Racism is rife on here....

[MotherOfRatios]

In case this comes up on Trending or Active, this is the Black MNetters board and I’m actively looking for opinions from Black women only!

Is anyone else just fed up of the racism here from Meghan Markle to the recent of the 15-year-old girl? To the discussion on Chris Kaba it's enough and I've noticed it's always the posters who claim they are feminists that are the worst. Not to mention the amount of white women who say, but I have a mixed race children..... and? You can still be racist

#AllLivesMatter, right?

Sorry OP, this is how it always goes.

Don't even need to go past this thread!

1. Come into a place that was specifically aimed at an under-represented group
2. Come across something you don't recognise
3. Post where you were asked not to post, to ask the under-represented group to spend their time answering your question instead of you bothering with a 5 second Google

Step 4 is usually to come back to say that MN is for everyone etc etc etc

A lot of people on MN have very strong views about protecting women's spaces. Surely it's not such a stretch to imagine why people from other groups might need the same.

This is just so ridiculous.

Good luck with that. This has been specifically set up at a space for black women to discuss issues that are pertinent to us. Mixed race women of Black heritage post on Black Mumsnet frequently and OP mentioned a mixed race woman so clearly the only person excluding you is you.

It’s also funny, despite your essays, whereas I recognise a lot of the usernames here, I can’t find one example of you speaking up against the rampant anti black racism anywhere. In fact, you suggested it was minimal. That’s funny because I don’t understand how you can wax on lyrically about your oh so superior approach to the racism when you don’t recognise it. As OP has said, there have been some staggering examples on recent threads.

Perhaps you should consider why of all posts you chose to attack this one. OP, after having her community maligned, sought a safe space where she could be vulnerable and discuss it with people who likely understand how she’s feeling.

Racism doesn’t manifest for all ethnicities in the same way, so while other poc women or white women may empathise, their experience is different and their conversation is probably not what she needs right now. Just explaining the obvious in case you don’t get it. Furthermore, she is not obliged to expend effort having very tough, depressing, mentally exhausting conversations with potentially hostile posters. She can choose who she engages with, just like you have, with your selective activism.

Something tells me you would never call out a woman for seeking to speak with women about something which badly affected her. It speaks volumes that you are comfortable enough to call out non existent prejudice here and not the very real racism on the main boards. I’m getting unconsciously seeking white validation vibes or not recognising the irony of only being willing to speak about racism in a poc safe space while attacking poc safe spaces.

I’m now going to do that annoying thing to see if it works for black women. I live in London. My friendship group looks like the UN, my DP is white. I could not possibly be out of order for calling your BS what it is.

Racism is rife on mn, it's a safe space for white, middle class, heterosexual fragility. White women, who are worried that if black women highlight prejudice then they will gain rights or sympathy that they believe belongs to them, and them alone. Fighting tooth and nail to deny racism exists and write the narrative that white women are the real victims of society. (See poster above ).

Some of the takes about race are wild!

You’ll have women on Mumsnet crying 24/7 about gender ‘safe’ spaces but get ‘offended’ at a forum section specifically for Black women to discuss race issues 🙃

The Transatlantic Slave Trade needs to be taught with ‘nuance’ and both sides of the argument; it was also ‘normal’ back then (funnily enough, I never see these arguments when discussing the Holocaust).

Don’t you dare defend Meghan, she has a whole white parent you know!

The Police are there to protect the public… unless they’re held accountable for murder, in which case, of course they should all pack it in and let the army take over.

Gender neutral toilets shouldn’t exist but Police should be allowed to strip search children.

Lucy Letby would have gotten away with MORE murders if she was Black because the hospital wouldn’t want to be seen as racist (despite the NHS being found to administering harsher punishments to Black and Asian staff comparative to their white counterparts).

Also, isn’t it shocking how Lucy Letby looked so innocent?! No, she looked like a plain white woman.

But remember it’s the rich white parents who can afford private schools and private medical bills that are the real victims! 😂

This is why I don’t discuss race. Most people simply don’t care and see racism as a distraction to their own interests. It’s too exhausting.

Racism is racism in whatever form it takes. This is textbook reverse racism.

suggesting that racism is not the same depending on who it's thrown at is a disgusting attitude to have. It invalidates other people's experiences. Racism is hatred and ignorance and it fucking hurts to face it and process it. These conversations are uncomfortable and exhausting. The issues remain. I have not once denied that racist behaviour isn't present. Quite the opposite, I was including other races and prejudice that are ever present and the most common on this site.

I am not prepared to defended my veiws beyond what I have already posted. You are making many false assumptions about me. I don't look at what board I'm posting on, safe space or not it does not excuse racist (or other unacceptable) attitudes. The op clearly reads Black women's veiws only. Replace black with any other minority or heaven forbid white and it wouldn't last beyond 2 minutes.

MNs silence on this speaks volumes. They like many others are scared to comment or take a stand against these issues. They won't stick their head above the parapet. Mainly due to a lack of understanding and not standing by their own guidelines in order to avoid conflict or been seen as racist. Since in issues like this is counterproductive.

As I've already stated racism should be discussed and should be called out. More change is needed. Too many people suffer from this issue on a daily basis. It is rife. That is correct.

And yeah, where racism is concerned there is a moral high ground and I'm happy to march up that hill all fucking day, waving a multi coloured, multi cultural flag.

Racism is not unique or pertinent to one race alone. It affects many and until we stand united and speak with one voice it won't change.

But remember it’s the rich white parents who can afford private schools and private medical bills that are the real victims! 😂

Well quite! Imagine equating that with racism? Just when I think I've seen it all...

Just to clarify, I didn't say there wasn't any racism, I just said I haven't seen any.
I must not be reading the controversial topics. Not much racism when discussing growing vegetables!!

It wasn’t you don’t worry.

@OneMoreCookieMonster

Hilarious. I needed that laugh. Thank you. never thought I would find gaslighting so funny.

Back in reality we live in a majority white country where the voices and opinions of white people are prioritised in nearly every available forum be it on or offline, whether this is explicitly stated or not. Carving out limited spaces in which our perspectives are front and centre, or that serve as hubs for information relevant to us is not prejudiced. They are essential for our mental health and are only necessary because poc are silenced. It’s not an unreasonable ask to have spaces in which we do not have to value white feelings over and above our own. We already do this daily just to operate in society.

In effect what you are suggesting is for us to relentlessly sacrifice ourselves at the alter of changing peoples minds or shut up. Sorry, but I don’t accept this concept that we are minstrels obligated to be ever available to white audiences. Also you are wrong there are boards for other communities on here. I wouldn’t insert myself into a conversation between Asians about a form of racism I don’t experience.

Racism is not the same, depending on who it is coming from and data supports this. Anti black racism causes a reduction in the life outcomes of black people at all stages of life. Prejudice towards white people in majority white countries will largely be confined to an individual level where the only damage it will do is emotional. This is not acceptable but it’s not the same. The whole concept of reverse racism is used to dismiss institutional racism and delegitimise poc lived experiences. For example, you are talking about hurt feelings whereas the racism OP was trying to decompress from is all about how we’re all innately criminal and it’s ok to shoot us in the head unarmed, violate our teens etc. These are obviously not the same.

By all means you march. If you do so with an idealistic mindset in which you don’t take care that your version of anti racism is contextual and doesn’t expect vastly different emotional labour from poc v white people then don’t be surprised if only they join you. There is no one voice. There are several and they don’t need to be assimilated to be respected.

Reverse racism doesn’t exist and if you understood what racism really means then you would know that. There’s a fine line bewteen prejudice, discrimination and racism and it seems that you also aren’t able to spot the difference, instead you label all the things you’ve mentioned as straight racism. That is not the case.

In case you didn’t notice, there’s also a South Asian MNetters board. This is another place for minorities to come together and speak with one another. Do you have an issue with that also? It’s clear when women want a safe space to discuss issues but God forbid, BLACK women want a safe space to discuss issues relating to them. I guess we don’t count huh?

I think a part of the problem is that many mumsnetters struggle with the idea that others have different life experiences from them whether that is race, culture, income, part of the country, workplace etc.

Haha cross posted with @MCOut great minds think alike🫡

Oh I love the irony "feminists are the worst racists " I the first post

Because I'm white I'm not allowed an opinion on this? How is that not racist?

In a nutshell, it was decided that there are sensitivities and common experiences that Black MNers will find easier to talk about in a dedicated space. The board exists primarily for the use of black Mumsnetters. While other posters are welcome to use it, please be respectful - this includes respecting an OP's wish to only hear from other black women.
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Please be mindful of our Talk Guidelines when posting - and as always, if you see any posts that concern you, please report them directly to MNHQ.
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Thanks.

Here’s a message from YetAnotherBecky on a current thread on our board. Wanting to hear from black women only is NOT racism. It literally is the whole point of the board seeing as it’s primarily for black MNetters. HTH

A lot of people don’t know what racism means and that in itself is quite scary. There’s no possible way to have a discussion about racism when so many don’t actually know the meaning of the word or how to use it!

Far too much racism on this site, it’s come to the point where I’m certain boards I can see a thread title, guess what usernames will have posted and what their point will be. 9/10 I am right, and MNHQ do nothing about it.

I once reported a racist thread, they emailed back to agree it was racist but they weren’t going to delete it because the OP had been robustly challenged they also didn’t delete a post pushing great replacement theory.

I just don’t understand how the same posters are allowed to be racist, and to defend racists, over and over again. Some of their posts do get deleted so MNHQ can obviously see some issues with them.

Because white women, like you and me, do not have the lived experience of being black, and consequently we don't have the right to pontificate on issues that don't affect us when the people who are affected have specifically asked for a safe space to discuss. It is absurd and offensive to suggest that this is "racism".

As a woman, I would not welcome a man coming into a safe space for women to tell me what I should think or feel about sexism and misogyny. It would not be sexist to say that I wanted to discuss my experience with other women only. The same principle applies.

You're entitled to have your opinions but it's arrogant to assume that you should be free to express them anywhere. Have some respect for what other people feel they need.

[And sincere apologies, OP, because I have jumped in and posted on this thread when you had specifically said that wanted it to be open to black women only. I will bow out now and leave you to your discussion.]

It definitely is. The thing that gets me is how long it takes for a racist post to be removed after it’s been reported, once it wasn’t removed despite me reporting it twice. It’s really put me off using the site. MNHQ are very quick to remove bad language or troll hunting comments but racism?? Crack on it’s fine.

Someone didn’t go there did they? 😮

Oh please....

No, I actually think MN is too heavy handed on the deletions.

All of this.