Think Tanks Warn of Rising Danger of Scientific Racism in the UK

Social Media · 2024-10-20T20:36:09Z

Think tanks and campaign groups in the UK are sounding the alarm on the growing threat posed by scientific racism, a dangerous ideology that uses flawed science to justify racial inequality. Recent investigations have revealed that these ideas are gaining traction and could potentially seep into mainstream discourse, posing a significant risk to minority communities.

Scientific racism claims that biological differences, rather than social factors, are responsible for inequalities among racial groups. By using research to validate notions of genetic superiority, proponents of this ideology often push back against efforts to improve diversity and combat structural racism. In recent years, rightwing politicians have co-opted these beliefs to advocate for strict immigration policies and the expulsion of migrants from western nations.

Despite the warnings, national institutions in the UK, particularly within the health sector, have been slow to respond. According to the Institute of Race Relations, the Race Equality Foundation, and Race on the Agenda, attempts to bring attention to the resurgence of race science have been largely ignored. Liz Fekete, director of the Institute of Race Relations, voiced her concerns, stating that for years, Black health campaigners and civil rights organizations have been raising their voices about this issue without much acknowledgment from powerful institutions. She pointed out that scientific racism poses a direct threat to NHS users from minority backgrounds.

A recent investigation conducted by *The Guardian* in collaboration with anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate has escalated concerns. The investigation uncovered an international network of academics and activists working to normalize scientific racism, with financial backing from a wealthy US tech entrepreneur. This network allegedly obtained genetic data from the UK Biobank, which contains genetic information from 500,000 volunteers. The revelation has heightened the urgency for action, with campaign groups warning that "today’s fringe ideas could be tomorrow’s mainstream." They call for immediate steps to hold accountable those promoting these dangerous ideologies.

Fekete added that the mainstreaming of such fringe ideas has already begun, citing the cultural wars that mock efforts to address racism, while structural and systemic racism continue to rise. She specifically noted how anti-Muslim and anti-migrant rhetoric, echoing the sentiments of controversial figures like Enoch Powell, has already become more acceptable in mainstream culture. Ideas rooted in cultural racism, which posit a hierarchy of cultures with western civilization at the top, have made their way into public discourse—setting the stage for scientific racism to follow.

The dangers of this ideology spreading into more mainstream thought are not without precedent. Fekete referenced the secret eugenics conferences held at University College London (UCL), exposed in 2018, as well as the increasing prominence of the "great displacement theory" in western politics. These events demonstrate how racist and eugenicist ideas can migrate from fringe communities to positions of influence, aided by the growing popularity of "anti-woke" and populist right-wing rhetoric.

Health and policy institutions are now being urged to take the threat of scientific racism seriously and to address the challenges it poses to equality and diversity. According to think tanks, failure to act now could lead to the further erosion of progress in dismantling systemic racism, and the legitimization of dangerous ideologies that harm minority communities. The warning is clear: the UK must wake up to the insidious influence of scientific racism before it gains even more traction in public life.

Based on a report from the Guardian 2024-10-21