Closing reflections
The themes in this Companion Journal provide different ways to positively intervene for anti-racism and race equity. Some elements are about overall positioning, such as why we need to move beyond diversity. Others are more practically orientated, e.g., addressing ethnic pay gaps.
The aspects are complementary and interlinked – and there is no need to do everything everywhere all at once.
When the first Home Truths report was launched in 2020, Covid-19 was revealing how racism can be a matter of life and death. The murder of George Floyd in May 2020 was another grim reminder of this reality. Though memory fades, the life-limiting impacts of racism remain.
But at the same time meaningful change happens. It is happening. In our work we have met so many wonderful people. They are helping to make an anti-racist future in which all of us can thrive. In fact, they are doing what civil society does at its best; they are refusing to accept the world as it is. Instead, they are remaking it so that we can all live well, together.
References
1 Lingayah S, Wrixon K and Hulbert M (2020) Home Truths: Undoing racism and delivering real diversity in the charity sector. Report, UK, June.
2 Lingayah S (2023) Warm Words, Cold Comfort: UK civil society’s ongoing racism problem. Report, UK, December.
3 Lingayah S (2023) The inside job: The precarious world of anti-racist leads.
(accessed 19 February 2025).
4 Bardowell D (2020) Covid-19 and racial disparity: A time for urgent action – reflections from Derek Bardowell. (accessed 19 February 2025).
5 Office for National Statistics (2023) Ethnicity pay gaps, UK: 2012 to 2022.
(accessed 19 February 2025).
6 Booth R (2022) Job discrimination faced by ethnic minorities convinces public about racism. The Guardian, 15 December.
7 Wikipedia (no date) DARVO. (accessed 19 February 2025).
8 Lingayah S (2023) Warm Words, Cold Comfort: UK civil society’s ongoing racism problem. Report, UK, December.
9 Lingayah S (2023) Warm Words, Cold Comfort: UK civil society’s ongoing racism problem. Report, UK, December.
10 White N (2022). Amnesty International UK is ‘colonialist and institutionally racist’, damning inquiry concludes. Independent, UK, 16 June.
11 Bond (2023) Anti-racism and decolonising: A framework for organisations.
Report, UK, February.
Acknowledgements
This Anti-Racism Companion Journal has been brought to life by many people dedicated to meaningful anti-racist responses and race equity in civil society and beyond.
The Home Truths team: Dr Sanjiv Lingayah, co-creator and Race Equity Lead of Home Truths 1 and 2. At ACEVO, Roberta Fusco, head of influencing, Pamela Daniels on project management and design, Shareen Patel on editing and Heloisa Righetto on communications. At Voice4Change England (V4CE), Christabelle Quaynor on research and writing and Shuqi Zhou on marketing.
Thanks also to Jane Ide, chief executive of ACEVO and Kunle Olulode, director of V4CE – as keepers of the Home Truths flame. And we are grateful to Dr Atalanta Willcox for copyediting this publication.
We owe much to our brilliant contributors and supporters – Frances Brown, Lena Bheeroo, Zoe Kabir, Wilf Sullivan, Kimberly McIntosh, Mandeep Rupra and Margaret Greer – for their wisdom, courage and unflinching honesty. We also thank the Black and Minoritised Ethnic participants in the Home Truths 2 survey and those involved in our Chatham House event for senior people with organisational responsibilities for EDI and anti-racism.
Thank you to our funders: Barrow Cadbury Trust, Charities Aid Foundation, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, John Ellerman Foundation, the National Lottery Community Fund, Paul Hamlyn Foundation and ACEVO.
Finally, we dedicate this Journal to all those who have experienced racism in civil society and those who are working to end it. We hope that our efforts contribute to healing and transformation.
The Home Truths 2 team
