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'?

I think the uk is the original white supremacy with a structure built around supporting a hereditary ruling elite Im quite radical in feeling a lot of our institutions need to be rebuilt.

Blacks, Asians do not have such power so their racism has very little impact on caucasians.

Not true.
For the record, yes I think there is an issue with racism in this country, perhaps not as overt as in other countries but that doesn’t make it ok. However, the level of ignorance of some of these comments shows that people don’t really understand but will pay lip service to ideas that are both incorrect and harmful.

In Ireland in the 1990s, there were
a couple of politicians openly calling for electronic tags to be used on all Irish travellers. Imagine the sense of privilege, entitlement and sheer brass neck to openly come out with that!!!
That's how bad it was and I don't think it's improved much...

@sst1234

I think UK has a bigger problem with a middle class ‘white saviour syndrome’ than it does with racism. Try being a non- white person and telling a progressive white person that everything isn’t down to race. Watch the indignation. You may even be accused or being racist yourself, against your own race.

I absolutely recognise this, and am having to deal with this big time at work at the moment. I’m also sick of these people drawing attention to my skin colour constantly and using me as some kind of trophy to parade on committees to show how “diverse” they are. In fact, I don’t see that much difference between the racists who singled me out for my skin colour in the 1980s, and these so-called “progressives”, who also like to draw attention to my difference.

However, I’m not sure that this is a bigger problem than racism. I suspect it is more visible to me than racism because of the kind of environment that I work in.

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

To some extent.

I am mortified by Child Q and some similar incidents.

@Onionpatch

I think the uk is the original white supremacy with a structure built around supporting a hereditary ruling elite Im quite radical in feeling a lot of our institutions need to be rebuilt.

I agree about radical reform being needed in many areas. I am not holding my breath though.

Oppsup
Please can you provide some examples?

@ClariceQuiff

Pretty much this. Neither worst nor best, always room for improvement.

@luxxlisbon

I know that the UK is highlighted as one of the most racially tolerant places in the world

Uhh is it??

I've actually read the exact opposite! I think we are amongst the least racist countries in the world. There is racism, there is still a lot of work to do, but a lot of European countries are much worse. We also apparently have one of the highest proportions of dual heritage people/ relationships in the world, which would appear to be an good indicator of good racial relations in the country.

Yes the UK is

Its often not direct but then people are asked to prove that have been on the receiving end of racism 🙄 as if they are intelligent enough to know.

We are a multi cultural country. Racism should be constantly challenged and not dismissed

@OppsUpsSide

Blacks, Asians do not have such power so their racism has very little impact on caucasians.

Not true.
For the record, yes I think there is an issue with racism in this country, perhaps not as overt as in other countries but that doesn’t make it ok. However, the level of ignorance of some of these comments shows that people don’t really understand but will pay lip service to ideas that are both incorrect and harmful.

It absolutely is true. White people are the majority in this country and as such, every single institution is lead by mostly white people. Other racist can very well be prejudiced towards white people but it isn't the same as racism which is perpetuated by power dynamics. I am yet to come across examples of prevailing institutional racism that have non white people at the top and white people on the receiving end.

@LaurieFairyCake

Very tolerant compared to majority of other countries

Still racist as fuck

Yes this.

The systemic racist undertone is ever present.

But I can see it’s better than else where - long way to go yet

Can you really not think of a single occurrence of racism against a person or group of people whose skin colour is white? I think that is called wilful ignorance.

I don’t mean this as a cop-out answer but I think the UK is one of the (if not, the) most tolerant countries but still has a big issue with racism… which I guess is kind of depressing!

@OppsUpsSide

Can you really not think of a single occurrence of racism against a person or group of people whose skin colour is white? I think that is called wilful ignorance.

Call it willful ignorance if you like but I'm willing to bet you can't provide any evidence to the contrary.

I have literally this lunchtime been sitting in a cafe hearing a large group of white males mimicking the Polish staff accents and saying that they cannae understand a word she’s saying , in their broad Glaswegian accents . Which she probably didn’t understand either but didn’t take the mickey out of them …

@sst1234

I think UK has a bigger problem with a middle class ‘white saviour syndrome’ than it does with racism. Try being a non- white person and telling a progressive white person that everything isn’t down to race. Watch the indignation. You may even be accused or being racist yourself, against your own race.

Thank you for this perspective. This was something I only began to hear about after George Floyd was murdered. White people get brought up not understanding how to be anti racist. That includes me by the way.

Having lived all over the world (I am British) I sadly admit that the UK is the most racist country I have experienced

Yes the Uk is very racist and poc are put in their place as an underclass.

I was born in 70’s England and grew up being called a p..i, spat on. Bullied at school for being the smelly p..i, watched my mum screaming at the door as the local skinhead chased her down the street. Saw a friend kicked in for being Asian.
Teachers snigger as I’m racially abused at school.
It went quiet for a few decades but was always simmering under the surface.

Then we got Brexit and it was the 70’s all over again except more poc in the uk so I feel less alienated as I did then.

You are wilfully denying the racism that people within the travelling community face, presumably due to your own prejudices.

I’ve been called a coconut for being an atheist

Wow. That’s genuinely shocked me.

Just my own experience, but I have lived in quite a few places in the UK (am white, born here, etc) and through 3 universities.
I have only noticed overt racism within the past 10 years, and mostly, sadly, amongst the 'working classes'.

Examples - In years gone by I have experienced several taxi drivers point out and insult people of a different skin tone whilst I was in the cab. Said with a fairly cocksure presumption that I would agree with them
In bars, local shops in some areas, particularly males over middle age have attempted to pull me into conversations about why 'they' all ought to go back home and stop taking up or resources.

Prior to around 2010 i rarely heard anyone come out with such stuff, and of course the internet has made it more possible for them to talk this way online. Perhaps it just seems more visible?

I do believe a lack of education or cultural awareness is a melting pot for racism, so the more a population is pressed, demoralised and denied a decent living, the more narrow minded and suspicious they become, imo.
Lack of education is sadly synonymous with many working class, whether we want to admit that or not. It isn't politically correct to say that out loud, of course. And oddly enough, that particular demographic loathe political correctness, especially if it gets in their way of abusing immigrants or minorities.

@OppsUpsSide

You are wilfully denying the racism that people within the travelling community face, presumably due to your own prejudices.

And you are reducing racism down to nothing more than the aesthetics of skin colour which tells me you know far less about racism than you claim to. But please do feel free to presume what you like about me and my prejudices if it makes you feel more superior.

I also believe that our toxic gutter press has deliberatelyexacerbated the issue, honing in on that particular (uneducated) mentality and encouraging it. The rags in question include the DM, Sun, Express and Telegraph.