I've noticed this, too. No matter the topic.

And the conversation is always punctuated with "well, that happened to a black person, they'd be uproar.."

This is in response to other marginalised rights. It's really fucking tiring. And it also seems like a way of saying "why do we focus solely on black racism".

It's as if we are to feel guilty that other marginalised groups are not taken seriously when they face isms. Of course they should be and of course it's disgusting that they are not.

But you only have to go back, not many years, to realise that black racism was not taken seriously, it was actually entrenched in law.

So maybe it's a 'time' thing. But, whatever, the chances are that the same people who are abusing the other marginalised groups are probably the ones that are abusing us.

I deeply care about other groups suffering. And I don't have the answers as to why it's not taken seriously. Because it absolutely should be.

So, I hear ya!

Completely agree. I would love to live in their world. Where the mere hint of anti Black prejudice was stamped on and where Black people's experiences of discrimination were believed. I mean really. I know they don't believe it but it's such a poisonous reframing of reality.

The whole 'what about X' is only a valid argument if someone is actually being hypocritical- like a black personality spewing anti racist stuff. Same with

It's usually said in bad faith though. People know exactly what 'black lives matter' stands for, they just want to be a dick and don't like black people

Easy - divide and conquer.

The British Empire amongst other European Empires where built on it.

Yes it gets annoying and so boring at the same time for me. Always the same, if it was black people, blah blah there would be uproar. Really, we had the PM and other members of the Government basically condoning the booing of football players taking the knee. Yet somehow people have it in their heads that there is a so called outrage when black people are discriminated against. I agree with you OP.

Because white people are used to being front and centre of everything. Black lives matter. Well, what about white lives? (we're not the ones being murdered by police officers) Black family on a sainsbury's Christmas ad. Well, what about white families being represented? (we have been, every fucking year since Christmas ads began). Why can't I say the N word in a song but black people can? Because that word hasn't been used to dehumanise and suppress you for hundreds of years.

It's entitlement, and a refusal to step back out of the spotlight. Also a healthy dose of good old fashioned racism because how dare those black people get special treatment when they are not as equal as me.

Not all white people obviously. But if you grow up in a racist society and benefit from it, how can you not subconsciously absorb those beliefs? We are also incredibly fragile when we get called out on our racism.

I agree op.

I find myself rolling my eyes and clicking off of threads now as it irritates me so much and there is no point pointing it out as it causes indignation and unproductive arguments.

It's a shame as some of the discussions are really interesting and then up pops - 'well if that happened to a black person there'd be outrage...' Infuriating.

After the tragic death of George Flloyd, I'll never forget a poster on Mumsnet, saying that, as a result of BLM, the police were now hassling the white teens in their neighbourhood, and how unfair that was.

Wow, just wow.

So it was okay when it was happening to other groups of people



The ignorance is fucking astounding!

Totally agree op and the other thing is that if their is an incident of racism within the government towards a black MP it isnt given much air time a large review and no protests etc. It is as if we just have to deal with it in silence. Sorry I digress

The other thing I hear a lot is why are you lot still talking about slavery it ended ages ago. The response to this is huge and multifaceted, but as far as I know black people have not recieved reparations and in the UK we do report on or celebrate/acknowledge the anniversary of the abolition of the slavery trade in the media loud and proud. I suppose to do this would that they would also have to report on the murders and torture at the hands of the slave owners.

If you consider just recently that that footballer denounced for his mishandling of his cat, and the uproar on social media about if it had been racism, he would have been more severely punished. The fact that people were comparing the mishandling of a cat with years and centuries of psychological, emotional, sexual and physiological torture exerted on an entire people is mind boggling. Today (a week later) the cat has long forgotten it and is being overfed on Whiskers cat food. Whereas in most countries around the world, black people live in more fragile conditions as a result of their history; Higher rates of miscarriage, more susceptible to diabetes, stop and searches, higher risk of poor mental health leading to imprisonment, higher likelihood of living life in foster care, lower rates of adoption, higher rates of school expulsion, the list goes on as a result of historical oppression. And yet black people are seen as the problem for the breakdown in society and the world. Why the white flight? Black people. Why the desperate pearl clutching need for a whiter than white name (see baby boards)? So no mistaking for being black. Why the dislike of some kiddy programs? The characters sound 'too black'. Why the Meghan hatred? She black. Why the need to move into absolute certain areas (you know the code words)? So not to end up in the poor white working class or black area of town.

Oh but as mentioned in sufficient US literature, white women need and needed black and LatinX women to look after their children in order for them to go out to work. Same in the uk, our mothers and grandmothers were Senior nurses and superintendents, and overseeing the births of whites women, and cleaning old white men's backsides (as my grandmother used to say) as they lay in beds. Yes, that was ok, as position of servitude. Keep with that and fall in line. Whereas our sons were being manhandled and mistreated by the police. And now many of want us to wade into the transgender debate. No. No way. My energy is being expended elsewhere, thriving and not just surviving.

My energy is being expended elsewhere, thriving and not just surviving.

I love this sentiment!

This