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Preference for white people is deeply ingrained. 

In one experiment Black children preferred a white doll to a brown doll. Whether it was the doll that the children ‘would like to play with’ (67% vs 32%), the doll that ‘is the nice doll’ (59% vs 38%) or the doll that ‘is a nice colour’ (60% vs 38%), the children reliably picked the white doll more frequently than the brown one.

In another study, Ugandan children overwhelmingly exhibited a pro-White bias; despite themselves being Black, they chose to play with White children over Black children 78% of the time.

This is not surprising when you consider the way that white and black people are portrayed in literature. Can you name a single children’s book in which the main character is a human being who is not White? Of the 9,115 children’s books published in the UK in 2017, just 1% of them featured a non-White person as a main character (compared to the 18% of the UK that isn’t White).

Whether it’s a children’s book, a comic book, or a news programme – if you see ethnic minorities represented at all, they probably won’t be represented favourably. No wonder the bias towards white people is deeply ingrained.

Encouragingly, research has identified ways that racism can be reduced.

If people from different racial or ethnic groups interact with each other (particularly under certain circumstances), racism will decrease, and people will be happier around each other. Even in the particularly challenging context of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, intergroup contact has been shown to reduce racism.

Some research suggests that the worse your attitudes are at the start, the more effective contact will be at reducing your prejudice.

Four necessary conditions for getting intergroup contact to work have been identified: (1) the participants should have common goals; (2) the participants should be in a cooperative environment; (3) the participants from the different groups should have equal status; and (4) the intergroup contact should have the approval of authority.

Other research identifies the power and importance of education, including education specifically about racism.

Both ways to reduce racism have been highlighted in my book. They are ways that the church needs to take a lead in reducing racism and offering a positive contrast to wider society.

Tony Thompson

Despite the clear evidence that racism exists, as we saw in the last blog, in survey after survey no-one will admit to being a racist! 

In one experiment, people were told they were being asked to apply to be part of a scientific study. They were asked to complete a long and complex questionnaire which included some questions which would indicate whether the person has a racial bias. Months later, the same people were invited back to be part of an actual study, part of which was to compare themselves with a random person who had also completed the questionnaire. The comparison was whether you were more or less racist than the other person as demonstrated by the answers to the questionnaire. In just about every case the person felt they were less racist than the random other. What they didn’t know was that they had been given back their own questionnaire!

The explanation to this, according to research, is a combination of “unconscious bias” but also that people go to incredible lengths to do racist things, but to do them in such a way that proving the racism is next to impossible. Experimenters found that people would go to great lengths to avoid employing ethnic minorities. Lying about people having to sign imaginary forgotten forms, lying about positions being filled, lying about having to check references, lying about hotel rooms being unavailable, ‘randomly’ checking the status of the Black person and only the Black person at a conference.

What this means is that if a person from an ethnic background doesn’t get a job interview for what seems a good reason there is always a doubt that they might be being lied to and discriminated against. 

Another way that we can be racist without admitting it is how we interpret information. E.g. We could look at the percentages of people in prison (about 0.13% of the White population of the UK, compared to 0.44% of the Black population) and focus on the fact that Black people are 3.5 times more likely to be in prison. Or we could look at the other side of those numbers. They indicate that 99.87% of White people in the UK are not in prison and a very similar 99.56% of Black people in the UK are not in prison. Looked at that way, the differences between White and Black people seem a lot smaller and less important.

Yet this type of information has been used to justify why black people are stopped and searched far more often than white people. As Professor West says, this is victim blaming at its finest. It ignores instances in which White people are statistically more likely to commit crimes. It uses quippy phrases like ‘Black-on-Black crime’ but ignores the mirrored reality of ‘White-on-White crime’. It uses small but apparently real statistical differences in criminal convictions between groups to justify large, widespread, disproportionate and sometimes deadly forms of discrimination, even when White people who have themselves been convicted of crimes do not face the same level of stigma. If you want to be really racist, but you don’t want to admit it to yourself, this is a great way to start.

Tony Thompson

Greetings from the Dikoume Family,

Jo-Ann and I (Steve) are Christian missionaries serving God through YWAM (Youth With a Mission) Mosaic in Luton. YWAM is non-profit missionary organisation and all volunteers are unpaid.  Jo-Ann is from South Africa, and I am from Cameroon. Before coming to the UK, we were doing mission work in South Africa, serving in different ways including community development in Zimbabwe and Mozambique. We have been in the UK since October 2015.  In the first 5 and half years, we were based in London working with YWAM Kingdom Compassion formally known as Earls Court Community Project where we served in 3 drop-ins weekly; we provided meals for over 100 people weekly, clothing, prayer, preaching the gospel for 15 – 20 minutes, providing emotional support and advice to those in need. We were involved in evangelism in a popular area called Mable arch where we saw a huge Muslim community. Adding to this, we were tutors in Christian counselling training (Level 3 Certificate in Integrative Counselling Skills & Theory). We also provided counselling through the YWAM counselling service. In April 2020, all ministries shutdown due to covid-19. During the lockdown the Lord spoke to us and directed us to Harpenden and then Luton.

In August 2021, Jo-Ann, Ayla (our daughter) and I moved to Luton to continue our missionary work with YWAM Mosaic where we have been involved in street evangelism and intercession. Our aim has been to go to different locations in Luton to pray, intercede and evangelise. In the past 3 years YWAM Mosaic has organised a yearly 72-hour prayer movement which takes place in LCF Church. We have been part of the organisation and planning of it. The 72-hour prayer movement has been an opportunity to see Christian coming together to pray for our town.

Jo-Ann was involved in pastoral counselling / prayer ministry / prophetic ministry / discipleship of young missionaries and TAG (Trauma Action Group) in Hope Church. Unfortunately, Jo-Ann stopped doing ministry since last year due to long covid. She hasn’t been able to do much since Summer last year. Jo-Ann believes that God has called her into women ministry, to have a safe house for women where different activities will run, activities involving discipleship, spiritual and mental wellbeing. This work will be done in partnership with restore international (restoreint.org) and YWAM Mosaic. I am involved with TAG every Thursday in Hope Church; I sometimes serve as an outreach coordinator with YWAM Mosaic. We have visiting teams that need outreaches opportunities, or placements. I tend to organise some of that.

Last year, a missionary friend created a website for our counselling service and training.  I am currently running an online Level 3 Certificate in Counselling Skills and Theory (An integrative Approach to Christian Counselling) course. The course is designed for Christians who have a desire to bring hope and restoration to hurting people. It can also serve as any Christian who is seeking to make the first step in training towards becoming a professional counsellor or wishing to be better equipped in supporting others in a caring profession such as pastoral care, volunteer capacity etc. Our counselling service is still in the process of development. I am working to get a few Christian counsellors to join us so that we can provide a low cost to free counselling service for individuals and families struggling in Luton.

To pursue this long-term vision with our Church and YWAM, we need to apply for our Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in August. A friend of ours created a fundraising (GoFundMe page) on our behalf. Please consider partnering with what God will continue to do through us in the UK.

Below is the GoFundMe Link:

Donate to Help the Dikoume family to stay in the UK long-term, organized by Lisa Ross