‘Now, I’m not racist, but…’ is a phrase we’ve all heard and, more often than not, it’s followed by a spot of light racism. ‘I’ve got black friends’ is also a fan favourite. Many Brits don’t consider themselves racist, but has society shaped our brains in racist ways without us realising?
Mona Chalabi’s BBC Three documentary aims to answer the ever ambiguous question of whether Britain is actually racist. Within the first minute of the documentary, footage of various verbal attacks on people of colour is shown, such as the infamous Chelsea fans shouting ‘We’re racist, we’re racist, and that’s the way we like it.’ Such footage seems to lessen the ambiguity of the question, pushing the needle further towards the ‘yes’ section. A survey showed that 70% of Brits said that they have no racist prejudices, and the number of self-proclaimed racists has stayed the same, so it seems rational to question why the rate of aggressive attacks based on race and religion has risen. One answer that the documentary offers is that Britain is conservative with its racism; the majority of people, obviously, will not tell you to your face that they’re racist.
A group that has frequently been accused of being not so conservative with their racism is the EDL, the English Defence League. It was inevitable that a documentary on racism in Britain would touch upon this group as a day doesn’t pass when they aren’t accused of being racist. Everyone has that one friend on Facebook who has liked the EDL, who constantly shares their photos, who believes that they’re England’s last bastion of defence against Islam, protecting our nation, one share at a time. Chalabi attended an EDL rally to find out whether members identified themselves as racist; the people who were asked said no, only that they were against radical Islam. Footage also shows protesters chanting ‘stick your Islam up your arse’, showing that not all members adopt this non-racist position. This hostility is based on the wrongful generalisation that all Muslims are violent, a belief that has become more widely adopted following the 9/11 and 7/7 terror attacks. The resulting tension from these attacks has become somewhat of a social norm, as society has indoctrinated Brits to feel tension towards Islam, both consciously and unconsciously.
The documentary also touches upon the racism suffered by individuals: a Muslim woman named Hanna, a black man named Deji and a Jewish man named Richard, all three of whom have been subject to racist remarks. With 39,00 hate crimes recorded last year and hate crimes against Muslims and Jewish people rising by 70% and 50% respectively, it would seem correct to assume that Britain is becoming more hostile and racist.
So, is Britain racist? The documentary offers an enlightening insight into the question, ultimately providing the answer that, technically, yes we are; we have been shaped by society in racist ways whether we realise it or not. However, Chalabi ends the documentary by stating that if we acknowledge this issue, we can change it.
Charlie Green
Featured image from BBC iPlayer.