Is Britain a racist country? As Harry and Meghan talk openly about the prejudice they faced in the UK, many say it is time to take a good, hard look at the country’s relationship with race. Meghan Markle’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast in the UK only last night, was full of stunning revelations. For many, the most shocking was Meghan’s claim that an unnamed member of the royal family expressed “concerns” over the colour of her unborn baby's skin. Yet for many people of colour in Britain, this was not at all surprising. For them, Meghan’s interview, coupled with Harry’s claim that racism was a major reason for leaving the UK, is just the latest proof that Britain is fundamentally a racist country. Some are sceptical of this idea. They say British attitudes have become less racist in recent decades, with Britons now less likely than ever to endorse racist statements. They argue that with the most diverse Cabinet in its history, the UK has demonstrated that people of colour can rise to the very top of British politics. But critics argue that, even if individual attitudes have become less racist, institutional racism is still rife. They argue it is embedded in education, healthcare and the jobs market, reducing the opportunities for people of colour throughout their lives. This begins at birth: people of colour are more likely to be born into poverty than White people. In 2019, 46% of Black households lived in poverty, compared with just 20% of White households. It continues at school, where Black Caribbean students are 3.5 times more likely to be excluded than all other children. In a survey, 49% of young Black people said that racism – especially among their teachers – was the single biggest burden on their academic attainment. Racism holds back people of colour in the world of work. More than half of Black people say that racist prejudice is the main barrier to getting a job. Many report that simply having a non-White name on their CV is enough to keep some employers from hiring them. And people of colour are more likely to suffer from poor healthcare than White people. Black women are four times more likely to die in childbirth than White women. Now, people of colour are affected disproportionately by Covid-19. Many feel that the UK's overwhelmingly White media perpetuate racism by stirring up racial hatred and minimising the impacts of racism. Some will have sympathised with Harry's claim, in the same interview with Oprah, that “bigoted” UK newspapers have created an atmosphere of “control and fear”. What is more, overt racism has not been stamped out in the UK. Some 95% of Black British students report that they have faced racist abuse at school. Racist hate crimes are on the rise, from under 40,000 in 2013 to more than 105,000 in 2020. While Britons often treat police racism as an American issue, it has been a problem in the UK for decades. Today, Black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched than White people. Is Britain a racist country? A house divided Yes, say some. Meghan’s experience has exposed an ugly undercurrent in British society. Black and Asian people still face racist abuse every day, and they are often mistreated by the police. Their lives are shaped by institutional racism, which holds back their academic careers, shuts them out of the jobs market and makes them more likely to die of preventable diseases. Not at all, say others. There are evidently still problems in parts of British society, but the vast majority of people no longer express racist attitudes, and people of colour have risen to some of the most important positions in our society. Instead of dismissing the whole of the UK as racist, we should identify where racism still exists and unite against it. KeywordsCabinet - The senior ministers in a government, who attend regular direct meetings with the prime minister.
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Keywords
Cabinet - The senior ministers in a government, who attend regular direct meetings with the prime minister.
Poverty - The state of being very poor.
Disproportionately - To an extent that is too large or too small in comparison with something else.
Racism ‘large part’ of why we left, says Duke
Glossary
Cabinet - The senior ministers in a government, who attend regular direct meetings with the prime minister.
Poverty - The state of being very poor.
Disproportionately - To an extent that is too large or too small in comparison with something else.