When I tweeted about my experience of being asked to leave the European parliament on Tuesday, I didn’t call it out as racism. Although I want to know more about the motivations of the individual responsible, I’d like to think it was a misunderstanding and nothing more. And yet, the incident is all too familiar for black people excelling in any field – our dress is scrutinised, our appearance is criticised, our non-conformism is ridiculed and our mere presence and existence is questioned.

Some hard-right figures from the Brexit mob have attempted to use this opportunity to try to disparage the entire European Union as racist – they are shameless, and clearly possess zero sense of irony. Racism is not a UK problem or an EU problem, and nor is it a convenient political attack or card to be played. It’s the reality of everyday life for millions of our people. It’s an issue that is endemic within the fabric of each nation, and manifests itself through every layer of society.

It’s not a matter for any one country, but – like addressing systemic inequality, preventing impending climate catastrophe and ending patriarchy – it is an obstacle that humanity must overcome together.

In Europe – yes that does include the UK – and across major democracies, we as progressives have simply not been courageous enough in promoting our values consistently. On issues ranging from migration to deprivation to unemployment, we’ve tolerated and even gone to the extent of accepting flimsy right-wing arguments that scapegoat migrants and “other” minorities.

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Yes, representation matters. It is incredibly empowering for a minority community to see someone who looks and talks like them in a position of influence – the European parliament could clearly be a more representative body. But we must not make the mistake of subscribing to trickle-down identity politics. Simply more black or brown faces in high places will not solve deep-rooted issues for anybody.

We can’t afford more tinkering and tweaking around the edges of a failed disaster-capitalist global order – and diversifying inherently unjust systems is frankly liberal nonsense. For truly transformational change in the material realities our marginalised communities face, nothing short of comprehensive social justice will do.

In Europe, we can make such change a reality – but we need to build and mobilise a grassroots movement from below to deliver it. For starters, we must work to end the concept of “Fortress Europe” with a loud and proud, uncompromising and unapologetic vision for migration and for extending freedom of movement. We must also work towards cultural change across our continent, instilling new inclusive practices and stopping behaviours that normalise the concept of the “other”.

That means ending the merciless bombing of other countries and truly embracing climate change as a problem that transcends borders and will have truly disastrous consequences. It means recognising our nations’ brutal colonial past, land exploitation and systemic oppression, with reparations to the states who have still not recovered from the obscene oppression to which they were subjugated. It means reform in every criminal justice system across our continent.

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Specifically for our political institutions and representatives, we should seriously consider mandatory anti-racism training for all elected members and staff, with a greater appreciation of intersectionality when drafting legislation as a primary reflex – including the political impact on black people, women and other traditionally marginalised groups.

The difficulties that lie ahead of us in this struggle are all too clear. When our politicians can make racist, dehumanising remarks and still keep their jobs; when the number of deaths of African and Arab migrants in the Mediterranean appear as just statistics to many; and when the selfless act of saving those very lives is criminalised, it is clear that there is a lot of work for us to do to turn the tides of history.

The experience on my first day at work in Strasbourg served as a stark reminder. Yes – I, a black Muslim refugee got elected. But that fact does not gloss over the reality that far-right thug Viktor Orban has had a big hand in the selection of the new European Commission president, and that Nigel Farage’s party – the same-old vulgar, racist Ukip – hold a considerable number of seats in the parliament.

But there are reasons to be hopeful. The “green new deal” is a great example of a programme that brings forth solutions matching the urgency of the crises at our feet, while not excluding any group or community. And there’s a growing number of people rallying behind this vision of hope and a future of shared purpose and dignity for all.

It’s only with bold proposals like these that we can rebuild a Europe that works for everyone, as part of a safe and habitable planet. The alternative is catastrophically bleak.