Racism
What and Where Is the Black Community?
Recently I watched a debate between two British citizens on the topic of discrimination. Although they were both coming from different angles, they agreed that the term BAME should leave educational institutions.
For those who do not know, BAME stands for Black, Asian, Mixed and Ethnic minorities. It came about to help individuals from a BAME background gain access to more opportunities.
The statistics are clear that people from BAME backgrounds attain lower in higher education. The attainment gap can often lead to further problems down the line, such as getting access to good work experience.
So, the idea was to create a hub around these people and offer them unique opportunities only for them.
The problem the citizens debating saw was not positive discrimination. Although one of them did not subscribe to it, they did agree that grouping people like this helps nobody.
The world has progressed enough to see people for who they are. No one is their skin colour. We cannot even choose that. So, grouping people on pre-determined choices shows a lack of respect.
Over the last couple of years, we have seen the uproar of the “black community”. The community is supposedly the voice for all blacks who are suppressed by the system.
The term black community has been used everywhere to describe blacks. Even in large businesses like Forbes. My question is, what on earth is the black community?
Like BAME, it is a term used to group a set of people based on the colour of their skin. Well, I say no to that, and any other term that does that. And here is the reason why.
What Is the Black Community?
In short, the black community is anyone that is black. Well, that is at least how everyone outside of it would define it. After all, the name does make it self-explanatory.
Now, before I go ahead and explain why it makes no sense to group people like this, I want to give it the benefit of the doubt. I see why people have named it the black community.
The reality is, all black people will stand up against racism. When we see police officers killing innocent black men, we will speak out and express our views about it. And unfortunately, there are not many of us, so we have to come together in moments like these.
In the UK, we only make up 3% of the whole population. So, if we want to ever get a point across about injustice, we have to stand together. Now, standing together for a racist police officer is very different to standing together for systematic racism.
I hope that many people see the killing of an unarmed black man causing no threat as wrong. Regardless of your skin colour, you can stand up for what is right. However, because black people feel marginalised, they have set up a community that allows them to have a voice.
And it makes sense. Having a community to fight rather than a few scattered individuals is better. But, the black community is causing more harm than good.
The first thing to think about is that no one groups themselves in that way. We do not have a White, Asian or Mixed community because people are grouped based on language and culture.
A French white man will struggle to get along with a Russian white man on first meeting. Yes, their skin colour is the same, but they are from different places. They may agree that killing innocent people is wrong, but that does not mean we call them the White community.
I am a black man from the Caribbean, and one of my best friends is from Ghana. And I will tell you now, we disagree on many things, and much of that comes down to culture. When he sits in my house, he is respectful and happy, but he does not understand a word coming out of my grandma’s mouth.
Yes, we are both black, but we are different. And I am NOT from the same community. We do not share the same views on the world and are unique.
The black community is grouping people of different languages, upbringing and views under one bracket. And it is not as simple as that. There also appears to be standards we have to live by to be a part of it.
For example, we must hold particular views and protest for certain things. Not to mention, if you do not dress or talk a certain way, you have been institutionalised by the white man.
I enjoy wearing chinos and T-shirts in the summer. I think I look great. Yes, I sound British, and I do like fish and chips. Also, I drink tea in the morning. These things are considered “white”, and I am laughed at in the “black community” for doing them.
I happen to swing more to the right in my political views. And I do not subscribe to the idea that society is systematically racist. Yet, when I say all of this, my blackness is cast away, and I no longer belong to the black community.
But why should someone else define my blackness? After all, what is the black community anyway? We are all from different cultures and speak different languages. Yes, we agree on some things, but black people can not be put under one umbrella.
We are all different, and so we should be. It represents our freedom and allows us to be defined by more than just the colour of our skin.
Where Is the Black Community?
I have never seen a community that appears to not care about its own. My friend pointed out to me when SARS was happening in Nigeria, nothing happened.
There were no black lives matter chants, and some people were not even aware of it. Surely the black community will care more about black on black crime than any other type of crime. We are all meant to be one big family right?
Do Not Label Me Based on My Blackness
Yes, I am black. Thanks for pointing that out. But I do not belong to any community that labels me that way. I am a person with culture, opinions and hopefully someone who can add more to society.
My blackness does not do anything for society, and I owe the “black community” nothing. The things that make you and me go past the pigmentation of our skin. And if anyone tries to label you based on that alone, they are prejudice.
I am black, and I belong to many communities. All based on my interest and personality, but none will ever be based on my skin colour.
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