Black section on MN

[PatricksRum]

I think it would be great if Mumsnet could make a black parents section/ section for black users.

@Dastardlythefriendlymutt "the nurse trying to be helpful made anjoke about his genetalia and the BBC thing being distinguishable so young. It was racist, rapey and smacked of paedophilia but I was positive noone would understand outside of my family and black friends"

I'm not surprised you were upset, It's a disgusting comment and I can't believe a professional would think it's an appropriate thing to say about a child.

The fetishisation of black men does seem to be quite deep rooted but I'm shocked that anyone, regardless of race would ever extend that stereotype to a young boy (not envy)

Why would there be : a) specific rules for the Black section but not for the rest of the site ? b) specific rules based on the (presumed) skin colour of the posters ?

There are already specific rules around the feminist section to avoid disruption and pile-ons from people who aren't feminist. Hope this helps.

@PicsInRed, I have never mentioned my nationality on MN except for being Asian, but if you must know, I am an Eastern Asian, that's as far as I want to say, as I said I am oriental myself in my former comment. Some people are speculating I claim to be white. I am not, and never said so.

Just need to clarify, I'm out, no intention to derail the valid thread.

I've been looking for a study group for reading and discussing how to be a better race ally. I've come up blank so far. If anybody would be interested in an ongoing thread on here, or if you know of suxh a group i could join, please let me know

Lol critical race theory is totally a religion.

But I still don’t disagree with a board specific to issues regarding black people. If a large section of MN wants it and it will be a thriving space, then I don’t see why it’s an issue. You’d get more targeted posts and replies, which is kind of the whole point. They might otherwise be buried in other sections.

I don't want to derail this thread but it's completely different to using oriental to describe aperson- it's outdated, a throwback to colonialism, inaccurate...need I go on?!
If people (you) really are using it, you should educate yourself as to why it'snot acceptable in 2020

Not every Far east Asian person finds it offensive, actually 😂 But that's a whole other been there done that thread.

Fantastic that mumsnet HQ is planning to create the section, well done op.

This is exciting! Well done Op.

Well done OP.

Thank you @sqirrelfriends

Thank you @PatricksRum and @MNHQ

And to the poster who said they not the only one who changes their username after being linked to being black or BAME as they feel their advice is diminished or taken differently after that. You are not the only one. I do the same.

Well done! I think a new section is a great idea, and a lot of the responses on this thread illustrate exactly why it’s needed.

Global majority as a name may be confusing.....because....

Statistically speaking, we Asians are the global majority even if you divide us into China/Far East and India/MiddleEast, not black people.
infogram.com/race-of-the-world-population-1go502yg18k62jd

Well done on proving the OP's point, guys.

@SoupDragon

I wonder what it is about a Black topic that some white posters are scared of

I can’t fathom why anyone would be upset!

I’m white and if black people would like a board on here to discuss issues that affect them then I really cannot see what it has to do with me?

It affects me in no way whatsoever and even if it did then that really doesn’t matter.

A section for BAME issues seems reasonable to me.

@PhilSwagielka

Well done on proving the OP's point, guys.

It would be funny if the ramifications weren't, quite often, so tragic

@skippy67

I remember a post on S&B a while back about what makes someone elegant or classy. So many posters said pale, untanned, alabaster skin. I said that I thought that was racist and was told not to be so ridiculous as they were discussing "beauty not race"

Wow. That’s absolutely appalling.

My husband is South African and apparently the film and book Black Beauty were banned when he was a child. Just disgusting.

@IhateBoswell

or MNHQ who once deleted one of my posts because mentioning my ethnicity was something that “we can’t leave things like that stand, I’m afraid”.

That’s not entirely true, is it SimonJT. I reported your comment due to you using the racial slur ‘Pa*i’. It’s not nice to read, even if you claim to be from that ethnicity yourself.

But shouldn't it be up to SimonJT to decide how to describe himself?

@Polkasquare what? No. How comfortable would you be reading or engaging with a thread in which black people referred to themselves as the N word? It doesn't matter what people do behind closed doors within their own communities but in a public forum, have some respect for everybody else.

Brilliant idea, op, with you all the way. 💐

@DullDullWeather ask for a board then for working class white males. Let us know how it goes.

But shouldn't it be up to SimonJT to decide how to describe himself?

On an anonymous forum? No, people shouldn’t be able to use racist slurs.

I happen to be FEMALE thanks.

The feminism boards exist due to the sad reality of patriarchy and misogyny.

Racism is also a sad reality so it seems resoundingly logical to me to have a Black board or boards.

If a black person started a thread on one of the main boards, asking for advice that only another black person was in a position of experience to offer, I bet there'd be grumbling - and I bet it'd be from the same people who are annoyed at the thought of the dedicated Black sub forums.

It seems that mumsnet is on it anyway. Well done OP!

And as usual, the cost of this to me as a white privileged person, is absolutely nothing. I cannot get my head around how people could have an issue with it.

@DullDullWeather

Yea Where is a working class board?

Black people feel so hard done by
Do you know the most ignored part of society are young WHITE BOYS AND MEN??
Highest suicide rates too but hey, we don't matter.

If you’re working class and you would like a specific working class area of the board then why aren’t you advocating for it in your own thread? Or do you think its the job of black people to work for you