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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Is Diane Abbott right that only Black people experience racism and other ethnic groups experience prejudice?

579 replies

IwantToRetire · 23/04/2023 20:22

Diane Abbott has been suspended as a Labour MP pending an investigation into a letter she wrote about racism to the Observer, the party has said.

The politician said "many types of white people with points of difference" can experience prejudice, in a letter published on Sunday.

But they are not subject to racism "all their lives", she said.

She later tweeted to say she was withdrawing her remarks and apologised "for any anguish caused".

Labour said the comments were "deeply offensive and wrong".

Suspending the whip means Ms Abbott will not be allowed to represent Labour in the House of Commons, where she will now sit as an independent MP.

In the letter, she wrote that Irish, Jewish and Traveller people "undoubtedly experience prejudice", which she said is "similar to racism".

She continued: "It is true that many types of white people with points of difference, such as redheads, can experience this prejudice.

"But they are not all their lives subject to racism.

"In pre-civil rights America, Irish people, Jewish people and Travellers were not required to sit at the back of the bus.

"In apartheid South Africa, these groups were allowed to vote.

"And at the height of slavery, there were no white-seeming people manacled on the slave ships."

She had been responding to a comment piece in the Guardian questioning the view that racism "only affects people of colour".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-65365978

OP posts:
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StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 25/04/2023 17:14

I've actually read her letter now and have changed my position. I'm not quite sure to what though. I think she has a point but has made it clumsily.

No way does she deserve the whip withdrawn for that. Loads of MPs have done so much worse. Is it just an excuse to get rid of her and show critics of the labour party that they're cracking down on antisemitism?

AP5Diva · 25/04/2023 17:32

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 25/04/2023 17:14

I've actually read her letter now and have changed my position. I'm not quite sure to what though. I think she has a point but has made it clumsily.

No way does she deserve the whip withdrawn for that. Loads of MPs have done so much worse. Is it just an excuse to get rid of her and show critics of the labour party that they're cracking down on antisemitism?

Problem is that it’s not Diane Abbots first brush with writing racist opinions.

In 2012 she posted on Twitter
“Dubious of black people claiming they’ve never experienced racism. Ever tried hailing a taxi I always wonder?”
and
“White people love playing 'divide & rule'. We should not play their game" followed by "#tacticasoldascolonialism"

In 1996 Ms Abbott had written of her surprise that the hospital had chosen “blonde, blue-eyed girls from Finland, instead of nurses from the Caribbean who know the language and understand British culture and institutions….And are Finnish girls, who may never have met a black person before, let alone touched one, best suited to nurse in multicultural Hackney?''

IwantToRetire · 25/04/2023 17:43

I think most people whether friends or foes of DA have struggled to understand how the letter got sent and published eg a commentator on the radio said that the paper would have checked is this really DA (for any letter not just this one) and confirmed this is what she wanted to say. So evey allowing for some late night fuzziness, there would have been a process before publishing.

Another commentator wondered if in fact it was deliberate that as part of the older more left faction in Labour eg Corbyn etc., it was written to provoke Starmer and that she is actually wanting to be banned from Starmer's Labour. Some sort of badge of honour.

Not saying any of this is true, but despire all the lengthy comments on here about what is or is not racism, the basic issue or quandry is why an experienced politician would have written something that they must have known would cause a negative reaction.

I suspect we will never know.

But am looking forward to how Labour sorts this out.

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AP5Diva · 25/04/2023 17:49

“I think most people whether friends or foes of DA have struggled to understand how the letter got sent and published eg a commentator on the radio said that the paper would have checked is this really DA (for any letter not just this one) and confirmed this is what she wanted to say.”

I agree and it seems it’s being looked into:

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/diane-abbott-anti-semitic-observer-letter-doubt-2296254

Diane Abbott's 'antisemitic' letter was sent twice, casting doubt on her claim it was a draft

The long-serving MP has been suspended from the Labour party by Sir Keir Starmer, who said her remarks claiming that Jewish people do not experience racism were antisemitic

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/diane-abbott-anti-semitic-observer-letter-doubt-2296254

2ManyPjs · 25/04/2023 17:53

Not only that, it's now came to light she sent the letter twice, 3 hours apart, from her own email account. A week before it was published. I think it's perfectly fair to assume she has done so with with ulterior motives. I mean, she's been speaking out against her colleagues deemed to be in the centre or right of the party, for a long time now. She had a childish pop at Streeting just the day before. She blames them - and (((others))) for 'Jeremy's' downfall.

2ManyPjs · 25/04/2023 17:53

@AP5Diva Sorry, I posted that before seeing your post!

IwantToRetire · 25/04/2023 18:02

For those who cant access the article:

the letter itself was sent to The Observer newspaper twice from her own email account three hours apart and a week before it was published, The Jewish Chronicle reported. No changes were made to the letter when it was sent a second time and there were no efforts to revise it during the seven days before publication, it is alleged.
After the first email was sent, Ms Abbott’s account received an automatic reply from the Observer asking her to send the letter again but to include a postal address, which she added to the second email. The text of the letter was unchanged.

Thanks for the link AP5Diva

And yes as others have said, who has broken confidentiality at the Observer and leaked this info!

https://www.thejc.com/news/politics/diane-abbott-sent-observer-letter-twice-raising-doubts-over-draft-claims-3hCBdkWRfU9P5xJloIPUEa

OP posts:
AP5Diva · 25/04/2023 18:02

2ManyPjs · 25/04/2023 17:53

@AP5Diva Sorry, I posted that before seeing your post!

No apology needed. I’m happy I’m not the only one who saw that report.

AG247 · 25/04/2023 18:07

I actually think it may be a combination of the both actually! But yes, fascinating !

JolyGoodBloviator · 25/04/2023 19:03

But why did she pretend it was a draft and row back?

If she was daring Starmer to suspend her for political reasons why not own the contents of the letter?

Unless she lost her bottle after publication?

AP5Diva · 25/04/2023 19:12

Joly- It could still have been a draft. The article says she emailed it in, then got a reply asking for her postal address. She then 3hrs after the initial sending of it resent it with her postal address. It’s so easy to attach the wrong file or forward what you already sent and just put the postal address in the email body.

The article only really answers the question that they ensured the letter really came from Diane Abbot.

It doesn’t matter to me that it was a draft letter though. It still shows what she thought strongly enough to write in the first place.

TheBiologyStupid · 25/04/2023 20:57

AP5Diva · 25/04/2023 13:36

The same with all the Chinese “coolies” shipped over to San Francisco and Los Angeles as debt slaves to work the railroads from the West Coast to the interior. Some were freed and tried to get in on the gold rush, but Chinese were legally barred from staking claims on the gold fields (although free Blacks could stake a claim).

Many factories refused to hire anyone who wasn’t white- Levi’s used to have labels on the jeans that said proudly “Made by white labor”

Black men got the right to vote in 1870. Women got the right in 1920.

Native Americans had no right to vote until 1924.

But Americans of Chinese descent were not considered US citizens and had no right to vote from 1882 to 1943!

That's astonishing!

AP5Diva · 25/04/2023 21:02

TheBiologyStupid · 25/04/2023 20:57

That's astonishing!

It is. The dark history of racism in the US is astounding.
The Levi’s thing is something I only recently learned from this article when a pair of 1880s Levi’s jeans found at the bottom of a mine were auctioned off.
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/oct/15/vintage-denim-jeans-chinese-exclusion-white-labor

‘Made by white labor’: the vintage Levi’s that point to America’s dark past

Denim garment dating from 1880s discovered in western mineshaft, which sold for $76,000, recalls era of Chinese Exclusion Act

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2022/oct/15/vintage-denim-jeans-chinese-exclusion-white-labor

AP5Diva · 25/04/2023 21:03

Here is the close up of the label

Is Diane Abbott right that only Black people experience racism and other ethnic groups experience prejudice?
HyacinthBookay · 25/04/2023 21:11

CaveMum · 25/04/2023 14:27

@tonyele I'd disagree that being Jewish is solely about a religion (disclaimer I am not Jewish so am not intending to "speak" for anyone who is). You might disagree with David Baddiel's recent book and TV show, personally I don't think he has tried to say that Jewish people suffer "more", he is saying that too many people simply consider discrimination against Jewish people to be "not that bad" - he gave a very interesting interview to Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart that is worth listening to.

He is right when he points out that he is an atheist and yet had he lived in 1930/40s Germany he would have found himself in a concentration camp based purely upon his appearance and heritage.

David Baddiel is guilty of racist behaviour himself- offensive racist jokes about a black footballer and calling people “pikies” (apologies for repeating it). Just horrible. His apologies for this seemed like damage control before the broadcast of his documentary.

He says that anti black racism and other isms are taken more seriously than antisemitism and it is a spurious argument. There is no point in comparison and I wish he would stop.

TheBiologyStupid · 25/04/2023 21:14

DD1 was the only white child at her day nursery in the late '90s (we and Eleanor, the manager, were hopeful that other white parents would follow our lead because up until then everyone in our position had backed out.) Sadly, that didn't happen in the time that our daughter was there. But she did get lots of negative comments from the other little kids about her skin (and eye) colour. The staff were great, but don't tell me that racism (or discrimination if you will) goes only one way.

NurseCranesRolodex · 25/04/2023 22:01

PronounssheRa · 23/04/2023 20:35

Comparing the anti semitism that Jewish people face, to the prejudice redheads face is mind blowing stupid. I'm sure the racism faced by black people is different to other people's experiences but she completely dismisses and disregards the impact anti semitism has.

I've never understood why this woman was seemingly such a success in politics, she has shown herself to have questionable beliefs.

AG247 · 25/04/2023 23:46

@AP5Diva this sounds like a BHI argument. First you said there is no Jewish ethnicity, or tried to dispute it by claiming that any science you had seen backed up a ‘lack of ethnicity’ - that Jews were just a religion. Now you’re arguing that actually Jews descend from North Africa - which inevitably to you is sub Saharan Africa. I have no issue with this on the face of things, however there is NO actual scientific evidence to back up such claim, which I’m sure you know well.

Aside from being a Jew (or rather genetically half via a parent), I also have a degree in Jewish and Middle Eastern Ancient History. I can tell you the majority of jews do not have sub Saharan DNA. I do, for the simple fact that I am also mixed with indigenous North African DNA (Berber) and so have a sprinkling of West African dna - however this is not typical of most jews, and I don’t know why you’re claiming it is? Your comments suggest an ulterior motive or undertone which I have commonly experienced with BHI groups who use claims to diminish Jewish identity ethnicity and/or claim that we have stolen their identity. I hope I’m just mistaken, and if so, I apologise in advance.

There is absolutely no historical data to back many of the claims you have made here on this sub, on behalf of Jewish people of whom I am certain you are not a part of.

If by ‘north Africa’ you are referring to Egypt then there may be some truth to the claim, however the Israelites descend from the levant and there are no major studies otherwise to dispute that fact. We all originally (allegedly) come from Africa but this is not singular to Jews and does not take away from their ethnic and genetic makeup, of which the majority is shared between most communities.

Dougalskeeper · 26/04/2023 02:29

Abbott is full of 'pity me' shit

AP5Diva · 26/04/2023 07:31

@AG247

I don’t know what “BHI” is so forgive me for ignoring it.

”First you said there is no Jewish ethnicity, or tried to dispute it by claiming that any science you had seen backed up a ‘lack of ethnicity’ - that Jews were just a religion.” No, I did not say anything of the sort. See screenshot. I said from the start of this topic that Jewish is both a race and a religion.

“Now you’re arguing that actually Jews descend from North Africa - which inevitably to you is sub Saharan Africa.” Yes the Jewish ethnicity originates in North Africa based on the studies that go the furthest back in time to date- 3,500 to 4,000yrs ago. But also no, I’ve not confused North Africa with subSaharan Africa.

“I have no issue with this on the face of things, however there is NO actual scientific evidence to back up such claim, which I’m sure you know well.” Actually there is quite a bit of genetic scientific evidence backing this up. I explained in another post that for some reason it’s been recent practice that a snapshot of where everyone was 2,000yrs ago can be called their “origins” when it comes to genetic studies. Obviously humans migrated around quite a lot before then and there are genetic studies that go back further than that.

“I can tell you the majority of jews do not have sub Saharan DNA. I do, for the simple fact that I am also mixed with indigenous North African DNA (Berber) and so have a sprinkling of West African dna - however this is not typical of most jews, and I don’t know why you’re claiming it is?”*

The DNA tests you are familiar with likely do not go back far enough in time. Most commercial ethnicity/ancestry tests only go back 200-500yrs ago as to where your ancestors were in recent centuries. Most scientific studies, target no further than 2,000 yrs ago- which is the time period of the studies showing the Levant as the ‘“origin” homeland. Only a few scientific studies go back further than that. All the studies are true, you just need to keep in mind what time period they are reflecting.

My comment regarding subSaharan DNA was based on a well known study which is even mentioned on Wikipedia- “In 2011, Moorjani et al. detected 3%–5% sub-Saharan African ancestry in all eight of the diverse Jewish populations (Ashkenazi Jews, Syrian Jews, Iranian Jews, Iraqi Jews, Greek Jews, Turkish Jews, Italian Jews) that they analyzed. The timing of this African admixture among all Jewish populations was identical. The exact date was not determined, but it was estimated to have taken place between 1,600 and 3,400 years ago. Although African admixture was determined among South Europeans and Near Eastern population too, this admixture was found to be younger compared to the Jewish populations. This findings the authors explained as evidence regarding common origin of these 8 main Jewish groups. "It is intriguing that the Mizrahi Irani and Iraqi Jews—who are thought to descend at least in part from Jews who were exiled to Babylon about 2,600 years ago share the signal of African admixture. A parsimonious explanation for these observations is that they reflect a history in which many of the Jewish groups descend from a common ancestral population which was itself admixed with Africans, prior to the beginning of the Jewish diaspora that occurred in 8th to 6th century BC" the authors concluded. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_studies_on_Jews

“Your comments suggest an ulterior motive or undertone which I have commonly experienced with BHI groups who use claims to diminish Jewish identity ethnicity and/or claim that we have stolen their identity. I hope I’m just mistaken, and if so, I apologise in advance.” Apology accepted.

“There is absolutely no historical data to back many of the claims you have made here on this sub, on behalf of Jewish people of whom I am certain you are not a part of.” *I would disagree. The Bronze Age collapse 1300-1100BC happened all around the Mediterranean about the time when the Jewish peoples left Egypt (North Africa) estimated at 1300 BC and per the covenant of Abraham, Moses leads the Jewish people to the “Promised Land” or Canaan (in the Levant) which Genesis clearly says is not their “native land” and they conquered and settle there (for which there is ample archaeological evidence of the Phoenicians being replaced by the. Kingdoms of Israel and Judah by the incoming Jewish tribes). This is known to have historically happened even if you don’t believe the Torah.

This migration to Canaan occurred over a thousand years prior to the time period most “origin” DNA studies look at including the ones that say Jewish and Palestinians are both from the Levant because the definition being used of where is an ethnicity from, is where were their ancestors 2,000 yrs ago not 4,000yrs ago or further back.

“We all originally (allegedly) come from Africa but this is not singular to Jews and does not take away from their ethnic and genetic makeup, of which the majority is shared between most communities.” Yes but that’s going back much much further to 50,000 to 70,000 years ago and shouldn’t be confused with where people were 2,000yrs ago compared to 4,000yrs ago.

Is Diane Abbott right that only Black people experience racism and other ethnic groups experience prejudice?
AP5Diva · 26/04/2023 07:39

Sorry for bold fails.

puffyisgood · 26/04/2023 09:01

AP5Diva · 26/04/2023 07:31

@AG247

I don’t know what “BHI” is so forgive me for ignoring it.

”First you said there is no Jewish ethnicity, or tried to dispute it by claiming that any science you had seen backed up a ‘lack of ethnicity’ - that Jews were just a religion.” No, I did not say anything of the sort. See screenshot. I said from the start of this topic that Jewish is both a race and a religion.

“Now you’re arguing that actually Jews descend from North Africa - which inevitably to you is sub Saharan Africa.” Yes the Jewish ethnicity originates in North Africa based on the studies that go the furthest back in time to date- 3,500 to 4,000yrs ago. But also no, I’ve not confused North Africa with subSaharan Africa.

“I have no issue with this on the face of things, however there is NO actual scientific evidence to back up such claim, which I’m sure you know well.” Actually there is quite a bit of genetic scientific evidence backing this up. I explained in another post that for some reason it’s been recent practice that a snapshot of where everyone was 2,000yrs ago can be called their “origins” when it comes to genetic studies. Obviously humans migrated around quite a lot before then and there are genetic studies that go back further than that.

“I can tell you the majority of jews do not have sub Saharan DNA. I do, for the simple fact that I am also mixed with indigenous North African DNA (Berber) and so have a sprinkling of West African dna - however this is not typical of most jews, and I don’t know why you’re claiming it is?”*

The DNA tests you are familiar with likely do not go back far enough in time. Most commercial ethnicity/ancestry tests only go back 200-500yrs ago as to where your ancestors were in recent centuries. Most scientific studies, target no further than 2,000 yrs ago- which is the time period of the studies showing the Levant as the ‘“origin” homeland. Only a few scientific studies go back further than that. All the studies are true, you just need to keep in mind what time period they are reflecting.

My comment regarding subSaharan DNA was based on a well known study which is even mentioned on Wikipedia- “In 2011, Moorjani et al. detected 3%–5% sub-Saharan African ancestry in all eight of the diverse Jewish populations (Ashkenazi Jews, Syrian Jews, Iranian Jews, Iraqi Jews, Greek Jews, Turkish Jews, Italian Jews) that they analyzed. The timing of this African admixture among all Jewish populations was identical. The exact date was not determined, but it was estimated to have taken place between 1,600 and 3,400 years ago. Although African admixture was determined among South Europeans and Near Eastern population too, this admixture was found to be younger compared to the Jewish populations. This findings the authors explained as evidence regarding common origin of these 8 main Jewish groups. "It is intriguing that the Mizrahi Irani and Iraqi Jews—who are thought to descend at least in part from Jews who were exiled to Babylon about 2,600 years ago share the signal of African admixture. A parsimonious explanation for these observations is that they reflect a history in which many of the Jewish groups descend from a common ancestral population which was itself admixed with Africans, prior to the beginning of the Jewish diaspora that occurred in 8th to 6th century BC" the authors concluded. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetic_studies_on_Jews

“Your comments suggest an ulterior motive or undertone which I have commonly experienced with BHI groups who use claims to diminish Jewish identity ethnicity and/or claim that we have stolen their identity. I hope I’m just mistaken, and if so, I apologise in advance.” Apology accepted.

“There is absolutely no historical data to back many of the claims you have made here on this sub, on behalf of Jewish people of whom I am certain you are not a part of.” *I would disagree. The Bronze Age collapse 1300-1100BC happened all around the Mediterranean about the time when the Jewish peoples left Egypt (North Africa) estimated at 1300 BC and per the covenant of Abraham, Moses leads the Jewish people to the “Promised Land” or Canaan (in the Levant) which Genesis clearly says is not their “native land” and they conquered and settle there (for which there is ample archaeological evidence of the Phoenicians being replaced by the. Kingdoms of Israel and Judah by the incoming Jewish tribes). This is known to have historically happened even if you don’t believe the Torah.

This migration to Canaan occurred over a thousand years prior to the time period most “origin” DNA studies look at including the ones that say Jewish and Palestinians are both from the Levant because the definition being used of where is an ethnicity from, is where were their ancestors 2,000 yrs ago not 4,000yrs ago or further back.

“We all originally (allegedly) come from Africa but this is not singular to Jews and does not take away from their ethnic and genetic makeup, of which the majority is shared between most communities.” Yes but that’s going back much much further to 50,000 to 70,000 years ago and shouldn’t be confused with where people were 2,000yrs ago compared to 4,000yrs ago.

I suppose these days the idea of discrete 'races' isn't very widely accepted... having a little bit of common ancestry of one thing, but is it really simultaneously true that:

(a) a south european jew, an east european, a middle eastern jew and an ethiopian jew are so closely related as to be categorically of the same 'race'; but

(b) (e.g.) a middle eastern jew and a pediatrician Palestinian are so far apart genetically as to be categorically not of the same 'race'?

I ask in ignorance.

puffyisgood · 26/04/2023 09:02

puffyisgood · 26/04/2023 09:01

I suppose these days the idea of discrete 'races' isn't very widely accepted... having a little bit of common ancestry of one thing, but is it really simultaneously true that:

(a) a south european jew, an east european, a middle eastern jew and an ethiopian jew are so closely related as to be categorically of the same 'race'; but

(b) (e.g.) a middle eastern jew and a pediatrician Palestinian are so far apart genetically as to be categorically not of the same 'race'?

I ask in ignorance.

'paediatrician' obviously an autocorrect.

puffyisgood · 26/04/2023 09:04
  • I also meant 'East European jew' in the first post. hastily swiped on a phone.
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