Opinion:
Britain is Just As Racist as America
by Maya Davis
Race is merely arbitrary. It
was created to give power
and justification to the false
supremacy of White people over
non-White people.
Institutes of science, such as the
Smithsonian and National
Geographic,believe race does
not exist. It is only a false
classification of people that is not
backed or based on any real and
biological truth.
Yet, it’s one thing that has
utterly ravaged people’s lives.
Racism in the U.S.
America’s racist climate is
shockingly oppressive. It has a
long history of racism, and today
still faces almost as heavy a battle
as it did decades ago. It has been
over 150 years since the 13th
amendment ‘abolished’
slavery. Yet, the legacy of
slavery remains, and still has
a devastating impact on Black
people’s existence in American
society today.
Racism sits at America’s core. It
exists in laws, voting, education,
the criminal justice system, land
ownership, and citizenship.
It is a never-ending cycle from
slavery to Jim Crow, to systemic
racism. Today Black America is
deathly oppressed and is still
looked at as less than by the
majority - White. America is
not only rooted in racism, but
it thrives off of it. It is a history
that has never made history, but
has remained the norm in the
country of the “land of the free”.
Overt racism has been at its peak
in the last few years, and that is
due to the perpetuated bigotry
and racism of the U.S. President,
Donald Trump.
Pew Research Center has
observed that 56% of Americans
believe that President Trump has
made racial hatred worse since
he came into office.
His presidency has made those
who are prejudiced become the
loudest voices in the room. It
has given those people a new
meaning of self, a platform, and
has put their confidence at an
all-time high.
This is a country where racist
organisations, such as the Klu
Klux Klan (KKK) are legal, as well
as the confederate flag and white
nationalists marching the streets
are celebrated.
It is a country where lack of
investment in Black communities
has seen widening gaps in wages,
housing, bank loans, health, and
food.
It has become a country where a
Black person can openly be
called the dehumanising and
oppressive word n*****,
56% of Americans believe that
President Trump has made
racial hatred worse since
he came into office.
and the perpetrator faces no
consequences, but could be
met with a high-five for those
actions.
Britain is Not Such a Different Story
Whilst U.S. racism is loud and
blatant, Britain’s racism is the
silent death and oppression of
Black-Brits.
The U.K.’s racism embodies quiet
oppression, as it is not blatantly
out there, but it is ingrained
in the systems and in the
institutions. This sort of racism
is overwhelmingly damaging
because it is not deathly obviousyet
affects Black- Brits in
catastrophic ways.
The majority of White-Brit’s
either do not acknowledge
racism, or do not accept the racist
history that Black-Brits face.
However, YouGov data observed
that 86% of 1200 BAME Britons
believe that racism does exist in
the country. Instead, it has been
presented as classism- rather
than what it is, covert racism.
Britain’s racism manifests
in various aspects and it is
addressed on different levels, the
country’s response to racism,
at one point, was almost denial.
image (altered): Rennett Stowe
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