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Why do our Blacks still not class themselves British?

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anotheoldgit | 15:38 Sat 11th Jul 2009 | News
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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?
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If you looked at a map of Britain showing the spread of nationalities and cultures you would see specific dark patches littered throughout the map. Mostly this would exist in town and cities but even within this enclaves there exists smaller pockets of nationalities.

If you take London the SE is predominantly Afro-Caribbean, the West: Indian and Asian; the NW and East: Jewish and small pockets of native English elsewhere.

Some have tried to integrate but the majority feel no allegience. Seeing the wholly white faces at the funeral procession this week would convince many that we are world's apart.
1.Taking the example of one person, at random, from a TV interview, and then applying that perceived attitude as common to a whole ethnic minority seems like egregious stereotyping to me,

2. You may just as well ask why Pakistanis, Indians, West Indians etc support the various national teams when they are playing against England. Turn it around - If you were to emigrate to Australia, for example, I am willing to bet that you would support England when it came to a match between your adopted country and your birth country.No difference, plus ca change, live with it and move on.

3. Brits may have been the first to ban slavery - but then they were also one of the first nations to be involved in it in the first place.

4. Calling them "our blacks" ,seems more than a little patronising and offensive to me.

AOG -Perpetual Mountain out of a Molehill maker.
Question Author
LazyGun

Brits were also one of the first nations to be involved in it in the first place.

Wrong!!!! The were a whole batch of countries involved in slavery since time began. Starting with ancient tribes who made slaves of other tribes, in fact the Romans made slaves of us. If you are talking more recent the Africans themselves made a pretty good living out of it.

Slavery is past history live with it and move on.

Calling them "our blacks" ,seems more than a little patronising and offensive to me.

Blimey don't tell me the 'O'ur word now causes offence?
it all depends how you individually class yourself
aog:

Here you are, mentioning a grieving mother, and all you can do is pick out a broach the woman's wearing, then use it to make a totally unfounded allegation?

What about the devastation the poor woman was feeling about the horrendous murder of her 14 year old son? What about the trauma she'd just had to endure at the trial of her son's killers, all of whom were there right in front of her in that Court?

What a prize pillock you are, aog.
Question Author
paraffin

I suppose if she was wearing a clown's hat you would not mention it.

The two things are completely separate, if I wanted to make comments of her grieving I would have done so, you pillock.


-- answer removed --
Near where I live is a fish and chip shop. The guy that runs it is from Cyprus.

All around the fish and chip shop are flags of cyprus, pictures of cyprus, and the TV always has a foreign (greek?) station on it.

This man (and his family) have been living here for years, and their children were born here.

But I bet he and his family still feel Cypriot, and probably will for the next 50 years.

It is not particular to blacks or any other group.
Sometimes your ignorance shows you up AOG, and this is a case in point.

What your describe as the jamaican flag background is actually the colours of the Rastafarian religion.

Like a christian may clutch a portrait and a cross on the death of a loved one, then someone who follows the Rastafarian religion will use these colours and a picture.

As if that wasn't dumb enough, you then attribute one persons actions (which you have misinterpreted incorrectly) and apply them to every black person.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rastafarianism
I am UK born, have lived abroad for 12 years. The majority of Brits here know virtually none of the language of our hosts, expect everyone (including shop assistants) to speak perfect English, complaining when they don't . They congregate in expat bars serving Guiness and Tetleys, and complain about the locals all the time, including writing to the local English language paper critcisming their hosts policy and politics.

A small pin badge seems tasteful and understated by comparison

Have you honestly got nothing better to complain about? If not, the world is in good shape.
AOG...makes an interesting point.

Some years ago, I went to dinner with an Indian family and during the discussion nationality came up.
Mother and father considered themselves to be Indian ( born in India) but the kids considered themselves to be British (born in UK) In fact the children had been to Old Trafford and supported England in the Test Match against India.

Would this scenario also apply to "Black families?"

Any comments?
it's still okay to be proud of your heritage. some nationalities are loud and proud about their roots. for example, plenty of UK born Italians love to shout about Italy, even if they were born and bred here.

so what's the problem?
our blacks ? our blacks?????



well all my black mates are English, most of their parents are not but they consider themselves out and out English.

English first British second.
sara....no problem.....just interested.

NoK......thanks ....quite interesting.
I'm off out now to meet some of MY blacks........... lol
NoK...don't order the "Black Pudding"...LOL
I have lost my nuts.

Has anybody seen em?
aog:

Your logic is non existent. You picked on a distraught human being and try to turn her ethnicity via a brooch she's wearing into some kind of racist slur.

You really are the prize pillock I said you were. And a racist one at that. Banged to rights.
aog wrote �the mother of knife victim, Shakilus Townsend wore a broach which depicted a portrait of her son, upon a background of the Jamaican flag.�

I have not seen that image but it�s been pointed out it was in fact Rastafarian colours.

�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.�

Have you not heard black Americans call themselves African-American? Hardly �all American eh?

�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?�

The French banned slavery in 1794, the Portuguese did it in 1761-all before Britain
I look forward to seeing your apology for your factual errors, aog.

I don't expect I'll see one for your errors of taste, though. Picking out the brooch worn by a bereaved mother - and getting it wrong - is just shabby.

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