Airing an Era

The death of Queen Elizabeth has generated both discussions and questions about her legacy. Inevitably her legacy is inextricably linked to the legacy of the British Empire and the British government across the world. The Queen’s reign has spanned a period of momentous and memorable events across the world and  Great Britain. It has included the Second World War, the end of the Cold War, the partition of India, the splitting up of Palestine to create the state and of Israel, the end of colonial rule in Africa, the end of the two party political system in the U.K., the makings of multicultural society; Brexit; and the list goes on. It is understandable that during this period a lot of people have looked up and greatly admired the Queen for her status, service and carriage. However, there are also people who see the Queen as the symbol and representative of an oppressive and exploitative institution. These are all legitimate positions which come from places of genuinely heartfelt emotions and experiences.

The Queen has been a symbol of Britishness for over seventy years. She has represented stability and dignity to the British people and all over the Globe. She was a steadfast servant of the government and British national interest. She has been Britain’s foremost diplomat and tourism promoter all through her reign. Her non controversial nature gave the British someone to look up to and universally like. The British people have been enraptured and entertained by the Queen’s regal bearing and privileged lifestyle.

It was understandable that the Queen requested that King Charles III be retained as the head of the Commonwealth. However, it demonstrated how out of touch she was with the prevailing desire for independence and equality among citizens of member states. Retaining a monarch as head is hanging on to outdated and backward notions of status and entitlement. Making the Commonwealth democratic might have been some acknowledgment of the recognition of the evils of past imperialism and the desire to promote equality and self determination.

Even though Queen Elizabeth cannot be held directly responsible for all the misdeeds and horrors perpetrated in the name of the British Empire she cannot claim to stand for the it and its government and yet accept no accountability for its actions. Her failure to acknowledge and make overt amends for the wrongs committed will remain an unforgivable omission on her part. It must be said she has done far too little to modernise the monarchy or too promote or respect the wills of the people in the regions of which she has been the Sovereign. During her reign the royal family has been beset by scandal, petty disputes, relatively unaccomplished, entitled, indulgent, and overly close to the tabloid media. She leaves behind a King who is more pitiful than powerful, and a heir who seems unable to resolve the simplest conflicts amongst those close to him. She leaves the monarchy and the U.K. in a not much better state than when she came to the throne. The nation is a place riven by ethnic discontent, where a culture of prejudice and unfairness has taken roots and is saddled with a political system that is systemically corrupt. 

In terms of individual accomplishments the Queen may not have notched up a formidable array during her long reign. Her obligation to be non political has meant she has not taken a direct stance on many global issues. For some this has made her look disengaged and often irrelevant. There is also a school of thought that believes her being non political should not have deterred her from taking a stance on human rights and racial equality. After all, if the royal family is able to concern itself with wildlife conservation then how much more important should defending human dignity be to them? Queen Elizabeth II will forever be remembered as a major global figure of the 20th and 21st centuries. The British Empire will forever be remembered as an imperialist scourge of the developing world. For many the Queen as the head and symbol of that Empire should have done more to acknowledge and atone for its evils. 

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.