Why do our Blacks still not class themselves British?

[anotheoldgit]

Interesting to note in a recent TV interview the mother of knife victim, Shakilus Townsend wore a broach which depicted a portrait of her son, upon a background of the Jamaican flag.

Why do our Blacks still not class themselves British?

A world of difference to the American Blacks, especially those who spoke at Michael Jackson's memorial service, they are all American, 'Stars & Stripes' forever.

Why is this, after all it was the British who were first to ban slavery, and later welcomed them into their country as immigrants not as slaves?

[Velvetee]

"OUR BLACKS"! You don't own me mate and for your information, I classify myself as British. I'm sick of people generalising and making assumptions.

Again anotheroldgit, as I've said before, you are preoccupied with hatred. You probably don't even know any black people, but base your opinions on what you read in the Sun.

[jno]

Velvetee, he reads the Mail. Doubtless when he says 'our blacks' he is thinking of the ones he he has working in his cotton fields.

[fredpuli47]

Slavery within Britain was illegal at common law viz. for hundreds of years before any Act. With great Britishness, we did not outlaw the trade in slaves until 1807 but slavery itself remained legal in our possessions outside Britain until 1833.

"African Americans" are Americans, the clue being in the name. It's the politically preferred version of 'black' or 'negro'. The choice was modelled on an existing practice. There are many 'hyphenated Americans' such as Irish-Americanst. As with the Irish -Americans and the rest, the first part reflects their distant ancestry. President Kennedy, an Irish-American, could hardly be said to be denying that he was American in being happily so styled !

[anotheoldgit]

Thank you very much fredpuli47 & sqad617, you are the only ones who addressed the point I was making.

If I did indeed make the mistake of confusing the the jamaican flag background with that of the colours of the Rastafarian religion, I apologize but frankly I think I might have been right because although I cannot swear to it, I do believe this was the image:

http://www.flags-flags-flags.org.uk/images/Jam aica.gif

But then such people as Gromit do not give any leeway, they love to dish out insults such as Sometimes your ignorance shows you up / As if that wasn't dumb enough

Others tended to ignore the main point of the question, so as to rain their vicious hatred down upon me, and they have the nerve to accuse me of being preoccupied with hatred, these are very nasty people.

But then I pity them at times, if they read anything that they don't agree with, instead of entering into a fair and healthy debate, to equally make their point, they let themselves down by spewing their venom all over the place. It can only be down to their inadequacies

[sp1814]

Okay, let's discuss your hopelessly flawed proposition, that Black Britons don't class themselves as British.

You come to that hypothesis based on what evidence? Is it because you don't see black people with Union Flags on state occasions? Don't know what's wrong with the reception on your telly, but I seem to remember quite a few young black and Asian kids doing just that when London won the 2012 Olympics.

Also remember the same at the Queen's Golden Jubilee, and the Queen Mothers 100th birthday.

Admittedly, it was generally youngsters on both occasions, which makes perfect sense. Their allegiances are to this country, not to their parents (and in increasingly, their grandparent's place of birth.

Not only was your point shabby (by picking on a greiving mother), but factually, it's completely without any merit.

It's just bizzare to look at one woman and extrapolate to come to a conclusion about an entire race.

Very poor.

Even you must be slightly embarrassed now. I know I would be.

[tiggerblue10]

I live literally yards away from where Shakilus Townsend was murdered. This area, Thornton Heath, has a majority black population. I would say a 6 out of 10 are black. The other 4 are made up of whites and other ethnic backgrounds such as myself (Turkish Cypriot). I don't think there is anything wrong in depicting your roots. What I object to is when people of certain religions start trying to inflict their beliefs and laws onto this country such as Sharia Law etc.

I came to the UK in 1974 and consider myself British. Although I was born a Muslim my parents never forced me into the Islamic way of life. In fact it was my father who got us eating pork products.

As the saying goes "when in Rome.............".

[sqad617]

tigger........everyone would applaud that philosophy and have no problem with it, but AOG is questioning do ALL ethnic minorities consider themselves British and if so what percentage.He is suggesting that the percentage that do consider themselves British is high in children and low in the adults....which as you say is not surprising.

[Gromit]

The rastafari image can be seen on this rather moving Shakilus Townsend tribute page from his family. No jamaica flag.

http://www.shaki.co.uk/Shaki.htm

It is impossible to enter into a fair and healthy debate, when the whole premise of the question is based on an error.

Even by your standards AOG this was a cringingly nasty question to post.

[sherminator]

(Im also the Sherman)
I notice the holy anotheoldgit calls someone a pillock but tells me he doesn't resort to playground name calling!

Your a hypocrite and an idiot! (i'll gladly chuck playground insults when necessary)

[anotheoldgit]

I notice Gromit that with all your expertise at finding appropriate links, you still cannot supply one of the badge in question, therefore I am still not convinced that I have got it wrong.

It is impossible to enter into a fair and healthy debate, when the whole premise of the question is based on an error.

Why? surely to the normal average person it is not hard to enter into a fair and healthy debate, no matter in what circumstances, even if a person has made some error.

Especially when one cannot prove the person to actually be in error.

Even by your standards AOG this was a cringingly nasty question to post.

cringingly nasty

Surely that is your opinion, this I assume can only be down to your own very narrow mindlessness?

[No,Knowledge]

pmsl ^

[sp1814]

AOG

Was this the badge she was wearing:

http://www.travelblog.org/World/jm-flag.html

[sp1814]

Just thought of something...perhaps older black Brits remember how the Union Flag was defiled in the 70s by the NF and still see those negative associations with it.

I admit, that theory's a little out there, but no more so than the idea that black Brits don't consider themselves British because of a badge worn by a grieving mother.

[WhiteBears]

well im a BBC (British Born Chinese) so proud to be born in the UK. esp in Leeds, W.Yorkshire!!!! I am so proud to be British or English. i never class myself as Chinese as such i always say I'm British. is that wrong?
(annoys me when i'm filling in forms where there is no option for British Chinese, but theres a separate options for British Asians, British blacks...etc.. why is that?),

[Gromit]

Your question is a variation on Norman Tebbits daft Cricket test which was rightfully pilloried at the time.

What Tebbit failed to understand, and you may be falling into the same trap AOG, is that it is perfectly possible to be proud of your ancestry even though you are British born and bred. The two are not exclusive of each other.

Thinking of examples brings to mind to boxers. Prince Naseem Hamed was born in Sheffield but proud of his Yemeni heritage and Amir Khan from Bolton who famous fights in Union Jack shorts but is also proud of his Pakistani roots.

[anotheoldgit]

Thanks for the link sp it is similar to the one I posted earlier.

I am almost convinced that this constituted the backgroungd to the badge, but as I pointed out to Gromit, not 100% sure.

I also remember quite a few young black and Asian kids waving the Union Flag when London won the 2012 Olympics.

These were as you stated mainly children, children who most likely came along to Trafalgar Square in school parties.

Children of this age come together at school and thankfully show no grievances to each other because of the colour of their skin. This has got to be good, the trouble comes about when they leave school and then somehow it all seems to come to pieces.

It's just bizzare to look at one woman and extrapolate to come to a conclusion about an entire race.

I did not as you say, come to the conclusion about an entire race, because of one Woman and a badge, to say otherwise is just ridiculous.

You are not on your own in taking the badge and the mother's grieving completely out of context. This badge was only the corner stone to introduce one to my general point, that being that the British Black communities seem to show their allegiances to their country in a very different way to what the Blacks in America show to their country, even though the Black people of America once received, (and in some states even today) much worse treatment.

I only hope you and others can now in some way understand the point of my question? If not then I am afraid that is your problem, at least I know the point I was trying to make.