressing importance for Scottish heritage. Not only is racial equity a national priority for the Scottish Government, but the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement continues to call for institutional and representational changes in both society at large and in Scottish heritage more specifically.
Staff at Scottish Civic Trust carried out research and and consulted with partners at the West of Scotland Regional Equality Council, Empower Women for Change, Next Step Initiative, Inspiring Families Development Network Scotland, Glasgow Night Shelter for Destitute Asylum Seekers, Colourful Heritage and the Our Shared Cultural Heritage project at Glasgow Museums to identify how the Trust could address colour-based racism in Scottish heritage. The resulting strategy examines SCT’s role in addressing racism against people of colour from three key perspectives:
- As an employer, how can we address racism against people of colour in our work practices and projects?
- As the owner of the Tobacco Merchant’s House, how can we reinterpret our building’s history equitably?
- As a national heritage charity giving advice to over 127 small trusts and charities across the country, how can we set an example for addressing racism against people of colour and what advice can we give to others trying to do the same?
The strategy includes a range of actions that we’re going to take over the course of the coming years. We post updates on our progress every six months to let everyone know how we’re getting on and to ensure we are transparent about our progress:
- May 2021 update
- November 2022 update
- May 2022 update
- January 2023 update
- June 2023 update
- November 2023 update
- June 2024 update
Please feel free to adapt our strategy yourself if it suits. Bear in mind that every organisation is different, so you may need to change the wording so it works for you. If you’d like any further advice, please feel free to get in touch with Jen, Diverse Heritage Strategy and Development Officer (jen.novotny@scottishcivictrust.org.uk) and Phoenix, our Diverse Heritage Events Officer (phoenix.archer@scottishcivictrust.org.uk), who’ll be happy give support and signpost you to experts in racial equity.