Religion

• President Joe Biden expressed concern about the oppressive nature of noncompete contracts in July 2021.
• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups sued the government to stop it soon after the FTC vote.
• With the passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, all private-sector workers and unions gained the power to collectively bargain with employers.
• In announcing the ban, the FTC offered advice to employers that might fear losing high-performing workers due to the new rules.

• While some religious groups were keen to be vaccinated against COVID-19, others were much more hesitant.
• During the height of the pandemic, getting vaccinated against COVID-19 quickly became the social norm.
• Having experienced pandemic life, most people were keen to get a full series of vaccinations as soon as they were made available.
• Members of the Methodist and Church of England denominations are more likely to have been vaccinated, while Pentecostal, evangelical and Muslim respondents have received far fewer vaccinations.

• Hateful graffiti and other imagery plague communities across the UK, spreading a toxic message of division.
• Such graffiti targets people based on race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and gender identity.
• This is why we’ve developed an app called StreetSnap to record instances of hateful graffiti and other visuals.
• The Weiner Holocaust Library and several other locations around London have been targeted by a spate of far-right racist graffiti.

Under-reporting

• Issues such as war, immigration, people seeking asylum and the rising costs of living are changing and challenging communities.
• As a result, it is now more important than ever that hateful graffiti and symbols are better understood.
• But one Australian study showed that hateful graffiti can heighten people’s perceptions of insecurity and fear of crime.
• Hateful graffiti, whether fuelled by malicious intent or simply ignorance, may have the same destructive effect on individuals, groups and communities.

StreetSnap

• Our intention is that this will allow for easier communication between various authorities, as well as identification and removal by councils.
• More importantly, though, the data gathered can be used to identify and understand patterns and help monitor community tensions.

Melanie Morgan is affiliated with Swansea University and is employed through SMART Partnership Grant Funding from Welsh Government. Lella Nouri receives funding from Welsh Government, Bridgend & Swansea Council. She is affiliated with Swansea University and is the Founder of StreetSnap. She also consults Welsh Government on the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan.

• The perpetuation of anti-Black racism within Arab societies finds its roots in what Bahraini cultural critic Nader Kadhem identifies as the dehumanization of Black people.
• This includes characterizations that caricature them with mental weakness, moral impotence, excessive sexual energy, foolishness and a tendency to laziness.
• While racist portrayals have faced increasing criticism in recent years, anti-Black racism endures, sustained in part by a form of white fragility.

White fragility in the Arab world

• The term white fragility refers to the defensive reactions and discomfort exhibited by white people when discussing race and racism.
• Not all facets of white fragility seamlessly translate into the modern Arab cultural landscape, but echoes of its influence resonate and shed light on the multifaceted nature of anti-Black racism in the Arab world.

Examples of white fragility

• When confronted with discussions on anti-Black racism, those with light-skinned privilege in Arab societies often display manifestations of white fragility.
• These can include expressions of anger, refusal, avoidance, debate, withdrawal or denial.
• These defensive responses illustrate the common reactions among lighter-skinned Arabs when their racial privilege or involvement in systemic racism is called into question.
• This defensive stance contributes to the persistence of racial inequity by obstructing constructive discourse and sabotaging attempts to confront systemic racism.

Unraveling white Arab fragility

• Acknowledging the prevalence of racism against Black people within Arab societies could challenge this belief, leading to discomfort and uncertainty among “white” Arabs.
• Claiming to have a Black or other racialized family member represents yet another manifestation of white fragility within DiAngelo’s American framework.
• Marriages between Black and white Arabs are less prevelant in the Arab world, and even when there is a Black family member, there is a reluctance to acknowledge it.
• White fragility is a potent mechanism that maintains privilege.

Amir Al-Azraki does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.