What Europe can learn from the US about fighting racism

Shada Islam is a Brussels-based commentator on EU affairs. She runs New Horizons project, a strategy, analysis and advisory company. 

As Europe seeks to reboot transatlantic relations with the United States, one urgent common challenge should — but is not — on the long list of priorities: tackling racism. 

Moral arguments for addressing racism have always been robust; the political will and sense of urgency too often missing. And yet the events of the past year — a global pandemic and an international movement for racial justice — have made it clear that the task of addressing inequality can no longer be left unaddressed. 

The coronavirus, far from being an equalizer, has worsened discrimination and inequalities across the world. Disparities in income, access to health care and embedded “medical racism” have caused a disproportionate number of virus-related deaths among people of color — many of whom work high-risk essential jobs — both in the U.S. and in Europe. 

These same disadvantaged communities are also facing the brunt of the economic slowdown, and the truth is that there can be no lasting economic recovery without their participation. 

That is why any conversation about defeating the pandemic and rebooting the global economy will be incomplete — and ineffective — without a close look at the impact of racism on our societies. 

Recently, both Washington and Brussels have taken steps in the right direction. U.S. President Joe Biden is the first U.S. president to call out white supremacy in his inaugural address, in which he also decried “the sting of systemic racism.”

And in June, spurred by Black Lives Matter protests, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to build a Europe that is “more equal, more humane, more fair” and adopted an ambitious EU action plan to tackle discrimination. 

Those words need to be backed by concrete action — and transatlantic dialogue and cooperation. 

On the surface, the problem might seem more dire in the U.S. — where the attack on the Capitol in early January provided a cautionary tale on the political cost of allowing far-right and nativist sentiments to fester. But when it comes to addressing racism, the new U.S. president is already far better positioned than his European counterparts. 

By picking Kamala Harris — the first woman of color to serve as vice president — and the most diverse Cabinet in U.S. history, Biden has surrounded himself with people who will help him push anti-racism action forward. Those efforts will also include strong input from prominent civil rights groups and advocates. 

The EU, meanwhile, is being held back in its fight against racism by a lack of racial diversity in its own ranks. Its anti-racist organizations are also missing the kind of clout or capacity of their U.S. counterparts. 

To be sure, the EU has made some progress in that regard, with significant steps to diversify its personnel at the institutional level. 

The European Commission has set up an Office for Diversity and Inclusion in its Human Resources Directorate, for example, to implement promises of more racial and ethnic diversity in EU institutions. 

It is launching a voluntary and anonymous staff survey that will — for the first time — gather data on the ethnic make-up of Commission officials and thereby highlight gaps in representation. The institutions have also pledged to conduct training in unconscious bias to ensure more inclusive selection procedures. An online anti-racism summit is planned on March 21 followed by a bigger in-person event next year, possibly under the French EU presidency.

But recent events in Europe have highlighted just how much work there is to do — and how urgently the EU needs to turn its anti-racism pledges into concrete action. 

In the Netherlands, a health benefits scandal that involved racial profiling led to the resignation of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. At the EU’s borders, the bloc’s border patrol forces have come under renewed pressure over allegations of violent pushbacks against migrants from Africa and elsewhere. In Brussels, the death of Ibrahima Barrie, a young Black man who died in police detention, and the violent protests that followed offered further proof that embedded racism in many European police forces needs immediate attention. 

There is a lot of room for progress. In March, the EU is set to review its Race Equality Directive, now more than 20 years old, to discuss ways to toughen up national anti-racism action plans, boost the power of national equality bodies and allow for infringement procedures against countries accused of patchy implementation. 

Much-needed efforts are also underway to ensure fair policing, prevent unlawful racial profiling and provide training on ethics and human rights to law enforcement agencies. 

Europe’s struggle to eliminate years of racism, unconscious bias and discriminatory practices is going to be long. The anti-racism effort is split among several commissioners — and, ultimately, it will be up to national governments to implement whatever policies are put in place. 

That’s all the more reason to use the renewed energy brought by Biden’s inauguration in the U.S. to work in concert to eradicate a common problem. 

A transatlantic dialogue on race — with a special focus on how inequalities impact public health and the economy — can help bring the issue to global attention. 

The G20, with its diverse membership, is the ideal place to go global. A start could also be made at the G7 meeting in June at Carbis Bay. 

Tackling racism and inequality has always been urgent work. As the pandemic rages and economies across the world continue to be battered, it has never been more so.