Common racist comments you hear in 2023?

[SleepDreamThinkHuge]

Compared to 30 years ago, how is racism different today?

For me, racism terms such as the n word p word are less used than they were 30 years ago. However, people have looked at other avenues. See comments below.

1. "You have a chip over your shoulder" every time someone mentions racism or their lived experience it goes straight to denial mode. You are blamed for your lived experiences and told to get over it and how UK is not racist.

2. "The UK abolished slavery. slavery was a long time ago." Every time someone tries to put forward a view of reparations of people who are still suffering from the effects of slavery they are shut down. "that was a long time ago we have changed and evolved."

3. "I feel like a foreigner in my own country." Which is probably one of the most stupid statements considering that over 80 percent of the population is white. I always answer if you feel like a foreigner how do minorities feel?

4. "name the racists" commonly said for Megan Markle that she should name the racists she claimed in the Royal family. But lets be honest if you did that the other person in whatever circumstance would just deny it and ultimately you will not be believed and be called someone who plays the race card and tarnishing other people's careers.

5. "Why do black people have their own spaces if white people had it we would be accused of racism" This is commonly said by the same people who are not as vocal when other groups have their own space e.g. women, LGBT groups etc.. It just seems like whenever black people have their own space people have to put them down. Take Ngozi Fulani the media made it seem she was the bad person people argued why her charity helps black people suffering from domestic abuse. Sad how she was forced out Sistah Space due to the abuse she faced but the media never mention that and the racism she had to face.

6. "Racism exists in all communities" this is another common one used and is a whataboutery technique. We have seen this with people like Kanye, KSI recently but what people forget there was a lot of criticism from the black community with their actions. So to suggest the black community or any other community does not do anything about racism is for the birds.

7. "My best friend is black" This is something you would hear from the EDL or Britain First. But you would be surprised how often you hear this by a lot of people. Just because your friend or relative is black, Muslim, Asian etc does not mean you cannot be racist. Even if you are a white mother and your child is mixed race does not mean you cannot be racist. It is baffling how a lot of people seem to forget this and think that my saying I cannot be racist because of this automatically means they cannot.

@LadyKenya @HadalyEve That poor woman and her husband have both been discriminated against. My heart went out to her when she described what they had to endure.... @😭🙄

@Socrateswasrightaboutvoting I have just finished watching the whole programme. Where to even start? The amount of gaslighting, and defensiveness being displayed by, let's be real, the white people was just so infuriating, and depressing. I totally understood what the man with the locs was saying. How sad that his daughter has to be denied the pleasure of her own father taking, or picking her up from school, because he (quite understandably) is concerned that it could affect how the teachers treat her. And in turn how the other children might start saying things, or asking questions that she may find upsetting. Look at that! Just honestly so bloody depressing. He said that he does not get upset about racism. I got the feeling that he is just resigned to it, and just like many of us, we live a double life in the workplace etc. Double consciousness, W E D Du Bois talks about this in The Souls of Black Folk. That teacher, my goodness, I would not want her near any child of mine. Yet the schools are full of teachers like that teaching black, and brown children day in, day out! The way that people were in such denial, and very obviously feeling under attack was astonishing. The body language was something to behold. These are the people who are part, and parcel of the racist structural system. Upholding it, contributing to it are to be found everywhere. And yet these same people are the first to throw up their hands, and say well I am not like that, I treat everybody the same.

You could not script it could you. A few choice words were muttered whilst I was watching that, I can tell you. I actually think the saboteur was worse than the teacher, and she was vile. She put her privilege above the experience and trauma of every black or brown person in the room. I hope there is a special place in hell for her. Did you not feel empathy with the teacher for the discrimination she and her husband had faced?...

@Socrateswasrightaboutvoting I felt nothing but disdain for that teacher to be honest. She refused to acknowledge that she had anything to learn, which is to say the least, arrogant, and unbelievably lacking in any self awareness. The way in which she refused to listen, and take on board what Pearl was saying to her, about her son, was breathtakingly rude as well. This is a teacher who was having contact with black, and brown children, God help them. And her twittering on about the discrimination she, and her husband supposedly faced was just astonishing.

Even all these years later, I feel as strongly about her as I did the first time I watched this. Sadly there are many people like her still in the education system, and every other system we have. I really felt for Pearl, I recognise that despair when you tell you truth and it is just dismissed with contempt and what aboutery. I hope after her comments about the 'pink surprise' (There are no words... ) that she was never allowed near children again.

No doubt the teacher went into school with the exact, same deplorable attitude that she displayed in the programme@Socrateswasrightaboutvoting . After all she had naff all to learn, as she seemed to suggest. Honestly it is really too much. This is why black people need to teach their children about the richness of black culture, and their history, because too many black children will be taught by people like her in the education system. Leave it to the education system, and black, and brown children will be leaving school without a shred of black pride, and no knowledge of their forebears history.

Well I just learnt something new about British society.

You can't get away with sexism but you can still get away with misogynoir.

Guess the people were schooled at the same places as MN moderators.

www.theguardian.com/media/2023/jun/30/jeremy-clarkson-sun-article-on-meghan-was-sexist-says-press-regulator

Brown mum here and that school teacher scared me. Can't seem to find this online but any idea if she's still a teacher? I hope she was fired after the show aired.

No doubt that she kept her job@GoogleMeNot . I would be surprised to find out otherwise. She probably had her colleagues, and head teacher agreeing along with how she conducted herself on the programme. Racism is a system, that is constantly being upheld by people like that teacher. And it was no surprise that she could not see how problematic her behaviour, and way of thinking was. The problem was, that she was not willing to listen to people who were telling her about their lived experience, and arrogantly dismissed them.

That makes me so angry to hear. What got me is it came across as if she was proud of her racism - surprised that the little girl who fell in her sch was "pink" underneath. I was fuming when she said that.

POC need to teach their children to trust their instincts if the feel they are discriminated against be it whether it's from a teacher, nurse etc. I hate the gaslighting that comes with it.

So, there’s a thread about racism on FWR threads in site stuff. Been running for almost 36hrs so it’s not brand new.

I know we’ve been warned about mentioning racism on other threads on this thread in amongst our observations of racist things mostly outside MN.

So far, no one on that thread has been warned by MN about a thread that was started to only discuss racism on FWR threads. Again, it’s been up for almost 36hrs so I have to presume they are aware and applying a different rule for them compared to us.

So, it appears that they can do a thread literally dedicated to racism on FWR threads, but we were given a formal warning for merely including racism we encounter on MN threads amongst all the racism we encounter IRL or elsewhere on other sites?

It wasn’t long before the posts started claiming there is no racism on FWR, and if there was any it was wholly due to variously TRAs, men pretending to be women, or trolls gatecrashing and posting racist stuff so they can screen shot and then go and character assassinate the feminists on FWR.

Yet another case of an attempt to discuss racism being made about them and their sufferings. By them, I mean white feminists.

And apparently white feminists can have a thread about racism on other threads with impunity, but we got a warning. 🤦🏿‍♀️

I just looked at that thread and it's been completely detailed by more trans talk. They've completely ignored the fact that OP was talking about race. Couldn't get more white feminist than that.

Yes, it was almost instantly derailed.

Sorry I'm new on MN, what's FWR and how do I find this thread ?

If you go into search and type “MN needs a closer watch FWR” the thread will come up.

@HadalyEveI reported some posts on a thread that referred another thread - none of it race related.

I got told that:
"Generally speaking we don't have an issue with other threads being discussed on another thread as long as it isn't being done in bad faith or to derail."

I left feedback that MN moderation lacked consistency and was clearly racist due to what happens here.

(And I saw the other thread, started reading and got pissed off.)

@Reugny
Thank you. We all see it right?
The thread has pissed me off. I’ve posted a couple times under another user name.

I just wanted to leave the link below, following on from the Windrush conversation on here. Mr Vanley is included in an exhibition at the V&A South Kensington, which I hope to visit soon. I have read the previous comments, and I am fast at the point where I am reaching my fill of MN. The unfettered racism that is allowed to go on in other threads. I am sick of having to see, and in turn report racist posts. The takeover of the word, woke sickens me as well, as pp have pointed out too. Yet it has happened, and it has been allowed to be turned into a word that is subject to sneering contempt. Objection achieved for the racists. Anyway....

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/aug/12/photographer-vanley-burke-immortalised-black-britain-interview

"Generally speaking we don't have an issue with other threads being discussed on another thread as long as it isn't being done in bad faith or to derail."

So WoC on this thread talking about racism is done in bad faith then, according to MNHQ? Riiiight...

There is a saying on MN, something along the lines of, when they show you who they are, listen!

It's a Maya Angelou quote.

"When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

Thank you for enlightening me as to the origins of the quote. I was not aware that it was the great Maya Angelou who said it. I have seen it on here that is why I said that, but it is fitting. MNHQ are telling us what they think, clearly.

Yeah I mean compare what we were told when discussing racism in general and happened to mention a few threads that had racist posts:

”LilyMumsnet · 25/05/2023 09:03
Hi all

Please can we ask that you avoid discussing other threads elsewhere on the boards? We have a blanket ban on threads about threads as it makes things quite tricky to moderate. If you have any concerns about post(s), please report them to us using the report button. We're always more than happy to take a look.”

to what they were told on their thread started about racism on a Disney thread and other threads:

”YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet · Yesterday 12:23
Hello, everyone.

Thanks for your comments. Like many forums, we operate a notice and take down procedure, which means we may not be aware of a post unless you report it. We don't proactively moderate anywhere on the boards - at upwards of 30,000 posts per day this would be extremely time consuming and would ultimately take resources away from vulnerable posters who need help.

While we like to let the conversation flow, hate speech, including racism and homophobia isn't tolerated. Please report it to us.

Here’s our Talk guidelines for anyone unfamiliar.”

So to us, the targets of racism it’s your comments are not welcome, please avoid making them and just report posts but to them it’s thank you for your comments, please highlight those posts to us and we will delete them.

Clearly there is a difference in moderation approach when it is known that they are addressing Black and other non-white ethnicities.

@LadyKenya

Another good article. I do like the Guardian more than other news outlets. The fact he has his front room full of photos and news clipping as an archive of recent Black British history brings up the important fact as to how British history is curated to whitewash out Black British people and achievements. So much is just lost and forgotten even recent history.

I mean, we have been here since the Romans but you wouldn’t know it by reading regular history books or watching regular historical documentaries.

The current state of affairs where it’s a blip called “Black history month” is just as bad as it still others us by setting up a paradigm of British history is x, with no Black British because that is Black history- like we still cannot be British.

For example, no one is taught about Ignatius Sancho or Olaudah Equiano or the Sons of Africa and their driving the abolitionist movement in London in the late 1700s, but we’ve all been told about Wilberforce. The version of British history we were taught centres white abolitionists and erases Black British abolitionists…the cynic in me is this is to teach Black children gratitude to white British saviours.

And doing history apartheid with British history 11 out of 12 months and “Black history” for 1 month is still, to me, an area where racism is institutional and systemic. Only when British history is taught year round including ALL British, will we have made progress.

For example, no one is taught about Ignatius Sancho or Olaudah Equiano or the Sons of Africa and their driving the abolitionist movement in London in the late 1700s, but we’ve all been told about Wilberforce. The version of British history we were taught centres white abolitionists and erases Black British abolitionists…the cynic in me is this is to teach Black children gratitude to white British saviours.

This part of your post really resonated with me@HadalyEve . I remember not only being horrified, and embarrassed, when we were 'taught' about slavery at school, but I also remember thinking if it was not for those white people, we would still be slaves. That is what I recall thinking. Also learning about WW2, I recall thinking that it was only white people who were the heroes. To think that thousands of POC contributed to the effort, and nothing was mentioned about that fact when I was at school is nothing short of scandalous. It was a deliberate omission, due to the inherent racism in the education system. So while the white children in the education system are being told continuously through what they are being taught, that they come from people who have achieved, invented, cured...ad infinium, the opposite is being taught to everyone else. We can see for ourselves what the impact that has on a group of people when they feel that they do not really belong, and feel disenfranchised.