WHAT SHOULD BLACK PEOPLE BE THANKFUL FOR? NOTHING

By Tiwa Adebayo

Adebayo, a graduate of Cambridge University in the UK, is a communications consultant and freelance journalist. She recently led a national campaign calling for an end to racism in independent schools. This letter on her alma mater was published on the inews.co.uk website on August 13, 2020. It can apply to any black person in any non-African country. achievement somehow rescinded my right to a voice.

When Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton took the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement ahead of the recent Styrian Grand Prix, he was met with a series of comments questioning his right to protest because of his millionaire status

“I had no idea that the multi-millionaire driver had suffered so much. Puts my troubles into perspective,” complained one fan in the comments of a news article covering the event.

“Grow up, you are rich and famous, live with it,” was the sour response of another

Unease with black wealth and the belief that black people should be ‘grateful’ for their status are not new – and is something I have experienced myself.

Despite constant efforts to distance itself from its colonial history it seems the UK cannot let go of the imperial image of itself as a paternal figure, bestowing benevolence upon the black community who should in turn be silently thankful for the chance to succeed.

As the leader of a nationwide campaign to end racism in some of the UK’s most elite private schools, which attracted the attention of the national media, I have found myself on the receiving end of this very line of rhetoric.

A letter I authored, published in The Independent, calling on independent schools to commit to anti-racism, was signed by more than 300 black students and alumni of private schools

Social media comments referred to the signatories as “spoilt little rich kids” for simply asking that the institutions, which in many cases our parents paid thousands of pounds a year for us to attend, honor their duty of care to non-white students.

Some comments were even targeted directly at myself as a University of Cambridge graduate, describing how this

As someone who’s grown up almost entirely in traditionally white spaces I’m no stranger to this particular method of silencing What is often thinly veiled as ‘wealth fatigue’ is actually severe anti-blackness, designed to rob black people of their right to call out racism and question the validity of their success.

The message is clear. Black people don’t deserve wealth or places in prestigious institutions, and so any racism or mistreatment we face is fair game It is this line of thinking that prompted senior staff at my Cambridge college to suggest that I consider my position of privilege in relation to the college porters when I asked that they undergo unconscious bias training in response to the constant micro-aggressions that myself and other students of colour faced from them

Classism remains an entrenched feature of our society I do recognise the privileged upbringing that I enjoyed and how it increased my chances of success in life. I will not however, allow that to force me into submission when faced with racism.

By its very nature, racism does not discriminate Black people in all walks of life are affected by it and all the wealth and status in the world cannot prevent it from happening

The UK is in dire need of introspection when it comes to its discomfort with black success. How have we reached a point where a black female MP has been forced to close her constituency office because of racist abuse? Why do police officers ask my father how he can afford to drive the car he does or live in his own house?

Consider this, if you are only moved to point out a person’s privilege in response to their condemnation of racism, perhaps it is not their privilege that upsets you, but the colour of their skin