What A Difference A Year Makes

Location 1: Mandy travels by car to the town centre and parks in the car park. She is visiting her doctor.

My stomach churned as I approached the Health Centre. He stood with his hood up, hands inside the top of his trackie bottoms and legs in a wide stance like an iron pylon. I glanced up, straight into his icy grey-blue eyes. He sneered. I was just metres away. A trickle of sweat ran down my back. There was no other way in. I’d have to walk past him. I gripped my handbag tighter, my hand hot and slippy on the leather handle. Inches away. He still didn’t budge.

“Scuse me, please,” I said in the most Scouse accent I could muster.

“ I most definitely won't! Why don’t you go back to where you came from?” he barked and uttered an old familiar slur.

I could feel the heat rising from my belly. “I was born here”

“Well, it certainly doesn't look like it! Brexit happened ages ago. You need to get lost. I’m sick of you people taking our jobs!”

I shook my head. He sniffed, groaned in his throat and spat on the floor. He then walked past, shoving me with his shoulder.

The heat in my stomach grew into a rageful fire. After forty years of being a Scouser, I’m still dealing with this nonsense.

Instead of turning left to the doctor’s, I turned right, walked into a PP (Privacy Pod), sat in front of the screen, waited for the door to lock securely, and then tapped the red rectangle to connect to 'Law Enforcement', then ‘Report a Racist Incident/Hate Crime’. Swiftly, I selected from the options, when and where the incident happened, what the perpetrator looked like and what he said etc. Finally, I jabbed my finger on ‘Submit’.

The report Mandy submitted in the PP is sent to the Police, where they check the Police National Computer (PNC) for details of the perpetrator. Police access address details, CCTV footage, facial recognition software and criminal history. Details of the perpetrator are shown on the screen: “Paul Rimmer, white, male aged 22, lives at ********* Road.

Location 2: In an interview room at the police station.

Two officers sit at a table opposite Paul Rimmer. They explain that Paul must attend a six-week Race Awareness course and complete a test at the end. If failed, Paul will have to pay a £150 fine and re-sit the six-week course. Also, Paul must do 100 hours of community service within a diverse community to understand why what he did is a crime and learn about people who are different.

The aim is to educate and engage to bring about social behavioural change.

Three months later

Location 3: Knowsley Refugee Centre

Paul has completed the six-week Race Awareness course and has passed it. He is now serving his 100 hours of community service in a Refugee Centre. While working there, Paul met a young man called Ali. Ali is exactly the same age as Paul as their birthdays are both in September. Ali’s mum, dad and little sister died on the sea crossing to the UK. Ali arrived in Liverpool, both an orphan and homeless. It dawned on Paul that Ali’s circumstances could quite easily have been his.

Location 4: Community living room

Paul is playing FIFA 2050 with Ali. They both love playing FIFA and are massive football fans too. Paul feels remorseful and confesses to Ali the real reason why he’s volunteering.

Ali is very supportive. With his help, Paul writes a letter to Mandy which he sends via his probation officer, to apologise, explain and invite her to the “Voices for Action Against Racism” event.

Nine months later

Location 5: Town Centre Pedestrian zone

Contractors and volunteers prepare a public exhibition. They install large frames with faces of famous people from Knowsley and Liverpool. There are quotes next to their faces showing their support for the campaign “Voices for Action Against Racism”, which is the theme for this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

Paul, who has matured into an active advocate for anti-racism in Knowsley, is one of the event’s volunteers and is fully committed to its meaningful celebration.

21 March 2050

The local community gathers to celebrate. The town centre’s main axis has been transformed for the event from one end to the other. People in the exhibition go through their role models’ quotes and chat. They eat and drink at the pop-up food stalls that offer the most delicious international cuisine, akin to Duke Street Food and Drink Market. They dance to the live international music played on the stage at the other end of the road.

Amongst the revelry, Mandy approaches Paul, who had asked her to meet in person. This time she approaches without anxiety. She sees Paul dressed in a white t-shirt with the slogan “Voices for Action Against Racism". His ice-blue eyes are shining; he greets Mandy with a warm smile.

“Hi, Mandy! Thanks so much for coming. I wouldn’t have blamed you if you’d told me where to go, to be honest!” Paul said, laughing.

Mandy smiled.

Paul continued: “I don’t want to repeat everything I said in my letter, but I just wanted to say how sorry I am, face-to-face. And also to say Thank You.”

Puzzled, Mandy enquires: “Thank you for what?”

“You reporting me, changed my life. That course on race awareness was the best thing I’d ever been on. I got nothin’ like that in school. I thought doing Community Service in a Refugee Centre would be a nightmare, but I’ve found me best mate, Ali and I’ve actually found my purpose in life too.”