It’s time to make anti-racism YOUR business

Please note that this article was published prior to the new brand name of PREACH Inclusion® on 25 April 2024, so you will notice references to BAME in Property.

Race Equality Week ran from 6-12 February and this year’s theme was #ItsEveryonesBusiness. This means that everyone has a responsibility to tackle racial inequalities in the workplace and more widely, within society.

At BAME in Property, we’re asking you all to make anti-racism your business. This means calling out racism, in all its forms, promoting the rights and needs of underrepresented groups, and ultimately educating yourself on how to be anti-racist.

In this blog, we talk about racism in the UK built environment, how this impacts businesses and how you can do better.

What is anti-racism?

Anti-racism is a process of actively identifying and opposing racism. The goal of anti-racism is to challenge racism and actively change the policies, behaviours, and beliefs that perpetuate racist ideas and actions.

Anti-racism is rooted in action. It’s not enough to simply ‘not be racist’ to eliminate racial discrimination. The problem with this perspective is that White people are often unaware of their own unconscious biases. People often don’t fully understand the institutional and structural issues that uphold White supremacy and contribute to racist behaviours, attitudes, and policies.

Racism within housing

As UK society becomes more culturally and ethnically diverse, the challenges and inequalities facing different communities are becoming more apparent.

“Incidents like the Grenfell Tower fire, Awaab Ishak’s death from mould and Ella Kissi-Debrah’s death from poor quality air highlight one commonality – all people involved were ethnic minority."

We have deep-rooted structural racism within housing, where Black people especially often struggle to get onto the housing ladder and cannot access finance in the same capacity as their White peers. In addition, Black people have the highest rates of homelessness, at 14%, despite only making up 5% of the UK population.

Some families within Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities struggle to get appropriate housing for their families and are stuck on waiting lists for years on end, with no help in sight.

Incidents like the Grenfell Tower fire, Awaab Ishak’s death from mould and Ella Kissi-Debrah’s death from poor quality air highlight one commonality – all people involved were ethnic minority and it appeared as if their needs and demands were less important, simply because of their race.

Racism within the built environment sector

The issues clearly stem from within the sector though. EG’s Race Survey 2021 revealed some shocking realities about racism and ethnic minority experiences within the built environment.

• 81.5% of ethnic minority professionals do not think the sector is doing enough to attract people from non-white backgrounds.

• 90% of ethnic minority workers have found the industry has failed to hire BAME people at senior leadership levels.

• 84% of ethnic minority workers felt that racism was an issue in the real estate sector, and close to 75% had experienced racism themselves.

The figures aren’t surprising. Lack of diversity and lived experiences of underrepresented groups is evident within organisations. Despite graduate and entry level cohorts representing better gender and ethnic diversity, this starts to stall at middle management levels, becoming almost non-existent within senior leadership, where key decisions impacting disadvantaged communities are made.

“Ethnic minorities must work twice as hard as their White counterparts just to be seen, let alone progress up the ladder."

22% of Black Gen Z have changed their names on job applications to have a better chance of going through, and nearly 70% of Black Gen Z struggle to be their authentic selves at work. From not wearing their natural hair to speaking in a certain way, Black people are conforming to society’s expectations of what is considered a ‘working professional’.

There’s a saying that ethnic minorities must work twice as hard as their White counterparts just to be seen, let alone progress up the ladder. Is it any surprise ethnic minority professionals leave the industry?

Why racism is bad for your business

Obviously, racism is bad for your business and reputation, but when ethnic minorities leave because of racism, there can be huge financial implications too.

• Lack of diversity stifles creativity and innovation – Research by McKinsey & Co. found that companies that are more ethnically diverse at the executive board level outperform their competitors by 36%.

• Racism creates a toxic culture and poor retention of talent – an organisation that appears to tolerate racist behaviour doesn’t protect its employees. This leads to disengagement, lower productivity, and a higher staff turnover.

• Bad PR – No company wants a racism story dominating the agenda, taking attention away from their goods or services. Your image is important and your ‘vibe attracts your tribe.’ You will push potential business elsewhere and more importantly; lose out on the very talent you’re trying to attract.

“There are situations you will never have to think about – never having to change your name, accent or identity are just some of the things ethnic minority individuals have to do on a daily basis."

Why should this be everyone’s business and how you can do better?

We all have a responsibility to create a safe environment for all employees, whatever their background. Racism, discrimination and microaggressions prevent this from happening. Here’s how you can do better:

“Commitment is not measured by words; it is measured by outcomes and actions."

1. Understand the definition and types of racism. Overt, microaggression, discrimination etc. (BAME in Property offer a workshop about this, so please get in touch if you’d like to know more).

2. Understand your privilege. Just because something is not happening to you personally, it doesn’t make it any less of an issue for someone else. White people will never experience racism and oppression like Black people and other ethnic minority communities. There are situations you will never have to think about – never having to change your name, accent or identity are just some of the things ethnic minority individuals have to do on a daily basis.

3. Support those who don’t have the same privileges are you. Empathy is important. Try to support others who aren’t as privileged in any way you can – from mentoring to extra training and networking, this will go a long way.

4. Educate yourself about anti-racism and stay informed. Don’t expect minorities to do this for you.

5. Create an environment where people feel comfortable to confront racism constructively. The fear of getting it wrong is hindering progress. When employees are afraid of the consequences of speaking up and taking action, the onus should be on leaders. They need to take accountability, foster inclusive behaviours, set an example in challenging stereotypical attitudes, and be open to being challenged. It also requires having effective policies.

6. Have a clear policy about racism and bad behaviour. Don’t be a bystander otherwise you are complicit in racism happening. This also means building skills when it comes to creating environments of psychological safety; and having a clear dignity and respect at work policy.

7. Surround yourself with people from different walks of life. You are an echo chamber of the five people that you spend the most time with – surround yourself with people from different walks of life to better your understanding of lived experiences.

“Commitment is not measured by words; it is measured by outcomes and actions.” That is why we are asking our network, partners, members and beyond to consider what they can do to tackle racial inequality.

As always, please get in touch with us on hello@bameinproperty.com if we can support you and your teams with any initiatives.