# #CharitySoWhite hashtag trends on Twitter

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/08/20/charitysowhite-hashtag-trends-on-twitter/
- Published: 2019-08-20T18:47:19+01:00
- Author: Melanie May

**The hashtag #CharitySoWhite was trending on Twitter today (Tuesday 20 August) 
as people in the sector shared their experiences of racism.**
By 5pm, there had 
been well over 2,000 tweets, with many of them liked and retweeted multiple times
over, and attracting numerous comments of shared experiences and support.

The campaign calls for urgent action to tackle racism in the charity sector, and
was started by Fatima Iftikhar, after she uncovered racist training materials from
Citizens Advice, which it has since apologised for.

> .[@CitizensAdvice](https://twitter.com/CitizensAdvice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) any
> explanation for this horribly racist training on ‘Working with BAME communities’?
> [pic.twitter.com/gM0CS9xtke](https://t.co/gM0CS9xtke)
> 
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> 
>  [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/)
> — Fatima (@IftikharFatima) [August 9, 2019](https://twitter.com/IftikharFatima/status/1159922191745671168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Iftikhar asked people to share their experiences via Twitter:

> The Citizens Advice scandal is not a one-off incident.
> You can make change happen.
> Share your stories and experiences of [#racism](https://twitter.com/hashtag/racism?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> in the [#charity](https://twitter.com/hashtag/charity?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> sector as staff, trustees, volunteers & service users.[#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> [#charitytuesday](https://twitter.com/hashtag/charitytuesday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)(
> h/t [@sabashafi86](https://twitter.com/sabashafi86?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw))
> — Fatima (@IftikharFatima) [August 19, 2019](https://twitter.com/IftikharFatima/status/1163465243361779712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

Many did, including:

> At a charity event…
> Senior charity leader who I’ve only met twice:“We are off 
> to the pub but I assume you don’t drink, but of course you’re welcome to join 
> us”“Why do you assume that?”“Sorry, I just thought cos of your religion”“Yeh, 
> I’m not Muslim.”“[#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> — Darshan (@chiefchimpanzee) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/chiefchimpanzee/status/1163732912732352517?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> When I was promoted to a senior management position, I was offered a salary less
> than a quarter of my younger, whiter, less experienced predecessor. [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> — Gloria Davies-Coates (@gl0ria) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/gl0ria/status/1163751489694838784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> Where to start..1/2
> Microagressions egWhen I got promoted and other colleagues
> asked me to my face if it was "positive discrimination". The stares I got anytime
> I interacted with another black colleague. So many times I got "confused" with
> another WOC colleague. [https://t.co/6RudTeqqwm](https://t.co/6RudTeqqwm)
> — Collette (@brandbycollette) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/brandbycollette/status/1163724454821879808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> This [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> tweet sadly resonates with my experience in the UK. When I was a director, I was
> mistaken for as an administrator, a waitress serving drinks at our own and other's
> AGMs and whoever it is who is *not* a director. [https://t.co/76NjohDung](https://t.co/76NjohDung)
> — Eiri Ohtani (@EiriOhtani) [August 19, 2019](https://twitter.com/EiriOhtani/status/1163517355474989058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

…while many on Twitter called for action, for greater diversity and inclusion, or
pledged their support:

> I will no longer fund an org unless racial equality is a top priority. I am ending
> partnerships if an action plan + time line to do this can not be made. Looking
> for Abstinence Addiction treatment providers addressing this ASAP!![#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> — Lily Lewis (@Lilyellewis) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/Lilyellewis/status/1163782463845535745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> will be a difficult read for most people working in or for the charity sector.
> 
> Good. The sector needs to be challenged & this is the start. Thank you to all 
> the champions speaking out & sharing their experiences.
> — Jude Habib (@JudeHabib) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/JudeHabib/status/1163726609620357121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Everyone in the charity sector should be following [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> today. Great opportunity to actually hear some BME perspectives rather than chat
> idly about diversity. [#charitytuesday](https://twitter.com/hashtag/charitytuesday?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> — Hannah Chandisingh 🇲🇺🌻🏳️‍🌈 (@HChandisingh) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/HChandisingh/status/1163854216751964161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> My experience in the sector has taught me that whilst often predominantly white
> management have right intentions on racial equality, there's too little concrete
> action taken due to lack of experience or understanding of what racism actuality
> is. [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> — Jon Cornejo 🍉 (@Jon_Cornejo) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/Jon_Cornejo/status/1163849723842875392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

However, the hashtag also raised a few questions, largely from outside of the sector:

 https://twitter.com/ThomasBaird1997/status/1163785494716723200

> Never mind that you're trying to make the world a better place, minimize suffering,
> or support vulnerable people. Your skin is the wrong colour. [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
> — Travenum (@travenum) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/travenum/status/1163801435798196226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

> Twitter is currently out-doing itself with [#CharitySoWhite](https://twitter.com/hashtag/CharitySoWhite?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw).
> The fact that so many users see no issue with that hashtag, on several levels,
> says a lot for the user base.
> — Rob (@Admiral_Rob) [August 20, 2019](https://twitter.com/Admiral_Rob/status/1163860276955045893?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

#### More recent news on diversity within the charity sector:

 * [Charities’ efforts ‘unconvincing & ineffective’ say contributors to new collection on diversity](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/07/12/charities-efforts-unconvincing-and-ineffective-say-contributors-to-new-collection-on-diversity/)
   July 2019
 * [IoF launches strategy to improve diversity in fundraising](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/07/03/iof-launches-strategy-to-improve-diversity-in-fundraising/)
   July 2019
 * [Diversity news round up](https://fundraising.co.uk/2019/07/26/diversity-initiative-news-round-up/)
   July 2019