This research shows that knowledge of these higher rates of infection and death added to people’s stress, even in the absence of infection itself. Moreover, certain employers were felt to have put people at greater risk, in ways which could be considered racially motivated. People suffered from policymakers’ poor recognition of the particular needs of some minoritised communities during this time. With statutory services closed, over-stretched or unable to support the needs of diverse communities, local charities and voluntary organisations often stepped in. More generally, Government messaging was considered confusing and unhelpful, in ways which people felt were purposefully divisive and directly contributed to a rise in racist violence.

We must centre the perspectives and needs of minoritized ethnic groups to ensure crisis responses are inclusive and effective. We must also recognise that the roots of these pandemic problems lie in the persistent marginalisation of those in minoritised ethnic groups in British society.

About the research

This report documents the experiences of 107 people from different minoritised ethnic groups during the first lockdown in South West England in 2020. The survey was conducted in partnership with Black South West Network (BSWN), through our joint Research Action Coalition for Race Equality, with respondents recruited through BSWN’s mailing list and those of other organisations in the region. The sample was ethnically diverse. Over a third (38%) of people described their ethnicity as ‘Black Caribbean’ or ‘mixed - Black Caribbean and white’. 16% describing themselves as ‘Black African’ or ‘mixed Black African and white’, and 4% specifically describing themselves as ‘Somali’. A further 16% described themselves as ‘Indian’. Other people described themselves as Bangladeshi, Chinese, Pakistani, or as having other ethnicities. Responses were concentrated among people living in Bristol. As well as completing the survey, many of respondents also provided written comments, which are the focus of this report.

Our recommendations are developed in collaboration with representatives from several Black, Asian and minority-led community organisations who provided critical support during the pandemic. We ran workshops with representatives from Bristol Somali Resource Centre, Bristol & Avon Chinese Women’s Group, Nilaari, and Bristol Somali Youth Voice. We then received comments on the emerging recommendations from the Bristol Commission on Race Equality and the Bristol Race Equality Covid-19 Steering Group, who between them include over one hundred stakeholders from organisations across the city. Further details on these organisations are below.

The pandemic produced a sense of isolation and fear among many people. This was made worse by knowledge of ethnic inequalities in infections and deaths, particularly when people were unable to work from home, as well as not being able to visit family living abroad.

“It has been hard being isolated and not able to visit family who live in a different county. It has been a constant worry with my husband and eldest son going to work. It has been a huge worry knowing that BAME people are at a higher risk. It has just been a huge worry overall and it has battered my mental health.” (Female, 36, Mixed – Black Caribbean and white).

“since the news of BAME people being much more likely to be impacted I have been very worried - I rarely leave the house and it has caused me anxiety for the first time in my life” (Male, 37, Mixed – Black African and white).

A lack of support or clear guidance from Government

These fears were made worse by an incoherent Government response. People described inconsistent and conflicting guidance which caused confusion and added to people’s sense of vulnerability.
People also felt that statutory services had not recognised the ways in which particular cultural traditions could place a toll on people in certain communities.

“Cultural expectations of many South Asian communities require different types of support during illnesses & deaths. E.g Bangladeshi families don’t cook for 3 days post any death in the family. Family & friends are expected to deliver food to the mourning family during this time. Lockdown during this pandemic has increased the burden of community care on many of us. Without any state support & the disproportionate death rates in our community puts us under unprecedented anxiety & stress.” (Female, 36, Bangladeshi)

People felt that this reaction had shown “the Government’s lack of priority [to protect people in ethnic minority groups] even though we appear to be the worst affected.” A sense of a lack of protection was also clear in people’s descriptions of experiences of racist treatment from the police. People feared that they would not receive appropriate care, e.g. from health services, if they did become ill, adding to this sense of vulnerability.

Lack of protection for workers

People also felt that they had been poorly treated by their employers. Some employers appear to have failed to comply with even basic expectations regarding staff protection. Some employers were described as having acted in ways which had directly increased people’s risk and contradicted Government advice, in order to protect white workers.

“I was given more responsibility to lighten the load [on] other senior members of staff […] I was offered no flexibility […] WFH [working from home] was only for the senior staff, whom are white.” (Female, 43, Indian)

[Despite being vulnerable and having caring responsibilities] “Our management is trying to get us back into the office when the Council is giving out the message that we should still be working from home.” (Male, 59, Indian)

There was also a sense of insecurity about the future. While 68% (73/107) of respondents said that their role would be the same after the lockdown, 12% didn’t know if this would be the case and 4% said they would receive less pay or fewer hours. 12% said they wouldn’t be able to return to the same role they had had prior to lockdown.

Divisive coverage encouraged racial tensions

People felt that the Government and media’s responses to the pandemic had directly contributed to social disharmony. People felt they had ignored the actual causes of these ethnic inequalities – related to the concentration of people in minoritized ethnic groups in poverty and frontline occupations – to focus on issues which blamed the victims, in coverage described as “disgustingly divisive”. The Government’s continued use of the term ‘BAME’ had also encouraged a sense that people in minoritized ethnic group were all the same. This had directly led to an increase in “race-related attacks” and left people feeling “on edge [about the risk of…] racial tensions.”

“The [Government] narrative shifted from ‘white people pulling together and fighting this through’, to members of the BAME community [being] targeted as the ‘major carriers’ and ‘causing harm and being reckless’.” (Male, 50, Black Caribbean)

“I don’t like being classed as BAME, as I am a Black Woman... and since COVID it has been [used to] underline the racism where people are distancing themselves even more so and making it known that we are carriers. BAME I see as classed as ‘others’. (Female, 56, Black Caribbean)

Rather than helping the victims, participants felt that the Government had “turn[ed the pandemic] into a race war”. As a consequence, the Government’s response would have implications which stretched far beyond the pandemic itself and undermine race relations in the country for a long time to come.