England in the 60's & 70's and racism

[PrankedByLife]

I've watched Mangrove and Education on BBC i-player, directed by Steve McQueen.

Any black or Asian people who suffered similar situations or your parents, grandparents? Please tell your stories.

In regards to Education, do recent black immigrants have the same issues faced by black people of the 60's / 70's? I find education a hard one to use as an indicator of racism personally, being from a Sikh background we don't tend to have the same education system racial negative experiences as black people or if we do, they are overcome somehow (not explaining that well, I know)

I was at Secondary school in the 1970s. Deputy Head in assembly stated "West Indian" children were slow to learn, studies had been done proving we were a lost cause educationally.

Yet this was a Catholic Grammar School and since we'd all passed the necessary 11+ to get into the school, he was clearly talking nonsense. But that type of nonsense was rife back then.

Growing up many Black fathers were what would now be called "gang members" I suppose. They didn't look for trouble - they defended themselves against White men who wanted to beat them, their families/children.

Anyway - Yes the same education issues are faced today. Racism hasn't gone away, it's just slyer. A Black boy once he passes age of 13 or so is described as a "big Black boy" even if he's not especially stockily built. & Even if he's defending himself against trouble started on him, he is deemed the aggressor.

Pretty much the same for Black girls - loud, sassy🙄 troublemakers. I was suspended from school aged 15 as I took exception to a comment a teacher made about my hair. As soon as I told her to shut up (not exact words!) her tears switched on like a tap.

I was young then and hadn't learned yet - When they start with the White Tears, then you damn well cry too. Amateur dramatics aren't just for them.

I did go on to College and then Uni so I did get an education but only because my parents were determined I would. I was very disillusioned with education for most of teen years as I knew no matter how well you did, a racist could and would make it his remit to bring you down.

Paddington area so Mangrove was one of our local community centres, we all passed through there at some stage

Thanks for sharing your story.

After I posted my question I took my school year photo out, predominately working class or under class white children, a few Asians, mostly Sikh, then Hindu, a couple of Muslims, one black girl and one mixed race black and white girl. This was the nineties not as racially mixed as schools these days. It got me thinking where are the black boys?! Took me a while to remember we had a few in the first year and they were quickly expelled.

White kids with awful home lives, poor academic skills despite being taught in their native tongue and trouble makers were never expelled. They just left in year eleven.
I think the school only tolerated the Asians as they knew they would be the only ones bumping up the school in terms of GCSE results. I'm not exaggerating that point, they were predominantly Asians in sixth form doing A levels.

The black girl had the highest GCSE results and the highest A level results - hand on heart the teachers (all white) were not happy for her, the jealousy was unbelievable.