To think Stacey Dooley was right in her response to David Lammy

[CoolCarrie]

“ Africa doesn’t need white saviours” says Lammy commenting on pictures of Stacey Dooley on a comic relief trip. Why pick on her? Loads of celebrities over the years have gone to Africa to show how money is helping the poorest of the poor, and the huge difference it has made over the years.
What Africa does need is governments that are not corrupt and better leaders.

So Stacey's crime is what exactly....having a white skin? Stacey didn't make her skin the issue actually, David Lammey did.

“So Stacey's crime is what exactly....having a white skin?”

No. Her “crime” aka insensitive , tactless act was posting a picture of herself holding an unnamed African child with the caption “OBSESSED”

Sorry-I should have said “millionaire Dooley”

Stacey's crime is ignorance, like so many people's here and everywhere. But as a celeb journo she has more responsibility than most. Her white skin was an issue as soon as she posted the photo, she didn't need to say a thing! Like the other new (white middle class) mums gushing over my fairly new born several years ago. They were quite sweet, but I could see their think bubbles clear as day: 'Ooh . . this is the first time I've ever been this close to a brown baby . . '

I always wonder who pays for the celebrities tickets to fly to these countries and also if they fly economy ?

“Stacey's crime is ignorance,”

And she absolutely should not be ignorant. She is an investigative journalist- she should know about this stuff! It’s not like she’s an 18 year old member of a girl band......

Be fair- Mary. Brown is a much prettier colour for a baby than the bluey pinky greyey white mine were!

I'm with David on this. It's white saviour behaviour and I don't think Stacey was aware of doing it but it's just slowly over time become the norm. He was more critical of the comic relief approach than of Stacey. I was more offended at her comment accompanying the photo and the fact she didn't name the child. She literally reduced the black child to a prop. And to say 'OB.SESSSSSSSSED' Just smacked of ignorance.

Also to ask would he have pulled a male journo up on this? Yes he would. Last year Ed Sheeran was pulled up on his charity film for same reasons.

I agree with him that the whole Comic Relief concept has had its day. (Don’t agree with his use of the wording ‘white saviours’ - he could’ve easily used ‘western saviours’ instead without bringing any kind of skin colour into it).

We’ve been handing over millions to Africa for 34 years. 34 YEARS!! Comic Relief was started in 1985, it’s now 2019. A billion pounds has gone to this cause and nothing has reallly changed has it? They’re still in need, because their own government is responsible for their people’s impoverishment.

And I do question how much of the money we send actually gets to those people and how much of it their government insist on taking from it.

I stopped giving money to Comic Relief years ago because I just don’t believe it’s really doing any long term good. CR will probably still be asking us to send money for the next 34 years. Us sending money is a temporary partial answer to the problems, it’s not a permanent solution.

I don't like Lammy, he is very selective in his commitment to what's right. I like Dooley but she is shallow and uncritical. Lammy is right this time. All charity props up capitalism and keeps the poor in their place. Ever since live aid it's been hip to give. The problem is not solved.
Western countries are still exploiting developing peoples, screwing interest out of so called help. Aid and volunteering don't really help.
Not to say I would never give to good cause but we need to think.
World poverty could be eliminated and hunger ended if rich countries stopped taking more than their share. Comic relief is a sop to make us feel better.

Well put BejamNostalgia. I couldn't agree more.

No matter how hyperbolic the commentary gets on here, ultimately all Lammy's comments will do is make sure more people turn away and keep their wallets closed.
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I am with him that the whole Comic Relief concept has had its day

Brillliant. If you can grab a few Africans who fell the same way then we can talk. Or maybe we can talk about MKO Abiola. Maybe?

Like the other new (white middle class) mums gushing over my fairly new born several years ago. They were quite sweet, but I could see their think bubbles clear as day: 'Ooh . . this is the first time I've ever been this close to a brown baby . . '

How do you know this? Did you ask them? It's pretty hard to never come across a 'brown' baby in this day and age.

I imagine Stacey was just doing a typical gushing over a baby moment. I imagibe comibg from a working class bavkgroubd she has been aroubd black children before. Unless you are inferring she was holding up the baby and going 'Look everyone, I have a black baby next to me!'

Some things are just what they are.

Well yeah Bertrand that's what I've always thought, curiously . . Mine was certainly the cutie in the NCT group by miles, oooh those tiny black curls . . . ! Hardly see the rest now unfortunately. All buggered off to private schools . .. But that's another thread . . .

As usual I am stuck on the fence on this issue.

I am not a fan of David Lammy in general, but I do think he has a point. The photo and comments... cringe. But then if we extrapolate his viewpoint we end up with only able to help our "own" or else it's some kind of charity appropriation. And who is our "own" in any case?

I thoroughly agree though that I've seen virtue signalling about not donating to charity. Comes to something when people can feel virtuous about being tightwads!

On the question of celebrities, dh works in this world, and he is mighty cynical about Kilimanjaro ascents, bike rides and particularly Comic Relief type stuff. The conversation usually goes, "Mr Celebrity, it's Don, your agent. I've got a great opportunity for you - I can get you on Comic Relief/Meeting Hungry African People Safari. Yeah, it'll be great - really raise your profile, get you back in the public eye. Loads of people who did it last year have got on I'm A Celebrity/Celebrity Coach Trip/Celebrity Antiques Road Trip....."

I think both David Lammy and Stacey Dooley are guilty of the same thing - they're both being paternalistic. Dooley with her pic captioning. Lammy with his view that his opinion on this matters rather than ascertaining the view of people in Africa working with Comic Relief. Plus they both made the story about themselves rather than about the issue.
Lammy's hamfisted approach has allowed lots of people to call for an end to aid to Africa - which plays perfectly into Boris' call a few weeks ago to divert our aid budget to military spending. It was very naive of Lammy not to see how his comments would feed that agenda.
Yy there is a growing middle class in Africa but that's scant consolation to the families in refugee camps in Sudan or the women being raped by soldiers in the DRC, or to the children who can't afford to go to school in Rwanda, etc.
Are there issues with representation in Comic Relief's work? yy and they should regroup and consider whether a format that is decades old is still fit for purpose.
But I agree with Adil Ray about this. Comic Relief approached and met with Lammy. He could have pushed for the changes he wants to see ie an African director; an African spokesperson. He didn't. He just waited and criticised, and I don't think it's a coincidence that he targeted a female Comic Relief celeb. He's sexist and patronising.

Bill Gates should stay at home and spend his money there. Everyone should cancel their subscriptions to Save the Children. Raleigh must be disbanded. Nothing worse than patronising the poor with cash gifts.

Brillliant. If you can grab a few Africans who fell the same way then we can talk.

Somebody’s already posted the video of this but is the Ghanaian President a good enough example?

“We can no longer continue to make policy for ourselves, in our country, in our region, in our continent on the basis of whatever support that the western world or France, or the European Union can give us. It will not work. It has not worked and it will not work”

qz.com/africa/1145953/ghanas-president-akufo-addo-shocks-frances-macron-with-africa-non-dependent-speech/

I'm not against Stacey or other white celebrities going.

I'm against ANY celebrity using comic relief for their image improvement rather than doing good.

Stacey's comment with the instagram image sums that up.

lets see more school activities, sponsored walks etc and less celebriities.

What exactly does David Lammas want to happen.Shall we withdraw all aid, then we can’t be acused of the way it is delivered.

No Kinghenry I didn't ask them . . . It's just what I had been thinking myself, when I held my baby for the first time!
Seriously, it's kind of shorthand for, all this extra fuss (which I/DC got) in these all-white circles, with no mention at all of elephant in the room (ooh he's so cute now but he's going to grow up into one of those Big Scary Black Men, what's more with a Rough London Accent because she won't/can't send him to Posh School (Sorry Bertrand don't seem to be able to keep off the subject . . ).
Because that's what white MC people are like in London, they only move in their own white MC circles, despite the brown people all around, until something forces them not to . . . Like getting involved with a black man, giving birth to brown child and having to think hard for the first time what that means, not just now when he's little and cute, but for the rest of his and his dad's life.

“Shall we withdraw all aid, then we can’t be acused of the way it is delivered.”
No. We stop using African children as props in our Instagram feeds. That would be a good start.

David Lammy is also working class, like Stacy Dooley. He grew up in single parent family in Holloway, but went to boarding school with a choral scholarship.

So trying to make out he is one of the elite being mean to working class Stacy is incorrect.

“Unless you are inferring she was holding up the baby and going 'Look everyone, I have a black baby next to me!'”

Actually, yes, I am implying precisely that.