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Article:

I write this final article as last and final chair of CRE Scotland with a mixture of sadness and

anticipation.While change and transformation is an inherent featureof contemporary societies,thereisalwaysafearthatchangemightnotnecessarilybeasbeneficialasanticipated.Itistherefore

imperative that in the coming months those anxieties are properly understood and effectively

addressed.Thedangerofnotdoingsowillmostlikelyresultinalossofthemomentumofrapid

change that theCRE initiatedpostMcPherson.While thereareseveralmilestonesin CREhistory,

veryfewcanmatchthesignificanceoftheMcPhersonRecommendations,especiallyintermsofits

impactontheRaceRelationsAct,whichafterseveraldecades,wasfinallyamendedtoprovidesome

tangible power to the 76 Act. While for years, the CRE painstakingly, published codes of good

practice, promoted the notion of good race relations and supported victims of racial abuse,

substantive change was slow in light of the limited political will to view racial inequality,

discriminationandabuseasamainstreamconcernratherthanonethatrelatedtoasmallminority

ofpeople.

TheCRE,overtheyears,hasseenshiftsformseekingso-calledexpertadvicefromthegoodandthe

great,tothoseininstitutions,blaminginactiononthebasisoflimitedunderstandingoftheissueto

tackleithead-on.Nevertheless, TheAmendmentoftheRaceRelationsActin2000,servedto jolt

institutionsandgovernmentbodiesalikeintoaction.Thiseventnotonlychallengedthoseofuswho

haveworkedunstintinglytoeradicatetheevilsofracialinjusticebuteveryoneinsocietytorealise

thattheytoohavearoleinmakingadifference.

The last 7 years has seen a growth in public discourse on issues of racial inequality and

discriminationandnewunderstandingsofraceasneverbefore.Yetstillthereisadangerthatmany

donot fullyunderstandthefundamentnotionssurroundingwhatracialequalitymeansin reality

andcontext-Isissimplyaboutequalaccesstojobsandeducation?Orisitacasethatwesolvethe

problemifwepreventdiscriminationonthegroundsofRaceasstatedinthelaw.Wehavelearned

at the CRE that the uniqueness of race and racial inequality lies in its complexities and that

althoughdifferentpeoplemightholddifferentperspectivesonrace,ultimatelyallhavethecentral

goalof achieving racial justice. Thelaterinmyview,will becrucialin keepingus focusedon the

agendaasthestatutoryresponsibilityforracetransfersfromtheCREtotheCEHR.Failuretokeepthisfocuswouldresultinthesignificantprogressthathasbeenmadetodate.

Continuityisakeyingredienttosuccess,moresointhecaseofracesincefewcontemporaryissues

inBritish societyareascomplex, sensitiveandpoliticalthreateningas racerelatedmatters.Our

areasofworkintheCREoftennotonlycutacrossissuesofgender,disability,age,sexuality,social

class,and religion,buttheyregularlyinvolveexperiencesofindividualsandgroupsofpeoplewho

aredifferentiatedbytheirethnicity, nationality,nationaloriginandthe statusof theircitizenship.

This theopensup aplethorahumanissuesrelating tosensesof belonging,identityandcivicand

politicalparticipation.On aOneto onedimension,an analysisof theseexperiencesmight appear

simple but cross-tabulate the different factors and we have a mire. In essence, it is difficult to

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choose collectivegoodover individual experiences bothare juxtaposed and regularly influence

eachother.

ItthereforefairtosaythatalthoughCREScotlandisbeproudtoleavebehindarespectablerecord

ofachievementinreducingdiscrimination,wehaveonlyjusttouchedthesurfaceofthechallenges

thatliein.Pandorasbox.Aswecloseourdoors,theCRElooksforwardtowardsanewchapterinthe

struggleagainstracialdiscrimination.Thenextfewyearswillbebothchallengingnotjustforthe

CEHRandgovernmentbutalsoforindividualsandcommunitiesalike,whowillexpectthesamelevel

ofservice,ifnotbetter.Wewill seektobeassuredthata finebalanceismaintainedbetweenthe

local andGBwide issues, that thedevolvedgovernment is fully involved in shaping theequality

agendaingeneralbutalsointermsofraceandthatthereisequilibriumbetweentheneedtofocus

onraceasanindividualstrandandracein relationstootherissues,beyondgender,age,sexual

orientation, religion and disability, each of which come with their own complexities. More

specifically,in thecaseofScotland,wewouldhopetoseethissitneatlywithinthecontextof the

ScottishHumanRightsCommission.Averyrealdangerhereistofocussowidethatdelicatenuances

pertainingtotheindividualareasofhumanityisrenderedinvisible.

Itisthereforecrucialthattheverymanyagentsthathaveactivelyparticipatedprogressionthework

onRacialJusticeremainintact,worktogethertoensurethatthefingeriskeptfirmlyonthepulse.

TheCEHR andother governmentagencieswill be seeking toworkcloselywith ouragencies and

networksandthekeychallengefortheracesectoristoaddresshowwebringourdiverseskillsand

achievementstogethersothatwecanbepartofthechangeratherthanbeingawitnesstochange

orlackofchangeasdesired.

CREScotlandcherishallthatwehaveachievedinthelast50yearsinregardtoracialinequalityand

Racial relations andmany staff, commissioners and keypartners will continue towork towards

racialJustice,manywithandwithintheCEHR,somewithGovernmentagencies,asNelsonMandela

mentionedrecently,itmatters littlewhetherweleador follow,weallmakeequalcontributionto

makingadifferencenomatterhowsmallorlargethecontribution.Oneofthestrongestlegacywe

leavebehindinScotlandisournetworkofpartners,manyofwhomhaveshownawillingnesstobe

partofthesolutionratherthanbeingseenasthesourceoftheproblem.Thisissomething,Iwill

continuetobuildoninmyroleastransitionCommissionerintheCEHRandIwillseektocontinuetoworkcloselywitholdandnewfriendstomakethepositivedifferencethatweallsostronglydesire.

Hencewhilethisisindeed,thefinalmessagefromtheChairoftheCRE,Ifeelcertainthatyouhave

notheardthelastfromme!Thankyouallforyoursupport,adviceandcommitment

KayHampton,ProfessorinCommunitiesandRaceRelations

Chair,CREandScotlandCommissioner