Racism is as Racism Does

Racism in Britain is like blood in my body. I don't see it everyday, I know its there and whenever I see it in large proportions I fear for my life.

Recently Jade Goody has dominated all forms of mass communication in Britain due to her very racist remarks to Shilpa in the Big Brother house. I laughed when I saw Jade’s antics, speaking to the beautiful Bollywood Star, Shilpa, like she was better than her. Jade is mixed, her father is a Black Jamaican (a past incarcerated member of Her Majesty’s Penal System) and her mother is a white tenement home resident. Though the fact that her father is Jamaican increased her stock price in my books, by British standards she is as good as Jamaican herself.

Jade has more going against her than Shilpa and obviously she was too weak to accept that so she lashed out the only way her little Essex mind could.

I have experienced this, as I am sure any member of the British Minority population has. I find that the persons with the least self esteem attacks people with the most obvious thing about the ‘opponent’. The most obvious thing about me is the fact that I am Black. Which is what I put the speaking to me like a 9 year old trying to buy ‘weed’ whenever I ask for assistance in a store down to. Then to use a Gold Card to pay for my purchase I have to take out all forms of ID possible.

Unfortunately the English that is written in my passport and on my drivers license is of a special incomprehensible grade that cannot be deciphered by the average cashier. I know it could never be the ‘Issued by t he Government of Jamaica’ that is too complex to read pass. The Royal Navy ID is always the last, the last but usually the winner. The apology follows, “Sorry bout that but you know these asylum seekers...”. (Thanks, you just multiplied whatever resentment I had against you by trying to engage me in a racist conversation.)

I wish I could say that this was a one time occurrence. Though not exactly the same script, the story line concludes with the same moral. Not to worry though I don't receive this treatment all the time, which makes me find the times when I do receive it rather puzzling.

I don't think Britain is a land fill of racist people but I don’t think Britain is doing anything to help the situation. With Religiously segregated schools and single race dominated communities race ignorance will only grow. I think everyone needs to know the similarities in different races as well as acknowledge the differences. After all the world’s genetic break down isn’t getting any smaller so ignoring the fact that we live with people of different ethnicity is as stupid as it does.