NUS NEC Notes:
1) The tragic murder of Rhys Jones, shot dead playing football in Liverpool, that follows a spate of shootings in recent months in Liverpool, London, Nottingham and Manchester.
2) Much of the debate and discussion in the media and parliament on crime and violence has revolved around the Afro-Caribbean community, with the use of phrases such as “black on black” crime and “gang warfare” used frequently.
3) That there has also been much talk of the need for “positive role models” in the black community, coupled with the idea that many black families are dysfunctional, with black fathers in particular being part of the problem.
4) Figures such as black businessmen, politicians and now army officers have been promoted as an example for black youngsters to try and emulate.
5) The recent Reach report into “raising the aspirations and attainment of black boys and young black men” focuses heavily on individual psychology of black teenagers without looker at wider issues – “racism” is mention just five times in the 85 page report.
NUS NEC Believes:
1) That black teenagers are the victims of this situation and not the perpetrators – the average age of black Londoners murdered by a gun is 19 and the average age of black Londoners charged with murder using a gun is also 19.
2) The current “solutions” and suggestions ignore the real roots of the real problems faced by black young people, and the idea that military officers can help counter violence in communities is laughable.
3) It is poverty, deprivation and lack of opportunities, all of which are fuelled by racism, which are at the heart of the problem. Afro-Caribbeans are more likely to live in poverty, be targeted by the police, be victims of crime, and be discriminated against in the job market.
4) Black children are also disproportionately affected by exclusions from schools and colleges.
5) Racism, as well as being the root cause of the problem, is also behind supposed government “solutions” – the idea that black children have more dysfunctional families and inherent problems with their culture is disgraceful. Terms such as “white on white” crime are never used, implying that the race of a criminal is only important when they are black.
6) NUS has a proud history of opposing the rightwing concept of “blaming the victim” and demonising the poorest in our society.
7) Initiatives like “Tell It Like Is”, a campaign based around a book addressing the root causes of the problems black children face in education, and the NUT’s recent initiative around black boys in education are campaigns that look at the real problems being faced by the Afro-Caribbean community without pandering to the racism prevalent in the media and rhetoric of politicians.
NUS Resolves:
1) To release the following statement to the press:
“NUS expresses our sympathy with the families and communities torn apart by violence and gun crime. It is tragic that we live in such a violent world and that violence has found so destructive a presence in our communities. Crime is so often a result of people falling out of society through poverty, racism and desperate personal circumstances. The current drive in the media and government is to further criminalise communities and youth and ignore the real problems of poverty, deprivation and racism.
NUS believes that the only way to end gun crime is by pulling communities out of poverty and creating a more equal and just society. The government has made a lot of noise about being “tough on crime” but done very little to tackle the root causes of poverty, inequality and racism. We call on all progressive individuals and organizations to add their names to the call for a real debate on ending poverty and racism to tackle gun crime.”
2) For the NUS Vice-Presidents of FE and Welfare to work with NEC member Rob Owen to work on a campaign to launch in FE colleges (that include the age group most affected by these issues) around these issues.
3) To organise joint meetings with trade unions such as the NUT and UCU around these issues, including “Tell It Like It Is” meetings, in FE colleges to address the issues, raise awareness about the real problems and to campaign both for the kind of equality that can eradicate crime, and against the current climate of racist demonistaion and scapegoating.
