As soon as Bukayo Saka missed his penalty I knew what was coming, and so did every single person of colour who was watching on the night. Most of the English population was of course disappointed, with anger and frustration being thrown in various directions. But a minority, a more significant minority than some people care to admit, continued a cycle that has been present since the end of the first world war (look it up). The packaging and the method of delivery has changed through the generations, but the intention is still the same.
I didn’t experience racism until secondary school. Two ‘classmates’ decided that a daily dose of calling me Uga Buga, rubber lips, African this and Black that, was the best way to get a rise out of me. I wasn’t a fighter back then and I had one of those tempers that only showed itself with tears to back it up, so my anger was always released by hitting doors, or chairs, or tables, or blackboards. I was lucky enough to have a couple of supportive teachers to keep me centered and I always thought that experience hadn’t affected me long term. That I was now copacetic. That my mind was ‘zen’. The events of the past 18 months, including the reactions to the missed penalties when England lost to Italy in the Euro 2020 Final, showed that I, like many others, may never be allowed to get to that place.
Putting into words all of the emotions I felt whilst reading the terrible tweets, grams and snaps, is no easy task. Actually I take that back. The immediate feelings are pretty self explanatory. Anger, more anger, yet more anger mixed with bloody-mindedness, sadness laced with confusion, and so on. Then comes the rhetorical question stage. Why is the colour of our skin such an issue? Why can’t they simply treat us as individuals? Why do some actually consider us a lower form of life? Why is a section of the media intent on pushing a trope filled image of us? Why do some people only see us as a threat? Why is racism still a thing in 2021 (2022, 2023…)?
As for the medium and long-term effects, they are harder to decipher, but wounds caused by episodes like this never completely heal. The day-to-day’s more-or-less continue as they were, the work meetings, the school runs, the trips to the gym, the shopping trips etc, are all being done, and family interaction is as it always was. But in many cases, black people are not the same after experiencing racism, whether it’s aimed at us directly or not. We have built lives and loves here. Our families and friends are here. We pay taxes and contribute to our communities here. We are part of this society, yet at the same time we are not. I am one of a group of people that one way or another, are regularly being told that we don’t belong. That we are the other and not the norm. That we should know our place. We are being told these things with words and with weapons, and we were raised by parents who in most cases, suffered worse abuse than we did. We are policemen, doctors, nurses, solicitors, teachers, youth workers, musicians, coaches, poets, politicians, artists and trendsetters, but for some of you, that will never be enough. Going about our daily lives in a society where a section openly doesn’t want you to be here, does have an effect. Some people like to refer to it as a ‘chip on our shoulder.’
The Black British experience is unique. The racism here is not as ‘line in the sand’ as America but it is here nonetheless. For years we have been caught between a rock called ‘England is not racist’ and a hard place called ‘targeted covert abuse and racial profiling’. Black culture gets mimicked and mocked at the same time, while any criticism we aim at the powers that be is answered with ‘if you don’t like it here, leave’. As a society, this country still cannot acknowledge it’s leading role in the racial geography of the modern world, and it won’t entertain updating the history that is taught in schools, even though a few additional paragraphs/chapters to spark discussion, is all that’s needed. If Germany can acknowledge and deal with its Nazi past, surely our supposedly superior nation can learn from their example. We are here because you asked our parents and grandparents for help, and because our ancestors also fought for ‘Queen and Country’ during both world wars. That didn’t stop the survivors being treated terribly when they arrived on these shores, and in many ways, that definitely hasn’t changed.
Racism is a societal issue, but it is an individual experience. People are sharing their encounters and insights all over social media, from getting home after the final whistle, to kids afraid to go to school the next day. The racism seen after that match has opened a lot of eyes. Many who were denying its existence or playing down its effects, have now seen what it’s capable of and how far some people are willing to go in its name. Unfortunately, I am confident that similar scenes will play out again sooner or later, but I am encouraged by the number of people who were willing to call it out, and I am equally hopeful that more and even more will do so in the future. I can hear some of you already, and maybe my optimism is misplaced. But part of me believes in the future, and as pragmatic as I am, I can’t imagine going through life without that belief being a significant part of my armoury.
Random Ramblings 