Dr Ebun Joseph: ‘There is an idea that racists are nasty people. But these people are our neighbours, colleagues, brothers and sisters’

Nigerian-Irish lecturer Dr Ebun Joseph is the new special rapporteur for the National Plan Against Racism. Her work focuses on the inequality Black Irish people experience at work.

Dr Ebun Joseph says that depending on the country you migrate from, your experiences in Ireland are different. Photo: Stantorch Studios

Katie Byrne

“A lot of my work focuses on racial inequality in the workplace. In 2009, my master’s degree focussed on the experiences of Black Irish men in the labour market. I noticed that they were starting jobs but they were being let go so I wanted to understand what the problem was.

I love research. I think it’s part of my middle-child syndrome. You check on the left and you check on the right before you make your decision.