The reaction to Stormzy’s comments is exactly what I would expect from a country who has just elected a leader like that. Exactly.
“I’m black or Asian, I can’t have voted for a racist ideology”. Try again. Plenty of gay people vote for homophobic parties. Your mere identity doesn’t prevent you from cheerleading bigotry against those who are just like you.
Britain has made its advances on race in spite of, not because of, the people most proudly defending its progressive nature today. Those people are complacent. They think these advances are permanent, and not - as is the reality - continually under attack.
Imagine sitting down on Twitter and earnestly telling black and Asian people that we are surely moving in the right direction on race when Grenfell, Windrush and more remain unaddressed and causing further misery right as you tweet. Imagine your arrogance.
There is a concerted attempt in the UK by several people to portray financially successful black and Asian anti-racists as professional victims. They are trying to portray Stormzy and others like him as the champagne socialists of race.
Race in the UK: “you made it through the racial assault course and your reward is hanging out in rich areas like us. In return for that reward, you can’t talk about how brutal it was to get here.”
To those affluent black people calling out Stormzy for his comments on Boris Johnson, shame on you. You know what he’s talking about. Unlike him, you’ve turned the other cheek in that office and at that dinner party. Don’t come on here pretending your cowardice is principle. /end
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