Are we all white racists?

Anneishere I agree re above Jane Elliot.

You may be interested in 2 books. Dont be put off by the titles. They are both excellent for different reasons, accessible and readable and I found both interesting and informative

1. White Frailty (cant remember authors name, but you can do search, it will come up

2. Why I no longer talk to White People about Race Renee Edee Lodge.
- this one starts off a bit of putting potentially from a white persons perspective if they are wary of the subject (I think you probably aren't) , but persevere, it's an excellent book.

I did not really understand racism until a few months back. I accidentally found a YouTube video of a lady called Ms Jane Elliott, internationally known teacher, lecturer, diversity trainer, and recipient of the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education, exposes prejudice and bigotry for what it is, an irrational class system based upon purely arbitrary factors. Her mission: One Race! I did watch a few of her videos since and yes it did make me at times feel very uncomfortable and very saddened. But it has changed me how I think.

racism is more than individuals being unkind or demeaning towards black people, though it includes that too.
but it is the deep systemic difficulties that black people endure.
i heard a young black woman on the radio stating that she nearly died while pregnant because of the assumptions that medics/midwives made. when she reported extreme pain and other symptoms, they did not accept what she was reporting to be accurate.
she said she has since researched the matter and found many black women esp having similar experiences.
the staff had an underlying assumption that black women are strong, therefore medical intervention is delayed, as they think what the patient is reporting as extreme alarming symptoms are just par for the course/ able to be borne.
now, is that racism ? it is certainly to the detriment of the black women. but the people responsible are probably well-meaning and unaware of how they react differently to black/white patients.

When we have a Prime Minister who talks of 'piccanninies', letterbox ladies, and those with 'watermelon' smiles, then yes, I'd say that thinking we're a racist society is a fair assumption.

One of the reasons so many people from all over the world want to come here is to escape the racist violence and threat of death in their own countries
One of the reasons many countries are in the state they are in is because of British interference. And that isn't the British Empire when we routinely stripped countries of their natural resources and mis-treated their people, it's the recent history of interference in the Middle East where we waged war and left chaos.
Our record on racist treatment and interference is insupportable.

One of the reasons so many people from all over the world want to come here is to escape the racist violence and threat of death in their own countries.
Britain has a history as do all countries and atrocities are committed across the the world (Myanmar) because of prejudice and racism.
This is a very tolerant country and people of all races can succeed if they want to. Many poor white people suffer from bad health, poor education and early death etc.
Everyone should work together to make this country an even better place to live for all folks.

You are brave Merylstreep haven't been into a Pub in Southend for over 20 years

Ladymuck
I could take you to my local pub in Southend where the tribal system is alive and kicking ( and sometimes is) between the South Africans and the Zimbabweans.
I lived in Bulgaria for 5 years. A very racist country. Where did that come from when in their capital city the chances of seeing a black/Asian face was practically non existent.
One can only assume The racism came from watching films.

PamelaJ1....that is very true.
One of the problems on here is that members have different experiences of life and thus their views are influenced by what they have personally witnessed. Some have lived all their lives in one town, others, like me, are much -travelled. Anyone who has actually lived in Africa or India has seen first-hand the prejudice and discrimination between those of the same race, but different tribes.

Callistemon,
I missed that you had made the point before but I think many others must have missed it too. The majority seem to think that white people have the monopoly on racism.
They probably do in the U.K. but certainly not worldwide.

ladymuck
Britain (and other European countries) have "opened their arms" to people who have come to live in their country - "giving them the opportunity to make better lives for themselves". Really?

You forgot the bit - and giving us the opportunity to recruit people at rock bottom wages and in sectors where British people prefer not to be employed - cleaners, agricultural workers, home care workers, health assistants, residential care workers, transport workers, etc, etc.

Don't kid yourself that Britain was being big hearted when, between the late 40's and 60's, it sent out advertisements to the colonies for nurses and transport workers. It was not an act of altruism but an act of economic pragmatism. Shamefully, having induced all these people to come and work in the "Mother Country" the British government then washed its hands of the racism that soon raised its ugly head - and even started to exploit it for political gain. It took till 1968 for a Labour government headed up by Harold Wilson to bring into law the Race Relations Act. Given some of the comments I have heard recently, it makes me wonder, if that Act hadn't been brought in, might we still see advertisements for employees, tenants, etc., openly stating "No Blacks"? Certainly there is much evidence to suggest, just on this thread and in the underhand practices of commercial organisations, that racism is alive and thriving, albeit mainly covertly, in Britain.

ExD, people generally become anxious when policemen are brutal and take the law into their own hands. In the USA it seems police have actually been sort of lynching black people.

The present prosperity of the UK and America is built upon the enslavement of West Africans.

The OP has been totally misinterpreted.
She is asking for an opinion from the BAME community to gain a greater understanding.
It’s very simple.

I'd rather work with blacks than whites in a nursing capacity.

What?

You won't find this among the black workers.

What, again!!

How can you just stick people into some some amorphous mass like that? Unbelievable!!

Sorry Missfoodlove posted before I’d paid attention.

I'd rather work with blacks than whites in a nursing capacity. Is that not a racist remark Ellan?

The riots are because it is long past time for this s*it to have stopped.

In the 1960s we had the civil rights movement. I honestly believe this is the next wave.

It is time it stopped. And taking a peaceful knee, as has been going on for nigh on 10 years, hasn't worked.

Yes, there are some in the crowd taking advantage. But the vast, vast majority of protesters are genuine.

Time to change. It's pretty simple really.

Astonishing!

“I would rather work with blacks than whites”

If you said that the other way around there would be an uproar.

I rest my case.

To get back to the OP, my advice, for what it's worth, is to read books, talk to BAME people about this
Can you imagine walking past a statue of a person, who profited from consigning your ancestors to a life worse than hell?
We can do so much better than this
Take the statues down, let's show some empathy and respect for us all

Some Polish and Philippine nurses were treated rotten in some nursing homes. My D used to tell me when she used to do agency nursing. Utterly disgusting.

I'm ashamed to say that at the general side of the hospital where I worked there had been some bullying going on as this year it was highlighted in the local paper, not for the first time.

You won't find this among the black workers.

And I've worked with some nasty militant nurses in my time.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Summerlove---I worked there !

I've just seen the couple you mention on the news Niobe, who were driving ther car on a road.

Well, I was incensed and just flabbergasted.

Who would I rather have as a neighbour?
Certainly neither of those police officers.

Pamela they are not, as I posted on another thread.