UK has a 'fundamental problem' with black people identifying as British or English, argues caller
1 December 2022, 15:41 | Updated: 1 December 2022, 15:43
UK has a 'fundamental problem' with black people identifying as British or English, argues caller
“If I wear a suit does that make me more British than anyone else who decides to wear African attire?” this caller asks, following Lady Susan Hussey’s resignation after repeatedly asking a black charity boss where she “really” came from.
A caller during Shelagh Fogarty’s show today has expressed that Britain has a “fundamental problem” with not allowing black people to identify as British.
This comes as Lady Susan Hussey - Prince William’s godmother and lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth II for over 60 years - stepped down from palace duties after repeatedly asking black charity boss Ngozi Fulani where she was “really” from.
Margaret in Enfield told Shelagh: “When Ngozi was asked, she told her where she was from, but Lady Hussey was not satisfied with that because she has a presumption and a view of where she believed that she should be telling her she was from.”
She added: “You hit the nail on the head when you talked about this Britishness - what is Britishness?
“I am a black woman who was born, raised, educated here. If I am asked where I’m from, I know that is not actually…wherever I live”, she said.
Margaret added that there was a “persistence” in the way Lady Hussey was questioning Ms Fulani, something which the black CEO told Shelagh Fogarty in an exclusive interview yesterday felt like an interrogation.
“How she [Ngozi Fulani] dressed and how she wishes to represent herself in a public forum is her own right to do so”, she said.
“If I walk in a suit…does that make me more British than anyone else who wears an African attire because that is how they feel that they wish to represent themselves on the day?” Margaret queried.
“This country has a fundamental problem with black people counting themselves as being English or British- they still see this country as if you are white, then you are more deserving of saying that you are British or English…than me as a black woman who was born here who should feel British.”
Margaret added that this is what black people “have to go through all the time” and are “tired”, but insisted ”it’s not wokeness”.
“We have white people who want to go around and say whatever and think that it's okay”, she said.
“We have to have some serious uncomfortable conversations”, she added, and Shelagh agreed that discussions like this need to “not be pretty, because racism is not pretty”.
“I am British! Accept me for who I am and what I do and what I bring to this country - and stop judging me by the colour of my skin”, Margaret concluded.
