Now I don’t want to Keep Quiet Anymore - Black Lives Matter

Before coming to Scotland, I did not know what discrimination and racial discrimination were.

Some events led me to associate discrimination with my status - I was then a person seeking asylum. I thought, I was treated differently because of my status. Then I got my leave to remain I still was treated differently I then started thinking of colour but I found it difficult to accept that I was treated unfairly because of my colour.  

To me there is no difference between white or black we are all from the human race, we are all human beings.

When I finally understood what racism is in terms of it being the fact of treating someone unfairly because of his/her colour I was in a denial. I was in a denial because it was hard to accept that racism exist.

When I finally accepted that racism existed I kept quiet when experiencing or witnessing it. I kept quiet because I was scared of not being listening to, not being believed and not being supported.

In housing for example, I experienced people being allocated difficult to live in houses because of their colour or because of them being poor.  I kept quiet because of fear and my heart was bleeding.

In term of employment, I have experienced not being properly trained and supported in my role and yet being told I am not making any progress.  And I kept quiet!

Now I don’t want to keep quiet anymore.

I believe that I can contribute to the flourishment of Scotland, but for that I need to be supported, I need to be treated fairly, I need people to work in team and in partnership with me.

I also believe that the racial discrimination that we are facing is due to ignorance. With education, with conversations about racism, people can be aware of their biases and prejudices and overcome them by doing the right thing.

I also believe on the other hand that some people are deeply racist. For this minority, we, as individuals, as a community, we need to break the silence and let them know that racial discrimination is not ok in the UK, is not ok in Scotland.

I am willing to join my voice with other people, to share my experience and also to listen to their experiences and together raise our voices to say: Racial discrimination, discrimination on the ground of people’s ‘characteristics’ is not ok.

Poverty Truth Community Member

 

What does The Poverty Truth Community mean to you?

(Brian stands second row left)

Hi everyone, let me introduce myself, my name is Brian Scott and I was born, and still live in, Glasgow.  I have two boys - one a teenager and the other a ‘wannabe’ teenager’ and a mad cat called Ali, who, like me, has a dodgy back and dodgy legs.

I first became involved with the PTC (known as the Poverty Truth commission then) about 3 years ago.  I can honestly say that in that time I have met some fantastic people, made some new friends and achieved an awful lot.  If you had told me 3 years ago when I first made my baby steps into volunteering with the PTC that I would be meeting Scottish Government Ministers, Senior Civil Servants and delivering talks to conferences I would have said you were ‘having a laugh’.  But I’ve done all that, and more, during my time with the PTC.

When asked to write this short bio piece about myself (Carol emphasised ‘short’ as I could talk about myself for pages!!!) I was asked to write about my highlights, the kind of work I’ve done and anything I thought could be done better by the PTC.  

Let’s tackle the last part of that sentence first – what could the PTC do better.  We can all do things better but, in the case of the PTC, I really can’t think of anything they could do more for their volunteers etc.  Even during lockdown Elaine, Carol and Davy have went out of their way to keep in contact with us, making sure we are keeping well and had everything we needed etc.  The guys in the office, to me, have done so much in encouraging my journey with the PTC and giving me opportunities to take part in campaigns, meetings etc without any pressure put on me.  Talking to my colleagues in the PTC I am sure I’m not the only one who shares that view.

So, what have I been involved in during my time with the PTC.  In a simple word – ‘lots’.  I’ve listed below just some of the opportunities and campaigns that the PTC have allowed me to take part in over the past three years, though I’m pretty sure I’ve left a lot out:-

• Working Groups on the Assessment and Benefits System

• Taking part in various pieces of research on the physical and mental health implications of poverty.

• Addressing a national Joseph Roundtree conference on the uses of the Framing Technique.

• Opportunity to take part in a media course facilitated by ‘On Road Media’.

• To be part of a Q&A session addressing the Scottish Parliament Advisory Panel on Education concerning the issues surrounding childhood and poverty.

• Taking part in the Mutual Mentoring Scheme.

• To meet with other campaigners from not just around Scotland, but the rest of the UK.

• To meet with Scottish Government Ministers at the very highest level to discuss issues surrounding poverty.

• To be part of the Scottish Parliament’s Advisory Group on Fuel Poverty

• To be part of the advisory sessions regarding the Scottish Child Payment Scheme.

• To take part in both TV and Radio documentaries discussing poverty

And, finally, to meet all you wonderful people (all donations accepted – especially over £5).

Now what has been the highlight of my time with the PTC.  Difficult to choose just one, but I’ve done it!  The most enjoyable, informative and eye-opening thing I’ve been part of over the past three years has been the ‘Mutual Mentoring Scheme’.  Here the PTC partnered with civil servants working within the Scottish Parliament to pair up PTC members and civil servants.  I was partnered with a lovely chap from the Scottish Government called Tom.  I was lucky enough to take part in ‘Mutual Mentoring’ at the same time the Scottish Government was putting into legislation the stages of taking over welfare responsibilities for DLA/PIP/AA and Housing Benefit.  Through, Tom, I took part in working groups discussing poverty, was asked to address the Directors and Heads of several Civil Service Departments on life in poverty and growing up in an inner city housing estate and, generally, got to see the inner workings of government that I would never have been able to see otherwise.  For my part, I brought Tom to Possilpark on several occasions to discuss the issues growing up and living in the inner city.  Introduced him to local people, local groups as well as local activists and, hopefully, gave him much to chew to over when he went back to Edinburgh.  I was anxious to show Tom that life, living in a housing estate, isn’t all bad and that there are many, many people within the area who will, willingly, go the extra mile to help their neighbours.

Hopefully, I’ve given you an interesting overview of my time with the PTC.  It’s been exciting and fulfilling but there’s still work to be done out there.  So, join in, (if you haven’t already).  In the words of the late, lamented comedian, Rikki Fulton (yes, I am that old) – ‘It’s going to be one hell of a party’!”

Not to be missed please see attached link to view Brian’s excellent version of a classic Stray Cats song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYRVuHFP7fM&t=9s