Another initiative is #TakeAStand, which is a digital first campaign driven largely through social media channels. Many organisations have partnered with #TakeAStand such as Facebook, The Football Association and Twitter. The aim is to motivate people across the football community to take action or make a pledge in the fight against discrimination within football. Anyone can #TakeAStand by just using the hashtag.
Show Racism The Red Card
Show Racism The Red Card is the UK’s largest anti-racism educational charity, established in 1996 thanks in part to a donation by then Newcastle United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop. He was inspired to challenge racism in society through education after an incident in the 1990s, when the goalkeeper faced racial abuse at a petrol station.
The majority of the campaign’s work involves the delivery of educational workshops to young people and adults in schools, workplaces and at events held in football stadiums. Across the UK, SRtRC provides educational sessions to more than 50,000 individuals per year. Many high-profile footballers are involved with the charity, including Harry Kane, Harry Maguire and Dele Ali alongside Gareth Southgate and Ryan Giggs.
Stand against Racism & Inequality
This charity provides support for victims of any sort of hate crime – including transphobia, racism, religious hate, homophobia and gender-based discrimination. It works through a variety of ways from Cultural Awareness Tours to Education and Training. SaRI also employs trained caseworks to help clients with the emotional, physical and mental trauma caused by hate crime and takes on cases to help take action. The service is completely free and confidential too.
Runnymede Trust
Runnymede Trust is the UK’s leading independent race equality think tank — generating intelligence to challenge race inequality in Britain through policy engagement, network building and research. It works to overcome racial inequality in British society by research-based interventions in social policy and practice — assisting policy makers, practitioners and citizens to reduce racism and discrimination.
Race on the Agenda
Originally set-up in 1984, Race on the Agenda is a charity which works with communities impacted by systemic racism to help create policies and practices to tackle inequality. As a BAME-led organisation, the charity works on the principle that those with “direct experience of inequality should be central to solutions to address it.”
Some of their campaigns include the Education Project and the REACT Project — which aims to counter hate crimes and other forms of intolerance through improving media literacy. There are many ways to get involved — from volunteering to supporting the charity via donations.
Stephen Lawrence Foundation
The Stephen Lawrence Foundation was set up in the midst of unprecedented growing global awareness of racial inequality. It aims to inspire a more equal, inclusive society and to create opportunities for marginalised young people in the UK.
Stephen Lawrence was murdered in 1993 in an unprovoked racist attack and after years of the family raising awareness about racism — particularly institutional racism — the two men who murdered Stephen Laurence were found guilty. In 2019, prime minister Theresa May announced a National Day to commemorate Stephen Lawrence’s life: April 22.
Stand Up To Racism
While Stand Up To Racism has been protesting in support of Azeem Rafiq, the group also campaigns against racism in all forms in society. It has local groups and holds an annual conference – MPs Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler spoke at the most recent event in October.
The group accepts one-off donations or longer-term membership fees.
Facing History and Ourselves UK
This country has a complicated relationship with our past – debates over statues and decolonised reading lists continue to ignite controversy. Facing History and Ourselves is a charity which works in schools to teach people about the past in order to confront bigotry and hate in the present.
It hopes to engage young people and give them the tools to challenge inequality, and accepts donations in several ways.
