Page 3 | 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*

808Kate1 · 01/12/2022 00:00

@dropthevipers WTF?? Viper by name..

Clavinova · 01/12/2022 00:10

808Kate1

How can this statement possibly be true?

every racist voted for brexit

I thought most scientists voted remain? Claims like this are rubbish then?

British science research is institutionally racist, say professors

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/british-science-research-is-institutionally-racist-say-professors-nf608rvkc

Colin from Cambridge voted remain because the EU funds his niche science project - therefore he can't be a racist?

Wiluli · 01/12/2022 00:13

The U.K. has a massive racism and xenophobic issue , more prominent in England .

MardyHa · 01/12/2022 00:32

Wiluli · 01/12/2022 00:13

The U.K. has a massive racism and xenophobic issue , more prominent in England .

The first part is true and the second part is ironic.

BringbackSpringsteen · 01/12/2022 00:53

Yes there are issues with racism in the UK.

I have a large extended family across the world like a lot of people from Indian heritage and I do think it is less racist than many others though.

I also think the term racist is complex and misunderstood and we may need some different terminology - people don't seem to understand that racism isn't about saying "you're black, you smell" or other big direct statements, it's also things like feeling entitled to ask someone to explain where they're really from because they can't be really British, it's also institutional racism, unconscious bias etc.

I think most people are a little bit racist so trying to make it a binary thing is very difficult and doesn't help change

MissKriss · 01/12/2022 00:57

IME the racism in the UK is directed mainly at the Muslim community. I’m sure there’s plenty directed at anyone with a foreign accent or darker skin, but people seem to think it’s much more acceptable to abuse Muslims (or Hindu’s, who are often confused with Muslims by the uneducated). I very regularly overhear curry and letterbox jokes, people assuming that all Muslim males are sexual predators or drug dealers, mocking the accents and making terrorist jokes.

It’s absolutely disgusting.

DeeCeeCherry · 01/12/2022 01:06

autienotnaughty

Yes @isadoradancing123 that's the bar we should have. People choose to leave a country where they fear for their lives to come here to come here so presumably they should be grateful for any treatment as it's better than their own country?

Grateful? Thieving Not-so-great Britain ruined the countries they colonised, impacting generations negatively. I hope 1 million more immigrants land here.

You want them to be grateful for racism? Strange thought pattern.

WeDontTalkAboutBrunoNoNoNo · 01/12/2022 01:17

The fact that so many people fall over themselves to tell you "yeah but we're the LEAST racist" not only gives you your answer but also tells you exactly why there is so far to go in this area.

We're the least racist so those immigrants should be grateful

We're the least racist so if you dress a certain way, expect to be quizzed on your heritage and be totally fine with it

We're the least racist so when a known racist murders a mother and two young children in their own home, it can't possibly be a racially motivated attack

Etc, etc

Danikm151 · 01/12/2022 01:27

@ValK
When she was told I’m British and from here that’s when she should have stopped. Not pressed the issue

Peedoffo · 01/12/2022 01:30

No not compared to the rest of the world. Go to eastern Europe , China , Russia even Singapore. There's a lot of racist countries we have room to improve but we definitely aren't the worst. My DH is from an ethnic minority background as is my DD.

Dailymash · 01/12/2022 05:51

The question is, do racists think they are racist? Would a racist admit to being racist?

Ablenicecat · 01/12/2022 06:20

I think the human race has a problem, not just UK as a country. Right or wrong the media continue to influence what needs to be current. We need to love each other whatever race we are. Behind our skin we are made up of the same organs, bones and brain matter.

Since Covid the media exposure "fear-factors" has exploded. Our current stresses of life are exacerbated by what we read, hear rather than see. We are not allowed to make our own decisions we are influenced by what is pushed into our lives.

Alleycat1 · 01/12/2022 06:21

There is definitely room for improvement but a close friend (Indian father, African mother) is married to a man whose job means that they have lived all over the world and she tells me that the UK is one of the least racist countries she has lived in.

Squeezita · 01/12/2022 06:29

All the people rushing to say other countries are worse. Do you think that’s any comfort when some racist scrote calls you a P*? Because I can tell you it’s not.

[post edited by MNHQ to edit offensive word]

ReformedWaywardTeen · 01/12/2022 06:38

It depends on what you consider racism.

Nigel Farage is of course a massive and unashamed racist. As is anyone to do with or supportive of far right groups.

However, the Lady Hussey thing really doesn't sit comfortably with me as racism.

Here are two women, at the palace. One an older lady who comes from another era and a class system that many of us don't really understand the workings of.
The other, a woman who considers herself British, as she was born here so is quite correct to do so, but whose parents were immigrants to the country. She had already made quite inflammatory comments on the Royals regards Meghan (suggesting Meghan was the victim of Domestic violence by her in-laws).

Lady Hussey's generation speak very differently to us. I believe that when she said about where her people come from, to her "people" means family in general. Sadly people of that generation are most likely to unintentionally cause offence. Why did the woman not just say "I was born here but my parents are originally from x".

Looking at the way she handled it was to almost push the conversation into something she could complain about.

I also don't get the run to Twitter angle. Why not just raise it with the palace. And why, if you had already said of your belief that the Royal Family are guilty of domestic violence would you even accept an invite to attend the palace?

I've seen some nastier people use this to suggest she went with an axe to grind and went looking for trouble. If anything, she will probably experience far worse now because of the way she has brought this to the public attention, especially when some are already suggesting she is racist by only extending her domestic abuse charity to women from one specific community.

I think it's about language and some older folk of the same class as Lady Hussey speak very differently to the rest of our younger generations.

I also don't think that it helps that every day seems to bring another accusation of some sort. That filters the real cases down and means people are more likely to pass off genuine abuse as another snowflake engaging in cancel culture.

So yes, we do have racism. Yes there are some proper scumbags out there aided by Boris and co. Yes the football will probably see a rise in incidents.

But not everything is racist. Not every white person is secretly engaging in far right activities. Not everyone with an England flag up for the football is a card carrying far right supporter. Most of us are truly embarrassed about Farage, Hopkins and Robinson.

uncomplicatedish · 01/12/2022 06:40

Yes it does. However at the same time I don't feel it's as bad as other places eg USA. Not that makes it any better.

Though, as a white person living in this country I'm never going to fully understand the issues as I've never experienced it directly. I might still make an assumption or have unconscious biases and for that I'm sorry.

Simonjt · 01/12/2022 06:50

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

I had people asking me when I would have to leave the UK when brexit was finalised, they thought brexit meant non-white people like me wouldn’t be able to live in the UK anymore.

How is that nothing to do with racism?

Squeezita · 01/12/2022 06:59