minorities

Firearms officers: new report reveals the ‘toxic culture’ keeping women and ethnic minorities out of specialist squads

Firearms officers: new report reveals the ‘toxic culture’ keeping women and ethnic minorities out of specialist squads: Svet foto/Shutterstock Hundreds of London’s Metropolitan police officers temporarily turned in their firearms in September after the Crown Prosecution Service charged an officer with the murder of unarmed 24-year-old Chris Kaba. Up to 300 of the force’s 2,500 …

For minorities, biased AI algorithms can damage almost every part of life

For minorities, biased AI algorithms can damage almost every part of life: shutterstock Bad data does not only produce bad outcomes. It can also help to suppress sections of society, for instance vulnerable women and minorities. This is the argument of my new book on the relationship between various forms of racism and sexism and …

French universalism sidelines ethnic minorities – why that must change

French universalism sidelines ethnic minorities – why that must change: French MP Olivier Serva has urged his government to tackle discrimination against people with afro hair. In a recent interview on the national radio station France Info, he reportedly introduced plans to present a cross-party bill to parliament by appealing to the republic’s values of …

How celebrity footballers can help reduce prejudice against minorities – podcast

How celebrity footballers can help reduce prejudice against minorities – podcast: In the latest episode of Discovery, an ongoing series via The Conversation Weekly podcast, we hear about recent research that showed how a Muslim celebrity footballer helped reduce Islamophobia. When Mohamed Salah joined Liverpool football club in 2017, he quickly became the Premier League …

COVID has taken a greater toll on mental health among people from ethnic minorities – sadly this is no surprise

COVID has taken a greater toll on mental health among people from ethnic minorities – sadly this is no surprise: Fernando @cferdophotography/Unsplash We’ve known for some time now that the physical effects of the pandemic have not been distributed evenly across society. For example, data from the UK and other countries has shown that a …

Heatwaves: why ethnic minorities in the UK are more vulnerable, and what to do about it

Heatwaves: why ethnic minorities in the UK are more vulnerable, and what to do about it: Temperatures in the UK recently breached 40°C for the first time in recorded history. The country is set to experience more frequent and more extreme heatwaves as carbon emissions continue to accumulate in the atmosphere. Heatwaves have worrying implications …

COVID: how the pandemic could make poverty levels among ethnic minorities even worse

COVID: how the pandemic could make poverty levels among ethnic minorities even worse: Shutterstock/insta_photos Ethnic minority groups have suffered the highest risk of COVID mortality in the UK, according to the latest official figures. In the first wave (before the vaccine roll-out), the risk of death was highest for those with a black African background. …

Young ethnic minorities bear brunt of recessions, and it’s happening again – here’s how to stop it

Young ethnic minorities bear brunt of recessions, and it’s happening again – here’s how to stop it: The official unemployment figures that have just been published for the last quarter of 2020 reveal the continued economic impact of COVID-19 on Britain’s ethnic minority groups. Among all groups, Black African/Caribbean people fared worst, with unemployment rates reaching …

Acsa minorities back in court after losing bid to be bought out at fair market value

South Africa in the news: Acsa minorities back in court after losing bid to be bought out at fair market value: Potential buyers of SAA might want to study the Acsa case before taking the plunge. As South Africa tries to drum up foreign investor interest in South African Airways (SAA), potential buyers would be …

Epidemics have often led to discrimination against minorities – this time is no different

Epidemics have often led to discrimination against minorities – this time is no different: Pandemics are not only biological phenomena but also social phenomena. Throughout history, pandemics have been powerful engines of social change, exposing inequalities in the distribution of health and wealth, and prompting calls for the reform of social institutions. In this respect, …

Ukraine: how a controversial new language law could help protect minorities and unite the country

Ukraine: how a controversial new language law could help protect minorities and unite the country: Ukraine is celebrating 28 years of independence – but since 1991 the country has struggled to find the right policies and practices to protect and promote Ukrainian, the state language. It has also tried to prioritise policies of inclusion for …

Africa’s rights commission can — and should — do more for sexual minorities

Africa’s rights commission can — and should — do more for sexual minorities: The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights is in danger of losing its autonomy EPA/Stringer Africans concerned about human rights are closely following a meeting of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights taking place in Egypt’s Sharm El-Sheikh. The …

How French law makes minorities invisible

How French law makes minorities invisible: Fraternity is often forgotten. Didier Jansen/flickr, CC BY-NC A year after the deadly 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, and France is still grappling with its relationship with its minorities. After it emerged that some of those who carried out the attacks were French nationals, many renewed …