Scottish Anti-Racist Alliance

From Powerbase
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Defunct Scottish anti-racism organisation active in the early to mid-1990s


The Scottish Anti-Racist Alliance (SARA) was a short-lived anti-racism organisation in Scotland, most prominent between 1992 and 1996.[1] It emerged amid heightened anti-racist mobilisation in Scotland during the early 1990s, following a series of high-profile racist incidents and growing concerns over far-right activity and racist attacks on black and minority ethnic communities.[2]

SARA was closely linked to the UK-wide Anti-Racist Alliance (ARA), founded in November 1991 primarily by black activists within the Labour Party's Black Sections and dissolved around 1995.[3] After the national ARA's collapse, SARA's activity as a distinct Scottish entity largely dissipated, though many of its activists and networks transitioned into other groups, including the later Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance (GARA) and its successor the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER).[1]

By 1994, SARA served as one of the key organisations on the steering committee for the annual St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally in Glasgow, collaborating closely with the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and the Scottish Asian Action Committee (SAAC).[1][4] This march, which had been running since the 1980s, represented a major annual demonstration against racism and fascism, drawing thousands and highlighting solidarity between trade unions, community groups, and anti-racist activists.[4]

History

SARA operated during a peak period of anti-racist activity in Scotland in the early 1990s, when racist incidents were rising and far-right threats were prominent.[2] It aligned with broader efforts to challenge racism from below, including through community self-organisation and coalitions that countered narratives of Scotland as inherently tolerant or inclusive.[4]

Its primary role appears to have been as a Scottish affiliate or parallel to the national ARA, focusing on mobilising against racism, supporting victims, and building alliances for events like the St Andrew’s Day march.[1] The organisation's decline after 1996 coincided with the ARA's dissolution and a shift toward more institutionalised or localised anti-racism work, such as the founding of GARA in 1999 by Jatin Haria (a former ARA-linked activist).[3]

Relationships to other organisations

  • Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance (GARA) / Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER): SARA's activists and networks contributed to the groundwork for GARA's formation in 1999. While not a direct predecessor, personnel and organising experience from SARA/ARA periods informed later Glasgow-based efforts.[1]
  • Scottish Asian Action Committee (SAAC): Direct collaboration on the St Andrew’s Day march steering committee in the mid-1990s, reflecting joint community-led resistance to far-right violence and racism.[1][4]
  • Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC): Core partner in organising the annual St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally, with SARA on the steering committee by 1994. The STUC provided institutional support and continuity for the event after SARA's decline.[1][4]
  • Scottish Anti-Racist Movement (SARM): No direct documented link, but SARM (active in the 1980s–1990s) and SARA operated in overlapping periods and networks of anti-racist activism in Scotland, including potential shared personnel or events.[5]
  • UK-wide Anti-Racist Alliance (ARA): SARA functioned as its Scottish expression or affiliate during ARA's existence (1991–c.1995).[3]

No formal records indicate SARA was a registered company with listed officers/directors (unlike GARA/CRER), suggesting it was an informal alliance or campaign network rather than a constituted organisation.


Timeline

  • 21 January 1993 - A SCOTLAND-wide organisation to fight racism was set up today. The Scottish Anti-Racist Alliance, made up of black organisations, trade unions, community groups and individuals, claim it is a myth that racism does not exist here. Naren Sood, chairman of SARA, said: “The myth persists that racism is not a problem in Scotland. Racism is a reality for black people and SARA supporters know that the presence of racism damages all of Scotland.” The organisation have launched a campaign for a Bill which would make racial harassment an offence. W For further details about Sara telephone the STUC on 041-332-4946 and ask for deputy general secretary Bill Speirs.[6]
  • 1 November 1994 - A £250 grant has been awarded by Edinburgh District Council towards the £5,000 costs of organising the annual march and rally against racism organised by the Scottish Asian Action Committee, the Scottish Anti-Racist Alliance, the STUC and the National Union of Students (Scotland).[7]

Resources

See also


Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 User-provided information on active period and activities, cross-referenced with contextual sources on 1990s Scottish anti-racism, 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dee, H., [No verified link available] Fighting Denial: The Lothian Black Forum and Anti-Racist Protests in Edinburgh, 1989–1992 University of Edinburgh Race Equality Blog, 22 July 2020.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Various historical references to ARA, [No verified link available] Anti-Racist Alliance, accessed March 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Mullen, S. and Virdee, S., [No verified link available] Anti-racism in Britain Manchester University Press, 2024, Chapter 10: Tartan inclusivity or workers’ internationalism? The St Andrew’s Day Anti-Racism March and Rally in Scotland. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "AntiRacismBritain" defined multiple times with different content
  5. ↑ Positive Action in Housing, [No verified link available] 11th Annual Report 2005-6, 2006.
  6. ↑ Evening News, 21 January 1993.
  7. ↑ Evening News.
Retrieved from "https://powerbase.info/index.php?title=Scottish_Anti-Racist_Alliance&oldid=270847"