David Lammy/Stacey Dooley

Oops sorry loxy

Anniebach Prince Harry has his own charity in Africa - Sentabali (spelling?).

He spends a lot of time over there and doesn't always take a camera crew, The Duchess of Sussex has been with him as they have said it is their "passion".

Yes GrannyGravy. But he is white

I am going to put a thought out here -

If all white people stop sending aid and stop helping "people of colour" I am pretty damn sure that it would not be long before "people of colour" started to complain that the "white supremacists" do not care for "people of colour" or what happens to them, and call them out for being racists.

As I said in one of my earlier posts damned if we do damned if we don't!!!

(Sorry Anniebach I misinterpreted your post x)

Lily65 there are those on here who still believe the days of EMPIRE were great ...in fact the GREAT in GREAT Britain.They either dont or wont understand the damage done to other countries ...whole continents and millions of people because of our colonialisation.(is that a word) They think trying to mold others into British ways and western religions was the right thing to do .Some think its still OK to interfere in other countries as if we have some god given right .When will they ever learn?

paddyann do you think training teachers and doctors, providing healthcare, building hospitals, schools and clean water projects is a relic from British Colonialism?

GG13 I do not think Lammy meant to suggest that charitable giving was wrong or that many lives had not benefited from Comic Relief.

His concern appears to be the reinforcement of a staus quo/ stereotype that is not healthy.

As I said before he might have been better to have done raised this after the last comic relief to have an impact on this current campaign.

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Maggiemaybe I'm fairly sure I watched that documentary. The young people who took part, including Stacey Dooley, were not, I believe, journalists but just ordinary young people. I didn't mean "reality" in the sense of Big Brother but that it was ordinary people, not professional journalists, responding to the situation they found themselves in.

I find it odd that Lammy is being accused of racism for just expressing an opinion, whether you agree with it or not, about the way in which African and white people are portrayed. My own feeling is that many of the comments on here have far more racist undertones.

Native British person..what is that species?? David Lammy is a British born person!!

PECS I hope his comments will not have a damaging effect on Comic Relief this year.

It’s just unfortunate that in the 21st century the colour of a persons skin is still newsworthy.

I hope so too. But you only have to read bigoted comments on here to see that many people still consider the shade of your skin important in the heirarchy of power!

I don't see that the colour of those giving aid should be an issue.
If someone was having a medical emergency, hopefully people would step up and help.
It's no different.

I saw David being interviewed about this. He said they shouldn't send celebrities, but should use African journalists etc to front the films. I'm sure the reason they use British celebrities is that people here know them and it encourages people to donate.

If watching Comic Relief would viewers by more interested in watching a celeb or an African journalist?

PECS
bogoted comments
Those who continue to raise the isue of colonialism should look at the history of the African continent. Should/are those countries of Carthagenia, Byzantium and Rome and Ottoman (old names) be castigated for the colonisation of this continent before Europe?
And, if it is considered that we all continue to perpetrate the actions and prejudices of our forebears will such as David Lammy leave his wife and children because his father did? Very likely not, should we constantly say he will though because of his fathers actions...no.

I agree with David Lammy.
I wonder how much more the publicity is doing for the 'celebrity' than for the cause they supposedly espouse.
It's all very well having news teams in these places, they are doing things differently but, I wholeheartedly agree with Mr Lammy that white 'do-gooders' (my words) who pose with black children to highlight the difference and those who adopt children from different races and make a big hoo-ha about it, are guilty of perpetuating the 'white saviour' role.
Not a good idea at all.

Comic Relief etc promotes a particular vision of Africa that is not wholly true. Although there is poverty and famine there is also development and a growing middle class. My 7 year old granddaughter asked me how a black school friend got here when Africa has no planes, food, water etc. I loved her kindness of heart wanting to help those less well off than herself but was also shocked that she should have such a colonialist image of a whole continent.

I agree with you GrannyGravy13...he did come across that way. Has nobody thought that perhaps the use of 'celebrities' is what draws people in to these programmes, perhaps followed by their contribution that they might not otherwise have bothered with? Sounds shallow I know, but does that matter as long as the money comes in?

GabriellaG54
So, white people should turn their back on deprived African areas becaused other privaledged Africans dont like white people holding or being shown amongst black children. Skin colour should be irrelevant.

I wouldn't care who gave me aid if I lived in the circumstances some do.
If a black, white, brown, or sky blue pink person contributed to food and medicine reaching those who needed it.

I'm really torn on this one. I can see his point. Maybe they could find a better way to raise the money, perhaps by using successful Africans across the continent to show what they are doing themselves and how they need help to continue with their work.

But it wouldn't raise so much money. The Brits do love their celebs.

And so long as the money gets raised, and the people get the help, dies it really matter?

does. not dies!

Hope he doesn’t meet Bob Geldof ?