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

Fine you think she does the last line, no issue

But no it doesn’t change emphasis at all.

Pp have agreed it was belittling anyway, so even if people deflect many can already see that.

So JP can continue to talk to people like that on Twitter if she doesn’t learn from this, but I’d suggest she quits it for black or minority people otherwise a general picture will start to build. And other people will tell their story

As they should as that’s how you address power imbalance in society.

@SunnyEgg
And you still haven't reconciled the fact that KB said unconscious bias was nonsense, put a child in isolation for having what she described as an 'Afro' hairstyle, lied about 'the left's' plans for the curriculum and was, in fact, the one who reported JP to her boss. JP offered to write DV lesson plans for her, and accused her, very accurately, of not being able to take criticism. This is before we discuss the platform she gave to Jordan Peterson and his delightful views on women.

If there are issues in the school proper channels, as I’m sure anyone who works would ask for.

JP offered to write DV lesson plans for her this really is nonsense though. It was a public dressing down not a kind offer.

If she talks with what people view as unsavoury people it still doesn’t mean that she alone doesn’t get to have a voice.

She gets that as other minority women should

That it ruffles people on the left isn’t a factor. If you want society to change around unconscious bias you’ll need to step aside and let people speak, even if it’s not completely aligned to your politics.

As a party with a not great record on race via anti semitism I’d actually be inclined to say don’t do it again

She can if she thinks she’s immune, but I think it would be a mistake for her career. I’m reminded a bit of Emily Thornberry too who did that white van tweet.

Basically it’s not within your gift to silence KB or other minority groups.

So you are ignoring every single point I asked about including, and I believe this to be extraordinary important, her recent conversion to unconscious bias theory? You are obviously also setting your argument around party political lines. I don't want to silence her, eventually she will spout enough nonsense and lies that even the Daily Mail will abandon her. As I said previously, my ethnicity has the lowest achievement academically in the UK and is frequently vilified without sanction by people in the public sphere and on SM. I still wouldn't expect impunity if I lied and courted publicity through promotion of evidence free policy.

AIBU to be delighted at the Right's late conversion to the concept of unconscious bias? Batter Kate than never, eh?

I’m not obviously doing anything other than being more aware of unconscious bias and hoping people will accept she has authority on how it made her feel.

KB like anyone else gets to speak.

All the excuses on why not don’t change that for me.

If people really do want societal structure to rebalance for minority groups then it’s for all, not some.

No one is silencing KB. I think it would be impossible but nor should it be tried.

Equally people are allowed to question what she says, respond to it and point out her errors. They are also allowed to say she appears to be behaving unprofessionally and may be bringing her school into disrepute by writing a poorly thought through personal letter on school letterhead. They are also allowed to think she’s focussed on personal publicity.

So you’ve known it a long time, but still deny it for KB

Not sure why that’s so good

I have experience unconscious bias. But that does not mean everything is unconscious bias, even when I make a mistake.

Have you seen the post Jess Phillips made to react to KB's tribute post about Tina Turner with her abuser in the photo. What is so racist in calling out that?

I’ll put it another way since some have said they have experienced unconscious bias

Someone makes you feel awful because they belittle you, in a professional setting perhaps

You want to tell people how it made you feel but find every error or lack of alignment to their views used as a reason to stop

By then you feel you haven’t been given a voice at all

That’s why I think anyone, regardless of what people think of your politics etc gets to tell their story. It doesn’t work otherwise

As I have said earlier, I am sure that KB has been on the receiving end of unconscious-and conscious- bias many times. But neither she, nor anyone else, has shown that is the case in this particular instance.

So you discount her view?

Surely she’s more the authority on how she feels than anyone else.

Absolutely. She is entitled, of course, to feel in any way she does. She is not entitled to make entirely unsubstantiated and damaging accusations based entirely on this feelings.

She has been given a voice, way beyond that of most people. And way beyond her competence. She was head of the Social Mobility Commission. In that role she ridiculed unconscious bias, thus diminishing the voices of minorities. Is there any criticism of right wing POC that would be valid in your view? If not, that seems a trifle disingenuous.

Why not?

She feels she’s experienced unconscious bias, she knows what this is like, pp have agreed she’d know what that is like.

So you accept it but draw short at a Labour MP, because you feel favourably perhaps to that person and unfavourably towards KB.

That’s why the answer has to be ok I believe you, otherwise it’s just who represents you best.

It’s always going to be I believe you and if that’s an issue don’t belittle minority groups. It’s great as a tool for societal change.

You must see this as you say you’ve known about unconscious bias on the left for longer.

Apparently you can. A feeling born of entitlement and narcissism gives you license to slander someone. Who'd have thunk it?

Entitled and narcissistic?

She’s too loud.. I’d call you out for unconscious bias on that. Maybe she should stay in her lane

@SunnyEgg

Is she loud? I wouldn't know. But serial liars and those who double down on their obvious lies and mistakes are often entitled and narcissistic. Like Alex Johnson, Trump and that headteacher woman.
Please don't correct me, I've told you I'm from an ethnic group that receives daily hate without much support from others. I'll presume you're only disagreeing because of your bias towards my ethnic identity.

I’m asking you to centre KB rather than denigrate and discount.

Can you do that?

Can we come back to talking about what happened in this case?

You are projecting too much. JP commenting on status quo with regards to abuser's photo as a tribute to abused. Is that acceptable thing in your eyes? Maybe you also have an unconscious bias which is not letting you see that out of 1000s of photos of Tina Turner, the one with abuser was posted as a tribute by the head mistress of a successful school who has a lot of people following her on social media l, also her being a leader in school. She has turned it around in racism issue when there is not even hint of racism, knowing that there will be many people piling on JP just hearing that word

What do you mean 'centre KB'? I base all my judgements of her on her documented statements and actions. If you are asking me to consider why she feels that unconscious bias is in play, I'm stumped. She doesn't believe in it. Some folk may harbour unchecked and unconscious biases against her. It doesn't entitle her to lie, misinform and slander. She has held positions of power and privilege, she isn't one of the pupils in her school, forbidden from looking up to a teachers eyes or talking to a friend when moving around the building. How do you want me to 'centre' her?

You are projecting too much

No poor excuse here, people are deflecting too much

If you were JP would you tweet with similar language to another black woman or not?

If you would why, and if not same question

For a political ‘side’ that prides itself on understanding issues around race and unconscious bias as claimed below I can’t say I’m seeing much evidence of that.

@SunnyEgg
Can you answer any of the questions you've been asked? Your argument seems to be KB can't be accused of any past or future wrongdoing or criticised for anything she says or has said because doing so is inevitably racist. Is that correct? You also seem to be saying that unconscious bias wasn't real until a prominent right winger decided to cite it. Correct?

No not correct your paraphrasing needs work. The last line is pretty poor.

You can’t use past errors as a reason to disbelieve her otherwise no one from a minority will ever have their story or voice cutting through societal imbalance

Everyone will have detractors, everyone, especially if they are perceived as lessor for any reason, and they will have people that undermine and would prefer that story wasn’t heard

The best tool for societal change is to let people speak and hear what they’re saying. And saying I believe you even if you have a preference for other politics or people.

So if I said that, for example, Suella Braverman is a cold hearted psychopath, am I showing unconscious bias?