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Being a black woman residing in this part of the UK, Maureen Hamblin understands that racial discrimination comes in many forms. “It’s not public displays of violence,” she states. “It is often quiet, it can be silent.”

Onlookers that hear racist remarks and remain mute only serve to deepen the injury, causing the affected to feel completely isolated. These repeated incidents left Hamblin drained. “There came a point when I’d lost a lot of belief in people of a different ethnic background.”

Race riots in various Northern Irish towns and cities in recent years could have destroyed the last of that faith, but contrarily, Hamblin, originally from Kenya, stumbled upon a source of hope.

She became involved with an project named the Circle of Change, which connects strangers from diverse backgrounds – rich and poor, from various racial groups, gay and straight – and involves them in a subversive activity: making an effort to connect with one another.

“It gave me back my optimism. It humanised us all.” – Maureen Hamblin

Each year, a fresh group of roughly twelve people assembles and convenes for scheduled sessions in various Belfast locations to exchange experiences and raise funds for groups that champion acceptance and healing.

Hamblin described experiences with racist abuse with her circle – its members reacted with shock – and heard their own varied stories. Certain members came from privilege, whereas others had experienced hardship and marginalisation. Each person saw a powerful commonality: Belfast was their home, and it ought to be a welcoming one.

The Brainchild of a Community Organisation

The this unique program is the brainchild of a non-profit organisation based in the New Lodge area of north Belfast, an interface of sectarian housing estates that witnessed deadly strife in the past. Housed within a cultural arts centre, it offers practical help to vulnerable people and acts as a focal point for creative talents.

The charity started the inaugural group in 2018 with the primary goal of addressing division, explained its chief executive. “We aim to create a microcosm of Belfast in each group. We want to confront ingrained biases.”

Personal Journeys

One initial joiner discovered she was meeting fellow members in locations, such as an community kitchen in the east, far removed from her middle class, Catholic upbringing. “Many places I’d never been to before. The less familiar the setting, the more it seemed to satisfy the coordinators,” she says humorously.

Another member, from a similar working-class roots, gained a fresh insight on homelessness after listening to a young member who had been homeless to escape a troubled family situation. “It made me realise how lucky I was to have a family network that I could rely on.”

She also describes her shock when a mother in the group, originally from an African nation, revealed that white youths regularly hurled filth at her children. “She wasn't being especially angry, her tone was detached. It was heartbreaking.”

The initial 2018 circle managed to secure significant funding for supportive programs for black children – an feat that feels all the more poignant given the troubling rise of racial tensions. “There is a tradition here of ‘keep quiet’,” the leader commented, quoting a well-known phrase. “Many were unaware at that time how deeply racist we were. But when the riots came they were not entirely shocking to us because of what we had heard.”

Creating Unity Via Cultural Exchange

When Maureen Hamblin joined the more recent group, she felt hopeless about the pervasive “spectator inaction”. Even in her place of worship, which was outwardly progressive, insensitive statements were not confronted. “When others say nothing it’s like being invalidated twice over.”

She managed to build a meaningful relationship with other participants, especially with a author who shared an anecdote about confronting prejudice – at the risk of a physical confrontation – in a fast-food outlet. Hamblin, who loves to sing, and her new friend, an acclaimed author, teamed up to produce literary readings and songs for online platforms.

“We used to think that the violence would never end, that peace would never come. Yet it finally emerged. Circumstances do change for the better.” – A Circle of Change Participant

The latest cohort directed its fundraising efforts to support a innovative program called Music Translated, which offers weekly classes in cultural musical heritage to regular sessions split between people from overseas and long-term inhabitants.

“Artistic expression can overcome language barriers and gives a sense of cohesion and belonging,” explained the scheme's coordinator. “A participant told me he’d never realised that people from different backgrounds could be such good craic.”

If the music classes are operating in a challenging climate – with race hate incidents in Northern Ireland reaching the third highest on record – that is precisely the reason to persist with them, organisers believe. “That’s why their work is crucial.”

The underlying message from these grassroots actions is one of hope through action. Many ordinary people contributed to the end of political violence through everyday courage, one organiser reflected. “It gives me hope. I can’t do anything about what happens at the highest levels, but I have the power to show up locally and do what I can at a individual level. I am firmly convinced that’s where change comes from.”