Being Black or Asian in the UK no longer means you’re disadvantaged

Communities Secretary John Denham has said “Being black or Asian in the UK no longer means you will be automatically disadvantaged.”

He said progress made since 2000 meant that, while racism still existed, disadvantage was now more linked to poverty, class and identity – not race.

“Britain today is not the same place as it was a decade ago,” he said.

“We therefore need to make sure that our efforts are tackling problems of today and not those of the past.

“That does not mean that we should reduce our efforts to tackle racism and promote race equality, but we must avoid a one-dimensional debate that assumes all minority-ethnic people are disadvantaged.

“Sustained action over the last 10 years has promoted racial equality and better race relations, dismantled unfair barriers faced by many and helped to nurture a society more comfortable with diversity than ever before.” . . . But has it?

Today we see the BNP getting greater support across the UK, a rise of Hate Crimes (committing a crime against someone because of a persons race, religion or sexuality) and some public sector services proven to be institutionally racist. Over the last 10 years things have got WORST! You’re more likely to receive racist abuse now in the UK major cities than you were over a decade ago. In the 80’s there was a major rise in racism in the UK, but during the 90’s a lot of work was done to tackle and educate the small minded people who have these opinions.

Now a days racism is more sophicated than simply being called you a Paki or a Nigger. Or someone telling you to go back home.  Now you are just more likely to be stop and searched as a Black or Asian person. You are less likely to be given a job promotion. You are more likely to receive a poorer education. You are more likely to be sent to prison (In many cases for committingthe same crime as a white person, yet the white peron will not go to prison).

You being Black or Asian (dark skinned) is the first thing that people see. People have pre-concicved concepts (pre-judged ideas) on what kind of person you are. If you are Black and wear a hooded top – You’re about to mug some one, or you’re a thug. If you wear a full hijab – You must be a terrorist.

You have to work twice as hard as a Black person in the UK; to tackle the pre-conceptions, then to prove yourself as ‘normal’ – or ‘the same as them’ . . . But why? Why do you have appear to be something that you’re not? Black people across the UK are ‘fitting in’, but in a society where race and culture isn’t an issue you wouldn’t have to ‘fit in’.

Launching a review of government policy on race, Mr Denham pledged support to tackle inequality in white, working-class areas as well as in ethnic-minority communities.

He said: “The government has an absolute commitment to eradicating racism and promoting race equality. And that work will not stop until every single person in this country has the same opportunities and an equal chance of success.

He pointed to the way that many pupils from Asian backgrounds were thriving in the education system while some of their white, working-class counterparts struggled to keep up.

His comments come amid growing concern among ministers in the rise in support for the far right British National party in some parts of the country, which Denham acknowledged was linked to the impact of immigration. He went on to say:

“In some places we’ve seen antipathy (a dislike) against eastern Europeans or Muslims becoming more acceptable – justified on the grounds of religious difference but manifesting itself in terms of racial prejudice and gaining a political voice through the BNP and other far right groups,”

The UK is not at the point of fair equality and where race is still not a major issue. Since the Stephen Lawrence enquiry organisations in the UK have had it forced on them to think more politically correctly. You ‘have’ to be nice to Black people, Asians, Homosexuals etc. etc. If you try and force something on someone they are more likely to do the opposite.

While you can be a member of the BNP (join a party that has proved to have racist views) and still be a fireman, a nurse, a doctor, join the army, be a judge or a probation officer  . . . . The United Kingdom hasn’t got a chance of being ‘United’.