Is this the mother of all calling out - Katherine Birbalsingh

[DramaFatigue]

Katherine Birbalsingh has done the mother of all calling out and I can't help but sit here with my jaw on the kitchen table in awe.

She has written a 4-page open letter to Sir Kerr Starmer calling out Jess Phillip's behaviour online. Whilst I don't always agree with KB's methods of the school she runs, I do think that Jess Phillips behaviour towards her is shocking and unbefitting of someone who could be running the country. JP should resign TBH.

https://news.sky.com/story/headteacher-katharine-birbalsingh-brands-labour-mp-jess-phillips-social-media-posts-racist-and-bullying-12913139

True

Biases are fascinating - and when people learn about them, you can see them all the time.

Assuming Jess had written "You aren't no Asian" - I wonder if that appealed to a confirmation bias and so it helped form her view of Jess?

I recommend people read "Thinking fast and slow" - a good introduction to the way people think, react and biases.

To me that means listening and when someone says this is my experience you hear that rather than dismiss it

Absolutely, I agree.

When KB said she has experienced white people, telling her she is betraying the left because as a black women she shouldn't hold right wing view (or words to the effect) - I was listening.
I was also listening when she said people on the right dismiss 'unconscious bias'.

I believe her. I do think she has experienced that, and I'm not going to dismiss this.

What I am questioning is, that KB experience of other white people telling her she owes a duty to voice opinions that match with a left-wing view automatically means JP thinks this as well.

KB has correlated:
I have experienced unconscious bias from white people in the past, due to my race = JP is white and criticised me, therefore JP has unconscious bias due to my race

I'm not sure that equation adds up.

Just nasty. Be professional if it’s your professional account

You are right. KN should be professional because it's attached to her name and therefore the school she leads and also her role within government has held.

In my school bringing the school into disrepute as she has done is a disciplinary action.

It has been a better discussion particularly where people have said they or their dc have experienced unconscious bias

One thing that happens for accent but not race is that lessens over time, but what can absolutely happen is there can be a trigger of an earlier awful feeling that reminds you again. It’s really gutting (rarely happens but I get to change my difference)

I do think what JP sent was intended to belittle, it probably hurt a bit and may have reminded KB of other life experiences where she felt a bit powerless and othered

It took 6 weeks to write that letter.
A letter full of mistakes.
On school paper.
In public.

It may well have triggered a reaction - but if you are going to do such a public thing, then you make sure you have it right and can back it up.

And when people point out your mistakes, you should really think about them and ask yourself, have I got this right?

But based on KBs previous tweets, she doesn't back down. See the "girls and maths " conversation she had.

*edit

Girls and physics - this was when she was the Social Mobility Adviser

Birbalsingh clarifies girls' choices on maths and physics A-levels - BBC News

A government social mobility adviser criticised for comments on A-level choices has admitted her language was clunky but that she had explained things as she saw them.

Appearing before MPs on Wednesday, Katharine Birbalsingh said physics was not a subject girls "tend to fancy", as it included “hard maths”.
On Thursday's Politics Live, she clarified this was a single comment based about her own school, and she had also given 20 minutes on other issues across the country that did not get the same publicity.
She added: "I am quite sincere, and I have not planned what I am going to say.”

Katharine Birbalsingh: Girls dislike hard maths, says education adviser - BBC News

A government social mobility adviser has been criticised for saying girls are less likely to choose physics A-level because it involves "hard maths".
Head teacher Katharine Birbalsingh told MPs it was not a subject girls "tend to fancy", adding: "I just think they don't like it."
She said 16% of A-level physics pupils at her school were girls, but she wasn't "campaigning" for this to go up.
The Institute of Physics (IOP) said it was alarmed by the comments.
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Munira Wilson also called on Ms Birbalsingh to apologise for her remarks.
"Just from my own knowledge of these things, physics isn't something that girls tend to fancy. They don't want to do it," she added.
"I just think they don't like it. There's a lot of hard maths in there that I think that they would rather not do.
"That's not to say there isn't hard stuff to do in biology and chemistry - there is, but it's not mathematical."
Asked to explain why she thought girls would be less likely to make the choice, she responded: "Research generally, they say that's just a natural thing.
"I mean I don't know. I can't say - I mean, I'm not an expert at that sort of thing. That's what they say.
"We're certainly not out there campaigning for more girls to do physics - we wouldn't do that, and I wouldn't want to do that," she added.
"I mean, I want them to do what they want to do."

The time it took to write doesn’t really mean anything I don’t see why it should.

If she gets a whole load of flack because people don’t want to hear how she feels well tough really

She doesn’t have to say oh I didn’t feel this way because you lot say so, she did.

That’s the point of having a voice and telling your story

Kiwano
But then, you're the person who thinks Johnson was merely "unwise" to appoint a sex molester to a position of power within the party, and then to send people out to lie for him. I'm not sure your perceptions are reliable.

I also used the phrase 'error of judgment' in the same sentence - and in our previous discussion I described Chris Pincher's appointment as 'poor judgment'. Seems a fair assessment to me - but apparently you were not happy with 'poor judgment' either. Since our last discussion, I have read (on Wikipedia) that Theresa May also appointed Chris Pincher to the role of Deputy Chief Whip following allegations - I would have to say that TM made an error of judgment in Pincher's appointment as well - I don't believe her motives were nefarious (perhaps you do). I didn't actually address your point on whether Johnson 'sent people out to lie for him' during our last discussion (I didn't have time), although I did answer the same question when you asked me under your previous username. I am certain now that you are the same poster, even though you denied it - therefore I think my perceptions are reliable.

The time it took is relevant - she had plenty of time to think, to reflect and to ensure that she had accurate information.

And the letter she wrote was full of mistakes.

Writing an open letter like that is a very serious thing. You need to get it right

Maybe MPs should think before they try to belittle black women on social media

If any lesson is learnt from that then good.

Lessons need to be learnt.

Social media is so easy to see something, react, and once you've reacted, it's out there forever.

If someone is blunt and opinionated as JP is (and I've already said on a few posts now that I don't like her use of Twitter for this reason), wouldn't it be worse for her not to speak her mind purely because the object of her criticism is a black woman? That is patronising, is it not?

Kiwano

I forgot to add - I stand by my perception that Jess Phillips was bullying Katharine Birbalsingh. I don't know JP's motives for doing so - therefore I have no idea whether her attack on KB was racially motivated or not.

If MPs, or any one else doesn’t learn from it, then make sure you’re ready for the unconscious bias accusation

And rightly so.

KB’s successfully made it about race for you hasn’t she?

Having 6 weeks to write means you need to get your letter right.

She wasn’t against a deadline, she had time to write, edit and rewrite plus fact check her position.

Yes her letter was full of errors, badly written and too long.

Must try harder

Maybe MPs should do some unconscious bias training.

Parliament: Tory MPs to refuse unconscious bias training - BBC News

Several Conservative MPs say they will not take part in unconscious bias training provided by the House of Commons.
The training aims to tackle prejudices people are unaware they hold, on issues like race and gender.
Writing in the Mail this week, Ben Bradley called it "Orwellian" and "totally nonsensical".
Speaking on Thursday, Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was for MPs to decide if they wanted to participate.
He said: "Finally, the House has made unconscious bias training available, and if people want to do it, that is a matter for them."
Mr Bradley, Conservative MP for Mansfield, said the training represented the "second phase of our re-education" after MPs attended sessions about valuing people in the workplace.

He added: "It seems totally nonsensical to me that, in my role as a representative of a community that has typically felt left behind and voiceless for many years, I should be advised that there are certain words I shouldn't use; certain issues that I should avoid; certain sensibilities that I should not offend.
"How am I to raise the true feelings of an electorate that broadly feels like it's being preached at by a metropolitan elite who neither understand nor care about them, if I have to walk on eggshells and dance around the problem?"
Several of his colleagues tweeted their agreement, including David Warburton, the MP for Somerton and Frome, who said he would "go no further down this rabbit hole".

I believe her. It’s kind of arrogant to override how people feel. They are the only ones who can say that.

Others hate her. Whatever that’s weird imo, following people that closely just to hate. But their call

She’s had the airtime to tell her story

Overall I’m glad she’s raised unconscious bias, it might stop others doing a JP. If there’s less of that then good.

Oh, I don't know about that SunnyEgg.

I mean, I heavily criticise Suella Braverman. In fact i really cannot stand her views and been quite vocal about it.
Would she be right to accuse me of unconscious bias based on her race?

If it is right to do that - then it opens the door to no-one being allowed to criticise anyone.
Everyone will accuse everyone else of unconscious bias.

I'm sure there is a political figure, a celebrity, someone well known, that you have criticised? You don't like thier views or have been cross about something they have said or done.
Would it be right to say that the reason you are criticising them is because you have unconscious bias based on thier race, sex, religious beliefs, disability etc?

Depends on how you criticise

Yes you’ll probably have to be more careful and try not to denigrate or stereotype

At one end of the spectrum might be she’s not even from here why is she in politics, anything on her appearance for example

At the other end you might criticise her policies and be on safer ground

So yes time to think about what you say.

At the other end you might criticise her policies and be on safer ground

Or criticise a choice of picture when it comes to tweeting about Tina Turner and using a picture of Ike and saying "Good Times"

I wonder if a pupil would use this example in an essay in a media studies / sociology / psychology lesson in her school?

Or would that be a step too far?

No again. It was the language and belittling

It was too personal.

cakeorwine
And KB did make a big speech at the Nat C conference about how people should live their values - inspired by Gladiator.
They should speak up and "Hold the line"
JP was following the advice of KB and "holding the line"

Last night I posted that JP was 'mocking' KB's speech at the conference - you disagreed. Even Alex Andreou recognises that JP was 'mocking' the speech - he uses the same word as me - although he tries to justify the mocking (whilst pretending to be 'civil');
But could that not simply be mocking one of the most bizarre speeches most people who follow politics (on either side) had seen?

Ha ha! That would be very funny but they’d probably be expelled for it.