Frankly, I have no idea, and my use of the term ‘racialist’ is deliberate. The word ‘racist’ strictly refers to acknowledging the existence of different races. To be racialist means to be prejudiced. But playing with words does not address the issue. And the issue is that, apparently all white people are racialist, it is ‘internalised’ and exists at the cellular level. All this is according to the new aide, Genevieve Roth, to their Royal Wokenesses Meghan and Harry. She claims she had no idea that she was prejudiced until she married a black man. Surely, the fact that she married a black man must have given her a hint that she was not racially prejudiced. I am obviously missing something here.
What I am not missing is that Ms Holt is tacitly accusing me and all white people of being racialist. We cannot help it as it is, essentially, genetically programmed. Therefore, we are all incurably racialist. This is in fact a discriminatory notion. It is prejudiced against white people. It also demonstrates a considerable lack of logic, verging on utter stupidity, on behalf of Ms Holt. If we are incurable, how has she been cured? If she is not cured, then how can her husband bear to be with her? It all makes not a shred of sense.
It seems that enlightenment may only be possible by marrying a black person. But most of us will never do that, not because we are prejudiced but because we were foolish enough to fall in love with and marry someone who happened to be white. Without some compulsion, I do not envisage a spate of divorces between white couples as they go their separate ways in search of the kind of enlightenment that is only available by marrying a black person.
Despite unconscious bias testing having been discredited, I am quite prepared to accept that I may be racially prejudiced at the cellular level provided Ms Holt is willing to accept that it matters not a jot. I am many things at the cellular level. As a heterosexual male I am incurably attracted to pretty women. But also, as a happily married man and law-abiding citizen, I know where my bread is buttered. I can control my instincts and do not pursue women—Benny Hill style—around the local woods. I have many prejudices of which I am aware and many of which I may not be aware. But I was brought up to treat people equally and to be nice to people. That is the default setting most people have. We do not need to be awakened to incipient or latent racial prejudice and we do not need any lectures from Ms Holt or other highly privileged people who have little idea of what life for the majority—black or white—is really like.
Clearly, I acknowledge the existence of racial prejudice and the effect it has on people’s careers, lives and mental health. I would not, under any circumstances, wish to trivialise or over-simplify the issue. I leave that to the likes of Genevieve Roth.
Opinions from the Unity News Network (UNN) editorial team & various contributors. | UNN always clearly distinguishes between news and opinion pieces and as an open minded outlet we publish views from a variety of people and organisation that do not necessarily reflect the views of UNN or its writers. Articles published under UNN Opinions are always opinion pieces and if published on behalf of a contributor will contain that authors name at the start of the piece.
