The business of race

Of recent Kanye West has been talking out of his ass and stirring up a lot of controversy with threatening and offensive pronouncements about Jews. A lot of his behaviour and what he has been saying has strong hints of clinical paranoia. People have turned on him in droves and he has not made much of an effort to make amends or row back his comments. Multiple businesses and organisations have ended relationships with him in response to the public outcry. He is clearly being hit in the pocket by the reactions to his unconscionable utterances but his reputation is taking an even bigger battering. It remains to be seen if there is any way back for him from casting out that he is currently going through. 

Kanye has been accused of stirring up anti-semitism and giving license to fascists and nazis to show off their bigotry. This might be a bit of a reach because fascists have never needed any encouragement to abuse or attack Jews. While fascists might wholeheartedly agree with Kanye it would appear he is actually getting more obvious and vocal support from Republicans. Republicans have literally hoisted Kanye on their shoulders and showed him around as their gladiator in their war against “wokeness”. While the mainstream is working overtime to cancel Kanye the Republicans are promoting him for all they’re worth. 

Kanye West is currently topping the unpopularity charts but he has an extensive back catalogue of bigoted declarations dismissing the suffering of Black people and criticising the response to historic abuses, and icons in the civil rights struggle. He also routinely mistreats and verbally abuses Black people and women he comes across. It is interesting that even when he was at his most obnoxious he did not receive the wholesale disapproval he is currently experiencing. In fact, businesses were falling over themselves to throw money at him for his questionable creative endeavours. Whether you call him a maverick or a moron businesses had no problem making money off him while Black people and women were the targets of his unsavoury sayings. 

It is only too right that Kanye West is facing censure for his anti-semitism. His behaviour thoughtless and feeds into harmful stereotypes of Jews. However, it is problematic that society in general is a lot more tolerant of prejudice when it is directed at other minorities. We have seen mainstream right wing personalities and politicians try to downplay the murder of George Floyd and the GOP in America have launched an all out onslaught on Critical Race Theory. A lot of the right wing outrage is a concerted effort to deny the reality of prejudice and discrimination suffered by Black people in America. A lot more could be done to address racial inequality and tensions but they would rather put all that effort into covering it up. 

The U.K.’s prime minister’s office recently released a statement saying that Rishi Sunak; the prime minister, does not consider the U.K. a racist country. While it is true that not all people are racist certain groups definitely are and the institutions still show evidence of systemic racism. Health inequalities, disproportionate involvement in criminal justice system, the ‘Windrush Scandal’, and the current animosity towards Critical Race Theory are strong indications of that. These are permitted to persist because the environment we’re in allows it. There is such a strong undercurrent of prejudice towards Black people that many cases of subtle or overt racism towards Black people barely cause a ripple. The business community has figured out that they are better off covering up or just ignoring the issue. Maybe this was what Kanye was hoping for when he decided to give vent to his inner voice. 

Cat Flap

The case of a Black footballer in London who was filmed kicking and hitting his cat has once again raised the spectre of endemic racism in the British society. The footballer’s treatment of the cat was cowardly and abhorrent. There was no excuse for it. However, it has become the focus of extremely divisive and xenophobic rhetoric from quite a few people in the United Kingdom. The player has been rightly condemned but some comments have been so incendiary that it would not be unreasonable to be concerned about the personal safety of the player. A lot of the criticism has referenced the player being either Black or not British. The implication being that his race or ethnicity might be a factor in why he behaved poorly. The piling on has really taken on the tenor of a lynching. The amount of outright xenophobia and racist implications in some comments reinforces the notion that there is an endemic level of racism still in British society. 

Lawfully Unjust

The trial of the ‘Kenosha killer’ was recently concluded in Wisconsin with non guilty verdicts on all counts. The jury largely accepted the self defence justification put forward by the defence. There are clearly mixed feelings about the verdict and how this verdict could have been reached. The arguments will rage on and a lot of people will remain outraged while others claim it was a just verdict given the circumstances. There have been views given about missteps by the prosecution and the Judge’s general approach to the case. The case may be concluded but ill feelings engendered by it will be with us for a very long time. 

It is impossible to look into this case and not see that it feeds into the whole issue of gun ownership and use in the United States. It is impossible to legitimise common gun ownership and enact ‘open carry’ laws, and not expect that guns will become a means of focusing minds on fears and anxieties. The more people are encouraged to possess weapons the more likely those weapons will replace reflection and restraint when people are confronted with threats and challenges. It becomes more plausible to imagine danger to life when oneself is possessed of the means to take a life. And the simple truth is that guns are made with the sole function of causing harm and ending life.

Whether it is acknowledged or not, the thing White people in America fear the most is Black people. And it doesn’t make any difference whether the Black are actually dangerous or not. There is an inbred fear and a perception of Black people as angry and volatile that automatically makes white people fear for their safety. This is borne out in everyday interactions and it is what underlies law enforcement’s lethal approach to policing Black communities. When you throw gun ownership and a militarised police force into the mix you end up with the legally permitted murder of Black people. 

Sabina Nessa

The murder of Sabina Nessa is another thread in an all too familiar pattern of women being murdered by men while going about their daily lives. Women and girls are not safe and this has been the case for a very long time. Over time society has adopted norms that make it tolerable for men to murder women and feel able to get away with justifying their actions. Whether it is the French notion of ‘crime of passion’, the murder defence of “violent sex”, or the implication that rape victims somehow did something to provoke their assailants; society finds a way to make violence against women reasonable under certain circumstances. The truth is that males need to learn to respect the rights, choices and bodies of women.

Violent urges are primeval but over time the desire for social acceptance has restrained people from wantonly resorting to it. Unfortunately we are at a point where men seem to feel that giving in to violent urges is liberating and empowering. There are too many instances of people resorting to violence to resolve personal differences. It has become common to find people on social media threatening violence against strangers whom they might be having a difference of opinion with. Social media personalities have taken to promoting and organising boxing matches as a way of amping up rivalries. The US experiences of minorities subjected to violent police interventions have been disturbing and disruptive. And recently the increasing exposure of violent assaults by U.K. law enforcement officers has spotlighted a very worrying trend. 

As a society we need to address and change the culture of violence against women that has become entrenched in our lives. We should be able to rely on law enforcement and government institutions to recognise the dangerous trends and actively work to combat them. Talking about it isn’t enough. Not enough is being done and women are paying the price for this negligence. Keeping women safe is not about finding protectors, it’s about stopping perpetrators. 

Manning Up

Black people face a lot of challenges in today’s world. Advancing themselves and uplifting their communities while dealing with personal demands and institutional prejudice place quite a strain on individuals. Tragically Black males have been frequently known to get involved in criminality, drugs and gender based violence. This comes out of a culture of toxic masculinity that has normalised both misogynistic and anti-social behaviour.

It needs to be acknowledged that too many young Black males are overly invested in living out a ‘gangsta’ fantasy. It is so bad that a majority of them are so committed to it that they can’t see any reason why it isn’t a viable life choice. If you add the lack of any real ambition outside of making quick money, and toxic masculinity to the equation; we are now dealing with a young underclass that cannot see the potential of a big blue sky and instead is settling for a hole in the ground. 

The double whammy of materialism and violence has had a detrimental effect on Black families and women. Not only is the behaviour of Black males devastating domestic family life, it is also tearing apart the community fabric that Black people have been so dependent on for survival. This is not to say that there aren’t negative external pressures that are hurting the Black society. Racism, poverty, discrimination, unemployment, low educational achievement are equally problematic. However Black males have become an issue that we can no longer ignore. 

The corruption of the Black male psyche is a generational issue that has created an endemic problem. It is difficult to expect more when the individuals have very little self worth and awareness. If all they value are material things and machismo then by adulthood we are being left with too many lost causes. The numbers of Black men not in education or employment, involved in the criminal justice system or who have a history of abuse and violence speak for themselves. 

There aren’t any miracle cures for the problem but families have a responsibility to instil good values in their youth. The Black community also needs to do a better job of promoting wholesome role models. People who know the harm that systemic racism has been doing but are still committed to improving themselves and the people around them. Being a better man is not about being a superstar it’s about supporting yourself and those people you come into contact with. 

Fighting Racism Matters

The experience of being discriminated against and abused because of your race in societies that you have been born into and grown up in is unique to people of colour. The longstanding nature of racial discrimination has meant that it has become innate and systemic in most western societies. This doesn’t deny the efforts of some groups to combat and make amends for it. However, it is counterproductive to continue to argue that the existence of systemic racism is not an issue. It means that the history of racial prejudice and discrimination is not taught comprehensively in communities or schools, and it poses a real danger to people of colour and social cohesion. 

As Black people and persons of colour we are not a homogeneous group. This is despite a lot of individuals from majority populations not being able to tell people of colour apart. Whether we are Asian, from the Pacific Islands or African, including by birth or heritage we are all very different people. In fact people from any two different African countries are very likely to be nothing alike and have little in common. However despite all these differences our experience of racism, prejudice and discrimination remains singularly uniiform. If you take a look at America any group of persons of colour may differ in culture, norms or perspectives but will still face the absolute same experience when it comes to discrimination. In fact if a being from outer space landed in America today it is most likely to be more welcomed than a hard working, well spoken and educated person of colour. 

People of colour need to go on a journey of self development that means they are able to support themselves and give back to their communities. We need older people to do more to promote socially aware values that espouse empowerment and self awareness. Young people need to feel inspired to develop themselves and adopt lifestyles that allow them to be independent and enlightened. We cannot wait for reparations before we recognise and repair the rifts in our own communities. Even reparations will not initiate the empowerment and solidarity that people of colour need to uplift their communities in majority White societies. The discussion of reparations might trigger some opportunities to highlight the challenges of striving for racial equality. However, right wing governments and politicians are extremely ready to vigorously deny the space to even have the discussion in a public arena. Any attempt to raise and pursue the issue of historical and systemic racism is seen as a threat rather than an opportunity to work towards a better understanding of the needs and challenges of minority communities. 

The recent racial criticism and abuse of English footballers who participated in the 2021 European Football Championship says a lot for how racial intolerance is very much alive in high society and underbelly of the nation. There might have been any number of players who underperformed during the tournament but it was the Black players who were particularly singled out for abuse. It made no difference that the Black players had represented their country with pride and distinction. The sort of racism they have been subjected to is not isolated or a rare occurrence. It is the sort of prejudice that people of colour experience on the streets, in school, in the workplace and during interactions with public institutions. This speaks to a level of institutionalised racism that needs to be acknowledged in order to be addressed. 

The View from the Top

© Guardian 

The U.K. government’s commission on race equality produced a report that concluded that institutional racism was no longer a thing in Britain, and Britain is an exemplar nation for race equality and integration.  It should probably be enough to delve into the membership of the commission to roundly discredit its findings and its situational blindness. However, this is not the season for picking low lying fruit. Let’s take a good look at the world according to this group of astute social historians. 

The report asserts that people from minority ethnic groups have an equal chance of success as long as they work hard. Note that it says equal rather than greater chance. This clearly takes no account of generational wealth. It does however, play up to the racist trope that as long as they keep their heads down and do as they are told people of colour will do just fine. The nature of the British honours system serves to further to entrench inequality and exclusion amongst minorities. Titles bestow status and access on holders and these are mostly passed on to cronies and cohorts of the majority White political establishment.

Unfortunately, the reverie about the sweet life minorities are living in the U.K. is broken by studies showing that Black youths are three times as likely to be unemployed than their White compatriots, and the grieving mother of a lost Black boy whose mother has complained that her initial reports of him being missing were not taken seriously by the police before he was found dead. The Windrush scandal still blights the lives of Black Britons.

There are some simple truths that have to be faced no matter what perspective one chooses to look at institutional racism from. In 2021 people of colour are still facing discrimination and violence at the hands of institutions and individuals. The legacy of racism in this country has generational reverberations through Black communities. It has created communities steeped in poverty and deprivation. A consequence of this has been that in some communities of colour people have internalised the racism they have endured. Some people do not see themselves as being able to succeed, or even survive, just by following the rules. So we have low achievement in education, and often a derisory attitude towards regular employment.

Great Britain has not solved the problem that is racism; and it really doesn't have cause to pat itself on the back. There is still a lot to be done, and a lot of people suffering on the margins of society. There is a place for people of colour in the UK and they have made, and continue to make, tremendous contributions to their communities and society as a whole. However, if your knee is on my neck it would be impossible for you to see or recognise my pain and suffering.

Society versus Black People

© Emanu

At what point would a police officer stopping a Black person not feel threatened? We know it isn’t when the Black person is unarmed. Certainly not when putting hands up and complying with policing orders. Not when the Black person is handcuffed and pinned to the ground. Not when the Black person is running away. Not even when it’s an unthreatening Black senior military officer in uniform. Not when a Black person is in their own home and reacting to an unauthorised entry by a police officer. There is clearly a problem with policing in America.  It’s not just the case of a few bad apples. The police approach policing Black people with the mindset of a farmer stalking a predatory animal on farmlands.

For those saying Daunte Wright wouldn’t have been shot if he wasn’t resisting arrest; even if that had saved him what about the next Black person killed while not resisting arrest? There is always another excuse or reason to use violence rather than de-escalate incidents involving Black people. The fact that the police are killing unarmed suspects is a sign this is about a lot more than just the high incidence of crime in Black neighbourhoods or armed criminals. There is a deeper issue here and it reflects something that is instilled, or at the very least reinforced during police training and induction. It is literally the standard response to a dispatch call involving Black people for the police to violently engage. 

The fact that the police believe that in all cases of deaths from an interaction with a Black person they are unlikely to be convicted, if ever charged has encouraged a ‘shoot first’ mentality. It almost doesn’t matter what the circumstances are there is almost always an assumption of justified killing. And in almost all cases this is backed up by the justice system. So now we have a situation where not only is police behaviour inherently illegal; there is almost no way of holding it to account through the justice system. In too many cases the District Attorney chooses not to prosecute. And where the cases go to court the jury rarely comes forth with a guilty verdict. 

It must be said that this a deeper reflection of the society we live in. One where White people still cross the road or clutch their valuables at the sight of a Black person. Depictions of Black people in the media still echo the stereotype of drug crazed criminal gangbanger from way back. It is no surprise that the percentage of Black people in prison far exceeds that of White people. It says something about why a higher proportion of Black people are subject to compulsory mental health orders. It is undeniable that health inequalities and deprivation are higher in Black neighbourhoods. And not due to a lack hard working individuals. 

It cannot be denied that we live in times where the police see Black people as dangerous threats, the justice system sees us as deserving of punishment, and the White majority see us as ill intentioned intruders. In the workplace employers do not want to promote career advancement for Black people.  In education Black students are routinely told to limit their aspirations. In business Black proprietors often find it difficult to break into mainstream markets. But strangely enough, society is content to see us excelling at singing and dancing; and running and jumping. So I guess things can’t be that bad.

With things being the way they are people will have to get used to Black people marching and agitating to make things better and get a fair shake. As long as we are here, and there have been no lack of effort put towards getting rid of us; there has to be a place for us. And we deserve the opportunity to make the place ours. We want to save the planet and protect endangered species but we also want to see Black Lives Matter.

 

Really Recognising Racism

If people really want to know what racism really is how about checking out the growing trend of whole swathes of people referencing Black Lives Matter whenever there is an issue with law enforcement or some criminal situation has become a topic of discussion. It is almost as if these people believe that because Black Lives Matter society has become a chaotic lawless dystopia. Or peep the fact that ever since the idea and movement that Black Lives Matter has entered the public consciousness all of a sudden people seem to be discovering all these other things that matter; as long as they aren’t Black lives. 

If we are absolutely determined to have our heart strings pulled at the evils of racism suffered by celebrities then we can easily reference Harry Belafonte, Spike Lee, Serena Williams, Colin Kaepernick, Ray Fisher, Gabrielle Union or Holly Robinson-Peete. These are people who have suffered from abuse, exclusion, blacklisting, objectification and loss of employment because of their race. Racism is no longer manifesting subversively or in dark corners of society. The KKK no longer need to wear hoods, except when they dress up for the annual Christmas party. There are many tales to tell to highlight the mental anguish racism is causing but I guess those interviews would be unlikely to net Harpo a $9m payday from the news networks.

Every person of colour has probably experienced racism in some general or unique way but it is not necessarily true that every experience of a person of colour is attributable to racism. We should be able to distinguish the experience of racism from other negative or damaging experiences that manifest as a standard, if largely unwelcome, part of the human life. While we need to be acutely aware of the inherently racist nature of western society and culture; we also need to watch out for instances where claims of racism is being used to further people's self interests.

There certainly is racism in Britain. The U.K. government’s “hostile environment” policy and the unjust deportation of ‘Windrush descendants’ has been a targeted effort to scapegoat and deprive Black people of their lawful rights and entitlements. Consider the way people of colour have been disproportionately affected by the covid-19 pandemic. In spite of the evidence pointing to the fact that as a result of deprivation, exclusion, poverty and health inequalities people of colour have been more at risk from infection and death by the virus the British government censored an official report into the impact of the pandemic on minorities and declared that race had no effect on infection or mortality. When it became clear that there was a higher incidence of infection in people of colour rather than mandate risk assessments for staff from minority ethnic groups the NHS management indicated that staff had to individually request for risk assessments themselves. Now that’s your illustration of institutional racism.

Every day we have cases of young Black people being racially profiled by the police. This has led to a disproportionate number of them being stopped and searched; and even killed while being arrested or in custody. Children of colour are being marginalised in the educational system all the time. Too many of them are being pushed towards unskilled employment, sports or show business and away from academics and highly skilled professions because they are not considered to have the aptitude for it by their teachers. British culture and institutions are inherently racist. You get a different level of care depending on which hospital, school or bank you go to. Inevitably access to these establishments is determined by status or wealth. This naturally excludes almost all people of colour. The value placed on circumstance of birth, ancestry and social title speaks to a society that seeks to perpetuate privilege and exclude those who are different, and thus less worthy.

Is the British royal family a racist institution? Absolutely, without a doubt. How can an entity built on the notion of birth being a basis for status and authority; and built on the back of imperialism, colonialism, oppression, murder and prejudice not be discriminatory? As long as it maintains its slavish adoption of birthright entitlement then it will remain racist. They may talk about fulfilling a duty of public service but public service should be a personal calling not something imposed autocratically by a select group of class determined elites. The royal family is also misogynistic, chauvinistic, anachronistic, privileged, entitled and semi-literate. But if you are going to marry into it then you need to draw a line in the sand and set out your terms for a dignified and free relationship before your nuptials. You can't expect to joyously sign on the dotted line then happily thrive in the warm embrace of a hateful legacy.

There is huge amount of work that needs to be done to address the issue of systemic racism in the UK. However, nothing in the recent discussions and exclamations does anything to get to the heart of the matter. And certainly time spent wishing the royal family integrates people of colour is wasted and unlikely to end in anything productive. Providing those people excluded with greater opportunities for education, fairness in employment, safe and secure living, reducing inequalities, tackling deprivation and avoiding poverty are where efforts need to be directed.

Vaccination Vacillation

It is no secret that Black people have a chequered history with medical innovation and experimentation. While there is no denying the myriads of Black people who have been pioneers in science and medicine; it is mostly the experience of Black people as the subjects of experimentation and investigation that are most notable. Even preceding the slave trade western ethnographers were doing their utmost to prove that Black people lacked souls or were sub-human. It is a testament to their genius that most of them concluded that Black people were in fact no more intelligent than forest beasts. You have J. Marion Sims who experimented on slaves, the Tuskegee syphilis experiments on Black men, and the forced sterilisation of Black women in the US, which lasted into modern times. So it is no surprise to find many people of colour highly apprehensive about taking a vaccine that has been hurriedly approved and is largely untested.

There may be elements of the covid-19 vaccine development process that arouse some concern. The vaccines will not be 100% safe for all people; and won’t be 100% effective in all cases. The vaccines have been tested on very small samples but have been found to be highly efficacious. Under normal circumstances that might not be enough but right in the middle of a global pandemic it is a lifeline to grasp and hold onto. The vaccines are designed to offer both protection and a reprieve from the disease for most people. For Black people this is what is most important right now. In a world where individually and systemically we are usually subjected to discrimination and oppression we need to protect ourselves, our families and our communities during this pandemic. Some of us cannot afford the luxury of working at home or staying at home to avoid infection. Unfortunately, too many Black people are not doing enough to protect themselves and the people around them. Wearing a face covering, social distancing or complying with infection prevention measures seem to be optional for too many of us. This means that in addition to our inherent deprivation we are also more at risk of infection and from serious illness due to covid-19.

Some people have expressed serious reservations about the vaccines and have indicated their intention to refuse to take it should they be offered. It is a matter of personal choice whether one wants to take the vaccine or not. However, there are vulnerable and elderly people who could be in serious jeopardy from covid-19 if they have no protection from the disease. For those people it is important to be more circumspect about fostering an atmosphere of fear about getting vaccinated. Instead of reinforcing conspiracy theories, misinformation and half truths people should encourage them to make a well informed choice. They can get vaccinated, avoid serious illness and stay out of hospital; or they can risk it all with dire consequences. This is not about doing what the government says or following the rules. It’s simply a matter of staying safe and protecting those around you. 

20 F***king 20!

This has been a year to look back on and tremble. Globally, locally and personally it has been a real challenge. I think there have been more difficult years but rarely has a perfect storm eased its way in so unheralded and proceeded to mercilessly devastate all before it. People have faced all kinds of trials, and regrettably some have had to pay the ultimate price. 

This is the year that the rest of the world finally found out how exclusion and isolation feel for Black people. This year the police’s brutal suppression of Black citizens was met with a focused and purposeful wall of Black resistance. This has been the year that Black people finally realised the real strength of street knowledge. Black people came to the realisation that facing up to systemic discrimination cannot be successfully countered just by marches or any means necessary. Black people are now organising to question the workings of the system through political activism and engagement. They are working on changing the narrative on how law enforcement and policing needs to start meeting the demands of future community safety requirements. The year Nigerians decided that being policed by force had to stop. The year we painfully said rest in power to the Black Panther; Chadwick Boseman. My heart is still heavy from the loss of the inimitable Bill Withers, resting comfortably in Grandma's Hands.

This is the year that a global pandemic has sneaked upon us and pretty much brought life as we know it to a standstill. Thanks to a chronic lack of awareness on the part of governments across the world opportunities were missed to contain covid-19 in 2019. The virus marched into 2020 and did what Napoleon and Hitler failed to do; literally conquered the world. This is the year in which the maxim, “better to be lucky than good” was turned on its head. Covid-19 has absolutely no regard for luck and those people who neglected to be good have come a cropper in no uncertain terms. This is the year that the British government went down an extremely wrong headed path of trying to engineer herd immunity in its populace. The UK has subsequently recorded over 80,000 excess deaths. It is the year that the lives of millions of Americans were placed in the hands of Jared Kushner resulting in over 300,000 deaths from covid-19 in America. 

We all would like to believe that we are part of huge human family but this year the pandemic has shown us that when the chips are down people feel very little responsibility for the health and wellbeing of their neighbours or fellow citizens. There have been multiple instances of people profiteering, hoarding essential items and physically fighting to get their hands on what they might have considered to rapidly diminishing desired commodities. When simple safety measures could possibly save lives some people have been protesting against face coverings, lockdowns and social distancing. 

This is the year when the expression “oven ready” had its poorly regarded reputation further sullied by the UK government’s increasingly fraught efforts to get the better of the EU in Brexit trade negotiations. The year when many Brexiteers started to realise that being a union of one can be very paralysing. Achieving Brexit is starting to feel somewhat like climbing to the top of Mount Everest and then having to be stretchered down to the base thanks to summit sickness. So this is the year that the United Kingdom quit the European Union to follow its dream of becoming a 1950s noir lone wolf. 

This is year that democracy was put on red alert. It is no longer the strong rock everyone assumed it to be. Extreme right wing nationalism has stepped onto centre stage and will no longer stay hidden behind conservatism. A case is being made for autocracy and fascism and it is gaining mainstream followers. All of a sudden pushing back against globalism and  multilateralism has become a rallying cry for a virulent wave of populism. Democracy has been shown to be flawed and the democrats are floundering.

With all that has happened this year it is worth pointing out that this year couldn’t stop itself ending. Now whether all the mess ends with this year will be down to everyone all over the world. There is no doubt going to be some tough times ahead but they don’t have to be as fatal as they have been this year. I don't think I have any resolutions for the new year but I do have one resolve; not to worry about the future and just let the future worry about contending with me. 

One Small Step for Equality, No Giant Leap for Black People

©Disney

The battle to overturn systemic racism and end police brutality is going to be the fight of all our lives. Just having the world wake up to the real issue of racist oppression and the havoc it has, and is wreaking on Black people is a major win. However, it is not the only battleground we have to show up at, and fight hard to make  gains on. Whatever gains we make in overthrowing the oppressive system cannot be consolidated unless we Black people actually uplift and enlighten ourselves. If we don’t become better as individuals, and a people then it will all be for nothing.

How many Black people have felt stigmatised in their communities for focusing on their education, careers or health? It is typical for Black people dismiss other Black people as squares or wannabes for wanting to get an education. Building a career and getting a regular office job is often considered selling out. Adopting a healthy lifestyle for anything other than aesthetics is seen as just an incomprehensibly lame thing to do.

During this covid-19 pandemic Black people have not always shown the best judgement or awareness of personal or public safety. And this is despite the fact that we have been one of the groups most vulnerable to infection and serious illness. Too often Black people have been some of the first to show up at illegal raves, and some of the last to socially distance or wear a face covering. We need to understand the difference between being a smartass and actually being smart. The reckless behaviour has not been atypical of the behaviour of a lot of Britons; who have preferred to wear their masks on their chins, off their noses, on their necks, over an eye, on their belts, and in their hands. But Black people cant afford to just follow the prevailing wind. They need to know when to be better. 

We need more people in families and the local communities to be role models to the rest of our people. It is fine to admire celebrities and the wealthy but their lives do not reflect the reality most of us have to contend with. We need people to set the right examples in getting the most from education, how to work hard, being responsible, and giving back to the community. People can lose their way or fall foul of the law and become rehabilitated. We want to be able to laud them for their resilience and redemption rather than hold them in thrall as outlaws or rebels. We can’t afford to give up on ourselves. 

Good parenting needs to be restored to it’s rightful place; front and centre of the Black community. Whatever the make up of the family, the upbringing of children must be given the priority it needs. That isn’t to say that it will be easy or without considerable challenges but it is central to how we as Black people make a better future for ourselves. In order to be better parents and role models to young people Black people need to reflect on what their values are; and how they deal with the personal and social challenges facing them. If people cannot show resilience and fortitude then it is unlikely they will inspire the youth to walk a path of integrity and selfless service. 

The hope we have is that we as a people enlighten ourselves and find the strength to stand tall in the face of inequality and oppression. In making better choices we can encourage the youth to become aspirational and personally fulfilled. The danger we face isn’t missing our way but in never having a better path to follow. 

Troublingly Different

We can be of different gender, race, sexuality, ethnicity, faith, ideology, ability and yet still find things to unite us. We all want love, safety, security, health, shelter, and the best for those we care about. We have no right to deprive anyone of any of these things; and no one should feel entitled to deprive us of it. Unfortunately, individual mindsets and society itself are being conditioned to believe inequality is the just dessert of the underclass.

There are so many contradictions in modern day American society; and too few Americans are doing enough to confront them. America wants to be strong but it can’t abide the idea of free or universal healthcare. America wants to be wealthy but it continues to sow the seeds of disunity and conflict across its communities. America wants to be safe but it holds fast to the idea that unfettered access to guns is at the heart of being American.

Law enforcement in America claims that its many killings and shootings of Black people is in response to the threat they pose, and are perceived to pose to law enforcement officers. However, the one thing that would drastically reduce that threat would be gun control. There is no doubt that a reduction of personal gun ownership would significantly reduce the cases of law enforcement officers being confronted by armed assailants. Unfortunately, history has shown that this would probably not equivalently result in a reduction of police brutality on Black people. The incidence of unarmed Black people being violently confronted or killed by the police speaks for itself.

Since after World War 2 when people from Africa and the Caribbean were ushered into Britain to help with the rebuilding of the shattered nation; they have been confronted with being told to go back to where they came from. This is still a common occurrence across the United Kingdom. There is a core of British people who just hate the presence of foreigners. They just won’t ever be British enough for them. There is another section of society that sees diversity as a threat. They continue to stereotype people of colour even when the objects of their vitriol were born in the UK and are actually British citizens.

Prejudice and discrimination are learned traits. As much as individuals and groups are the perpetrators of the rough and harsh justice being dealt out to minorities; it is society and its institutions that have normalised and reinforced the oppression that minorities have had to endure and live with. There has to be some recognition that there will be no real change in people until social institutions themselves are reconditioned. Any calls to defund the police, reform education, restructure healthcare, refocus the justice system, or address institutional racism are not about shutting down the institutions. Rather it’s about redirecting policy and retraining organisations to better meet the needs of a changing society. Improvements are needed and it will take a lot of work to make them happen. However, everyone will need to trouble themselves to make the difference that is needed for things to get better for all people. I believe this is what the late John Lewis, the American civil rights pioneer called; making “good trouble”.

Time to Push Back

Prejudice and discrimination are pernicious. It doesn’t matter who is doing it, or where it’s happening. Whether it’s the UK, USA, Rwanda, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Israel, China, Brazil, Australia or Canada. The damage that centuries of oppression has done to people of colour is generational. What that means is that when things come to a boil a bloody battle is bound to ensue. The establishment is going to fight to maintain the status quo and Black people will need to fight back just as hard for change. The likelihood of these clashes causing chaos and becoming violent is high. Nobody is trying to tear down their own neighbourhoods but change is a unstoppable force and prejudice and privilege want to be an immovable object. And therefore a cataclysmic reaction must result.

The fact that there has been violence at protests has not subverted or distracted from the mission to tackle and push back on systemic racism and brutality by the establishment. There is a clear imperative to highlight oppression and discrimination while calling for action to end it and mitigate its impact. As much as people need to be safe during protest the time to be passive is past.

These protests are not about taking over. They are about taking a seat at the table. A seat that has long been denied us. Too many people who have been let in have failed to represent the interests of minorities robustly. People have compromised and conceded ground to institutional discrimination. Being a minority means that democratic processes too often fail to provide a platform to combat discrimination and inequality.

We are not safe in our homes. We are not safe on the streets. We are not safe at work. We are no longer prepared to silently object while we are being viciously and systematically oppressed and brutalised.

There are inequalities for us to rise up against and fight to overcome. We want justice but we also have needs.

• We want law enforcement to ban all procedures that allow the use of violence against unarmed and unresisting Black peoples.
• We want all deaths in police custody or by police actions to be be reported and investigated independently. 
• We want to be able to live and work in any community without being stigmatised and harassed. 
• We want the ability to bring diversity into a workplace to be recognised as a special skill and competence. 
• We want public and corporate policies to be subject to equality impact assessments. 
• We want disadvantaged minorities to have access to state funded education and primary healthcare. That is why we vote. If other people don’t want it then that’s their problem. 
• We want the establishment and organisations to stop agreeing that Black Lives Matter, and start proving it. 

We don’t want to have to run or hide. We just want to live and thrive. 

Minority Policing

One major disappointment I had with Obama's tenure as president of the United States was the fact that he did not do anything concrete to address police procedures in regards to dealing with minorities or reverse the increasing militarisation of the police force and law and order mentality. The culture of suspicion and profiling of minorities can't be resolved overnight but more could have been done to address the establishment tolerance for the use of lethal force against unarmed minorities.

The recent case in Chicago of the police shooting dead a heroic Black security guard who had foiled an attempted armed assault yet again raises issues about how the police are conditioned to respond to Black people. This wasn't even a case of mistaken identity. The police didn't see the assailant they were there to apprehend they just saw someone who they assumed was an assailant for no  reason other than his skin colour. This is further illustrated by the case of the police officer who shot a man in his own home and claimed she mistook him for an intruder after mistaking his apartment for hers!

There have been recent suggestions in the UK for the police to be allowed to require a lower standard of suspicion to conduct 'stop and search' checks. This is mainly targeted at tackling knife crime amongst young Black men. The supposition here is that it would be legitimate to stop almost any Black man because there is a reasonable chance that he may be armed with a knife. This ignores the fact that the proportion of Black men involved knife crime is probably too small to even add up to a whole number. The Met's inability to develop intelligence networks within minority communities is a reflection of how they relate to such communities. It also might be an unintended consequence of how the Met treats such intelligence sources when they do come forward. This sort of oppressive approach to tackling demographic groups is exactly what happens in totalitarian and fascist states.

ⒸGorrellart.com

Undoubtedly there are some good police officers and some excellent examples of community policing but there is a toxic culture in law enforcement when it comes to the perception of minority groups. This includes how they treat members of the public and fellow police officers from minority groups.

A radical and drastic programme of reform is desperately needed not only to address institutional racism in law enforcement but also to redress a culture of fear and apprehension in the perception of and attitudes adopted towards minority groups. At some point it needs to be instilled in law enforcement that there are no circumstances in which excessive force is an appropriate response when dealing with unarmed and defenceless people from minority groups. It certainly isn't a way to serve or protect them. It can only lead to alienation which creates a vicious circle of fear, overreaction and tragic consequences.

Is Death Better than Bondage?

Black people continue to live with the pain and consequences of enslavement and colonisation. This has meant having to grow up with limited resources and, very often, few prospects. So many of us have faced so much frustration and hopelessness that we have been compelled to believe that we have to exist as if there is nothing to live for. Criminality, violence, drug abuse and illegal immigration have become easily embraceable life choices for too many of us. Our environments and perceptions essentially have our futures chained down and locked away.

In spite of the poverty and exclusion that Black communities have to contend with there are people of exceptional talent emerging from them on an ongoing basis. And for those who may not be sought out for their talents they stil have a great capacity for growth and development. The wisdom and maturity they garner from their lives is something they can share around them and pass on to future generations to keep hope alive. Even in the most oppressive captivity the mind has the potential and capacity to grow and evolve. And it is sometimes in these darkest moments that we may do our clearest thinking. Being shackled by dogma and self doubt is what really keeps us in bondage. Supporting those around us and leaving something of worth for posterity is certainly worth living for.

The history of slavery has shown us that those who refused to lie down and die but fought the hardest to resist oppression and escape enslavement went on to become the torchbearers for future generations. Not only did they uplift the people around them but they also left a legacy of honour and dignity for the human race as a whole.

Given the choice everyone would want to die free but it is also important to fight to create a better future for coming generations whatever the cost to ourselves. Sometimes it takes the effort of the many to realise the vision of a few. And maybe the prospect of the life we could not live is the greatest inheritance we can pass on to future generations.

I don’t mind the idea of dying fighting for freedom. Then even with my dying breath I will still feel a tinge of hope. That can inspire hope and fight in others. Even if you’ve done wrong, fighting for redemption can bring new life to you and others. To achieve that would be to truly be free.

Ontological

What’s the point of running if you can’t come to a stop?

What’s the use of sitting if you can’t get up?

Of what use is believing if you can’t take a knee?

How can it be fair when we’re not treated equally?

Who wants a rose that can’t be held?

What do you do with iron you cannot weld?

Is there any good in being slick if you can’t feel friction?

How good is a tale if it’s all just fiction?

How can you be unique if you’re not truly different?

How can it be clear if it’s not really apparent?

How can you love if you’ve never really lost?

Is hell different from the purgatory of Faust?

How can you live for so many years and only take a second to die?

If honesty is the best policy why is it so easy to lie?

Nothing Right About Race Hate

Courtesy New York Times

The pursuit of racial purity didn't work out for the nazis in 20th century Germany, even at a time when the most liberal nations advocated it. So why do some people imagine it can work now in the 21st century? Given that most nations' origins involve quite a pool of nationalities the idea of racial purity is really just jingoistic pandering to a disaffected underclass. Unfortunately it has set out to target disadvantaged minorities and is becoming successful in further marginalising them. 

Neither Christian dogma nor scientific evidence support the idea of racial purity. Jesus Christ advocated loving your neighbour as much as yourself and turning other cheek to provocation. So there is no basis for subjugation of other races or religions based on Christianity. Targeting other religions is distinctly unchristian. In science social genetics demands that for survival a gene pool must be diversified. This is an essential element to the survival of all species. Continuous interbreeding will lead to weakness, mutations and extinction.

It is not possible to enjoy harmony in personal relationships whilst wishing for a society that will thrive on exclusion and separation. It takes a particularly warped mentality to want to see others undermine and subjugate others. Denying some groups their rightful place in society only serves to create a more unstable and unsafe society for all. It also removes any moral legitimacy to calls for groups to integrate or be more patriotic.

Encouraging free speech is an important part of maintaining personal and social freedoms. However, society cannot continue to be Finding tolerant of hate speech and racially motivated aggression. Demonstrations intended to intimidate and denigrate other people will inevitably spawn resistance movements. On such emotionally charged issues it is just a matter of time before they provoke violence. Prejudiced and racist speech don't advance the development of new perspectives on dealing with inequality and improving social safety or harmony.

The true essence of national pride is creating a nation and consciousness where all citizens have a place irrespective of colour, creed or capability. Ensuring that there is an acceptable place for them and making sure they are accepted as partners in progress. That requires recognising and acknowledging historical and current inequalities. It also involves making reparations and accommodations in each case. 

Living In Fear

One of the benefits of the evolution of society was that human beings no longer had to live a brutish and short existence. They could form relationships, acquire property and provide for themselves without having to endure an unending cycle of attacks and killings. In other words, they were free to live without fear. It appears that modern day America is recreating the conditions that prevailed in prehistoric societies in Black communities. People are preyed upon by bullies and criminals, and oppressed and brutalised by the so called agents of law and order. We now have a situation where the police's failure to protect and serve the Black people in America has now placed the lives of all people in America in peril. 

The perpetrators of the shootings in Dallas are wrong and have done more harm than they can imagine. Killing police officers under the cover of a 'Black Lives Matter' march was inexcusable. However, the police in America have created an environment where any Black person must reasonably fear for their lives if stopped by the police. The escalation of police shootings of unarmed Black men combined with increased instances of Black people dying in custody hasn't yet led to any systemic change in law enforcement in America. If the establishment continues to disregard unjust killings and abuse of authority by the police then they are setting the scene for Black people to stand their ground and start fighting back. 

I deplore the shooting of police officers in Dallas but my sympathies lie with the families of Alton Sterling, Philando Castille and the five hundred other Black people who have died at the hands of the police this year.