On a rare night out last week, I went to the House of Commons launch of a satirical book called Think Like a White Man by Dr Boule Whytelaw and Nels Abbey. The 200 guests, who were mostly black, were asked a simple question.
“Raise your hand if you DON’T experience racism on a daily basis.”
I expected at least half of the audience to put their hands up. I was shocked and saddened when only about 10 or so, including me, did.
A serious debate followed where people spoke from the heart about their everyday experience of racism and how it was affecting their lives and mental health.
Days later a report revealed that racism has risen since the Brexit vote.
Seventy-one per cent of ethnic minorities in Britain now report facing discrimination compared to 58% in January 2016, before the EU referendum.
This was followed by BBC newsreader Lukwesa Burak tweeting about her tearful daughter who has been told by a boy at school to “go in the black bin because her skin is dirty”.
Racism has always bubbled away underneath the surface in Britain, but at least it felt things were getting better for BAME communities. But the EU vote has blown the lid off all of that.
Some of the candidates actually standing for public office in today’s European elections – Carl Benjamin (UKIP) and Tommy Robinson (Independent) – have made no secret of their feelings towards non-white Brits.
We like to pretend that we’re the most tolerant and welcoming society on Earth. But in 2019 Britain politicians are arguing with Muslims over their definitions of Islamophobia while people question blatant anti-Semitism.
Worse, society keeps making this the victim’s problem.
This was illustrated perfectly on a TV debate, now gone viral online, where former BBC boss Greg Dyke was defending his pal Danny Baker, fired for tweeting an allegedly racist picture mocking Prince Harry and Meghan’s baby son.
Author and broadcaster Afua Hirsch, who tried in vain to explain why she was upset, said afterwards she was left feeling angry, depressed and fed up with endlessly having to explain racism. As she says: “It’s not my job.”
Things won’t change if we continue to gaslight victims – ie make them question their own experiences of a situation.
I’m scared that things are going to get so much worse before there’s even a glimmer of it getting better.
Who knows what state the country will be in then?
If things carry on like this, do I predict a riot? Sadly, yes, I do.
