The Lady Hussey racism thing

[Tiiiiiiiiiiired]

I am really conflicted about this.

If went to live in Japan (I did live there for 3 years several years ago) I would be expected to be asked about where I'm from because I don't look Japanese (and in fact I was asked many times! I didn't mind at all, it was my choice to be in Japan and I knew I didn't look japanese). If I chose to stay in that country and have children, I'd expect my children would be asked the same, and their children and that although they would be Japanese by birth, I would hope they would be happy to talk about their heritage and where they are from and not mind being asked why they don't look Japanese and what the history is. I wouldnt think it racist and wouldn't want such questions to be stopped because we only learn from others, and about others, by talking and feeling safe to ask questions.

So why in the UK does everyone have to be sooo careful with what they say? This woman has a non English name, was wearing some non western clothing, as was asked about her heritage. Why is this abuse?

We need to stop being so sensitive and allow dialogue.

@Feef83 needs to wash her ears out because Fulani never said 15 minutes in teh LBC interview, she said "five or ten" minutes.

The interview is available here for those who want to check:

www.lbc.co.uk/news/buckingham-palace-charity-ceo-race/

Of course that doesn't play so well into the "black woman attacking poor, doddering old white aristocrat" line or the endless justification of a standard racist trope.

Well known fact that white aristocrats and landowners are a terribly disadvantaged group and need to be defended from the uppity.

We've heard multiple witnesses corroborate Ngozi Fulani's statement and Lay SH has apologised. So it's utter racist bollocks and gaslighting to describe what happened as one side of the story.🙄

This.

Those are some accounts of what was said, but I would say we aren't judge and jury and not all parties are saying what happened. I do think the questions were worded poorly - had the question focused upon heritage then that in my view would have been acceptable.

I think we will not have a situation where no-one will ask anyone about their heritage/background for fear of being seen as racist - surely the whole point about living in a multicultural environment means we acknowledge we are different and have different heritages.

Ah yes we should have witnesses, otherwise it doesn’t count.
you know, like a rape didn’t happen, it was actually consentual, because it’s his word v her word, a racist questioning is just clumsy, really, because it white person’s word v PoC’s word

Apologies , typo . According to Ngozi it was 5 minutes .

So you need Lady SH to make a statement to confirm what she said was racist for it to be true @twelly? The words of Ngozi Fulani and the other women there who have described the exchange as Offensive and racist not good enough for you to believe it?

@TooBigForMyBoots 👏

Since you mentioned your Latvian heritage but not race I’m assuming you are white. If so then sorry but it’s ridiculous to compare your situation with a woman of colour essentially being told she cannot be British. If anyone claims or implies you’re not really British solely because of your surname then that would be some form of xenophobia rather than racism but still offensive.

If you personally are fine with it, good for you. You should not claim that everyone who experiences racism or xenophobia of this sort should be as accepting of it as you.

It might not be the same but it doesn't mean it isn't tricky sometimes. What about a white Russian person in the UK right now? There are undeniably bad connotations from some people towards Russians. Do you think it's easy for them?

I'm Irish with white English parents. I've been told to fuck of back to England you brit bitch numerous times. I get asked where are you from knowing what people mean all of the time and I don't know what reaction I will get when I say I was born in x place but my parents are from England. I have to go to a parent teacher meeting this evening and have a nice conversation with a teacher that I know is very anti 'Brits', a big supporter of the IRAs activities and he is openly so in his lessons. I have to rock up my English Irish mix accent and be lovely, that's just life as a white person with an English accent here sometimes.

There is this perception that white people just float through life with where they are from/their heritage having no bearing on their life at all but that just isn't true.

I think that this response that really was needed whilst I feel the question was really about heritage and was clumsy.

I couldn’t tell you what I had for breakfast yesterday but I couod tell you about every single racist remark and action I’ve experienced. Those things stick in the mind.

You can’t relate because you have the luxury of being white in a predominantly white country.

Would you say everyone should answer in this way? Or do you just mean black or brown people should answer in this way?

How many generations do people have to go back?

Should people follow this formula for responding if they are white but ancestors are from e.g. US?

It is quite complicated trying to answer in a way racists will be happy with!

You’re saying Ngozi deliberately wore clothing that would be interpreted as African. Even though the rest of us just see a dress and t-shirt.

It’s clear you think she was asking for it. At least have the courage to come out with it.

If anyone doubts racism is a problem in the UK look at this thread.

The sheer number of people claiming it’s fine for Black British people to be expected to explain their heritage and accept the premise that ‘Hackney’ is not a sufficient answer to where they come from is staggering.

I am a white immigrant to the UK. I almost never get asked where I’m from. If someone hears my accent (whereupon it is then clear I am not British) then sometimes I get asked but even then it is rare.

I have family here who were born in the UK but whose heritage is the same as mine. They never get asked where they’re from. Even when they attend events in support of the country I’m from.

If this woman was white, she would probably not have been asked where she came from and if she was, simply answering Hackney would have been the end. The insistence that her answer was wrong or incomplete was down solely to her race. And that is part of a wider underlying feature of racism that there is a way British people should look - and if you don’t look that way you are not fully British.

That is racism plain and simple. And the number on here defending it is disgusting.

I think that's her 'style' not particularly 'African'. From other pictures, she dresses quite flamboyantly. Why would anyone think she was 'asking for it'. That's like saying scantily clad women are asking to be raped! It may have helped to reveal racist attitudes. I don't know what was going through Susan Hussey's mind. I'm sure, having met many Africans she knew this wasn't traditional costume/ 'ethnic regalia'.

And anyway even IF NF was deliberately provoking questions about race, dress etc., trying to 'catch someone out', she succeeded. It just reveals the rot, it doesn't mean the rot isn't there.

*@Heartstopper Today 11:05

I agree the transcript reads badly but I also agree with OP and think the woman questioned was being obtuse. A simple, 'I'm British, born and bred, but my ancestors came from X in 19xx' would have answered the question and may have led to a friendly discussion about culture.*

What if you don't know where your ancestors came from because of the slave trade
What if you are adopted
What if your father raped your mother amd you don't really fancy a cheery conversation about his culture
What if you had an absent father you know nothing about (or mother for the matter)
What if your grandmother was a prostitute on the docks who died in the workhouse and you don't know who your grandfather was (my dad's story)
What if you have absolutely no interested on where your ancestors came from or conversations around culture

these scenarios could apply to all people (or most of them do) but white people arent routinely expected to put their discomfort aside to satisfy other peoples curiosity

This really really misses the point.

The main distinction is that Irish people of English heritage aren’t subject to systemic discrimination in employment, economic and educational opportunities, public services etc.

I really think most comments here could be answered if people would just read a book. ‘Why I am no longer talking to white people about race’ would be an excellent place to start to understand the way this line or questioning is part of the wider racist environment in the UK.

Some useful background here:

thecritic.co.uk/where-are-you-really-coming-from/

@TooBigForMyBoots

I think as is the case with the RF they will not get involved with recounting what did or did not happen. This is not a trial and therefore I think they are wise not engage. I think apologising for any offence that may have been caused is appropriate in all circumstances where a person has caused offence.

I was listening to someone on Jeremy Vine this morning, who is also a black British woman, talking about this incident and she said that the accuser has form for being controversial and tweeted about a year ago that Megan Markle had experienced domestic violence from the royal family. Her view is that political agendas are at play here.

Exactly. And she did answer the question - saying they didn’t keep records then.

KarenOLantern

Being asked because of your French accent is not equivalent. Please see ALL the posts they are pointing out the history of white people enslaving people of colour. People of colour being treated as sub human. The constant micro aggressions and constant racism. It is NOT comparable.

You’ve run away because you’ve been found out in your ‘15 minute’ lie, but here is another attendee corroborating what happened.

@twelly the Palace has already engaged. They said:
We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details. In this instance unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made. Racism has no place in our society.

So you have Ngozi Fulani's statement.
You have witness statements.
You have an investigation by the palace and their statement regarding the outcome of that investigation.
You have an apology from Lady SH.

What more do you need to convince you that this was racism@twelly?