Recovery In The Bin stand against racism and acknowledge it is pervasive throughout culture and the systems we are subject to. We acknowledge white privilege and the duty for those with it to recognise and strive to remove it and to challenge the culture of Whiteness. We support an intersectional understanding of how each of us may have privileges and oppressions. We oppose anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and the State-led policies of hostility toward migrants and asylum seekers. Learning to negotiate with each other respectfully and with humanity is an ongoing process that at times is difficult but to which we should all be committed. We also demand professionals acknowledge the presence of institutional racism and workers who collude with this at an individual and/or collective level are contributing negatively to the mental health of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) service users. Professionals should join us in learning and changing – to listen to and to give platforms to BAME Service Users, and marginalised groups who are not even visible to services or excluded by hostile environments. We draw particular attention to the appalling higher risk of violent and abusive treatment faced by people of African-Caribbean and African heritage. It is massively under-acknowledged that racism contributes to mental distress and illness; we must recognise and work to change that.
Recovery in the Bin 