Amanullah De Sondy: Pandemic has highlighted many taboo topics — especially race

Diversity is about appreciating our differences and living equally. We don’t all have to be the same, writes Amanullah De Sondy

Artists involved Claire Masheti, Esther Airbasoye and Daniella Egwin as Cork Migrant Centre unveiled Black Lives Matter artwork at Nano Nagle Place, Douglas Street. Picture Clare Keogh 

When I arrived in Cork in 2015, one of my very earliest conversations left me worried that moving here from Miami was a mistake. I had raised the question of race and racism in Ireland, and Cork in particular, and was abruptly told that these were all "USA issues" that I should now leave behind.

I was left scratching my head when I learned that — at that time, prior to the current UCC president’s appointment — the university had no data collected on race or ethnicity.