PACEY Cymru
The Welsh Government published their Anti-racist Wales Action Plan in 2022 that sets out the action they will take to make Wales an Anti-racist nation and to collectively, make a measurable difference to the lives of the global majority.
Adopting an anti-racist approach requires everyone to look at the ways that racism is built into policies, formal and informal rules and regulations and generally the ways in which we work.
PACEY Cymru is working hard to reflect, develop and grow in relation to anti-racist practice through exploring race, equality and diversity. We also are working hard to support members in their journey to providing quality early years and childcare practice which embeds core values in relation to race, equality and diversity and impacts positivity on outcomes for children and their families.
In this blog PACEY Cymru spoke to Josephine a registered childminder and PACEY member from Swansea to hear about her experiences, insights and thoughts on race, equality and diversity and supporting anti-racist practice.
Tell us about yourself
I’m originally from Ghana in the west of Africa. I was born in the capital, Accra. My family migrated there from Togo. My parents and two sisters are also from Ghana, and we have been in the UK for the last 16 years. I have two beautiful children, aged four and two. I love being a mum and they have pushed me to want to achieve more.
I have worked as a dental nurse for the last eight years and just handed in my notice to start childminding. It was emotional but I am just so excited for the new chapter of my life.
I studied childcare at GCSE, A level and in college, and did a course to become a paediatric nurse. I always knew I wanted to work with children. When I was eight-years-old, I made a whole plan of my dream childcare business. My mum still has it, and it always brings back memories!
Tell us about your own experiences of race
It’s been a very daunting journey. I remember vividly when we first came to Wales, my mum, my sisters, and I went shopping and people screamed at us to go back to where we come from. All I could think was that we were from Morriston, where else did they want us to go? It’s a horrible thing and my mum felt it the most.
As a child I didn’t think I was any different. I knew my skin was dark and other peoples wasn’t, but I didn’t think that was a massive thing, until I went to school.
Students would pull my hair when I had braids and ask why I didn’t have ‘normal hair’. I’ve always known this as normal hair. One girl refused to stand next to me because she thought she would turn black and said she was allergic to Black people.
I don’t understand the way people talk to you, they will talk more loudly at you and raise their voice as if you are deaf, it’s horrible. I experienced this from teachers and other students in school.
In school, people always assumed that we were poor, but home in Ghana we had a large house with drivers and maids. When we moved to the UK, I didn’t understand why we had left all of that to live in a tiny two-bedroom house. Just because we are from Africa people think we are poor because the news and media portray it as a poor country. I feel they show only the poor places and the crime, they don’t show the other side of Africa. There are wealthy people in Africa; millionaires, inventors, doctors, engineers, but many people think because of our skin colour we cannot achieve.
When I wanted to do childcare, a teacher told me I could not do it as I wasn’t smart enough. I went home crying and asked my mum ‘why are people being horrible to me?’. I didn’t understand it.
As I’ve got older, some things have changed. People are more open and willing to listen, but racism is still there. The word racism will never go away but people need to be educated. The more we talk about it the more likely people’s thinking will change.
When my daughter started school, I was so scared. I didn’t want to take her to school because I knew what I went through, and I didn’t want her to ever experience that. Last year she came home from school and said, ‘mum I’m Black’. My heart was beating so fast knowing what I had gone through. I told her you are a beautiful intelligent girl; your skin colour doesn’t define who you are. I am terrified of someone treating her differently because of her skin colour. It’s been a worry for me for as long as I can remember. So far, she hasn’t encountered any racism that I know of, but I am sure it will happen to her one day and that scares me.
How do you think your own experiences will influence your setting and practice?
I have thought a lot about that, my experiences are what stopped me from becoming a childminder for so long. I always thought because of my skin colour nobody would want to bring their child to me and that they would look at my skin colour and think that I cannot care for their child. I always thought they would treat me differently, or they wouldn’t trust me. Racism has affected me in so many different ways.
I won’t sit the children down and say today we are talking about racism, but during conversations and activities I will talk about diversity and equality. I will teach the children that the way we look, and the colour of our skin, doesn’t define us. We are all human, and being a different colour doesn’t mean we are better or less than anyone else. We need to treat each other with respect and be kind to one another. We need to be grateful for having friends around us. I will teach them to work together and play together and not to judge or exclude somebody because of their skin colour or accent.
I want the children to feel they can come to me if someone has treated them unfairly or has been racist towards them. I don’t want any child to go through what I have been through. I can relate to them and teach them that the way they look, or talk, doesn’t have to stop them doing or achieving anything. I hope because of my own experience I can teach them more.
I will teach them confidence and not to be scared to walk into a room full of white people. Everywhere I have ever worked I was the only Black girl, so I go into any situation thinking I am going to make an impact. I want to make an impact and for them to remember me not because of my skin colour, but because of the impact I have made. My mum has taught me this. She is so strong. She has always told me to go in head up, chest out, thinking you can do it! It’s amazing. I have learnt so much from her and I want to pass this on to the children.
I want to offer a service where everyone walks into the house and feels comfortable and safe. I want my setting to be cosy, warm, and homely for the children and parents.
How do you plan to promote equality, diversity and inclusive practice in your setting?
I have bought books about diversity to share with the children. We will celebrate festivals and events like Black History Month and Chinese New Year. We will do lots of dressing up and crafts from different cultures. We will go on outings such as a visit to the museum as they have lots of exhibits from different countries and races.
I plan on making lots of different food from different cultures for the children to taste. I want to involve all the families, ask them to send something in from their culture or religion, or to come into the setting and teach the children how to cook a meal, or how to wear a saree. The children will love that and I will ensure these are not tokenistic examples of culture.
What would be your top tips for supporting anti-racism practice in a childcare setting?
- Talk to the children. Be open and honest. It can be a daunting topic to teach but it is so important.
- Challenge negative stereotypes and find positive stories to share.
- Make it fun to experience other cultures.
- Be open yourself to trying new experiences and learning new things. Keep an open mind.
- Learn from others. There is so much to learn about different cultures. Imagine if all the people were the same, how boring would the world be?
Further information
- DARPL: Anti-racist training in Wales
- NEWS: Publication of Anti-racist Wales Action Plan / Cynllun Gweithredu Cymru Wrth-hiliaeth
- PACEY Blog: Diversity, Inclusion and Equality
- PACEY BlOG: Diversity, Inclusion and Equality. What this means to me
- PACEY Blog: Talking about race in the early years
- PACEY Spotlight: Promoting positive diversity
- Mind: Racism and mental health
