3 Things You Need to Know About SHIFT25
Written by Carolyn Simmonds and Callum Bunyan from London Works
SHIFT25 is a campaign working group of senior and influential Black and BAME professionals striving to equalise opportunities for young people in education, recruitment and progression by 2025.
We recognise and know all too well the grave issues faced by disadvantaged communities that surround us locally, and recent events have forced these issues and the world’s lack of action into the spotlight. We have been fighting for change in the workplace and wider world for these communities before, during and after these events, and now we turn to you to help right the wrongs that have passively been allowed for so long.
Below we highlight the 3 key points that everyone needs to know about the SHIFT25 campaign:
Support
This campaign is being spear-headed by senior and influential members of the Black & BAME community: ELBA & Red Lion Chambers lead the campaign and they are already gathering a plethora of supporters who are equally moved by the cause and determined to get involved. The amount of energy that we can generate as a collective unit across the 5-year period has immeasurable potential, but it is impossible to achieve this without a network of active supporters.
What you can do
Speak to your black & BAME colleagues to understand their unique standpoint on the issues they face, realise how you may possibly contribute to these situations (unintentionally) and try to learn how you can support and enable positive change for those around you.
Change
We recognise the momentous societal and cultural shift that needs to happen, particularly inside the workplace, which is required to begin to start making amends for the past. We need to own our previous misgivings and be proactive in ensuring these complacencies never happen again.
We must create the change that we want to see and encourage others to join and stand alongside us.
What you can do:
Speak to your manager and ask about black & BAME representation in your company, get involved with affinity groups and employee networks by becoming a champion or ally, and actively involving yourself in the wellbeing of your black & BAME colleagues.
Action
Words have proven to be hollow and baseless when they can be forgotten so easily, so we want to allow the actions to be the key metric throughout these discussions - what can be done in terms of real, tangible actions to enable and implement this change?
What you can do:
Giving our time to young people as they pass through education from the very earliest years through to college and university, sharing our experiences and giving hope
Making sure our own organisations practice open and fair recruitment, progression and promotion
Widening significantly the number of employers who are prepared to help young people who have made a false start, and need help to get their futures back on track
Making our own organisations safe spaces for colleagues to talk about issues of race and discrimination and pay inequality, and tackling the daily small acts which make one set of colleagues perpetually feeling they are not seen as equals
Now is the time to take a stand and be the black/BAME leader in your organisation and champion the fight for equality and justice, or to become the black/BAME ally that you cannot see before you, join forces with your existing affinity groups and push the movement forwards.
The SHIFT25 campaign calls for a better tomorrow:
A tomorrow where black people can live without fear of prejudice and discrimination, both overtly obvious and discreetly subtle.
A tomorrow where we create accessible pathways for those who have been unjustly denied before.
A tomorrow where the differences between us are embraced and celebrated.
We need you to shift the world of today into the tomorrow of the future.
Join us at SHIFT25 and help #MakeChangeHappen