For this blog, we are taking a little change of direction to highlight the work of a very special member of the Mud team, Jacqueline Wallace. We are proud to be partnering with End the Virus of Racism this month to raise awareness of a new organisation that is bridging the gap in racial equality.
End the Virus of Racism (EVR) is set up by a group of volunteers, including our very own Jacqueline, who is Filipino-born and Scottish-raised and has been helping out behind the scenes for the Mud team since 2017! The coronavirus pandemic, which has hit many people very hard, aggravated racial attacks towards people of East and Southeast Asian heritage by 300% in the UK. This trend spiked again as lockdown restrictions eased in May and with children going back to school, there have been reports of East and Southeast Asian students being racially bullied for spreading coronavirus.
End the Virus of Racism called on the government to push for a zero-tolerance policy towards racism. With a lack of action taken by the government and already existing anti-racist organisations at capacity, the team decided to take action and set up a Crowdfunder to build this organisation themselves. This is the first non-profit organisation specifically advocating for East and Southeast Asian people in the UK. EVR is already growing strong as they are forming a coalition of networks across the UK and working with the first East and Southeast Asian organisation in Scotland (ESAS), as well as working with the team Besea.n who are pushing for better representation of East and Southeast Asians in British media. As there is a significant under-reporting of hate crime to the British police due to distrust and fears that their cases won’t be taken seriously, EVR are raising funds to establish a multi-lingual third-party reporting system as an alternative.
To support Jacqueline’s endeavour, we are releasing a very special mini bouquet of flowers in the theme of yellow to complement End the Virus of Racism’s logo. This colour is particularly meaningful across cultures in East and South East Asia. In Chinese culture, it can mean prosperity and it also symbolises earth. In Japanese culture, yellow can represent courage and inner strength. In Filipino culture, it represents freedom. And in Thailand, yellow is seen as a lucky colour!
In some Eastern cultures, giving yellow flowers means to spread positivity and joy. They are also a symbol of new beginnings, so by purchasing one you are helping start a new positive chapter of equality and inclusivity! Yellow is the colour of the sun and the same sun rotates around us all, and we are all equal under it regardless of our background or ethnicity. So whatever meaning yellow has to you, it emulates warmth, empathy and unity. £5 from each bouquet will be donated to EVR’s Crowdfunder to help end the virus of racism.
