The British Monarchy

[Gareth Barry Conlon]

I do think her comments were fairly ignorant and offensive. It wasn't like she just politely enquired where she was from, she rather laboured the point. If you read the entire exchange it's pretty excruciating.

Exactly. Reminds me if this.

 

[Phil1]

Oh, TH, that's possibly the least honest description of events I’ve seen?

She didn't "ask a genuine question" she asked successively -

1 “Where are you from?”​

​

2 “No where do you come from?​

​

3 “No, what part of Africa are YOU from?”​

​

4 “Well, you must know where you’re from, I spent time in France. Where are you from?”​

​

5 “No, but what nationality are you?”​

​

6 “No, but where do you really come from, where do your people come from?”​

​

7 “Oh I can see I am going to have a challenge getting you to say where you’re from. When did you first come here?”​

​

8 “Oh, I knew we’d get there in the end, you’re Caribbean?”​

​

Now, I dont care if you think it's racist or not, by the 4th time of asking, it stops being polite and starts being an interrogation.

The 7th question - "where did you first come here?" is after she's been told twice that the other woman was born in London, and the tone of it shows it's no longer polite conversation but demanding.

​

Before reading your post and having read the previous 7 pages or so discussing this I was erring on the side of this just being a lady from a different generation being a bit out of touch and saying something which probably didn’t need so much attention and certainly not something that anybody should lose their jobs over.
That transcript does her no favours at all though and being so persistent takes it from harmless to something a bit more than that.

 

[crystal_mais]

Poor lady, a lifetime of service, sacked because she asked a genuine question of someone in traditional African dress, who chose not to understand or appreciate that the continued probing wasn't the actions of someone trying to dismiss her Britishness; but to recognise and understand their truer heritage.

At a function trying to recognise some of the atrocities committed against young women in some of these countries.

A victim of a generational disconnect, not the actions of a racist, who are much more covert in their disgusting views of someone's skin colour.

We've jumped the shark at this point.

People can and are born British, but still champion their roots and must take every opportunity to do so, especially when an old lady who has probably visited more African countries than most, is trying to engage in genuine, polite conversation, however clumsy?

As always, I don't walk in the shoes of someone of colour, but that's my personal view from this side of the white fence!!

Fair comment Tolm - I felt sorry for her too. As a British Indian, I have been asked all my life what my heritage is and where my surname has come from and I've proudly always said "I was born here but my parents are of Indian heritage and also explain how my parents came here" - its something I am very proud of.

I felt this lady was asking a genuine question but maybe just how she asked but the other lady in my opinion took it the wrong way and was maybe misinterpreted it.

 

[bluenova]

So the 83 year old has given her profound apologies and lost her job. Fulani said that’s not enough. I’m not sure if Fulani would be satisfied with a public flogging or does she want more extreme retribution (and compensation)?

I am happy to report that Fulani has recovered sufficiently to appear on Breakfast TV.

The quotes I saw suggested they weren't interested in her losing her role, and there's a good explanation from one of the other women who viewed the incident in the Guardian today.

The summary is that they didn't want her singled out, because that lets the palace simply carry on as if the only problem was an 83 year old who didn't understand modern life. Clearly the problem is that if someone who talks the way Susan Hussey did is regularly involved with these events and has been for many years, then there's something up with the culture at the palace.

All the women involved have suggested that they'd rather no-one lost their jobs, but that they were shown why it wasn't acceptable in the hope that it doesn't happen again. And that means it not happening because the people hosting these events understand why it's racist, and not just because they don't want to get into trouble.

https://www.theguardian.com/comment...ssey-resign-monarchy-race-remarks-institution

 

[mexico1970]

They made a transcript of the conversation?

 

[mancityvstoke]

It can only be a positive

people will approach the 'where do you come from' to a black person with a bit more sensitivity going forward

So we can no longer ask anyone where they are from?

Black , white or whatever I often ask where someone is from ...especially if they have an accent.

Scouse accent? Where are you from you scouse thieving ****?
Cockney? Where are you from you shandy drinking soft twat?

 

[BlueHammer85]

So we can no longer ask anyone where they are from?

sure, but with a bit more sensitivity

if the answer is UK... you don't reply 'no, where are you really from ?'

 

[Phil1]

Curiouser and curiouser as Alice once said.

 

[bluenova]

So we can no longer ask anyone where they are from?

Of course, and if the answer is Hackney, you accept that.

Continually asking someone who is British and was born in this country "where they are from" until finally you decide that they're "from" another country, is where the lack of sensitivity comes in.

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

It can only be a positive

people will approach the 'where do you come from' to a black person with a bit more sensitivity going forward

No they won‘t. They’ll just stop talking to them, which can’t be the intention, surely?