To what extent would you say the UK is a racist country?

[VladmirsPoutine]

Bear with me on this. This thread is a culmination of some of the other threads I've been on and don't wish to derail. But thinking about for example ChildQ and the extent to which what happened to her was racially motivated, considering say the treatment of MM in the press which had a private school girl ostensibly painted as being 'straigh outta the hood'. I know that the UK is highlighted as one of the most racially tolerant places in the world, if not Europe. But just on the face of it I wonder, do you think the UK has a 'race problem'?

@Polyanthus2

You could be a white person and suffer racism. I think we are racist but we also have the most shit-stirring press and media which fans the flames.

No you can't be white and suffer racism.

In white but parents are immigrants and grew up in a very diverse part of London. I didn't see much racism until Stephen Lawrence & I see a lot on MNs & obviously the MM stuff.

I was going to give my take OP. But as a white woman, apparently it’s not worthy of anything and I have no right.

It's not up to me to say - I'm white, code as middle class and live in Scotland.

What I would say is we have a decent legal framework to protect people against racism. That's only ever the first step though and 5 minutes on the Black MN board will show you that the stuff that sits underneath the legal minimum is insidious.

Why can a white person not suffer racism?

There's a lot of anti-semitism, which is a form of racism.

Not a lot of people know this, but every Jewish school, synagogue, and community centre has police guards.

The Prime Minister of this country has publicly called Muslim women "letterboxes" and referred to black people as "picaninnies with watermelon smiles" and it hasn't held him back.

Surely you can be a traveller, a Jew, or are they not allowed to be white?

Child Q? The black girl in Scotland?

Girl Q was the black girl strip searched by Metropolitan Police, these were London Police. These officers should be sacked at once and her teachers sanctioned.

@Papayamya

What about the traveller community? And Jewish community? Anti semitism is a form of racism, I thought.

@Polyanthus2

Surely you can be a traveller, a Jew, or are they not allowed to be white?

Just stop with the whattaboutery.

Covertly, yes. I am white British but from the experiences I’ve heard from PoC, there is a lot of racism.

I personally have not experienced racism but I am a woman and have experienced the covert sexism Britain has to offer. Sure, on paper, women are equal to men, but not really. If the racism is anything like this, then it is definitely a problem!

The only ones who highlight the UK as one of the most racially tolerant places in the world are the British. Just like only the British claim that the British are a polite people. This country is not only very racist. People are in general far too ok with unequal treatment (which is one of the reasons why foreigners find it hard to keep a straight face when you start monologuing about how oh so polite the British are).

Just invite 22 out of 30 kids in the class to the birthday party, "forget" to invite the part-time employees and the interns to social events in the workplace, pay the woman less than the man in the same kind of position, pay the foreigner less than the Brit even if the foreigner has a better education and/or even a better grip of the English language, be ok with Diwali, Eid, and Hannukah but we Scandinavians are weirdos for celebrating Christman on the 24th and it is quite ok for the TEACHER to say that to my child in front of the rest of the class. But hey ho: "Of course, it isn't racism as we are white too!" True, true but it is xenophobia and even if it wasn't it is not really appropriate for a teacher to not so subtly indicate that one of the kids is a weirdo.

@Grilledaubergines

I was going to give my take OP. But as a white woman, apparently it’s not worthy of anything and I have no right.

Are you for real.

Getting all upset because your opinion on racism, as a white person, isn't being centred on a thread about racism.

Yet another example of what POC face daily.

we also have the most shit-stirring press and media which fans the flames.

The outpouring of sympathy and concern for Ukranians Vs the deliberate demonisation of refugees from Afghanistan and Syria by the press speaks volumes. The hypocrisy makes me sick to my stomach.

I have lived in many, and do, live in another country.

England is by far the least racist IMO.

A more pertinent question is why are people racist and what can society do about it?

The U.K. have a huge race issue. I can't honestly say in comparison to other places, due to only living in England. However you cannot argue that we're a tolerant country. We are not. It's extremely sad.

White people should bring up their children to be anti-racist. There is a lot of information out there.

Google ‘how to be an ally’. Also white people should call out racism when they hear it from friends and family no matter the circumstances.

I was going to give my take OP. But as a white woman, apparently it’s not worthy of anything and I have no right.

The fact that you're so irritated by the idea that your voice, as a white person, shouldn't be the loudest in a conversation about race speaks volumes.

It’s irrelevant how racist or not we are compared with other countries. The question was, to what extent would you say the UK is a racist country.

We are a post-imperial, post-slave economy nation whose myths of (white) British exceptionalism percolate into every aspect of our national life. Of course, most people’s interactions with people of other races is perfectly personable, professional, neighbourly or loving - it’s long established that the more different people mix together, the better they get on.

But our society is structurally and institutionally racist, as the recent incidents and so many everyday statistics exemplify.

I am mixed race.
Someone called me coloured last week.

My white DH was disgusted . I said to DH - it’s ok they weren’t being rude they have just used this term as at one point this was acceptable .
I feel as a white person DH and his family are so scared to coming across as racist they have become someone who sees everything as racist .

I get extremely annoyed when out walking people of all races approach me to sign up to BLM bedside I am ‘black’ .
I find it utterly patronising and offensive that I am singled out by my race ! It’s totally ironic !

Racism isn’t acceptable in any form. Neither is sexism or prejudice against anyones choice of sexuality but I feel the world has gone abit mental / pretentious and over sensitive !!!!

When I was at Uni a lot of ‘black people’ couldn’t understand why I choose to have white friends . I was called a bounty! There is a lot of racism from black to white as well.

I’m sorry but as a mixed race person I feel that way .

Is racism there ,yes
Is it worse that any other country in the world? No

Also ,
I am teacher ! The amount of racism from parents I have received has been horrible.
Out and out racism .

This is disgusting . But when people make genuine mistakes such as using the wrong term or maybe asking ‘do you like spicy food!’ Is ok. Just can’t bare when the whole woke brigade jump
On this .

Focus on the actual bloody out and out racists.

It’s hard being mixed race in the UK. You see and are the target of racism but at the same time you realise compared to other countries this country isn’t the worst offender .

I was in Tesco in my tracksuit last Christmas
To look for fairly lights ( it was freezing and I’d popped out ) the security guard was following me . Loudly on
His radio I heard ‘ black woman in a tracksuit looking suspicious!’
It broke my heart .

*This is something that white people by definition cannot have a legitimate opinion on.

You should find out from POC and amplify their voices.*

Course I can. I grew up as a white person in 1980s Bradford and I can categorically state that there resides a very large number of racist white families to this day.

I'm now in the South West and we have a much greater problem with xenophobia/certain countries than with racism.