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I had a trully upsetting and shocking experience today. I just feel so angry about it. I have two students of afro-carribean descent. I'll call them Julie and Tommy. Julie is from a rather well to do family from London. She speaks in very pronounced English and is a lovely, kind intelligent woman. Tommy (my fav...shush) is a 21 year second generation Nigerian from Manchester. They are fab students and I am proud of them both. They are just coming to the end of an 11 week placement where they have been racially abused every day. Called the N word, monkeys, asked if their hair was real or if people could touch their skin. Julie was even asked why she speaks so posh as N...... don't talk like that! I almost cried when she told me. She said for the first time in her life she wished she wasn't black! I am just trying to process this. Obviously they have been pulled off that placement and official processes will now take place but I having been trying to understand what I felt. I just realised it's guilt. I am so sorry. Julie said she had never experienced this in multi-ethnic London, I hate that anyone would think this is normal for the north of England. I feel terrible that my student got told to leave a country that she was born in. That people are so ignorant and so cruel. You know what, she even tried to defend them. I am so sorry for what we did...when I say we...I mean us, the white anglo saxon Europeans. We did this. Both these guys are heading for very high class degrees. Tommy particularly is very bright. I am disgusted that he was told the only things black lads can do is play football or box. (His ethics assignment got 93%!) I am white, ginger, professional and I suppose reasonably priveldged. However for the first time in my life I trully feel angry by how damaging racism is. I would appreciate your thoughts because all I want to do is cry.

Amisja 8 Mar 7
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38 comments

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1

Why are they the ones having to leave?

That is adding extreme unfairness to what they have already endured.

Especially if they are so close to the end of the assignment.

End of the placement, plus it is usual practice to pull students out of placements for safeguarding concerns.

They will pass

10

As someone of Asian descent, I've always found that my experiences tend to be different from those of my friends who are of European descent (I do have diverse friends, always have). When they discuss travel, especially to Europe, I hear things that don't match with my own experiences. I've had racist comments hurled at my face by total strangers, especially in the Netherlands. I have many relatives in the Netherlands. They have been there for 50-60 years, some were born there. They all speak fluent Dutch (my dad's generation spoke Dutch as a first language). My relatives are successful professionals (though many are retired now). Yet, they are treated as second class citizens at times, such as being served last though they have been waiting in queue earlier than others (I did actually see that myself). When I was a graduate student, I had a fellow grad student friend who's of Japanese descent but Canadian born. We were discussing our experiences in Amsterdam. She told me she had a group of young black men shout racist insults at her.

I grew up in a diverse multi-cultural community where someone's skin colour or ethnicity didn't matter. I had friends of all backgrounds and we didn't notice that we were any different. We were all just Canadian kids. Oftentimes, I don't even notice what someone's skin colour or ethnicity is (until someone ultimately reminds me I need to treat different people differently). Someone on this site called me "colour blind", and that is supposedly not a good thing. But I can't help that. I treat everyone as they treat me. I help anyone who needs help no matter who or what they are. I am not naive and unaware of the social/political/economic issues that relate to race and class. After all, I am educated in Anthropology, Sociology, Criminology, History, etc. I've worked pretty closely with indigenous communities as well.

The experiences of those students of yours are probably similar to mine (though may be much more severe and frequent for them). Growing up where we were and highly educated as we are, we just never expect to be singled out for racist comments. We grew up among people who didn't make our race an issue, then we go out to other environments, and we are shocked that some people would throw racist comments in our faces.

But racism isn't a one way street either. My relatives can be very racist towards persons of African/Carribean descent (it was interesting when I dated a couple of such individuals). My auntie came to my parents' anniversary party last year, and she said she didn't like London because "there are too many black people now". I was so disgusted at her. I wear my "colour blindness" with pride. I don't care.

10

Though racism is very much alive, it is my belief that is is dying a slow death. It is the people like you with empathy and compassion that's gonna play an important role in the necessary changes coming about. Thanks for sharing this experience here.

Unity Level 7 Mar 7, 2019

Thank you.

I thought it was dying out until trump and on my good days, I still believe it and tell myself it is just a dying gasp but as time goes on, I become less hopeful about it dying out.

9

Unfortunately, for those of us in the US the disgust and shame you now feel towards your less enlightened countrymen as well as the anger is an every day occurrence. There have always been ignorant racists here, but in the past three years they've become emboldened and take pride in being lowlife scumbags.

JimG Level 8 Mar 7, 2019
9

The ONLY thing any of us can do is call it out when we witness it.
Influence the people in our lives as much as possible.
Refuse to accept it, and make those we catch acting that way, feel as
terrible as possible about it.
Shame them for being assholes.
Use your anger. Channel it into not remaining silent.

Oh I spent 6 hours writing up reports and collecting evidence. It might mean the nursing home gets closed down if they believe it is endemic.

@Amisja Dust off your resume and brush up your interview skills. Just in case.

I read somewhere that an effective way to handle racists, sexist, homophobic comments/jokes was to feign a lack of understanding and ask the speaker to elaborate as to what they meant.

Keep pretending to not understand until they either admit their motivation or become embarrassed.

If only I could remember to do this rather than lose my shit and call them dicks

@Lucy_Fehr Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. It is a really good strategy.
Too bad I don't have the patience for it.

8

It's terrible. Our current political situation, with Brexit over there and Trump over here seems to be making people feel justified voicing these racist views. It's such a step backwards.

6

Tell them their best revenge is to succeed at what they are striving for. I am one person rooting for them. I have students of all colors, backgrounds, etc. That makes me feel so free. Please give them hugs for me.

Thank you. They will suceed. It just shouldn't be like this, they are learning to be nurses...to care for others.

6

and people will say "why don't blacks achieve as much?" This is why... minorities and those perceived as different are systematically beaten down from childhood in small and large ways.

I'm sorry they suffered that. I hope they rise above it and take their places wherever THEY choose to be. I hope they succeed and never look back and most of all I hope their children never suffer that abuse.

These are highly motivated high performing students. They will do well. Just a shame they experienced this.

@Amisja I agree... I see things like this and it just sets me on fire.

6

Unfortunately it is so because we do not know or take time to know each other. When we intermingle, when we take time to sit down and talk, we see that we are not that different, that we want the same things, to belong, to be loved, to be able to bring up our families, to work at a job that pays us at least a living wage, to feel like we are contributing, to feel like we matter. But when we have forces that try to divide us with lies, then it is extra difficult................

6

It's is horrible the way some people behave. I have come upon racism myself. As I am originally from Europe but live in Australia. I speak with a slight Scandinavian accent and sometimes at work when people call they want to speak to an Australian they say, they want to speak to my supervisor or someone higher up. Well I don't fall for that, I straight away pull them up about their racist remarks and ask them if they are Aborigines to have a right to question my nationality, most of them just hang up, some start swearing but they I end the call.

"ask them if they are Aborigines to say and act like that"
Is that a joke or are you a racist?

@jerry99 Sorry I did not write it the way it should have been written. You can disapprove about someones nationality if you are an Aborigine all others come from somewhere else. Just like you, unless you are a native Indian, you to come from somewhere else and should not ask someone in a derogatory way if they belong or not.

@Jolanta I have a cousin in Australia,born there, and he is a lovely fellow but maybe I have been a bit unlucky in some other Australians I have met. The term "well balanced, a chip on each shoulder" fitted them perfectly.I met a couple recently and the woman went on at length in derogatory terms about the "ten pound Poms" I should have asked her how many generations her family went back. To Botany bay possibly? but I thought that would be unkind.

@Moravian Sometimes one has to be unkind to get the penny to drop. You did well.

5

That is very sad but in my experience of working in England there is a hard core of "little Englanders " who have been supressed for some time but with Brexit and the rise of "populism" they are becoming more confident and outspoken. We have some in Scotland too and they include the English in their list of people to hate.

5

Shocking...and yet I’m not really surprised. In the areas away from the large metropolitan areas, where there are very many less black and ethnic minority people than you would find in any of the bigger cities, the amount of racism is high. I think it’s always been there, but it wasn’t always so obvious before the Brexit Referendum. The leave campaign seemed to unleash a flood of repressed racists....it was as though they were just waiting for permission to vent their ideas of hatred and bigotry. This government are not in control of anything, and the Police Commissioner has just stated that funding cuts are affecting the ability of the police to prevent and prosecute crime. I’m sure raciallly motivated crime is hugely on the increase, but the chance of the authorities getting to grips with it, especially preventing and countering it, is remote at present. Sad for people such as your students.

This is a reasonably diverse part of UK. The NW always had a good reputation. This has shocked me to the core

@Amisja It didn’t come from nowhere...it was just lying dormant...Brexit has brought it to life!

5

So sad. This is why the Black Lives Matter movement is important.

Its not really a movement here. Its not something I have encountered before. Trully. My home town is very diverse. Just struggling with it

4

To me, that is sickening stereo-typing to say the least.
I was 'adopted' by Australian Aboriginal rite and lore with the agreement of my father when I was 13 years old by a very well respected and old Aboriginal friend and his wife.
Jack and Mary, my adoptive Aboriginal parents, had 2 sons and a daughter and ONE major rule in their household, NO Alcohol what-so-ever which both boys broke and were consequently asked to leave the family, young Virginia, " GinGin" as she called herself as a child, is a very brilliant, clever and highly intelligent person who, despite the hassles, etc, etc, has gained numerous degrees in Science and now holds a very prestigious position in a Scientific Research Organisation here in Australia.
My sister still calls herself Gin-Gin and still calls me the albino Brolga, the brolga being a native bird and known as the 'native companion' btw. Both Jack and Mary decided to give me the name Brolga because, like the bird, I had long, skinny legs and was always shuffling them around similar to how the birds 'dance.'
No matter the skin coloration or ethnicity, there should be NO precise little 'boxes' for anyone to made fit into, we can and SHOULD be allowed to strive for and reach our OWN fullest potential.

4

I have no words of wisdom but I am appalled at how humans treat one another over something as silly as skin color. We appreciate animals of varying colors but not our own species....

3

This is so painful and sad. As a military brat, I was raised in what I call a mini UN, type of environment, and feel this is what helped me form my views of other people. There were, black, brown, Asian, Indian, every type of people you could imagine. My parents were also very open minded and taught me that racism is an awful way to go through life. I look at behavior before anything else. I keep hoping one day the world will stop all this hatred simply because of the color of a person's skin. Please give a hug to your students from me.?

3

I feel your pain. It is just too easy now-a-days, to say things without wondering if this/that person will be offered. When I grew up, I was considered ‘poor white trash,’ but it was subdued and by adulthood, I had a decent sense of myself. But, people in my early adult years (back then) seem to show more respect for other people. However, only 50-60 yrs later, there seems to be blatant disregard, for people, in general! And it gets worse, if you are different in some obvious way. Maybe a large segment of any population, lacks empathy! At least, it appears so, here in the US.

3

This story just breaks my heart. Do what you can, when you can. That is all we can do. There are good people out there too. We need to speak our minds and drown those bigots out until their voices are so small that nobody can hear them. I wish I could hug and console your students. ❤️

2

Stand by and support them as you have been doing . . well done

2

Why would someone who's the target of such ignorance apologize? I'd like to introduce you to Julie's negro mentality. Did you know that years ago, and perhaps today, Blacks from other countries are encouraged to forgive white supremacy and are told they are different from American Blacks? So you feel anger because it's close to you.. like having that one black friend who was called a N? This entire system should make you angry. what is wrong with white folks are they just on another planet? I guess that's part of the privelige they experience.. I sound angry and hateful, but that's just seeing and expressing a view form a place different than yours. one that's been discounted.

Woah

I don't have one black friend. I am academic advisor for 18 students 7 of whom are persons of colour. My sister is mixed as are her children. She has rarely encountered racism or indeed hostility. I am opposed to any form of hatred perpetuated on people for something they can't change. I tried to explain how upset and angry I was to be academic advisor to two students and the guilt I felt at being unable to protect them.

@Amisja some of my comment is not personal.. I think, not sure because I'm not white, that such response making it personal is a feeling of guilt. that's not necessary..the "apologizing" was a question directed at the girl and boy. the one black friend can be 18 or more out of 40 million..this hinges on ideas, feelings and stereotypes, along with paternalism wrapped up in white supremacy..complicated social views implanted by centuries of White and Black peoples forced and internalized status..

@Touched they are NOT kids. They are adults

@Touched You are clearly not reading my posts

@Amisja lol they are to me..lol

@Touched Well you are the same age as my aged P! I joined Antifa and laterly hope not hate in order to protest against racism, notions of white supremacy and antisemitism wherever I saw it. I was a young teen and very vocal in my condemmation of hate. I know who I am. I know I am not better than any other living creature and I will fight to my dying day to oppose hate. I live in a diverse multi-cultural part of England and we got this way on the backs of thousands of working people before me. In the 1860s the cotton workers of Blackburn suffered a cotton famine due directly to the Revolutionary war in USA. People in my home town chose to remain out of work (1000s starved) rather than work on the backs of enslaved persons. This was the first time I have directly encountered racism as I thought we'd all grown the fuck up. (Sorry for swearing Dad!). This is why it upset me. Not just because it exists but because I was niave to think it didn't.
[hopenothate.org.uk]

@Amisja OK like I said I'm not mad at ya.. at least you are trying to do something about the idiocy within our social systems

2

I'm very sorry that you had to deal with the ugliness of racism. You were not directly involved, so don't be so hard on yourself. You're not close minded like those other idiots.

Thank you xx

2

Do not feel guilty, racism is an irrational feeling, ignorant people and idiots are racist.

i'm sorry but not for me ...racism is a component of white supremacy and it's not a feeling at all, but a reality for us..

@Touched there are black racist too

@Williamcristiano do I have to explain this to someone who already knows that Blacks can be racist? Tell me, why do they have meanings for prejudice, bigotry, discrimination when none of those things are racist or institutionalized because you need POWER to enforce ideas of racism and what power do Blacks have of final appeal and independent decision that are made by and enforced by them?

Tell me have you ever read anything from Abdias do Nascimento?
examples"

Africans in Brazil: A Pan-African Perspective Nov 1, 1992
by Abdias do Nascimento , Elisa Larkin Nascimento

Brazil, Mixture or Massacre?: Essays in the Genocide of a Black People Oct 1, 1989
by Abdias do Nascimento , Elisa Larkin Nascimento

@Touched I did not read about it because I was born in 1992.
But anyway thank you very much for tell me about it, i am learning with you about my own country....

2

Your guilt is unearned. Don't be so hard on yourself. Your anger over the issue, however, is spot on. It is unbelievable that we are still dealing with this shit in the 21st century (and I would lump religion in with bold, bullying racism and all of the other backwards thinking that still affects human societies. =[

Thank you

2

Nobody is born a racist.

2

Not being a Brit, I do not know what you mean when you say, "I am white, ginger, ...." What the hell is "ginger"?
Other than that, I don't see an end to racism anytime soon.
My first serious girlfriend (in the U.S. Army), was 1/2 white but I was unaware of that (she looked and passed for the most part as white and I did not really care. However, some of the white solders took it upon themselves to inform me that she was Black. "You do know she is Black", etc., as if, if I knew, I would break it off with her. Things did not work out...I as at a very bad point in my life and the relationship did not progress (my fault, not hers), and we made no plans to stay together when I was discharged. Things have come full circle and my son is engaged to be married to a real nice (intelligent as hell, very involved in bettering the world), Black girl.

Ginger=person with red hair

Awww we need pics when they marry. My sister is mixed race. Her one boy has a white dad her youngest's Dad is black. Her current chap is white. They are family.

@Amisja Brothers and Sisters = Family. My Brothers and Sisters = MY FAMILY. There are two other Light Skinned Sisters not in picture.

2

maybe the fact that they were doing so well on the course had something to do.

What do you mean?

@Amisja ,
maybe the other students couldn't handle the fact that people they like to think are inferior get better marks than them so they try to put them down.

@callmedubious You misunderstand. These were students on a clinical placement. The people being abusive were patients and some of the HCAs.

@Amisja omg!

@Amisja , you're right i misunderstood.

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