[quote Bateshotel]@CuriousaboutSamphire I’m not sure why My view of the ‘colour blind’ is likely to piss people off. I merely expressed my view. In an honest way. It’s my own experience that I am sharing. That’s it. The accusatory tone maybe could have been dampened down but I felt that would water down the sentiment. Offence was not intended. I’m just speaking my truth. As to what you CAN do. You have the privilege of doing nothing - but contributing to these threads shows an interest in humanity (ignoring the racists) which of course the BAME community largely appreciate as they know they could never affect change alone...... I have v.close non-BAME friends who I just speak my truth to and they speak their truth. That helps a lot. We don’t step on eggshells. It would be nice if respectfully we could also do that anonymously without getting each others backs up. And TRY to understand the views of others. It’s not always possible. Lived experiences are very hard to articulate and probably more difficult to understand. How does someone who goes through the world comparatively (I am not negating the misogyny that all women experience etc) anonymous ever understand what it means to be judged (largely negatively) On sight. I have no idea. But lobbying and supporting institutional change must be a start.......whether that be BLM or similar.[/quote]
Don't apologise. This topic offends every which way. Anyone engaging with the thread has to expect their views to be challenged.
I understand what you mean about eggshells. I see it with colleagues in the food bank/community charity I work/volunteer at. We have a number of well meaning volunteers from reasonably comfortable backgrounds who do stumble sometimes, are a little overly 'pleasant' when dealing with BAME clients. I've worked here for 20+ years. I've seen the BAME client base change from mainly Afro Carribbean to Afghani, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and on to Eastern European and round again, as wider demographics change and our smal town houses some of the city overspill.
That 'overspill is mainly white, as the main city is about 85% white. The small market town I live in is 98% white, with about 4% of those being Eastern European. We also have a large transient Eastern European population of seasonal workers. Most of the people I live and work with have very little contact with anyone from any BAME community, or any community outwith the town and surrounding villages. They are very local, very rural, tend to be quite insular and have a number of high socio economic issues.
Their attitudes towards any 'move in' is quite hostile, it is hard to gauge any racism in that make up, but it is there, of ignorance and a general distrust and distain for anyone not born and bred here. I am not sure how that attitude can be changed. For example, we have a town mayor. Her acceptance speech thanked, quite specifically "All the lovely local people, born and bred, who voted for me".
I make it sound like I live in Deliverance or American Werewolf in London 
But there must be very many areas across the UK like this. They don't see the issues affecting BAME communities and individuals as they have almost zero knowledge of any, outside of music and films. It so lacks ethnic diversity that Ofsted inspectors tie themselves in knots when trying to guage school diversity/equality measures. How can any business or school/college recruit more diversely when a more divers population does not exist locally, or within 40, 50 miles?
Sorry, I am blathering now. I'll stop. That's starting to sound like an excuse rather than an exploration of issues. I hope it makes sense.