A £500,000 fund has been launched by campaigners to address  the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on people from black and minority backgrounds. 

The fund, launched by Resourcing Racial Justice (RRJ), made up of financial contributions from philanthropic organisations and crowdfunding. 

Assistance

RRJ is encouraging organisations, grassroots and community-led groups and individuals whose work or funding has been affected by the pandemic to apply for assistance. 

Examples of what the RRJ will support include:

• Becoming a stream of support for historic and newly formed people of colour led organisations who are at risk of closure because of COVID-19 and the impending recession 
• Sustaining community organisations, businesses and enterprises that are built on the social relationships, intergenerational knowledge and lived experience of people of colour in their work and infrastructure 
• Enabling community groups and community-led organisations that are led by people of colour or whose efforts are working towards racial justice and equity to continue their work 
• Organisations, networks and community groups that offer vital services and spaces of refuge to communities colour; especially those who experience multiple forms of marginalisation. These include migrant rights groups, support in detention centres, LGBQI groups, faith groups,  advocates and those responding on issues affecting people of colour disproportionately e.g detentions, policing, gentrification, physical and mental health etc.

Salina Nwulu, a founding member of Resourcing Racial Justice said:“It’s sadly unsurprising, but very clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted working-class communities of colour in terms of infections and deaths. 

“Through every crisis, be it COVID-19 or the climate emergency, people of colour are disproportionately affected because they already experience the blunt end of social inequality. We’re hoping this fund will provide much-needed support to frontline organisations and groups who are working to support those more at risk and vulnerable to COVID-19.”

Support

Yvonne Field, founder and CEO of social enterprise The Ubele Initiative voiced her support for the RRJ fund.

She said: “This fund is so timely and actually needed now more than ever. Deep systemic inequalities which have pervaded our society for decades have now been laid bare for all to see during this Covid-19 pandemic.

Through every crisis, be it COVID-19 or the climate emergency, people of colour are disproportionately affected because they already experience the blunt end of social inequality. We’re hoping this fund will provide much-needed support

Salina Nwulu, a founding member of Resourcing Racial Justice

Lack of equity in funding decisions have been so normal that to hear ‘Nice idea, but no thanks’, became expected by those of us who applied. We need initiatives such as this to support us, not only through this emergency but also for the long haul. Hopefully, they will help us transform society in ways that future generations will be proud of, especially when they look back on this most challenging era.”

Also supporting the RRJ fund is author and activist Derek Bardowell.

Inequalities

He said: “We know about the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people of colour. We know that the pandemic has exposed existing racialised health and economic inequalities. 

“Yet funders have been woefully slow to respond to this evidence. Resourcing Racial Justice is a much-needed coalition, led and informed by those impacted by racial injustice, funding through a racial justice lens. 

“This fund will provide vital support to those working strategically on the frontline and I hope it will be an example to other funders of how best to reach and invest in communities of colour.”