To tell all the black mumsnetters we now have our own forum

[Marg33t]

Thanks to the fab PatricksRum for fighting against racism we've got our own board here

Look for black mumsnetters 👍🏿

You haven’t been banned from anywhere. You can bleat about it all you like, but it simply has not happened. Some black posters have simply expressed a view that they would prefer for white posters not to fill the board up with their opinions and experiences, since it’s about creating a community of people who specifically share the experience of being black.

You are no more banned from that board than you are from the LGBT board, but on both you should be refraining from sharing your views unless you actually have directly relevant experience. A black person saying to you that your opinions on racism aren’t relevant to them is NOT the same as you being banned. It’s just that you have nothing of value to add, so why not just move on?

100% this.
Couldn't have put it better Santisethat

@Sanitisethat 💐

@OhReallyThen

Well, this is right here on this very thread

is one forum on mumsnet where you’ve been politely asked not to post unless you have experience of living as a black person

so guess it's not hearsay?

This thread and the previous ones are quite revelatory in terms of the amount of racism some people express (and feel quite comfortable expressing). No matter how many times the reasons for the new board are explained, MNers still pop up with the bingo card replies: "It's segregation," "Why can't we have a board for white people," "Everyone is equal now," "It's so unfair." Catch yourselves on, for the love of all that's holy.

Racism is alive and well, as this short thread sadly demonstrates. The new board clearly will fill a need and I'm delighted MNHQ responded positively and swiftly to the request.

@LastTrainEast

I don't know what MNHQ decided in the end, but on one of the threads it was made clear it should be for black people only. No whites and no other 'races'.

There was a suggestion it should be more open (what about white parents who have black children for example) but that was strongly opposed.

There was a demand for black only mods too, but I don't know if it was taken seriously or not.

I expect MNHQ have spelt their decision out somewhere, but I've not seen it yet.

@Lipsygirl It has been made very clear on page one of this thread whites are not welcome.

Why not just integrate with everyone else?

Possibly because literally every single thread I have ever seen posted on this site by a Black person looking for advice or support about something has received at least a handful of ignorant, racist, unhelpful responses from white posters who can’t or won’t tolerate an alternative perspective to their own. I can only imagine how exhausting that is, and how welcome it would be to have a forum where you knew the responders would be people who broadly shared your experiences and weren’t coming from a place of hostility.

Congratulations @Patricksrum, and everyone who supported you. 💐💐💐

Not sure what I think of this really but as I'm white as a ghost it's none of my beeswax.

On one of the threads it was made clear it should be for black people only. No whites and no other 'races'.

No, it was also made perfectly clear that it was a board for anyone, but it is a board for black people to share their experiences/questions etc (eg just been to have a nosey and see that there are already threads like hair care advice, food tips etc
Just not somewhere people should be going to complain it's racist, shout people down, butt in making it all about them....
It's only like Scotsnet or Craicnet (the Irish board), this one is no different but the outrage from some has been disgusting (I've been on all the threads)

@Marg33t

Why don't you campaign for other boards like we have?

It feels like you want to take away from us.

I quite literally said in this post and multiple others than me and many other MNetters from other minorities have asked for this multiple times. I wasn't aware that the way to go about it was post on site stuff because i just don't spend enough time on MN to know all the ins and outs, but we have asked lots of times.

I've also said multiple times how i'm all for the Black MNetters sections, we would just like similar sections for us other ethnic minorities aswell - to say that's taking away anything from you is very unfair.

I've also spent much of this thread defending the new section so to go after me is very unfair. I'm glad MN has created a safe space for you. Maybe you could support us in asking for our own spaces too rather than accusing me of stealing your thunder.

CarrotCakeCrumbs

Actually, across all of the threads, there were quite a lot of posters who identified themselves as black or mixed race who didn't support a separate board either.

is one forum on mumsnet where you’ve been politely asked not to post unless you have experience of living as a black person

so guess it's not hearsay?

I’m white, before you go blaming anyone on the Black Mumsnetters board for my understanding of the situation.

And I stand by my point - a general request that you not post on a forum that has nothing to do with you is NOT a ban and, in particular, is not even remotely comparable to apartheid.

Nobody is going to stop you from storming over to the Black Mumsnetters board and sharing your views on what it’s like to experience racism in the workplace or how to resolve a concern about a black child’s hair if you’re absolutely determined to do so, but they might very understandably feel that it’s not helpful or welcome, and wonder what point you’re trying to prove by insisting on thrusting your opinions into threads where they’re not useful or relevant.

@Azerothi
@Lipsygirl
It has been made very clear on page one of this thread whites are not welcome.

No, it hasn't.
It literally says why can't people have a space to talk about issues that affect them just like other people do like if you're Scottish for example on here.
I just don't understand what it is people don't seem to get!
(I'm white btw)

Congratulations PatricksRum! I hope it will be a safe space for Black mumsnetters to talk openly

@PatricksRum that’s amazing work. You are awesome

Yea.. This is rasist.

I don't care what others might say or how they justify it.

Keeping others of a different "race" away or banning them from being included based on their "race". Is the textbook definition of racist.

If you were to make a whites only forum, the organiser would be branded as racist immediately. Pathetic, you can't moan yet do this..

It's wonderful news for those who can make very good use of it for support and discussions amongst people with the same lived experiences and facing the same challenges.

When I read the title of this thread, I wasn't sure if it was intended as a dedicated space for black people to discuss matters that directly affect black people - be it Afro hair, traditional Caribbean recipes, everyday racism and prejudice or a thousand other things. My instant reading of the thread title made me think that the OP was suggesting that all black MNers would/should abandon the 'standard' MN and use the new one instead for ALL discussions.

The first of these makes perfect sense and is, I think, long-overdue. I also hope that there can be other topics for people of other minorities for discussions of issues that affect them because of their race/racial heritage.

I am white and I see no need at all for a topic specifically for whites, because we are mainly the privileged majority. Those of us with pale white skin will sometimes get told that we look ill or 'need' to get a tan - I've even seen having very pale skin described as a 'grooming flaw' - but these comments have always come from other white (well, often orange) people - and it's not like we face a lifetime of hatred, prejudice, discrimination or deliberate/casual abuse as non-white usually do

I would be very sad IF it were the case that black and other non-white MNers wanted to hive themselves off (as I read the thread title as suggesting) to discuss queues at Aldi, ask about the best 7-seater car or complain about Boris for his latest mishandling of whatever is currently happening - as the beauty of MN is exactly that it's populated by so many different people with so many different opinions and outlooks. However, IF this is what some black people do want, then all the best to you.

as non-white usually do

non-white PEOPLE, that should have said.

@Xenia

Can we have a whites only section or one only for women who work full time and earn over a certain amount?

If it would stop you from spouting about your epic income on Every Possible Thread, I'm sure you'd have a lot of support in requesting that.

This thread has brought out the best of MN racism - yet again.

I think it’s a great idea and I’m surprised there wasn’t one already tbh.

There should be one for Asian parents too.

Sometimes I think MN needs a whites only section so all the racists get get together and spout off their vitriol without the rest of us having to hear it and continue to be upset by it

Would be an easy way to weed out the racists and know who to avoid/not engage with. Some people really are lost causes and I won't waste my time trying to make them not racist because there's really no point.

There should be one for Asian parents too.

I wonder why it hasn't given that posters on here say they've been asking for one?

I just had a quick scroll through all the topics. So many not of the slightest relevance to me.
Shall I piss and moan about being excluded or should I just shut up and accept that I don’t share those experiences or expect my uninformed opinions to be welcome? Such a dilemma......

@YeaSure

Yea.. This is rasist.

I don't care what others might say or how they justify it.

Keeping others of a different "race" away or banning them from being included based on their "race". Is the textbook definition of racist.

If you were to make a whites only forum, the organiser would be branded as racist immediately. Pathetic, you can't moan yet do this..

So if a forum were specifically for women and the issues women face - would you claim it was sexist?

Is Gransnet ageist?

Is a support forum for people with cystic fibrosis discriminatory against those without?

I hope you complain heavily to anything/anyone that supports the LGB community, for being hetrophobic.

And don't even start on group chats for parents of a particular school - always being sued for discriminating against people who don't have children at that school.

I, personally, campaigned to shut down the local choir, because I don't sing in public.

Look at all you salty racists! This is worth it just to enjoy your tantrums :)