Kaukab Stewart is the SNP MSP for Glasgow Kelvin
THE findings of Changing the Boundaries: An Independent Review into Racism in Scottish Cricket were shocking and distressing. The in-depth, independent review of Cricket Scotland was commissioned by sportscotland – the national agency and funding body for sport – in December 2021 followed allegations of racism from players and others in the sport.
The review found no fewer than 448 incidences of institutional racism on the part of Cricket Scotland – a staggering number and an appalling indictment.
Let’s be clear – racism exists throughout society, but what makes an organisation institutionally racist is not that it has racism. It is whether its priority is to tackle racism and to be actively anti-racist in its policies, procedures, and culture. This was a point I highlighted when I led a debate in the Scottish Parliament on this issue recently.
Indeed, the definition of racism applied in Changing the Boundaries is: "The collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture, or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes, attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwitting prejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping which disadvantage minority ethnic people."
A definition originally from Sir William MacPherson’s report of the public inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence in 1999.
Reactions to Changing the Boundaries have come from across the worlds of sport, politics and beyond. They highlighted the hurt and harm that racism has done in cricket, and included demands for swift and effective action to ensure that accusations of racist speech or behaviour are listened to, responded to and dealt with by Cricket Scotland, and by all sporting governing bodies.
The bravery shown by, among others, Majid Haq and Qasim Sheik – both of whom have played international cricket for Scotland, and both of whom have paid a high price for speaking out in terms of mental health, career, pressure on friends and family – is remarkable. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
It is their courage and perseverance that led sportscotland to commission this hard-hitting report, which painted such a shocking picture but also made many practical and deliverable recommendations.
As a result of its recommendations, Cricket Scotland is on track to replace its entire board by the end of September with a board which will deliver equity and inclusion of minority ethnic people. The process of investigating individual members of Cricket Scotland who were referred to specifically in complaints of racist language or behaviour is also underway. Previously there were no procedures in place to pursue complaints, resulting in complaints being underplayed and swept under the carpet.
So what next? What actions need to be taken to support institutions to be anti-racist in their policies and approach? How can we consign racism in sport to the pages of history?
Running Out Racism is an anti-racist organisation created earlier this year in the wake of the accusations against Cricket Scotland. They have worked incredibly hard since the initial complaints were lodged to keep the focus on the need for root and branch change in the leadership, management and funding of sport in Scotland in order to eradicate institutional racism, not just in cricket, but in all sports.
Among the actions they want to see are:
• The inclusion of anti-racism experts, and voices of lived experience, in the action planning and delivery of what comes next.
• Governance reform and oversight of sporting bodies – possibly including regulation which exists in almost all other groups and institutions in receipt of public funds, but not in sport.
• Delivery of agreed levels of equity and inclusion on sport governing bodies
On Monday September 26, Running Out Racism got their opportunity to put these demands to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care at a meeting I organised, and which was also attended by other Ministers and sportscotland.
The Scottish Government and sportscotland agreed that eradicating institutional racism in sporting bodies is an objective that must be achieved. I hope their commitment will be reflected by the speed with which they deliver anti-racist infrastructure and regulation in sport. They can also learn from other countries which are further along the road of embedding anti-racist approaches and policies in sport, including Wales, Spain and Canada.
The one thing they cannot do is fail to act. We cannot let another generation of sporting talent be lost to Scotland because of processes, procedures and attitudes that fail to support and promote them.
Changing the Boundaries is a watershed publication. It demands leadership from government and from our sporting authorities.
As Maya Angelou said: ‘When you know better, do better.’ This is our chance to do better. Let’s grasp it with both hands.
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