Last year, the world witnessed global demonstrations in response to the murder of George Floyd. Hundreds of thousands of people across over 40 countries marched to not only show solidarity with the US, but also voice their anger and hurt about systemic racism.
While for years race has been viewed as largely “a US problem,” the world seems to be waking up to the fact that racism and discrimination are indeed global challenges. But this awareness didn’t begin with the murder of George Floyd, or even Oprah Winfrey’s recent headline-grabbing interview with Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, regarding her experience in the UK. In fact, race and colorism were hot topics in countries like China, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, India, and Mexico long before the recent global uprising. And since 1979, the UN has called attention to this challenge through the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Taking place this Sunday, March 21, this observance occurs annually on the same day that police in South Africa killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid “pass laws” in 1960. Inspired by the courage and commitment displayed by young people during last year’s Black Lives Matter movement, this year’s theme is “Youth standing up against racism”. Through the hashtag, #FightRacism, the event aims to “foster a global culture of tolerance, equality and anti-discrimination and calls on each and every one of us to stand up against racial prejudice and intolerant attitudes.”
Wondering how to show your solidarity and support for this event? Take time this week to become more familiar with and share how racism and colorism show up across the globe – and what we all can do to combat them. To set the context for our training program, Cultural Immersions: Understanding the Black Experience, we often recommend the following articles as pre-reads to prep for the session. We invite you to take in an article each day, beginning with Rich Countries and the Minorities they Discriminate Against, Mapped, and then continue to read and share the following over the course of the next seven days:
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Reading List
Sunday: Why 56 Black Men in London are Posing in Hoodies – BBC News
Monday: Racial Diversity in Brazil ‘Turns to a New Page’ – Financial Times
Tuesday: Mexican Magazines Are Way Whiter Than The Actual Mexican Population – Buzzfeed
Wednesday: Asia’s Addiction to Whiter Skin Runs Deep – But the Backlash Has Begun – This Week in Asia
Friday: Clear Majority of Germans Think Country has Big Problem with Racism: Poll – Arada.org
Saturday: Portugal Confronts its Slave Trade Past – Politico
Share your big takeaways and learnings with us by tagging LCW on LinkedIn and Facebook using the hashtag #FightRacism.
