Ever since Meghan and Harry announced their plans to step back from being ‘senior’ royals, it seems like the tabloid press got what they wished for: a person of colour out of the forefront of a British institution.
But you know what, all of this coverage of “Megxit” or whatever they are calling it is not the issue here. At the end of the day, whatever, if it makes then happy then fine. The real issue is behind the tabloids and between the lines: it points to the blatant institutionalised racism in this country.
I agree with Stormzy in his interview with La Repubblica, the cracks are beginning to show within society.
Our PM has been able to openly call Muslim women ‘letterboxes’ (islamophobia) and African people having “watermelon smiles,” almost allowing racist actions to occur.
19.2 points more than was predicted after the EU referendum (Home Office police recorded data).
On a smaller scale though, I worry about the future and I worry about the world I’m growing up in. We need to push for greater, more equal, more liberating education.
But even then, the curriculum is so white! We are always looking at every subject from the view of the white Western man. Even our educators are largely white: there are just 17 black female professors in the whole British university structure and even then BAME academics earn around 26% less than their white colleagues. Institutionalised racism.
I knew that following my passion and studying Philosophy and Theology in a very white university would be a challenge, and I’m game. Call people out on their prejudice. Show them their wrong… or that is what I tell myself.
I’m constantly experiencing racist micro-aggressions at this University, people assume my background based on my membership to the BAME community and being constantly expected to be this ‘angry BAME student.’ When you suggest someone is being racist you are goaded, taunted:
“What, you calling me a racist or something?”
“I’m not a racist”
— Ha, says the racist.