to complain that DD had an Empire Day theme at Rainbows?

[DancesWithTimMinchin]

DH is from a former colony. We don't think celebrating our history of colonisation is appropriate or inclusive. When we complained, the people who organise the Rainbow's didn't think there was anything inappropriate about celebrating Empire Day as a theme for a history-based afternoon.

AWBU?

sorry for the sarcasm but the name of the night may have been wrong but the activities were perfectly fine ..

Dressing up and having fun in an all white club is fine too. Because, y'know..those who aren't white can go and have fun somewhere else with each other.

WE'RE VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW!

Erm, good. Me, too. But if I've made a crappy call, then the fact that I'm not being paid for my efforts doesn't make that not matter.

Celebrating Empire Day is a crappy call. Volunteer better.

Yeah, thank God they don't get paid for that shit!

Also my DD is half Irish and both her father and I would be disgusted at this, the Irish population were decimated by the empire through famine war and oppression. To celebrate that would be celebrating the death of his relatives.

I hadn't even thought of that, and my DC are half Irish.

But, on the other hand, if the empire had never existed DH and I may never have existed/met. And that would be a shame.

They choose to be volunteers as well. Not like they're drafted in conscription style.

Goodness, everyday is a school day. (it's me, btw, 10-4 little buddy). Colony-raised as I was, I have never heard of Empire Day. As others have said, I imagine a leader just Googled the day and didn't extend much thought into it. If you're born and raised and have always lived in semi-rural whitewashed Middle England, I'm sure it's quite possible never to have given serious thought to the wider implications of the colonial era. When we joined our doctor's surgery last year the ethnicity choices were "white British" or "other", so East Anglia is not always open to multiculturalism and political sensitivity.

YWNBU to have a word with the leader. While the Rainbows are far too small to understand the backdrop to what they were doing and it was just fun dressing up for them, that doesn't make it okay. There are a great many parts of history that should be taught to our children at an appropriate age so that lessons can be learned and mistakes not repeated. They shouldn't ever be "celebrated" or their importance diminished by digging them out and dusting them off just to entertain a Rainbow pack for an evening.

Yanbu, ignore the bigots.

YANBU - even Cambridge University realised it was offensive 7 years ago.

I think it was inappropriate, as well as being age inappropriate for Rainbows. How exactly did they learn what Empire Day was in order for them then to have an Empire Day?
Strange.

This thread has intrigued me, because I'm fairly certain my friend recently mentioned to me that her DD (a Rainbow) had received an Empire Day badge. This was in the middle of a generalised discussion we were having about badge distribution, so I didn't have the chance to follow up on it (from recollection, my friend did seem a bit about it - will ask her more tomorrow).
But who knew the Empire was a Rainbows thing? I'm sure it isn't, for most Rainbows groups. The volunteers who give their time to run these groups have nothing but respect from me. Nonetheless, OP, YA quite obviously NBU!

And I love the posts that are like but they're allowed to be racist! They're volunteeers!

As a volunteer I would want to know I'd made such a bad choice so that I didn't embarrass myself right now and repeat such a mistake again in future either. (As a parent i wouldn't complain i would bring it to the leader's attention.)

When I skim read the title I thought that it meant dressing up as a character from Star Wars. I am so uneducated

Firmly with the OP here and rather shocked that so many people think she's being fussy. It doesn't matter if you're a volunteer or are paid millions - this is inappropriate and insensitive. Not sure about escalating it but you were definitely right to mention it! If I made a massive error of judgment like that I'd be mortified and really apologetic.

If you're born and raised and have always lived in semi-rural whitewashed Middle England, I'm sure it's quite possible never to have given serious thought to the wider implications of the colonial era.

What sort of history lessons are taught in British schools? I learned about British colonization in high school history -- in the US.

Not entirely sure what people mean about East Anglia but there are far more rural places in the UK than East Anglia .

Being rural doesn't mean no access to national curriculum education!

There is a Queens 90th Birthday badge. There is most definitely no Empire badge.

The Scouts were at an event put on by Beamish open air museum.

SenecaFalls - "What sort of history lessons are taught in British schools?" I'm afraid I don't really have a clue, I was educated in a former colony!

Yes teatowel....."celebrating Empire Weekend".

Empire Day? Really? Do you live in 1955?

Er- they may have celebrated it at Beamish- what with it being a living museum and all.

I don't think they would have be having Empire Day street parties in Croydon.