Racism: After the dust settles – what has Meghan Markle taught us?

By Radhika Patel:  I won’t lie and I’m not embarrassed to say it, I enjoy popular culture. I will spend time listening to the latest grime dubs between Wiley and Stormzy, reading articles on grime’s problem with women, listening to friends chat about how the culture of grime is back in full force, how heavy-weight artists are opening up mass media’s eyes to racism and privilege. Whether we like it or not, pop culture, once you sift through the noise, is a window into talking about politics.

 

And for the last few weeks, this pop culture icon has been on the UK’s mind…

MEGHAN MARKLE.

So let’s sift through the noise. I’m not particularly interested in what her and her husband’s decision means for the royal family (ok, maybe a tiny bit) and I’m not feeding into the media hype about the morality of what they’re doing. The discussion that’s gained my attention, and today, the attention of many in the UK, is about race and white privilege.

Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu on This Morning answered a question about what’s actually at the heart of their departure.

Her answer was lucid and powerful.

 

LINK TO VIDEO HERE – but Summed up: Because racism. Because white privilege in recognising said racism.

As once again Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu was forced to defend her position, she said something that rang true. If as a person with power, as a white person, you need examples from a person of colour to prove that racism and white privilege in society exists, it’s time to start educating yourself.

So here’s a very quick list of resources. There are hundreds more so don’t just stick to this list. But listen, explore, read and discuss, especially with other white friends. Do the work so people of colour don’t have to. Our anti-racist movement needs it.

 

1. About Meghan Markle and why this is undeniably a conversation about racism

• https://myblackface.wordpress.com/2020/01/11/meghan-markle-and-the-shitted-pants-of-white-supremacy/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/opinion/sunday/meghan-markle-prince-harry.html

2. About how structural racism exists and the anti-racists exposing it

• https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/dec/02/revealed-the-stark-evidence-of-everyday-racial-bias-in-britain
• https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/feb/22/institutional-racism-britain-stephen-lawrence-inquiry-20-years
• http://renieddolodge.co.uk/why-im-no-longer-talking-to-white-people-about-race/
• https://www.aboutracepodcast.com/

3. About how reverse racism doesn’t exist

• http://gal-dem.com/reverse-racism-not-exist/

4. About how you don’t have to be a racist to have white privilege

• https://everydayfeminism.com/2014/09/white-privilege-explained/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4I84jxCNsmo (US perspective)

5. About white allyship

• https://www.racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/kivel3.pdf

 

 

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