The Church of Scotland has been urged to do more to stand up to racism after hearing the experiences of black clergy. 

Rev Mandy Ralph, a minister in Ayrshire, was born into a mixed-race family in Glasgow and grew up in the small town of Largs, west of the city.  

She recalls being frequently asked "where do you come from?". Now with a family of her own, she has two mixed race children, but notes that her daughter, who is fair with blonde hair and blue eyes, has been treated "very differently" to her son who is "black in look". 

Such has been their experience that they even question whether they should stay in Scotland, Ralph says.

She is looking to the Church of Scotland to challenge racist attitudes towards people of colour. 

"The Church has to be a lot more vocal than it has been, take the values that we stand for and stand alongside those who are struggling," she said in the latest episode of "It's a Fair Question" with Church of Scotland General Assembly Moderator, Dr Martin Fair.

"It has to think about its policies and how we support congregations and communities to not tolerate racism.

"We have to educate ourselves about racism, about our role in it and how we stand by those who are being abused.

"It is really important to take a stand."

Similarly, Aimee Corinne Ottroh, who is from the Ivory Coast in Africa, told Dr Fair that she had never experienced racism until she came to Scotland in 2011.  

"To me there is a no difference between me as a black woman and a white person because we are all one," she said. 

She said that being kind no matter what, and the command to love our neighbours as ourselves has helped her to deal with racist attitudes in Scotland. 

"We need to be honest with ourselves," she said. 

"We need to talk about it, not be blind or in denial and say it is not ok to be racist in church, at work, in the shop, on the bus, everywhere.

"We have to stand in solidarity when we are witnessing it, overcome fear and stand against racism."

Dr Kenneth Lawani, Session Clerk of St Rollox Church in Glasgow, was born in Nigeria but has lived in Scotland for nearly 17 years, said he had been abused in the street because of the colour of his skin.

He said it will "take a long time" to see any change in attitudes in Scotland.

"One thing I feel that can make a change is if people have faith and know God.  Then they will have a conscience to know that what they are doing is not right," he said. 

He continued: "How do we mend these broken relationships?

"It starts with the home and faith, which will go a long way to realign hearts and minds and the perception of people."

Responding to their experiences, Dr Fair said diversity should be something that is "celebrated and not a cause of division".

"We need to be educating ourselves and showing solidarity by standing alongside those who are struggling," he said. 

"We are all made in the image of God and need to understand that the differences that are superficial count for nothing compared with what we have in common."