RURAL RACISM

[findingthepremise]

So, I live in a predominately white area, an affluent area also. It has become apparent to me that even after decades have passed, the mixed or otherwise non white minority has never developed. I ask myself why? I find that in many rural areas this is the case and I cant understand why. Is having a housing stipulation under the council that requests that only people with family ties to the area can apply to put their name forward for the housing association schemes? is that possibly an undercurrent of racism?

*cannot override or erase my lived experience as a Black person.

Re Gollywogs. Why do they make you feel uncomfortable? What is it about them that is racist?

Yeah, and us. We weren't long term county born and bred. So, it's a no...lol. Hell living there. Couldn't wait to get back to the normality of a London borough.

You don't need to be another culture/colour to be rejected in some of the more inbred insular communities.🙄

Try Google?

It's not the job of other people to educate you. Everything you want to learn is available.

As a child of the 50/60s, I never saw them as racist. They were normal soft toys. But, I always hated them because they were garish, in the face, like clowns.

And, I really hate clowns lol 😉

We clearly don’t agree on whether reparations are warranted.

As a Black British person, I absolutely accept that a debate needs to take place re. what form reparations should take.

Yes, that specific form of slavery is over. The Slave Masters are dead and they have been compensated for losing their slaves. But, the legacy of slavery lives on and still affects the psychological and socio economic progress of many today.

It’s positive that you believe the White British people you know are not prejudiced towards Black people and POC.
As a Black British female in their late 40’s who was born and raised in multicultural London, in continuous employment since my teens and also with children currently at primary school, secondary school and one in work at post graduate level, that is unfortunately not my lived experience. Therefore, I’d be both naive and stupid to think otherwise.

I'm white and live in a mostly non-white country. I'd never live in a rural area, in part because I don't like rural life anyway, but also because I'm not comfortable living in somewhere so monocultural. Mostly, it's not about being being racist in some kind of intentionally mean way, just about casual othering, always getting asked the same stupid/annoying questions, etc. etc.

It's not really something you can "do something about," and it's not really the fault of the people who live in these areas.

@carefullycourageous
Thank you. It’s the wilful ignorance that really pisses me off. Like who knew we now have access to the internet as well as libraries!

What psychological or socio economic progress loss have you or anyone else born in the past 50 years suffered as a direct result of ancestors from 200 plus years ago being slaves?

I genuinely would like to be educated on what the average white man on the street has done to you to make you feel prejudiced against.

Re "white people who move elsewhere are called expats":

I can only speak for myself, but in the mostly non-white country I live in (Japan), "expat" only means someone who is there for the short term, probably does not speak the local language beyond a basic level, probably has kids in international schools, and has an expat package or a very high level of compensation, affording them a very expensive way of life.

None of the white "normal permanent residents" I know here would use the term "expat" about themselves or each other. A few (not many) have embraced the term "immigrant," but most, for the moment, use terms like "permanent (foreign) resident" or "long-term (foreign) resident." Or even just "foreigner."

Great! I’ve just reminded myself that I need to take my children to visit The British Library whilst I’m on Annual Leave from work and before they return to school 📚🙂

Sorry; I have to go now as I have other things to attend to.

Google or numerous other suitable search engines should suffice. Good luck on your journey for answers.

I may be back later, if I can muster up the energy/head space.
When Black and POC sometimes say they are tired in regard to discussing race, this is what we mean.

I can totally get the fatigue @WakeMeUpWhenTheyHaveGone

You were not put on earth to educate everyone else.

@carefullycourageous Thanks again! It’s good to know that there are a lot of people out there that get it, and who are prepared to speak up and say so.
I appreciate you 🙂

Yeah. It’s so draining.

Well lets be fair. Reparations are compensation payments for a loss. What is wrong in asking what that loss is.

The tone of your post comes across as if you are asking someone to convince you when you already stated you disagree, so it doesn't read like a fair question.

Not at all. I'm happy to be educated otherwise. I just genuinely can think of no reason a person needs to be compensated for things that happened 200 plus years prior.

You're entitled to your view @CallumDansTransitVan

I just keep saying it's not polite to require others to educate you.

If you really do want to learn more there's quite a few writers on the topic. Google will definitely help you.

'Not polite to expect othes to teach you' Better close all the schools and universities then!

The things is with google. There are as many pages pro reparations as there are against.

Let me ask it in a direct way. What do you or WakeMeUpWhenTheyHaveGone personally consider the reasons reparations are due, and who from?

I think the OP makes a valid point about council allocation policies, and believe they could amount to indirect discrimination, unless there's a specific exemption for housing allocation in rural areas.

In my area, the allocation of almost all council or HA properties in villages prioritises those with "local connection to the parish", ie have parent(s), siblings or g/parents living there, or who work there. This was originally done to protect the cohesiveness of rural communities, but it also disadvantages people from minority ethnic groups, because they will be far less likely to have a local connection than a white British family.

If you pay me lecturer's rates I'll do you a full semester on it

But honestly, I don't want to continue in this vein.

I wish you well but I'm signing off for now.

Is this a troll question? Rural areas have low population density and very few jobs. It’s the same the world over. People usually leave rural areas for job opportunities, not the other way around. You are being utterly ridiculous.

CoE moving to Methodist Cornwall in the early 1960s was quite bracing. Worse, my parents were professional!