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.

He said "The image that she wants to tweet conveys an age old trope that's her as the heroine, the black child as victim" and "she's not sought to educate herself about the issues". Sounds like a personal attack to me. Odd how he's left his criticisms for a woman advocating for women.

It is easy to criticise and it would be easy for “celebrities” to not bother raising awareness, so what happens then? A reduction in charitable donations perhaps? Not meaning to wholesale defend CR, but let’s not wholesale damn it either...

I agree with David Lammy, it's a very one-dimensional approach to supporting humanitarian development in Africa.

And tbh if people are saying that if CR stop with their celebrity-focused insta-storied whistle-stop baby-cuddling photo opportunities then they won't donate to charity any more, that kind of proves his point.

The whitesaviour movement have a point in that it is grossly patronising. I wonder though if they would have an issue with a black British celebrity doing that same. I'm not clear whether the objection is that Stacey Dooley is white, or western.

I'm pretty sure that SD is more educated on these issues than DL. Does he actually know what she does for a living or does he just think she won Strictly?

What's he said about Lenny Henry?

What the hell do people think - that somehow by donating £10 it suddenly will be available to them ?

All I can say is that 4.5 million children in the UK live under the poverty line. Perhaps Lammy should be shown cuddling a white baby ?

I think if I was a mother being handed a mosquito net that would save the lives of my children then I wouldn’t give a fig who was helping or why.

No, neither would I. Which is entirely the point about being more responsible about not taking advantage of that desperation.

I'm a complete athiest and I'd sign up to whichever religion was going for that net. I'd hand over my kid to have photos taken with some women that they have only just met, like a little lost unloved soul saved by the civilised White woman, for that net.

That's the fucking point.

Right, so she shouldn’t have done that job because she’s, you know, white?

Erm, isn’t that that a tiny bit racist?

Yeah, she IS a young white female journalist.

I'd like to see see Lammy say this to Bob Geldof. He'd knock him out.

Wouldn't do that though would he? Prefers to pick on a easy target.

David Lammy regularly calls out men and women over issues of social inequality. I doubt their gender comes into it.

I do agree with him on this point. But what disappoints me is the people who need some celeb to persuade them to donate. Sign of the times unfortunately.

I agree with David Lammy. That image of Stacey holding a black child is so outdated. Can you imagine a black African TV star coming to a very poor area in Britain and posting a report holding a white child? Maybe I'm just a meanie because I don't donate to appeals like Comic Relief.
Conversely I watched The One Show last night and saw a report from Dani Dyer ( yes Danny's daughter) about a project helping girls to say no to FGM. The African woman in charge of it was so strong and powerful.

I would love to hear what Lenny Henry thinks.

Yes so would I.

Don't be soft in the head. It's not racist to see that she is White. It's not racist to know that Comic Relief are peddling tropes of cultural paternalism and of white privilege to get people to put their hand in their pockets.

So what 'should' charities like CR be doing?

Well, how about leveraging the many African or second generation celebrities, actors, intellectuals, writers, economists, fundraisers and politicians here in the UK - or - shock horror - in Africa? British fundraising is important, and certainly saves lives, but is it that difficult to work with African/local figures instead of smiling young white women (or men)? We've been taking the piss out of it as a slightly cringey trope for a while now, so I am surprised to see Stacey Dooley doing it in 2019.

if I was a mother being handed a mosquito net that would save the lives of my children
What if not flying the white OR black Briton over to do it in person meant you could get 2000 more nets?
And what if you actually don't know that it's helping, or why, or how to mend it, is SD or DL going to show you that part and come back next year to check it.

Why would a Ugandan tv presenter come to the UK? The life expectancy for women is 51 years old. GDP per capita is $604, in the UK it's almost $40k. Maternal mortality and morbidity is some of the worst in the world. Is David Lammy suggesting we just ignore that? That Comic Relief should only fund raise for UK based projects?

Not sure about the formula. Guess the thing to do is to ask the people in African countries, in the UK and other nations (do they work in Latin America?) who benefit from Comic Relief’s work if they’re happy with it. Their’s is the opinion that really counts.

I just looked at that picture and saw a woman doing her job and publicising why she’s there. Not entirely sure what her being “beautiful”, as Mr Lammy describes her, has got to do with the price of fish either? The world does not need any more patronising middle aged men, Mr. Lammy.
He also criticises her expensive flights so would hope he’s done his homework and made sure that a very wealthy journalist didn’t pay for her own.
Interested to know whether Mr. Lammy would be equally offended with Lenny Henry doing the same thing, ie is it that Ms. Dooley is white that’s the problem or simply that she’s British? If the latter, that leads to the obvious conclusion that people should only be allowed to raise money for fellow citizens of their own country in need of assustance. Pretty daft position to take.
It would indeed be great if local celebrities organised Comic Relief type events in African countries. Do they, I’m not aware? But in the meantime, Richard Curtis, Lenny Henry, Ben Elton (I think?) have and have helped millions of people in various countries over the years and don’t deserve a kicking for it.

No he's not saying we should stop fund-raising for Africa, he is saying there are better ways for Comic Relief to promote their fund-raising activities, to engage with projects and initiatives in Africa, and to educate people here about what is really going on in African countries than having UK celebrities fly in, hug a baby, get teary, then leave.
(I know a lot of them stay engaged in the projects and so on, but as others have said, it's not about the celebrity, it's about the image it portrays to people here, that poor old Africans have really got no idea how to help themselves and aren't we great plus looks so cuuuute with a little baby that I am ob-sssesssssd with)

"Why would a Ugandan tv presenter come to the UK? The life expectancy for women is 51 years old. GDP per capita is $604, in the UK it's almost $40k. Maternal mortality and morbidity is some of the worst in the world."

My friend is a musician and filmmaker, and also a refugee from South Sudan living in Uganda. He now works with unaccompanied children (orphans, or those who have lost their parents) in the Bidi-Bidi refugee camp. The kids - many of whom have been traumatised by their experiences - are taught to sing, dance, and perform, as well as being given extra food and small gifts that give them dignity (heartbreakingly small, things like bars of soap). They have recently recorded some songs, which are lovely, but they struggle to get them broadcast.

He runs this all on a shoestring. He has hardly any institutional support, and no backing from major charities. Part of the problem is that the South Sudanese crisis is largely unreported in the Western media - there don't seem to be many journalists on the ground, and there doesn't seem to be any care or interest. He really struggles to keep going, but is often in tears of despair about how he can fund the next few months.

We have both tried to get attention from Western media outlets and organisations, but no-one ever responds.

He is precisely the kind of person who deserves the profile and the chance to make a film about what is happening in Africa.

BTW, if anyone can help, please do get in touch with me.

Here is one of their songs: soundcloud.com/user-371124983/rising-beyond

My question would be why do we need to fly someone over to do some poverty tourism to tell the stories of people who will benefit from CR, rather than supporting them to tell their own stories? Why do we need a British person, white or otherwise, to go over and look sad with some children and whatever and tell the camera how sad it is and the hardships, and what they've been supported to overcome. Why not just tell the story?

It's not about the whiteness of the presenter, IMO, but the formula. Do better CR. And I like Stacey but what a ridiculous caption.

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I dunno, I really see his point. Her pretty-pretty selfies of her holding a Ugandan child who isn’t even looking at the camera are cringe. And her response reminded me of David Brent on Comic Relief day.