Why charities and funders need to ditch the term ‘BAME’

Why charities and funders need to ditch the term ‘BAME’

I periodically share this brilliant article “The Only Accurate Part of ‘BAME’ is the ‘and’…” by Dr Folúkẹ́ Adébísí, Associate Professor at the Law School, University of Bristol who focuses on decolonial thought in legal education and its intersection with a history of changing ideas of the ‘human.’

In this piece, she breaks down the acronym, which stands for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicity/Black and Minority Ethnicity. She wants people to distinguish between misuse of BAME [and other related terms] and understand its inadequacy as an umbrella term. I find this resource so helpful in my work with funders and policy-makers.

From my own professional perspective, BAME the term cannot capture the distinct needs or issues faced by different groups of people, or indeed by individuals who are not a part of the dominant majority in the UK. Share on X

Lumping people together doesn’t help us with targeting or enhancing support for people with no recourse to public funds, nor does it assist with addressing the needs of those who are British-born and identify as middle class, and are seeking a service that considers their cultural influences.

Recognising who holds Power

Dr Folúkẹ́ Adébísí also reminds us about dominant identities and power. She says:

“We are talking about power. How power is hoarded. Where it resides. The structures that maintain who has access to it. Non-white populations are a global majority. But not majority holders of power. The use of the word ‘minority’ tries to give us a reason for inequality. It misdirects.

It tells us that racism (which remains unnamed) is about numbers and this leads us to misunderstand, misdiagnose and fail to treat its attendant problems. ‘Minority’ messages to us that people are oppressed/disadvantaged because they are few, not because they are non-white.”

Data tells (part of) the Story

Income is not the only factor when it comes to who holds power. However, across multiple studies, it tends to reflect progression in education and employment. An ONS report in 2020 revealed that although on average the ethnic pay gap has fallen over time to around 2% in 2019, there remain significant differences by ethnic minority group.

The median pay gap is between 13% and 16% lower among Pakistanis, white and black Africans, Bangladeshis and black Caribbeans compared with the white British group. In contrast, for Indians and Chinese, it is 16% and 23% higher, respectively (ONS, 2020).

Narrowing the ‘Empathy Gap’

The empathy gap can be wide. It is widened further when people are lumped together in the single term BAME. Working with leaders and Boards, I encourage them to consider the needs of the people who use their services through the following lenses to evidence and enhance their offer:

• Self – includes the individual and their very personal needs (relational, mental, physical etc.)
• Support – includes wraparound support such as counselling and other forms of therapy, including substance abuse, education, empowerment and employment, and skills support
• Services – healthcare, legal/immigration services, social services, ESOL (English as a Second Language), benefits and housing
• Systems – political/policy/legislation, wider societal issues, funders and grantmakers

If your organisation is considering how to shift power from Board-level decision-making through to the allocation of resources and service delivery, do get in touch by emailing anj@inspiringwomenchangemakers.co.uk.