Racism

[Pixxie7]

Does anyone agree with the continuing claims particularly amongst a lot of celebrities claim that the uk is fundamentally racist particularly in relations to Meghan-Markle.

I think as a country she was welcomed with open arms.

Racism exists but only for anyone without white skin. I went to a primary school of 500 where I was the only white person. I was spat on, punched, teachers ripped up my work and called me names, I had to wear a sari and celebrate Diwali but wasn’t allowed to mention Christmas. But none of that is racist because I’m white. If it was the other way round they’d be uproar at the racism.
Anyone can be racist, regardless of colour. Anyone can be a horrible person, regardless of colour.

How horrendous for you

It absolutely was racist what you went through. How could it be anything else?

This is such vague bullshit 😂 I hope your colleagues are on to you.

Agree.

vikvak, I'm mixed-raced too but will only ever need to mention it once

Hahah so many things that never happened on this thread. The school thing is utter drivel.

I live and work in a predominantly white area (geographically), in my previous job we dealt with a lot of clients from a certain minority group.
One day a man who could have been identified as being in this group came in to be interviewed. I asked how the interview went and was told 'hes great it's a shame we cant take him'. I asked why and the response was 'you know the banter that goes on in the office over clients. Cant have him hearing that'.
Yet this man probably got the standard rejection letter .. better candidate yada.
There is definitely racism in this country, not always as blatant as that case, but like sexism and homophobia it's often dressed up as 'banter', and 'telling it like it is' (god I hate both those phrases).

Another example i can think of is years ago when my Asian boyfriend came to visit me and we went to the village pub. The bar staff totally ignored him. They didn't point and say 'we're not serving you because of your race' they just pointedly refused to meet his eye. Racism, like sexism, doesn't have to be direct, it's often subtle and nuanced.

Mark Twain:
"I've experienced some dreadful things in my life.

And some of them actually happened."

@Coldemort that’s terrible about the rejection.

The bar staff totally ignored him. They didn't point and say 'we're not serving you because of your race' they just pointedly refused to meet his eye. Racism, like sexism, doesn't have to be direct, it's often subtle and nuanced.

Yes, I posted up thread about being ignored in coffee queues. Sometimes the person who is second in the queue has to the barista that I was there first.

We have also been to markets where the market stall holder had been answering questions from customers. When we asked we were told ‘can you not see I’m busy’. I really regret buying from him.

This might be difficult for you to grasp, but most black people are reluctant to label yet another encounter as a racist micro-aggression. It's exhausting to experience and frustrating & hurtful not to be believed.

True it becomes more trouble than it is worth. I initially always spoke put in my late teens and early 20s then was told I was difficult, loud, angry etc., (the respectability politics MM is being asked to play code words for this - disrespectful, different, uppity, she is just the wrong fit) so I conformed and kept quiet and let it slide, but I realised it was hirting me and other people keeping quiet, letting micro agressions slide when an employee said to me "But the N-word is not a big deal, if you can use it, I can use it, especially since I'm just repeating lyrics and there really isn't any racism in the UK", so I realised if someone feels that comfortable I need to speak out. It is hard and tiring. There was a hair thread here that boggled my mind how people can justify touching a black person or mixed race person's hair and making some inane comment is not racist. Get the fuck out of here

I had to wear a sari and celebrate Diwali but wasn’t allowed to mention Christmas.

Biggest pile of shite I’ve ever heard! Unless the school was in India!

The UK is racist but of course we can't say anything because the people being racist argue that we are being sensitive. Every person in my workplace who has left as a result of bullying has been from the ethnic minority group given the low numbers in the organisation. White privilege is real.

She's just a littletooconfident for my liking. She lacks a bit of grace and humility

I knew this would be a 'give them enough rope and they'll hang themselves' thread...and I only made it to the top of page two...

Bit disingenuous there @SamanthaBrique - iirc her “heinous sin” was sending her son to private school while standing for election on a “comprehensives for all” platform and, when pulled up on it, saying that it’s what any black woman would do for her kids. Presumably the rest of us find the worst school possible, if we bother to send them at all 🙄*

I think until BAME children have the same opportunities as white children it’s really unfair to judge her. BAME children do not start off on level pegging.

I'm not sure why England is singled out, rqacism happens in every country in the world. It's inherent human nature. And if you want to compare, England is pretty mild to a hell of a lot of other countries

British empire aside

We live in the UK. Shouldn't we be focused on our own backyard - the one which we have the ability and the responsibility to try and make a better place for everyone? So yes, you'd be talking about the issue of racism in England then.

I am a black woman living in the UK. I don't bother engaging in most of these discussions because nobody really wants to listen.

Can you tell me which part of the Labour manifesto of 97 or 2003 was "comprehensives for all"?

Abbott admitted at the time it wasn't ideal, but far more hypocritical MPs get away with far more and are less vilified on here.

The fact that you are misquoting and making huge errors in the facts of this case suggest exactly that.

but Abbot never campaigned on comprehensives for all as alleged.

She didn't say Black women will do anything for their kids actually, look up the quote, taking this further this was not at all racist, she didn't say or imply others wouldn't do this. It is however a small quote used by nefarious types such as yourself in order to make out like she is racist in order to discredit her, and allow you to continue your racist attacks on her.

Dianne actually sent her son (who wanted to go and won a scholarship) to City of London school because of the massive disadvantages that BAME boys suffered in Hackney at the time, and has repeatedly said that with Hackney schools now being some of the highest in the country.

Oh and "no new grammars" is based on the evidence that grammar schools don't improve results, and in fact negatively effect outcomes.

The tories always have do as I say and not as I do policies, and white men seem to get away with it much more than Diane Abbot who admitted at the time it was hypocritical.The constant vilification of her for something that happened twenty years ago and the fact that you misquote her in a desperate ? and credulous) attempt to prove reverse racism is bullshit

I was listening to Boris today, as he dithered about whether he was talking about history or the future, I tought Diane Abbot would have got lots of criticism for being so confused but hey, it was just Boris being Boris.

Racism to most white people means BNP etc and not many want to be associated with that.

I’m racist. I don’t mean to be but I am. Best thing is to accept it, reflect and then try to improve and understand it. TBH I’m not sure how, as a white person born in the 70s, conditioned to be racist, I would ever be without bias. Thoughts come automatically. I’m not sure how you train that out of yourself?

Unfortunately few white people will discuss it. I know two who are open to putting their hands up and we have good, honest debates but generally it is social suicide to broach the subject because many white people claim they “don’t see colour”.

I’m racist.

In what way?

Yes, it's all in her head. No one has treated her any differently. Why does she behave like this?

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/amphtml/ellievhall/meghan-markle-kate-middleton-double-standards-royal