To think MN has a race problem and it’s getting worse

[MovingOutofZone2]

Posters say incredibly offensive, often outright racist things and MN lets them stand as it’s a ‘difference of opinion’ and that’s fine. Other posters complain about this and MN deletes said complaints as they are ‘personal attacks’ and that isn’t fine.

Then we have mods wandering in and going ‘let’s have peace and love’, as though ‘both sides’ need to calm down. No, we need to stop placating racists.

I’m not going to give examples as this will get taken down as a TAAT, but I cannot be the only person to be fed up with all this. MN needs to do something about the racism, race baiting and general cultural ignorance. Unless the site is ONLY meant to cater to white people and, even then, I firmly believe that most posters of any race don’t want to see all that ugliness.

It’s getting to the stage where, as a Black person, I’m steeling myself before I log on. And knowing that half the time I report a comment, I won’t even get a token acknowledgement. This isn’t right. It wasn’t always like this.

The OP did say she was trying not make this a TAAT so it won’t get deleted.

You asking for proof of racism when you could just Google the recent Ngozi Fulani / Lady Hussey threads is just sealioning. Do your own research.

yanbu. I think it’s the very middle class passive aggressive “peace and love” thing. That is not helpful when you feel silenced for having a viewpoint.
i have been on this website since 2006 and I have been shocked by lots of people’s thoughts and it has also made me feel that people judge each much more than I imagined.
People are really different in their views and it’s a good thing to share those views in a respectful way. I know I have changed my views because things I have read (hopefully for the better).

YABU OP

Whenever I see a post that is outwardly racist or hate speech, MN delete it. They don't let it stand

You cannot mandate censorship just because you don't like someone's opinion or point of view

Interesting on MM.
I didn’t think anything about her race until the papers pointed out she was mixed race. But perhaps that’s because she was just a person going out with Harry.
If someone had asked me I may have realised she was mixed race but it wasn’t obvious to me as a white person what race MM is.
But then I don’t judge people based on their race so perhaps I don’t look for differences.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9 I think people write nonsense too. It's easy to write and tell others MN is not real life and all to often we forget this.

Some of what's posted won't even be true.

It isn't two ways, only one group holds institutional power and only one group was considered to be not human and enslaved

This is the kind of rethoric that gets people irritated and wanting to push back. Only one group can be oppressed, if you belong to a certain group you cannot possibly do anything wrong, you are a victim, etc, etc

Don't complain OP, if people continue to push these views and posters express the fact that they don't agree with them. They have the right to do so, even if you don't like it

This is the kind of rethoric that gets people irritated and wanting to push back. Only one group can be oppressed, if you belong to a certain group you cannot possibly do anything wrong, you are a victim, etc, etc

Are you actually saying this is the case in response to someone referencing slavery, @unsureatthispoint ?

Might want to think about that for a second.

Nah, this is the kind of rhetoric that irritates racists. Normal people would be genuinely disgusted at the slavery and dehumanising treatment of other human beings for the benefit of one group. It doesn’t matter how long ago it was - it happened and has scarred generations. Normal people wouldn’t be irritated by that,

*"older white people"
*
oopsie

I’m mixed race and have had racism from both sides of my two cultures.
I was delighted when MM married in to the Royal family but as an actual human well she feels inauthentic and that is incredibly unfortunate

I have seen the occasional poster write something dodgy regarding race but I sometimes think people are looking for it where it doesn’t exist.

Th separate space for black MNetters came about mainly because a poster got really irritated around matters and raised it. I actually saw it as a backwards step but she actually wanted it created. It was not led by MN. In doing so it othered a part of the site.

I would say MN seems to have a lot of people suffering from white guilt, I have always found collective guilt over something our ancestors did ridiculous. Should I hate half of myself because half my family are white as the driven snow and then should the other half of myself feel terribly oppressed?

@Whiskyvodka when I have seen MM amongst the royal family her SKIN tone is different by quite a lot. I won't debate on why you and who ever can't notice this.

It's endless. I do wonder about her mum who did they think Doria was? It's ridiculous.

Personally if you are unable to recognise MM is a mixed race women I don't see why you would be speaking upon certain topics!

@MrsMaxDeWinter is correct you must listen.

The treatment of Meghan was awful imv - definitely racist. By that I mean the treatment in the press, sm. But the press fan flames, and want clicks. We are probably being manipulated constantly.

So you want everyone to be seen without colour ? So why have a black mumsnet section then what you are saying makes no sense.

@MrsMaxDeWinter You have provided a good example of an informative post which may or may not change a viewpoint in a respectful way.

My northern husband thinks Meghan is white, he keeps saying “but she isn’t even black, what is everyone going on about”. He is not going to even think about colonial rule or oppression as he perceives that he has never been part of that class or culture and he grew up in a multicultural environment.That is his view though and people are entitled to their viewpoint. If we stop people talking about their views in respectful way then nobody gains and ignorance continues. Trying to silence people with differing views is oppressive in itself so we just need people to be more aware and respectful.

MrsMaxDeWinter
I appreciate your post and stance but I don’t know that all of that is something we have to talk about unless it’s at problem level, ie something racist is happening. I live in Ireland where we were pretty effed by the British. It’s over now and most of the time the only people who discuss it and go over it are those with so much hatred still towards British, you know the ones who basically show up at events with Irish flags and speak about the bad things they’d do etc etc. we acknowledge our history, but we don’t let it become us. On mn I once said how most of my eldest son’s friends weren’t white, but they didn’t discuss race. I was told he was part of the problem etc. when I asked my son why they didn’t he said because they discussed coding, games, people from school etc. the poster told me I was a disgrace not making him talk about it all but why do they need to? He goes to his friends with problems and they go to him too. If they had a problem with anything race related I have no doubt they’d discuss it. I’m kind of rambling here but do you know what I mean?

I agree with you OP.

It’s always disappointing when a person of colour reports something as being racist or a microaggression and so many people jump on to tell them they are wrong. This could be a really great place to listen and learn from other people’s experiences.

White people are only 15% of the world’s population. The British Empire was over a long time ago and has caused lasting harm.

When Harry and Meghan started going out I had no idea who she was, didn't pay much attention, and didn't realise she was mixed race until the engagement. I internally wished them well at their wedding. I internally wished them well when they said they didn't like all the public attention and wanted to retire to the USA (even though I thought give the press another year and they would lay off, as they tend to do eventually). I thought it would be like the Duke of Windsor - quiet retirement from being royal abroad and getting on with their new life.

What I don't like is how they as a couple have then gone about things in America with tell all shows and books etc trashing the royal family.

I agree.

🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭🦭

Do your own research.

It’s always disappointing when a person of colour reports something as being racist or a microaggression and so many people jump on to tell them they are wrong

It's bound to be a losing battle if it's made out to be that a 'microaggression' is so serious as to cost somebody their job and way of living. It's being taken to an extreme, and it's only natural that most sane people will not support these antics

White people are only 15% of the world’s population

So what? We are in Britain

Why would I do my own research?

The OP has made quite the statement that MN is littered with racists, I’m not being unreasonable to ask for some examples of what they class as racist comments.

"There has been a massive rise in homophobic attitudes along with more racism and disability bashing over the last few years."

I think it is that the definitions of these things and the (manufactured) hysteria and over-reacting about them has expanded over the last few years.

Also more extremism from minority groups that the majority disagree with - eg that apparently we have to be ok with sex change surgery on kids or we are bigoted.

The definitions of "bigot" and "racist" seem so wide now that they basically encompass everyone and have lost all meaning.

All in, if any news article is telling me to get enraged about some inconsequential and alleged racism or bigotry or whatever. "No." and "I don't care" are my go to answers.