AIBU to think a white man should not be able to self identify as black

[probablynotrelevant]

AIBU in thinking that you can't self identify as a different race? Where will this all end? Being able to self identify as a different gender is inevitably going to open the floodgates for all kinds of other 'self identifying' - WTF is going on?!

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anthony-ekundayo-lennon-black-white-theatre-director-job-people-of-colour-actor-artist-tawala-a8617011.html

Or am I missing something here and essentially humanity is better off as identifying as whatever the hell they like, no matter actual reality, where men are women, black is white, cats are dogs etc etc

My dog self identifies as human. She refuses dog food and prefers me to cook her fresh chicken, which she prefers to eat at the table. she is currently sporting a naice winter jumper with snowflakes and a polo neck. She insists on sleeping in a proper bed and likes the pub on a Friday night. Therefore as she identifies as human I’ll be taking her in every shop, hotel, restaurant she wants to visit, because apparently if you self identify as something this overrides every biological fact!!!

Lately I should probably self-identify as a cow.

Sorry, haven't RTFT (although have read a couple of articles about it this evening), but WFT?!
He says in the article that he comes from a line of at least four generations of white Irish heritage. Not black.
And this, from the article:
Actor Lennie James said in the documentary: “Sometimes I feel like you are watching me. Watching me to say this equals a black man. Then you’re taking it from me and sticking it on yourself.”
Audacious appropriation.
I am not black, so am happy to take my cue from black people as to whether he can be considered black; clearly his black theatre company who sponsored his nomination for the award think he is, but for those who feel like this is totally inappropriate

He doesn’t look like a white man with a shaved head who spends everyday under a sun bed ( he’d look orange if that was the case )
He actually looks, in every way shape & form, like a mixed race man.
To me anyway.

Think it's so insulting for those who have experienced racism. He grew up white then saw a gap in funding where he could get more if he pretended to be black.

Hopefully the arts council makes him pay the funding back. He was never entitled to it and if he had pretended to be black with Straight hair he wouldn't have got the funding. That's why he shaves his whole head

What a con artist and how unfair to those that have suffered racism

My goodness have you never been on holiday and some people turn extremely dark while others just have a mid tan. Orange look only comes from fake tan

He looks a bit like my BIl and SIL...both of whom took after the Italian side of the family and have dark hair, olive skin. DH is pale and freckled like the Scottish side.

I'd quite like to self identify in my workplace as a man who did not take 2 lots of maternity leave. I'd be earning 30% more.

Whilst I think he’s behaved badly I do think it shines a light on the ridiculousness of self-ID.

I would like to identify as a mcLaren race car, does that mean I can have funding to build one. I have a tendency to drive too fast since I passed my test at 17.

Where do I sign up lol

That's why I think sun beds. How else is he maintaining that tan year round as most people's tan fades in winter and why shave his whole head

He probably isn't bald either. Who knows. He's a con artist

My daughter identifies as a member of staff at her school .
She now feels she has a right to use the staff room and not do homework.

If he had Afro hair he would be using it as part of his con act. He doesn't that's why he shaves it

Horrible really, he should have to pay it back or donate it to charity

Of course they shouldn't this sort of thing is all madness

I know plenty of English that identify as Pakistani / Scottish/ Italian/ Irish etc...

It makes a mockery of the issue of racism to all races. Racism is rife in southern states in America and growing up he has never experienced racism so he's just a con artist saying it to claim money he wasn't entitled to

It is madness! Make him return the money and apologise

Omid Djalili is a British Iranian actor and comedian who has carved a bit of a niche playing various Middle Eastern baddies in films (from a quick google he has played a Saudi, Azerbaijani, a Greek, an Egyptian and myriad generic, unidentified "foreigners"). I doubt that he would entertain taking an award or applying for a scheme intended for someone of one of those nationalities

I am frequently mistaken for someone of a different nationality, including on occasion being treated in a particular way because of that assumption. It doesn't mean that I can claim to understand what it is like to be that nationality or that I can access schemes set up for them

Where has it said he is identifying as a black person? He is saying he is a born again African, he hasn't lied about his heritage, he has been completely upfront.

I think I am a black man.
When my hair was shorter it looks a little Afro

To directly quote him from the guardian

What a con artist

@sarahjconnor, this isn't about you. Nobody cares if you ''pass'' for white, so would my own dc who aren't 100% white but this thread isn't about them or you. Others have eyes in their heads. We're not less entitled to have a perception of what he looks like than you are. I'm not making any comment on whether he deserves the position he's got, but you're out of order telling people to ''get a grip''. If half of the thread thinks he doesn't look white then that's not based a desire to be goady or confrontational. He just doesn't look white.

Anthony Ekundayo Lennon was one of four people who won a paid, two-year, full-time residential traineeship funded with government assistance from Arts Council England.
The programme is designed to help theatre practitioners of colour establish themselves in an industry that accepts it has failed to attract a diverse workforce and is dominated by white men.

Yet more insanity brought to you courtesy of PC madness

Spoken from a position of privilege no doubt. D you understand why these grants are available?

there is a lot of doubt about that and a ridiculous thing to say about someone you dont know. and no i dont now why people of different races should get different treatment as its the definition of racism.

@confussssed You chose an apt username.

I do think it’s fascinating. My friend is Creole and from Louisiana and to all intents and purposes she appears “white”, but Creole people have significant black ancestry. If he was in America, I would assume he was from a Creole background.