Page 15 | Does the UK have a racism problem?

JolllyBee · 2022-11-30T20:43:39+00:00

In just the last 24 hours alone we've had in the news: *Prince William’s godmother quits palace over comments to black charity boss* *Meghan Markle had several 'disgusting' and credible threats to her life, Met cop reveals* *Various people's census rants going viral and getting a scary amount of support* *James McAvoy shocked by hometown racism in Glasgow after castmates abused on street* and a few days prior: *London Fire Brigade houses a toxic culture of bullying, racism and misogyny, inquiry finds*

Ohlife2020 · 02/12/2022 16:54

Correction: Bullied in school

Squeezita · 02/12/2022 16:59

anyolddinosaur · 02/12/2022 16:46

I dont give a monkey's fart if someone chooses to tell me I'm a racist for thinking that this is a storm in a teacup.

Old aristocrats can be rude, regardless of your ethnicity. Ever listened to Prince Philip?

"British women cant cook" was 1996,

"It looks like a tart’s bedroom” – on seeing plans for the Duke and Duchess of York’s house at Sunninghill Park in 1988.

“Yak, yak, yak; come on, get a move on” – shouted from the deck of the Royal Yacht Britannia in Belize in 1994 to the Queen who was chatting to her hosts on the quayside.

“How do you keep the natives off the booze long enough to get them through the test?” – to a driving instructor in Oban, Scotland, during a 1995 walkabout.

Plenty of similar such comments addressed to white people - and a fair number to other ethnic groups, they got a lot more publicity though.

The problem here is that the young woman claimed to not feel confident to say "Did you mean to be so rude" or just to walk off. Woke racism feeds that lack of confidence, it is infantilising.

Oh dinosaur, you are so aptly named.

No one cares a monkey’s fart for your defence of racism.

anyolddinosaur · 02/12/2022 16:59

The "superiority" in my "tone" is the inferiority in your mind.

AnElegantChaos · 02/12/2022 17:04

@anyolddinosaur Well unlike you, if someone told me I was being racist I would "give a monkey's fart". But as your post suggests, racists don't care if they're labelled racists do they so we'll leave it at that.

LondonWolf · 02/12/2022 17:09

anyolddinosaur · 02/12/2022 16:59

The "superiority" in my "tone" is the inferiority in your mind.

I like that saying.

Maximinimalist · 02/12/2022 17:49

SantaCarlaCalifornia · 01/12/2022 19:27

You've just proved my point though.

As soon as someone is accused of being racist, they're stained with that forevermore. There's nothing they can say that would be enough to prove they're not racist. They deny it, they're racist. They don't deny it, they're racist.

So accusing someone of racism means that the accused is absolutely racist with no chance of a comeback.

Yeah, I can't foresee any problems with that at all.

And to answer the OP, there is racism absolutely everywhere in the world, including in the UK.

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The solution is simple. Don’t do racist things. Most people manage to avoid the label.

If you don’t want to be labelled a pervert don’t do things that will cause you to be labelled as such.

It really is simple: don’t be a racist.The victim of your racism is not responsible for your fragile hurt racist feelings

SantaCarlaCalifornia · 02/12/2022 18:08

Maximinimalist · 02/12/2022 17:49

The solution is simple. Don’t do racist things. Most people manage to avoid the label.

If you don’t want to be labelled a pervert don’t do things that will cause you to be labelled as such.

It really is simple: don’t be a racist.The victim of your racism is not responsible for your fragile hurt racist feelings

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And you're deflecting from what I'm saying. And further proves what I'm saying TBH.

You automatically think I'm racist now. I'm forever stained with that in your mind even though I haven't said anything racist and now there's nothing I can say that will change your mind.

You don't know anything about me but because I'm not doing or saying what you want, I'm racist.

Don't you think you're devaluing the term racist? Don't you think it should only be used when it's true? Or is it just to shut up anyone you don't agree with up?

Ohlife2020 · 02/12/2022 18:21

anyolddinosaur · 02/12/2022 16:59

The "superiority" in my "tone" is the inferiority in your mind.

Yes, the charity lady feels the inferiority inside her so she got offended by this royal aid lady, picking little things to make a big fuss. That's your interpretation and most of the people in this country seem to disagree with you. So I don't really know whos on track with the reality.

Popgoestheweaselagain · 02/12/2022 18:26

Update: apparently it is the job of the lady-in-waiting to find out the background of guests before introducing them. So, hence the interrogation.

Ohlife2020 · 02/12/2022 18:29

Popgoestheweaselagain · 02/12/2022 18:26

Update: apparently it is the job of the lady-in-waiting to find out the background of guests before introducing them. So, hence the interrogation.

Don't believe it. Not a valid excuse.

BringbackSpringsteen · 02/12/2022 18:55

Popgoestheweaselagain · 02/12/2022 18:26

Update: apparently it is the job of the lady-in-waiting to find out the background of guests before introducing them. So, hence the interrogation.

Oh don't be ridiculous. The white guests if they were asked at all, will not have been told they were wrong and been interrogated

DonnaHadDee · 02/12/2022 19:12

Based on my personal experience there are certainly problems with racism, and related discrimination (and sectarianism, at least where I live!). It's a part of life here, and we should acknowledge it. Having said that, it's probably better than in the past in UK and improving gradually. And these issues are possibly worse in other countries.

On a personal level, I went to boarding school in England in the late 70s and early 80s. I certainly was on the receiving end of some nasty behavior there as a result of being "Irish" (a few people here know me in RL, I'm a Presbyterian from a Unionist area).

Of course, I was exposed to everyday sectarianism growing up when back home, and today that's blended with an undercurrent of racism where I live (80+% unionist area). But again, overall I'd think it is much better today when I grew up.

While I live in Northern Ireland, I work in Dublin and am there a few days a month. While I personally have had never had a bad experience in the years I lived there, I've heard nasty comments about migrants (I admit, not at all to the same level I hear back in my home area). Bottom line, this is nothing unique to the UK.

AnElegantChaos · 02/12/2022 19:30

Popgoestheweaselagain · 02/12/2022 18:26

Update: apparently it is the job of the lady-in-waiting to find out the background of guests before introducing them. So, hence the interrogation.

If that's the case then it's fairly simple. Her background is British. That's it. That's her background for introductions. No further comment needed and certainly not an interrogation. Or perhaps she could have followed this up and asked where in the UK she's from, or even about her charity.

Bit of an own goal you've had there.

pompei8309 · 02/12/2022 20:04

As an immigrant living for the past 20 years in this country I have never experienced any discrimination or racism towards myself, I’m sure it does exist but i was lucky enough not to have to experience it. However people these days are very easily insulted and what was classed as joking/banter 20 years ago now is classed as racism . Asking a woman where she’s from more than once I definitely don’t see as racist

pompei8309 · 02/12/2022 20:12

In fact if I think about it and having traveled through many countries UK is one of the most tolerant and inclusive countries in Europe , and I’m proud to be living here

Trainbear · 02/12/2022 20:14

Didn’t we used to call this a micro aggression ?

Trainbear · 02/12/2022 20:16

Is a charity solely for afrocarribean women victims of domestic violence not a teensyweensy discriminatory? Or racism against Asian, south Asian or White women? Or is DV suffered by some individual races different to that suffered by others?

Ytterbium · 02/12/2022 20:26

anyolddinosaur · 02/12/2022 16:59

The "superiority" in my "tone" is the inferiority in your mind.

👏

Ohlife2020 · 02/12/2022 20:34

pompei8309 · 02/12/2022 20:04

As an immigrant living for the past 20 years in this country I have never experienced any discrimination or racism towards myself, I’m sure it does exist but i was lucky enough not to have to experience it. However people these days are very easily insulted and what was classed as joking/banter 20 years ago now is classed as racism . Asking a woman where she’s from more than once I definitely don’t see as racist

Have you actually read how she was asked??? "Where are YOU PEOPLE from?" ?! Not exactly equals to being ask twice "Where are you from?", right? Not really like a light hearted joke, was it?

You are lucky never experienced racism, but it does exist, in this country and elsewhere. My husband has dark skin and so I see how disgusting things could go, no matter what background you are from. But I do agree, England has been doing better than other countries. More accepting to differences amd the merits of diversity relatively.

I don't really know what's wrong with this lady. It's hard to believe as senior and being with the queen so many years would adopt this kind of tone, against even the normal civil standard. Some one suggested early stage Alzheimer's. I would take that as an acceptable rationale.

Popgoestheweaselagain · 02/12/2022 20:44

AnElegantChaos · 02/12/2022 19:30

If that's the case then it's fairly simple. Her background is British. That's it. That's her background for introductions. No further comment needed and certainly not an interrogation. Or perhaps she could have followed this up and asked where in the UK she's from, or even about her charity.

Bit of an own goal you've had there.

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What do you mean? This isn't a game of football! The woman had an African name and the charity she represented was set up was for a specific ethnic group - she was trying to find out what group that was. I actually think she did her job really badly.

Squeezita · 02/12/2022 20:49

anyolddinosaur · 02/12/2022 16:59

The "superiority" in my "tone" is the inferiority in your mind.

No, it’s about your grandiose sense of self-importance that makes you act as if you are the Second Coming of Christ for employing black people. And for telling black people they should be happy with white people touching their hair.

Rather than grateful, I am guessing your imaginary employees rolled their eyes daily.

LondonWolf · 02/12/2022 21:33

I like this tweet 😊

If only...

pompei8309 · 02/12/2022 22:11

Ohlife2020 · 02/12/2022 20:34

Have you actually read how she was asked??? "Where are YOU PEOPLE from?" ?! Not exactly equals to being ask twice "Where are you from?", right? Not really like a light hearted joke, was it?

You are lucky never experienced racism, but it does exist, in this country and elsewhere. My husband has dark skin and so I see how disgusting things could go, no matter what background you are from. But I do agree, England has been doing better than other countries. More accepting to differences amd the merits of diversity relatively.

I don't really know what's wrong with this lady. It's hard to believe as senior and being with the queen so many years would adopt this kind of tone, against even the normal civil standard. Some one suggested early stage Alzheimer's. I would take that as an acceptable rationale.

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Lady SH: Where are you from?
Me: Sistah Space.
SH: No, where do you come from?
Me: We're based in Hackney.
SH: No, what part of Africa are you from?
Me: I don't know, they didn't leave any records.
SH: Well, you must know where you're from, I spent time in France. Where are you from?
Me: Here, the UK.
SH: No, but what nationality are you?
Me: I am born here and am British.
SH: No, but where do you really come from, where do your people come from?
Me: 'My people', lady, what is this?
SH: Oh I can see I am going to have a challenge getting you to say where you're from. When did you first come here?
Me: Lady! I am a British national, my parents came here in the 50s when...
SH: Oh, I knew we'd get there in the end, you're Caribbean!
Me: No lady, I am of African heritage, Caribbean descent and British nationality.
SH: Oh so you're from...

What is so racist in this conversation? she could have said her parents came to the uk in the 50’s from …. and that would have been the end of

pompei8309 · 02/12/2022 22:19

Ohlife2020- does your husband goes as shady and defensive as this lady when he’s asked where is from ? or he answers I’m a eg. british citizen but my family is originally from xyz country depending on his circumstances? people tend to ask where you from either because of the colour of the skin or accent is a simple question that seem to be insulting everyone these days , it could be easily solved with an answer , that’s all

Ohlife2020 · 02/12/2022 22:30

pompei8309 · 02/12/2022 22:11

Lady SH: Where are you from?
Me: Sistah Space.
SH: No, where do you come from?
Me: We're based in Hackney.
SH: No, what part of Africa are you from?
Me: I don't know, they didn't leave any records.
SH: Well, you must know where you're from, I spent time in France. Where are you from?
Me: Here, the UK.
SH: No, but what nationality are you?
Me: I am born here and am British.
SH: No, but where do you really come from, where do your people come from?
Me: 'My people', lady, what is this?
SH: Oh I can see I am going to have a challenge getting you to say where you're from. When did you first come here?
Me: Lady! I am a British national, my parents came here in the 50s when...
SH: Oh, I knew we'd get there in the end, you're Caribbean!
Me: No lady, I am of African heritage, Caribbean descent and British nationality.
SH: Oh so you're from...

What is so racist in this conversation? she could have said her parents came to the uk in the 50’s from …. and that would have been the end of

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Your last line made me laugh 😂. You put the responsibility to end this obviously uncomfortable conversation on this black lady to bring out her heritage. Why shall she have to do that? In a normal social setting, it's obvious you don't press on like SH did and people usually take the hint and stop where it should stop, as it needs to respect the other person's willingness how much personal details she wants to disclose. Why on earth you place fault on her? I read somewhere earlier today that there's such an argument existing, but I didn't imagine I meet someone here who REALLY adopt such logic until now. 😂

You don't have colour skin for sure, though you believe you are an immigrant living in this country for how many years so you can tell. Do you really believe vast of the public opinion has been blinded and got the whole thing wrong and being overly sensitive, but you are right, i.e. there's no racism here? Carry on then. I don't think anyone can make you change your mind.