Black History Month 2024: Reclaiming narratives
This is a blog by our Communications and Campaigns Manager, Keeva Baxter.
This week marks the end of Black History Month 2024, a time to celebrate the achievements of Black people in the UK and beyond, whilst simultaneously acknowledging the work that still needs to be done to achieve an anti-racist society.
The theme of this year’s Black History Month is ‘Reclaiming Narratives’, one that seems particularly pertinent for us in the restorative sector.
For centuries, the reality of Black people’s experiences has been stolen, rewritten and covered up. Many activists and organisations now work to reverse this, and expose the reality of the racism that persists across the UK. We know from our work with people affected by crime that storytelling is a crucial part of the healing journey. Having your voice heard and feeling safe to speak out about things that have harmed you can be transformational.
So, in order to address centuries of injustice and racism in the UK, we must bring it to light, work to understand the harm and correct racist narratives that have existed for years, perpetuated through politics, institutions, the media and the legal system. Restorative Justice, in all its forms, could play a crucial part in this effort, offering a space for listening and sharing.
In the context of the racist and Islamophobic violence over the summer, the use of Restorative Justice to address the harm caused by racism is more important than ever. We have put together a report on how Restorative Justice can be used to address the community harm caused by this widespread violence which will be published soon.
This month, a restorative success story came out of Nottingham, where a woman and her niece were subjected to racial abuse and later met with the perpetrator to explain the impact it had. In the meeting, the person who harmed Adey and her niece “was remorseful, embarrassed and apologetic, proving… that he had learned his lesson”. Ultimately, Adey said “it’s been a win-win for everybody”. If more people affected by hate crime had the opportunity to explore a restorative intervention, it would lead to a safer, more cohesive society.
Whilst we know that Restorative Justice can be useful in tackling the harm caused by racially-motivated crime, access to it is still limited. Not only is there a lack of awareness of Restorative Justice amongst people affected by crime, but Black people face additional barriers in accessing justice.
Baroness Casey’s 2023 report found “institutional racism” in the Metropolitan Police. The Met Police is also not representative of the diversity of the population; although White people make up 58% of London’s population, 82% of Met officers are White. Therefore, Casey found that “people from Black and mixed ethnic groups have lower trust and confidence in the Met, scoring 10 to 20% lower than average on trust”. This issue is not limited to London, with the Chair of the National Police Chief’s Council stating that policing is institutionally racist, and a “national redesign” is required to eradicate discrimination within the police. Yet, we expect Black victims of crime to receive justice and protection from this institution.
We know from our conversations with young Black people that many will be reluctant to engage with anything presented by the police, regardless of what it is. We therefore need to determine safe pathways for people of all races to access the resources they need to heal, including Restorative Justice. This may involve offering Restorative Justice separately to the local police service. It also means being flexible in the provision of Restorative Justice, allowing those who have reported the crime to the police to explore their options.
As well as the barriers presented by institutional racism and community mistrust, there is also a lack of diversity amongst Restorative Justice practitioners. Feeling unrepresented by support services could discourage people from accessing the resources they need. We need to actively pursue the diversification of the restorative sector, provide accessible training courses and encourage people of all backgrounds to learn more about the process.
We have a long way to go before society as a whole, and in particular the criminal legal system can be deemed equal, fair and anti-racist. But, with the commitment of the restorative sector, now and throughout the year, important steps can be taken to ensure that Black people affected by crime can access meaningful justice.
