The news that Prince Harry is dating a woman with some African heritage has caused a flurry of interest across social media and the mainstream news. The tabloid British press have been quick to trace the genealogy of Prince Harry's new date, Meghan Markle, to her familial heritage in the transatlantic slave trade. On knowing the racial heritage of Markle and the gang ridden community that she grew up in in LA, the media have made references to her upbringing in LA and perhaps her partial racial heritage, and offered the headline "Straight outta Compton". Across social media, there have been some nasty comments made by a small minority of the British public who have concerns about the partial racial heritage of Markle. Prince Harry has issued a press release asking for what he considers to be headlines with "racial undertones" to stop and for racist trolls to cease with their hurtful comments immediately. Academics and writers have taken the opportunity to tell stories of woe about the extreme racism in British society that is hidden from the public view and is now apparently coming to the surface.
Today, I have read an article by Dr Kehinde Andrews, an academic and a well known Guardian writer. His article was published in Ebony magazine, just a few days ago and attempted to tackle the issue of Prince Harry's relationship with Meghan Markle and to instigate a discussion about race relations in Britain. Whilst I commend the efforts of skilled academics who can give insight into race relations in Britain, I believe that it is correct to challenge academics, who believe, that they are contributing to improving race relations in Britain but are in fact contributing to creating an even more hostile environment with poor analysis. Analysis that often makes race relations worse and contributes to an environment of hostility.
Dr Andrews, a black British citizen with a Midlands accent, who is an Associate Professor and just launched the first Black Studies degree at Birmingham City University has taken offence over the media articles on Meghan Markle, which has led to another debate that concerns some issues that I have recently written about, in regard to Black Britain, our identity and relationship to the United Kingdom.
Firstly, I would like to examine the article in the Daily Mail that has ruffled Dr Andrew's and others feathers. The article published in the Daily Mail regarding Meghan Markle does not make derogatory comments about her. The article simply outlines her family history and makes comparisons between where Markle grew up and where Prince Harry grew up. At the end of the article, is an image of Meghan Markle with the caption stating, "she looks demure in a black dress". It is hardly a racist tirade. Neither does it express anything about the Royal family not liking "N******", as Dr Andrews put it. The fairy tale story of the Prince who meets his Cinderella is a story imprinted on Britain's psyche. The article, in my opinion, tries to make reference to the classic fairy tale story where Cinderella marries a Prince. A kind of romance made in heaven. A story that every person in the country understands and can find some escapism through.
Dr Andrews article seeks to connect the media response to Markle and Prince Harry's relationship to the history of colonialism, slavery and the British Empire as he and others do with everything and every single issue that arises in British public life. Dr Andrews offers statistics to deride the British public for admiring Queen Elizabeth II then to critique British citizens for being proud of the British Empire. Dr Andrews believes that the popularity of Queen Elizabeth II tells us a great deal about belonging in Britain. I want to challenge the robotic arguments that black academics and race relations experts keep repeating. Arguments that are extremely divisive and do not serve to improve race relations in Britain.
Yes, many years ago, Britain conquered the world. they kicked some arse. They had many ships and controlled vast amounts of territories. The British Empire was the largest empire to exist in human history, an empire where the sun never set. The people of the West-Indies, where myself and Dr Andrews have roots, were defeated and taken from Africa to the Caribbean and over 500 years became a new people. Not over 50 years, but half a Millennium. During this time the people of the West-Indies became a brand new historical people. A Black Britain, an anglicised black. Whilst I understand that defeat can be painful; it is wise to recognise when the battle that you are fighting with the past cannot be won and there is no victory in fighting ghosts. There is a time when you have to know yourself and understand your experience now. George Foreman may be angry that he got knocked out by Muhammad Ali many years ago, but eventually, he still has to accept it. Fighters get knocked out and have to swallow their pride and accept defeat. If you are a a dark-skinned person with an anglicised name for many generations, then the struggle against the British Empire is over. You could not become something new or different without epochal change. In all social considerations, Dr Andrews and other Black Britain' are part of the "Anglosphere" and considered British. There is nothing to be gained from angrily pontificating about Britain's past empire. We, Black Britain's have been a part of the "Anglosphere" tradition and nothing else and our heritage and identity is rooted in this experience. We have never been part of a Swahili, Amharic, Yoruba civilisation or any other.
Criticising the British Empire and those that are proud of it will not improve race relations in Britain. The history of the British Empire is always going to be with us in Britain and the West-Indies, whether we like it or not. No one will ever stop talking about the British Empire. It was the biggest empire of all time. It is a big deal in human history, regardless of whether you were one of the people that were conquered by it. We must accept that there is some skill involved in conquering the world and that every reasonable mind should understand the pride engendered by the British Empire. Dr Andrew' and other practitioners of Afrocentricity are proud of Ancient Egypt as a great black civilisation but it still had slaves and colonialism. It was still an empire. Mansa Musa, the great Malian ruler is also honoured but he is the head of the Empire of Mali. Dr Andrew's will teach these stories on his Black Studies degree programme. He should let Britain tell its story too. British academics write books on Rome. Boris Johnson, for example, has written a book on Rome. Britain was conquered by Rome. They were slaves in the Roman Empire, but they still respect the magnitude of it. By studying the British Empire we can all learn something, regardless of skin. Power is power. Greatness is greatness.
In the context of discussing ancient or past empires, you cannot be politically correct. Many academics write about the African Roman Emperor, Septimus Severus as a black icon; he ran an empire with slaves and casualties. We cannot judge old empires on the moral values of today. To continue to pursue this line of reasoning, as a practical anti-racism, is quite frankly ridiculous. I am not scared of the British Empire. It is not a reflection on me. That my ancestors were conquered is something that I have found disturbing in my youthful past, but I am not afraid of speaking about the British Empire as a great empire. It would be unrealistic to not do so. I don't believe, that every reference to the British Empire is an attack against my racial heritage. I am thinking about Britain today, and how to play a role in leading us, both black and white and beyond, into a new age of greatness in the future. I am not scared of Britain becoming an empire or reconnecting with realms of the empire in a new post-colonial, decolonised relationship. Slavery is illegal. Britain ended slavery. I don't feel threatened by public admiration for what is now an old but world renowned empire.
After chastising those who admire the British Empire, in a rage of political correctness on steroids. Dr Andrews, then goes on to critique those that admire Queen Elizabeth II and discusses how much this tells us about belonging in Britain. Really, what do they pay these academics to do? Dr Andrews, after being born and living in Britain all his life does not understand what it means to be a British citizen. It is not rocket science that the Head of State in Britain is Queen Elizabeth II. The armed forces, the police force, parliament, and the courts pledge allegiance to the Queen. Our British Passport's are issued by the Queen. The tax collector collects taxes for the Queen. Every British citizen should know what they signed up to in order to be considered a British citizen and make strides in the society. Dr Andrews has the opportunity to opt out if he so wishes. He does not have to be a British citizen. His politics of trying to stoke resentment about the Head of State and Britain's history, does not serve to improve race relations in Britain but is simply politically divisive. Dr Andrews and others should stop misleading themselves and others about Britain's political set-up and Black Britain's identity. Attacking the Head of State and the public's admiration for her shows that Dr Andrews does not understand what it means to be a British citizen. This kind of leadership is problematic, for the many people whose futures may be nowhere else but as part of Britain. People who have to strike a balance between the past and the present, in order to exist.
Dr Andrews, amongst many black academics have been avid supporters of the EU, whilst following the liberal academic party line that a Brexit vote was racist. None, were willing to offer a critique on institutional racism in the EU. I am still waiting for the institutionalised racism report on the EU. Although Britain's public life appears like a rainbow in comparison to the EU's, the majority of black academics have written in glowing support of an EU vote. The EU is quite clearly an organisation for European racial unity, whilst the Commonwealth led by Queen Elizabeth II is a multi-racial union, that spans 5 continents and contributes to supporting to improve the lives of 2.2 billion citizens, most of whom are non-white. Dr Andrew's an Associate Professor and has just launched the first Black Studies programme in Britain at Birmingham City University but as a climbing public intellectual and voice of Black Britain, refuses to show respect to a nation that has obviously been open to him fulfilling his potential. This is the type of behaviour that leads to a backlash, as people resent a whole society being characterised as, extremely racist, by a Black Britain who is obviously more successful than many in Britain. This ungratefulness and fabricated resentment does not serve the cause of our fellow Black Britain's.
I personally, respect the Head of State for reasons connected to iconic moments in black history. Queen Elizabeth II was a friend of one of Dr Andrews heroes; Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Ghana's first President. In the 1950's, Queen Elizabeth II is pictured dancing hand in hand with a smiling Dr Nkrumah. During the Ghanaian independence celebrations, Queen Elizabeth II and Dr Kwame Nkrumah are pictured laughing and sharing a joke. There are pictures of Kwame Nkrumah at the family home of Queen Elizabeth II, holding her children. If Nkrumah, the great African revolutionary could get over the past to engage in politics, then Dr Andrews should be able to also. Queen Elizabeth II is pictured arm in arm with Emperor Haile Selassie I, then Emperor of Ethiopia, in the 1950's at the height of apartheid. She is also pictured looking bashful as Emperor Haile Selassie I publicly kissed her hand. It is imperative that when we are making arguments, we carefully examine things with reason and rationality and not "folk philosophy" and emotionalism.
On the issue of Meghan Markle. She has met Prince Charles and Prince Harry has gone public with the relationship. It does not appear that the Royal family have responded like rabid racists. If that was the case she would never have met Prince Charles and Prince Harry would have not gone public with the relationship. Dr Andrews claims that the press try to de-emphasise Markle' blackness, by claiming that she looks like Pippa Middleton or that she is just like Princess Diana are some of the most un-intellectual; careless statements on race that I have ever heard. It does not take x-ray vision to see that Markle does have facial similarities to Pippa Middleton. She does look like her. It is not an issue if the press say that she is just like Princess Diana. Is it not possible for people to have different heritage but share similar ideals? Come on Dr Andrew's. You are letting down Black Britain's academics, with spurious arguments that do not stand up to public philosophical scrutiny.
Dr Andrews, gives an example of the movie Belle as an indication that Black Britain's are only considered successful when accepted into "whiteness... and the pageantry of British society". Dr Andrew's is an academic, an Associate Professor, who just launched the first Black Studies degree in Britain and who boasts to black audiences in posh venues in the city, about what a great wage he earns in his post. It is quite clear that Dr Andrew's is a well-integrated Black Britain. I do not say that with disrespect. It is just a statement of fact and logic.
Of course, there are issues of discrimination and there are racial discrepancy's in Britain. There are areas for improvement. We need to tackle high unemployment in BME communities. We need to tackle disproportionate amounts of black boys in the criminal justice system. We need to tackle the disproportionate amount of BME communities referred to mental health services. We need to figure out ways that Britain can contribute more to the West-Indies and Africa. But the level of repetition, the lack of philosophical clarity and critical scrutiny is making many Black academics redundant and unhelpful in furthering Black Britain's cause. Unreasonable arguments are leading to resentment in the mainstream.
At the end of his outrageous article, Dr Andrews asks, why would a black woman want to marry Prince Harry? He is a well-educated academic and he cannot figure out why a woman, regardless of colour, would want to marry a Prince? I mean, come on. Have a laugh or something. But the connotations are not lost on me, I understand what he is getting at, it is understandable in some contexts, but it smacks of racial fascism and lack of understanding of racial complexities in Britain and across the "Anglosphere".
Black Britain's academics should stop publicly airing controversial opinions on race that are driven by emotion rather than reason. Meghan Markle's father is a white-skinned man. It is not some kind of betrayal as Dr Andrews hints. She is not uncomfortable with "whiteness" and she is not betraying her roots. She has immediate, multiple-heritages and should not be subjected to Dr Andrew's racial standards or that of others that seek to shame her into being the militant defender of the black race and something she is not. It's not really justice, is it? Give the girl a break!
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