BAME. To Be or Not To Be?
As ‘Our Marathon Continues’, I pause to consider this…BAME.
BAME is the acronym used to stand for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic in the UK, and is used to describe ALL ethnic groups with the exception of White people. Individuals who identify as Mixed – race also fall into the BAME category. BME is another acronym variation, used to stand for Black Minority Ethnic along with BEM which stands for Black and Minority Ethnic.
These are terms used by the UK Government to refer to the Ethnic Minority population.
BAME Origination
In 1991 the UK Census was the first to include a question on ‘ethnicity’.
It is noted that a Census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is also noted that Censuses have taken place in the different jurisdictions of the United Kingdom every ten years since 1801, with the exceptions of 1941 (during the Second World War) and Ireland in 1921.
This national Census conducted on Sunday 21st April 1991, was organised by the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys in England and Wales, the General Register Office for Scotland and the Census Office for Northern Ireland, and included the tick boxes "White", "Black-Caribbean", "Black-African", "Black-Other (please describe)", "Indian”, "Pakistani", "Bangladeshi”, "Chinese" and "Any other ethnic group (please describe)".
User consultation, undertaken by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for the purpose of planning the 2011 Census in England and Wales found that most of the respondents from all ethnic groups that took part in the surveys felt comfortable with the use of the terms "Black" and "White".
However, some participants suggested that these colour terms were confusing and unacceptable and did not adequately describe an individual's ethnic group, did not reflect his or her true skin colour, and were stereotypical and outdated terms. The heading "Black or Black British", which was used in 2001 Census, was changed to "Black/African/Caribbean/Black British" for the 2011 Census. Individuals who did not identify as "Black", "White" or "Asian" could instead write in their own ethnic group under "Other ethnic group" and individuals with multiple ancestries could indicate their respective ethnic backgrounds under a "Mixed or multiple ethnic groups" tick box and write-in area.
Between 2004 – 2008 the General Register Office for Scotland (GOS) conducted official consultation, research and question testing for the purpose of planning the 2011 Scottish Census.
The GOS found that "Black" was a polarising term for many focus group participants and interviewees. Some participants opposed the use of such terms, while others supported them. Opposition to the term "Black" was strongest among individuals originating from ethnic groups in Africa and the Caribbean, especially the former.
The main reasons cited for this opposition were that racial terms like "Black" and "White" were invalid, socially constructed concepts not based on empirical reality; that skin colour was distinct from ethnicity; that the "Black" and "White" categories from the earlier 2001 Census were inconsistent with the "Asian" categories, thereby resulting in an unfair, double standard; and that the positioning of the "White" category atop the "non-White" categories implied a racial hierarchy, with "White" at the top.
To redress this, the GOS established new, separate "African, African Scottish or African British" and "Caribbean, Caribbean Scottish or Caribbean British" tick boxes for individuals from Africa and the Caribbean, who did not identify as "Black, Black Scottish or Black British". It found that most testing participants chose to tick "African" or "Caribbean" instead of "Black". In the write-in area, they also noted their own respective ethnic groups, with few opting to write-in "Black". Additionally, individuals who did not identify as "Black", "White" or "Asian" could write in their own ethnic group under "Other ethnic group". Persons with multiple ancestries could indicate their respective ethnic backgrounds under a "Mixed or multiple ethnic groups" write-in area.
How Do You Identify Yourself? Your Self Definition?
The ethnicity data used in UK national statistics relies on individuals' self-definition. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) explain this as follows:
“Membership of an ethnic group is something that is subjectively meaningful to the person concerned, and this is the principal basis for ethnic categorisation in the United Kingdom. So, in ethnic group questions, we are unable to base ethnic identification upon objective, quantifiable information as we would, say, for age or gender. And this means that we should rather ask people which group they see themselves as belonging to”.
With this in mind and without referring to any ‘tick box surveys’, how do YOU identify YOURSELF, your COLOUR, your ETHNICITY, your NATIONALITY. Do you see yourself as represented under the BAME Umbrella?
Let’s explore this.
When I look up the word ‘Black’, Google tells me that it is of the ‘darkest colour’, it relates to people with ‘dark coloured skin’.
Ethnicity is defined by the Cambridge Dictionary as ‘a particular race of people, or the fact of being from a particular race of people’.
Wikipedia describes ‘Race’ as a ‘grouping of Humans based on shared physical or social qualities into categories generally viewed as distinct by society. The term was first used to refer to speakers of a common language and then to denote national affiliations’.
Nationality relates to where you were born or have citizenship within a particular Country.
Based on this theory, my Ethnic National affiliation is to Jamaica, I was born in Bristol (the Southwest of England), and so I am a British Citizen.
Minority is defined by Google as ‘a small group of people within a community or country, differing from the main population in race, religion, language, or political persuasion’. In Sociology, a Minority Group refers to a category of people who experience relative disadvantage as compared to members of a dominant social group.
Minority group membership is typically based on differences in observable characteristics or practices, such as ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation or disability (referencing Wikipedia).
Whilst my Ethnicity coupled with my Citizenship highlight that I am from a community that is not the dominant social group, the possible stereotyped label of being at a disadvantage because of this, is not a label I choose to wear.
Which leads me to my self-definition:
“My name is Judith AM Denton, I AM a Black Woman, my Ethnic Origin is Jamaica and I AM a British Citizen”.
Taking a deeper look at my DNA, although I was born to Jamaican Parents, my Ethnicity stems from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Kenya, West Africa (Cameroon, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Cote D’ivoire), The Middle East (Cyprus, Lebanon, Israel, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Yemen, Eritrea, United Arab Emirates), China, Taiwan, The Baltic Region (Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus).
Time for a Change?
Every 10 years, the UK Census takes place. The last one being on the 27th March 2011, the next to take place in March 2021. And I ask, is it time for us to redefine and lead the way on how we are seen and referred to in the eyes of our Government and Society, making a difference for the next 10 years and beyond? Could the ball have been strategically placed in our court, through the cries and demands for ‘equality and justice’, as a result of the murder of George Floyd?
I say that the ball has been placed in our court and yes, it is time for a change.
An essential ingredient to this change, is the question to be answered of ‘what is your self-definition?’ Until you/we are certain and settled with our identity, we will answer to whatever we are called, with no correction or guidance provided.
And so I conclude, BAME. To Be or Not To Be? What will be YOUR answer?
Feel free to leave your comments below.
About Me:
My name is Judith AM Denton and I am the CEO and Founder of a Social Enterprise, a powerful Speaker and an authentic Author.
Also an Influencer, I am a member of the London Borough of Barking and Dagenhams’ Fostering Panel, providing independent oversight of the Recruitment, Assessment and Review of Foster Carers and making recommendations on their suitability to Foster, along with being an Ambassador within The National Youth Ambassadors Advisory Group for the National Independent Reviewing Officer Managers Partnership, raising awareness and challenging stigma in order to make life in Care better for everyone.
I’m also a member of the Young Women’s Justice Project Strategic Advisory Group. brought together by Agenda, the alliance for women and girls at risk in partnership with Standing Committee for Youth Justice, to improve policy and practice for young adult women (aged 17 – 25) who come into contact with the Criminal Justice System.
From my experience of becoming an Entrepreneur, I believe that there are people who have the desire to become an Entrepreneur, but are unsure as to ‘why’ or ‘how’.
To help them on this road of self-discovery, I openly share detailed information, with valuable lessons learnt from my journey, on how to step out of your comfort zone and become a ‘purpose driven’ Entrepreneur, realizing your potential and passionately achieving your goals and this I do through my Monthly Blogs and Inspiring Guides which you can SUBSCRIBE to receive here.
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