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.

has managed to get so many people to regard her version of the conversation as a transcript

Well, some people are simply not that discerning and will believe anything they are told

@thehorsehasnowbolted , curly hair often gets touched. It's a bit like a baby bump in that people will touch it uninvited. It's an invasion of space.

I used to work with someone with a childlike mop of curls, and I was always tempted to touch it. I didn't touch her hair but it looked so soft and touchable.

Yep, the incessant stream of racist and ignorant posts definitely have a local facebook losers & ranters group / anonymous Twitter keyboard warrior vibe. I hope it's not catching😷

Disappointing, as mumsnet is usually more highbrow.

The minute I read a poster refer to “the transcript”, I move on. Because they will be spouting nonsense

Me too.

One of two things: either you move in terribly progressive circles where everyone knows not to do that. Or you don’t have a very diverse group of friends who share their experiences with you. I wonder which it is.

curly hair often gets touched. It's a bit like a baby bump in that people will touch it uninvited. It's an invasion of space

My hair is curly and maybe I've had one or two instances of people trying to touch it max over my entire life. And I'm no spring chicken. So when people say 'everyone wants to touch my hair' I find it hard to believe

You have already proved yourself a liar by claiming Ngozi said the exchange lasted 15 minutes.

Someone linked Ngozi’s interview disproving that and you ran off with your tail between your legs.

Now you’re back hoping people forgot your lies.

But we see through you and we know the transcript is real.

It was on Sheila fogarty
LBC
two days ago

@Squeezita

we know the transcript is real.

I am fascinated. How so?

You didn’t actually listen to the link, did you?

I am reading that LSH has offered to meet with Ngozi but she has refused . BP has also been in touch but no response.
I don’t think we have heard the full story here.

BP has also been in touch but no response

The RF need to wise up fast and stop falling prey to farces like these

Why on earth would she want to go back and put herself into a position that made her feel uncomfortable voluntarily?!
I know I wouldn't.
What, for possible more of the same?
Or to be told that she was being too sensitive, it wasn't meant like that, etc.....?!
No thanks

What gets me is the fact that a person has to lose their job or position for something like this.

I know this woman’s position was not a paid one, but after 60 years of doing it, I imagine this will be like being kicked out of heaven for her. I wouldn’t be surprised to read of her passing shortly afterwards, given her age.

When you think about how frequently people now lose their jobs for badly chosen words, you wonder if it is really proportionate to the harm suffered?

Talking about it as though it is “literal” violence is the sort of language used by the Trans Rights extremists who have used the idea that transphobic words are “literal” violence that can be met with fists in “self defence”.

Black people: this thing happened (racist incident, touching of hair)

Some MN's: I didn't see it so it didn't happen

Kinda sounds like a vocal section of men when #metoo happened

As a aside I've had my curly hair touched on multiple occasions and I am more or less white so I can well believe this is a thing that happens frequently to Black people. (The difference for me is the lack of generations of structural power inbalances and that my hair and my skin colour is not fetishised)

What gets me is the fact that a person has to lose their job or position for something like this.

This lady should be reinstated in her role, it appears the decision was made in haste. This should not happen again

And I believe the bingo card is now complete with a mention of TRAs.

Just to be clear LS chose to resign. She didn't have to lose her job or her position she chose to and to be fair I would imagine her age actually played a big part in this, who wouldn't want to resign/retire at 83! She will still be invited to the Palace as a guest, still speak to the royal family, will be involved. She's not been 'kicked out of heaven' she's just not an official representative of the Palace any more.

If she had asked once and accepted the answer, I'd probably agree - a thoughtless comment at worst. But she KEPT asking. Which says she doesn't believe someone with a foreign sounding name or Black skin could be British AND is willing to keep pressing them as though they're lying - which is both racist and incredibly fucking hostile.

So, tough tits if it's hard for her. All that breeding and she couldn't see she was being unspeakably rude? That's on her.

How to you reinstate someone if they resign? If I resign from my job my work place cannot force me back into work just because they choose to.

Maybe if you all stop treating her like a woman with no agency over her words, her actions, her choices it would actually be more respectful to LS

So all those people of colour who tell us the opposite are just lying?

As a parent of a mixed race child I can confirm that there is a weird sense of entitlement to the hair of people of colour. I’ve had to tell people not to touch his hair quite a few times.

Also the issue with hair is not just about touching. There is a wider issue where black hair is policed - see the school a couple of months ago that was trying to force black students to ‘tame’ their hair, for example.

These kind of posts (not yours, the ones you are replying to) are all symptomatic of the same issue throughout the thread

If black women bring up an issue they demand proof. When proof is handed to them it must be fake. When there are witnesses, the witnesses are the wrong sort of witnesses. The victims are torn to pieces. I honestly think someone could come on this thread and say that they routinely touch black women's hair and they would still get defended

The issue isn't that they don't believe them, it's that they don't want to believe them because that might put them and their attitudes in the wrong.

You really will not stop lying, will you? Here is the link.

LBC

She didn’t say 15 minutes as you repeatedly and unashamedly claimed, she said 5 or 10.

Your arrogance in thinking believe will just believe you is incredible. But unfortunately for you you’re being white doesn’t change facts.

she said 5 or 10.

So that 'transcript' took 5 to 10 minutes? They must have been speaking really slowly