AIBU to agree with Diane Abbott

[Elephantiner]

I cannot stand Diane Abbott, she has a lazy, patronising manner which riles me, but she has said that people visiblybof a different race (e.g. black people) experience a different sort of racism than those who’s race is not visually obvious (travellers, Jewish people etc). She has a point, doesn’t she? Am I missing something here?

Obviously all types of racism are utterly abhorrent.

How would Diane Abbott know what it’s like? She hasn’t had the experience some Jewish people will have had.

She probably has a point but then she's also been pretty racist in her attitudes regarding white people, so I don't bother listening to anything she has to say these days

I think Diane Abbot is someone who has done a lot of good work but should probably stay well away from tv interviews and the media in general.

What she said previously was that they don't experience racism but prejudice which seems to be a clear attempt to create some sort of hierarchy.

There is appalling racism experienced by Jews or Gypsies /Roma and others. And that racism seems to be accepted ( or even applauded by some in the case of Jews since October 7th especially. The recorded incidents of racial hatred against Jew is widely disproportionate to their very small numbers in the UK) in a way that overt racism against PoC is not, amongst the middle classes at least.

Sure, they may have different experiences from black people, (though remember some Jews are very identifiable as are many gypsy/ roma people) but that doesn't mean the racism they experience is less in frequency or impact.

She said this years' ago. Straight out of the Whoopi Goldberg school of ignorance. Then again, this is the woman, who reckoned only black women would do anything for their kids.

A classic race to the bottom thread.

There isn't a hirachy or better/ worse racism. It's a horrific experience for everyone who a subjected to it.

My husband and I are visibly Jewish. We’ve received abuse for it on several occasions. He is also non-white and gets abuse for that too. Neither is worse or more/less serious.

It’s the visibly part.

You are visibly of a race/religion that is often discriminated against.
Just like black, Asians etc.

Some Muslims are visibly of colour or quite apparently of that religion. Whereas others appear white and so are not as readily subjected to racism.
Likewise Jewish people I know - some look Mediterranean, whereas others are easily identifiable as Jewish and have suffered more antisemitism than the former.

All types of racism/prejudice are abhorrent but it is quite easy to understand why some may be more readily targeted than others.
It’s undeniable.

Yes Diane Abbott is right

Racism and prejudice always impacts people negatively but there are different forms of racism and prejudice and negative stereotypes that is often a form of racism/prejudice.

And she should absolutely not be silenced into discussing this

Why ?

Because she wants to talk about issues that many are not wanting to talk about or to acknowledge

Are you speaking from your own experience? As a Jewish person that is

She is right. You can’t hide your skin colour, you can’t blend in.

I see threads on here of mners saying that they’re telling their children not to say they are Jewish. You can’t do that if you’re a black person. You don’t get to hide

No

So how can you know?

I agree. In that she knows what she is talking about.

I agree with her but in today’s wokey cokey world we’ve all got to pretend racism is by a very naughty minority and we others just have to carry on being kind and of course not even seeing black skin- sarcasm in case anyone is wondering

Why are you mentioning Gaza (despite claiming that you won’t) in the context of Jews experiencing racism/ antisemitism in the UK?

So then you don't know how different minorities are impacted.

Not less bad, but may have a less bad impact on someone's day to day life.

Yes, I wondered that too. Then again, I think we are so used to it being shoehorned in. Gotta have a bit of Israel hate on a thread, ironically, about discrimination.

So, I think she’s describing a very different experience.

I don’t think there is an acceptable face of racism against black people any more. There is ignorance, yes, and some diehard bigots lurking in backward corners. There’s inequality of outcome but not necessarily related to being black, so much as to poverty. Poor white boys have shocking outcomes as well.

Travellers, Jews and Muslims face severe criticism that’s not easy to distinguish from racism. There are conversations all the time about the appalling behaviour of some people in these groups, that must feel very challenging if you are also Jewish, or a Muslim, or a Traveller.

I take part in those conversations and it’s really hard to tread a line around the criticism that needs to be discussed, and that which is racism.

I wouldn’t like to be a Traveller- and equally I hate the behaviour of a significant chunk of travellers.

Those conversations aren't happening about black people. So you could argue it’s the other way round.

I agree that the expressions and actions are different but it is not only skin colour that leads to racism.

My family is Asian

I know the racism they experience and have experienced is different from what black people I know have experienced. I do not experience this (I have experienced othering confusing as a child and tedious at times)

I know my ex husbands experience being a Muslim Arab

I know that our prisons have a disproportionate number of young black men, I know a young black man is far far more likely to be stopped and searched, I know that our mh hospitals have a disproportionate number of young black people in

Yet none of this is relevant to other minorities. You're not comparing the POC experience to any other community, than the white one.

I don’t think it is a particularly controversial opinion. I disagree with her politics but I have always quite admired Dianne Abbot. At least she isn’t scared to say what she thinks.