'If a conversation is hard, it's probably worth having' - why social workers need to talk about race and racism

Professional Social Work magazine - 15 June, 2020

Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd. These are names which you are likely to have come across in the news in the past few months. Frustration, sadness, confusion. These emotions may have been ignited in you. I hope as a result you were able to examine them more deeply and reflect on how these tragedies affect us.

It’s not an issue just in the US or in the western world. Racism is a global issue. Our capacity to help in practical terms may differ hugely, some people may be willing and able to protest whereas others may still be taking time to process things and grow in understanding. Whichever stage we are at currently, let us think about our own identities in a more reflective and critical way to understand the prejudices we might hold both knowingly and unknowingly.

Often, we may be blind to the privileges that we have but these need to be acknowledged first. Campaigner and journalist Reni Eddo Lodge writes, “I can’t have a conversation with them about the details of a problem if they don’t even recognise that the problem exists” which portrays how frustrating it can be for people to oversee deep-rooted issues such as structural racism.

It also reminds us about the individuality of life experiences and the importance of not generalising one individual to their whole race or grouping all minority groups together as this overlooks the complexities and inter-sectionalities between them.

Often in light of inequalities some people adopt the view that ‘this is how things are, we cannot change them’ and turn a blind eye, which is a dangerous position to take. If we cannot recognise and respond to injustice, this hampers our progress as individuals as well as a society. “Not everything that is faced can be changed but nothing can be changed until it is faced,” wrote American novelist James Baldwin.

This quote demonstrates how important active change is if we want to make a lasting impact. Change does not have to take the form of big gestures such as today’s announcement of an inquiry into racial inequality by the Prime Minister. Change can very much begin with ourselves and our own families. If we take a commitment to understand more about the roots of racism and the nuances surrounding it, this can help us to become more educated and understanding. This is an essential starting point and can be the impetus needed for us to make a change.

I come from a South Asian background where microaggressions and racist comments are experienced but perhaps not flagged up or addressed as often as they should be. There is a huge amount of ‘colourism’ within our society which can lead to a very warped perception of beauty. The view that darker skin is undesirable has been indoctrinated in my culture, which is both unsettling and upsetting.

Words have power and we should be mindful to think before we speak. If we are speaking in a manner which is discriminatory or potentially offensive, what is the purpose of saying it in the first place?

In social work practice, race should be considered as a fundamental factor which potentially affects every aspect of a person’s life. With service users, there may be differing levels of engagement as this can be a difficult subject but this should not deter us. There needs to be a strong drive to open up conversations which people may shy away from. As social workers, the power of conversations and building relationships should be our central focus. The saying ‘if a conversation is hard, it’s probably one worth having’ is particularly relevant to the social work profession.

Social justice is at the backbone of all social work as well as anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice. These issues need to be considered alongside the realisation that our individual experiences or lack of experiences of racism can shape our ability to approach it with service users. As students, practitioners and service users, let us try and become more aware of our own judgements and assumptions and reflect upon these to avoid hurting others.

Stesa Sibi is in the first year of a Master's in social work at The University of Birmingham

This article is published by Professional Social work magazine which provides a platform for a range of perspectives across the social work sector. It does not necessarily reflect the views of the British Association of Social Workers.