The anti-racism campaign group #CharitySoWhite has apologised to people of colour after admitting it perpetuated a culture of “white supremacy”.
The group published a 2,000-word blog post today explaining why it has been largely inactive for the past year.
The post says a “culture of hierarchy, hazing, and mistrust within the group” made the work of the group untenable and how “as an organisation, [it] structurally internalised the charity sector’s white supremacist power dynamics”.
This led to the group needing to be “dismantled” and “rebuilt… from the ground up”.
The blog post says that tactics of white supremacy such as working groups, which it describes as “bureaucracy designed to reinforce hierarchies of decision-making”, and “martyrdom – the idea that we all must suffer because the goal is well-intentioned” were prevalent within the organisation.
It also apologises to people of colour for not making the progress it hoped it would and for being “far too nice to white leaders” when fighting racism in the sector.
The campaign group wants to stop being viewed as “a department store for consultancy services, or questions about whiteness” and to instead use its time to facilitate the creation of spaces “for PoC to vent, get support, know their rights, and navigate a cruel and unwelcoming sector”.
In regards to future plans, the blog post says: “We do not have slick and organised plans for a new way forward, and we are taking things one step at a time whilst allowing ourselves the space to slow things down and be intentional.
“That is key to ensuring that our mental health and wellbeing is a priority as we move forwards. But we have come together to form a vision for the future of #CharitySoWhite.
“We don’t need roadmaps, strategic ambitions, organisational structures… metrics and KPIs; we need the strength and safety that comes from knowing we are in a shared fight for our humanity in the sector.
“We want to become a community-led space for envisioning a future where racism is dismantled within the charity sector and where PoC can thrive as their full unapologetic selves.”
In response, Martha Awojobi, a prominent anti-racism campaigner and chief executive of JMB Consulting, posted on X, formerly Twitter: “In 2021 I left #CharitySoWhite due to white supremacy culture.
“I have fortunately remained close with many of the remaining organisers and I am so proud of how they have taken the time to interrogate and dismantle a culture that was unsustainable and at odds with their values.
“I’m excited to see what they do now as they commit to rebuilding a culture of care, accountability and joy.
“I know that we will remain shoulder to shoulder for many years to come as we continue to build a liberated future of people of colour.”
The blog post concludes with an apology to “PoC in the sector” for #CharitySoWhite’s failure to support the community.
The movement started in 2019 as a hashtag in response to a racist Citizens Advice training slide and snowballed as more and more PoC in the sector came out to share their own experiences of racism.
It was initially led by three people but quickly expanded into a larger committee.