Why isn't depressing seated racism on MN challenged more?

[FloweryCurtainTwitcher]

So. I am not black but I am not white. My great grandparents (as far as I know) were EE Jewish, black African , white African, Irish, North African and white British x3 . One of my parents was born and raised in West Africa until age 15ish.

As a child growing up in white rural England I was bullied about my big lips (they are luscious- no lip filler required here) and my thick black hair that has a definite kink (Jewish or African- who knows? Irish maybe? ). I didn't really think about my ethnicity until I grew up and reflected a bit more about it. But I did know that attacking people because of how they looked was wrong.

I find the subcultural of racism on MN unacceptable. The threads this weekend about Meghan Markle are indicative `(people claiming they are not racists they just dont like her- for lots of ridiculous reasons- basically she is an independent black woman )

I believe that we should all challenge deeply embedded racism constantly regardless of our ethnicity. Not just the National Front type stuff which is explicit but the deep societal implicit racism which underpins our society.

So why does no-one ever call it out on MN- why are so many posts with inherent racist views allowed to go unchallenged? Why isnt every post with racist undertones receiving hundreds of reports?

Is it pointless? Is MN like the MET police and institutionally racist ?

(5 years of commuting through elephant and castle- everyday saw MET police pull someone over. ONCE only were they not black- so 1000 approx stops- only 1 white)

I think it's fair to say we will never have racial harmony .

Oh god yeah I saw that one and skated right on by. No mental energy for it.

Bet if the tics called people 'old' and 'Karen' they'd be telling them to seek treatment urgently.

If somebody stood and shouted the n-word repeatedly at my son I would go fucking apeshit.

@Alb0

No, MM had always identified as biracial - until other people told her that she was black - look it up.

The drop of blood is a racist classification from 20th century America, I don't know why you are quoting that!

For some reason, people seem to think that they can look at a mixed race person and tell them what race they are, or there is an expectation that they should choose a race. This is nonsense. Race is not a categorical variable. In fact, it has no biological basis at all. A white man can have more DNA in common with a black man than he does with another white man.

'Race' is a social construct designed to create division. Mixed race people make others uncomfortable, because they don't fit into their neat little categories - so people feel the need to classify them. I think that this is particularly the case with me as look racially ambiguous (most people think Mediterranean, but different people have different opinions of what 'race' I should be). Personally, I think it's important to identify as mixed, and not support this false classification.

And I'm not talking about being 'half or this and half of that'. I'm not half of anything, mixed race people are as whole as anyone else. The problem is with this outdated way of classifying people.

Fucking awful thread. Makes me so angry it’s allowed to stand.

Excellent case in point.

IRL, most of these despicable ugly trolls would never.

Let’s continue to call it out.
Every single fucking time.

And continue to mind our own Black business ❤️ 🌍

Oh and btw @Alb0 do you realise that the "one drop rule' is the reason that Barack Obama said that he felt that he had no choice but to identify as black', despite the fact that he had one white parent?

He should have been the first biracial president, but unfortunately society hasn't quite got its head around the concept of mixed race. However, times are changing.

The one drop rule that you cute was invented by white segregationists in America as a way of saying that 'white' is the only 'pure' race, and that everyone else is classed as 'black'. It is deeply racist and offensive to anyone who isn't white. Don't you think it's time we moved on from that?

I'm sorry but I think that you need to educate yourself as your posts are racist, ignorant and rude.

@Ted27 I think that the world is changing (albeit slowly!). People are realising that the binary way of thinking about black and white no longer works.

I've realised that some people have a tendency to see me as white. I would say that probably around 70% think that I'm white when they first meet me. The other 30% don't necessarily think that I'm white, but struggle to place me. However, I don't see myself as white, and I don't see myself as south asian either. I could probably 'blend in' in many countries.

I think that mixed race people (MM and Obama included) usually prefer to identify as mixed rather than choose a race. It's society that has struggled to place mixed race people, rather than mixed race people themselves.

I think you hit the nail on the head here. For many this is an excuse to freely bash a black woman without facing any consequences because it is freedom of speech.
I don't understand how anyone can defend racists / racism towards a black person if a black person is telling you that it is racism. Rather than defend, learn from it - the key issue here is that racists don't want to learn, they will continue to attack.

So if Archie and Lilibet grow up to have traits the public find annoying ( if they go into public life) will it be considered racist too?

Surely it's when it becomes obsessive hate and totally irrational like it does with Meghan. There's a reason for that

Yes, and more often than not, the real underlying reason is racism. Which these people will never admit too.

There's no validity in saying you have black friends then turn round call M&H names for no reason.

Yes this is exactly what I don't understand -- why do so many white people think that it's up to them to decide what is and isn't racist?
MN would improve about 1000% if people stopped thinking this way, if they started really listening

So if they do grow up to be “ totally irrationally” disliked it will be because they have a black mother?
Good to know.

I don't totally irrationally hate anyone. Do you?

There's a reason for irrational hate

Posts like this I wonder if it's true ignorance or something else.
It cannot be that difficult to understand.
Why are you obsessed with her if it's not racism? If she is annoying why post constantly and negatively about her. I don't like Sharon Osbourne personally but you will never find me online making assumptions about her life and constant denigration of someone I don't know creates an unhealthy obsession.

In the case of Meghan or her children - we do not know these people. Meghan was treated unfairly - hard to ignore really. AFAIAC she can say and do whatever she wants after that. Strange no similar extreme hatred for Thomas who has zero relationship with his other kids and has never seen his other grandkids before. PC has done far worse and has also appeared on a talk show to air his views - why does he still hold his titles? Where are his hate threads?

There are people on other forums posting daily about their hatred of Islam / Christian, Judaism or whatever - such a pointless exercise and really shows what type of person you are if you do that.

@MidnightMeltdown

maybe the world is changing, maybe its different for you if people assume you are white - I don’t know, I’m white its not for me to say.

What I do know is that clearly racism is an issue in our society, society looks at my son and sees a young black man with an African name - so thats what I am raising him to deal with

Exactly how I raise mine - this is how they are treated.

I don't know why MN don't ban the obvious agitators, trolls and gfs. They're easy to spot.
They're also so predictable, they're practically timetabled.
You just need to report every time.

No I don’t hate irrationally hate anyone.
I do find Meghan annoying. Apparently I am not allowed to be annoyed by her because that’s racist. Despite pages and pages of AIBU about people being annoyed by all manner of irrational things.

I am posting not because I am obsessed with her but because I am explaining, why I find her grating. In the same way you post every time to defend her. I have seen plenty of posts asking why you are so obsessed with her. I’m guessing you’re not either but trying to explain about racism.

You can be brown and still be racist. You can even be black and be racist or colourist, nobody is exempt.

Anyone who obsesses over Meghan is racist or plain weird, otherwise you're perfectly entitled to not like her or anyone else.

Why are you lining up a defence to hate two kids anyway? As has been explained above, it’s a pattern of behaviour on here. If someone found her annoying it wouldn’t grate, but it’s the deep seated vendetta against her and the appalling hypocrisy that annoys people.

Like this is totally part of the issue. Nobody is coming on mumsnet to ‘hypothetically’ ask if it’s ok if they find George, Charlotte, and Louis annoying when they’re older. As if it’s a foregone conclusion. It’s this faux innocence ‘but it’s not racist to dislike her, is it?’ No, but you fit in nicely with a racist campaign on mumsnet that’s absolutely obsessed with the woman and criticising her every move. And that’s not a place where I’d want to fit in personally.

It cannot be that difficult to understand.
Why are you obsessed with her if it's not racism? If she is annoying why post constantly and negatively about her. I don't like Sharon Osbourne personally but you will never find me online making assumptions about her life and constant denigration of someone I don't know creates an unhealthy obsession.

Agreed, this is it. Can someone answer this? Do these people do the same to every other person they don't like- why single Meghan out so much? If it's not her race what is it that winds people up so much, to the extent they just have to let everyone know what they think rather than scrolling past?