Have We Truly Won the War Against Racism?

Although progress has been made in the fight against racism, it is still visible and active in practically every society, and more needs to be done. Recent events around the world have demonstrated that racism is far from over. It is going to take a massive effort on the part of everyone if we truly want to win against it.. COVID-19 has also laid bare the effects of racial inequality in the Western world.

Hate crimes motivated by race have increased in the United States and Europe. In the United Kingdom, hate crimes motivated by race increased by 12% in the first year of the pandemic, continuing a five-year rising trend. In the United States, Asian Americans were targeted in shootings throughout the country because of the controversies surrounding the origins of COVID-19. All these hate crimes indicate that the war against racism is not won yet and more needs to be done.

Racism is also rampant in sports, particularly football, in Europe and around the world. Just after the death of George Floyd, the English Football Association ordered English Premier League teams to take a knee before match kickoffs in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. However, these measures have not yielded anything significant, as evidenced by an increase in racist insults against football players online. Black English football players such as Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were subjected to racist insults online after failing to score their penalties in the EURO 2020 final.

In addition, in the United States, the police and the criminal justice system play a role in maintaining white supremacy. The police harass, imprison, and kill people of color with impunity around the country. The murders of George Floyd, Sandra Bland, Breonna Taylor, and many others by racist cops are well known in the country. The trend is well-known and undeniable. Racism will not be eradicated in practically every country unless institutions founded on white supremacy are fundamentally transformed.

Racism continues to be ubiquitous and merciless in the lives of non-white people. According to a YouGov poll of ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom taken in June 2020, a quarter say they have been racially assaulted on many occasions, and over half say their job advancement has been hampered by their race.

In addition, a YouGov poll conducted in June 2021 revealed that the number of non-white people who believe racism existed in society 30 years ago is nearly comparable to the percentage who believe it exists today. Now there is a realization that little has changed for so many for so long.

Evidence of the impact of British and American racism was gathering in mortuaries and hospital beds at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic exposed systemic disparities in different cities. When all other factors were taken into consideration, death rates for some black and Asian populations in England were 2.5 to 4.3 times higher than for white groups

There are a variety of reasons why minorities are disproportionately affected. Black and Asian people are much more likely than white people to live in impoverished areas. In addition, people of color were more likely to have to work, take public transportation, and live in multigenerational households during the pandemic, and they were less likely to be able to effectively self-isolate. According to data from the Office for National Statistics, people who reside in deprived parts of the UK are nearly twice as likely to die after contracting COVID-19.

However, recent surveys have indicated a positive change in racism awareness in British society and others. According to an Ipsos Mori poll from May 2021, more than half of British people believe they need to do more to combat racism, while only 13% believe they are doing too much. In August, more than half of those polled thought taking the knee was extremely essential in combating racism in football; in March, it was slightly more than a quarter. A third of individuals who previously did not believe racism was an issue in football now do, according to a YouGov poll conducted after the Euros final.