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A Rare opportunity

22 July 2020 / Raph Mokades
Issue: 7896 / Categories: Opinion , Human rights , Discrimination
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We have the chance to institutionalise anti-racism at work. We must take it & embrace a united future, says Raph Mokades

I founded Rare in 2005 in order to get more people of colour, and especially Black people, into the elite professions. It was obvious to me—a person of Jewish descent and mixed ethnic heritage—at the time why so few people of colour, and especially people of African origin, made it to the top.

Racism isn’t just about The Bad Person, like the cop who killed George Floyd. Racism is not an event; it’s a structure. It’s history, and how history—and what people are taught about their ancestors—shapes society. The transatlantic slave trade led to American slavery, which led to Jim Crow, which led to mass incarceration and militarised policing, which led to the death of George Floyd. The slave trade led to Admiral Nelson protecting British slave ships to protect British wealth. That wealth led to memorials in Bristol, not to the slaves, but to the slaveowners. It led to reparations

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MOVERS & SHAKERS

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Muckle LLP—Rachael Chapman

Sports, education and charities practice welcomes senior associate

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Ellisons—Carla Jones

Partner and head of commercial litigation joins in Chelmsford

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Freeths—Louise Mahon

Firm strengthens Glasgow corporate practice with partner hire

NEWS
One in five in-house lawyers suffer ‘high’ or ‘severe’ work-related stress, according to a report by global legal body, the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC)
The Legal Ombudsman’s (LeO’s) plea for a budget increase has been rejected by the Law Society and accepted only ‘with reluctance’ by conveyancers
Overcrowded prisons, mental health hospitals and immigration centres are failing to meet international and domestic human rights standards, the National Preventive Mechanism (NPM) has warned
Two speedier and more streamlined qualification routes have been launched for probate and conveyancing professionals
Workplace stress was a contributing factor in almost one in eight cases before the employment tribunal last year, indicating its endemic grip on the UK workplace
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