Riots reveal ‘retro racism’ resurgence

It has been over a month since the riots took place. For a brief moment in time its impact was very similar to the hurricanes which plague North America and the Caribbean at this time of year. Today the memory of the riots, which for many in society were thought of as a bad dream, is a distant memory for some people and many are moving on.

Reviewing and reflecting on the various debates in the media from political pundits and commentators there is now a growing trend over the last ten years which I would describe as ‘retro racism’: where Victorian-style moral panic debates are used to describe, in particular, the black communities’ life style, cultural reference points and historical relationships with wider society as mad, bad and dangerous.

I think everyone now recognises that the victims and rioters reflected are a wide cross-section of society, which makes the analysis and debate on the subject more complicated and challenging compared with various riots over the past 30 years.

What we need is a non judgemental perspective in understanding and exploring the causes and potential consequences of the riots and to address this through clear and focused changes around public policy.

However, the big question is will the proposed independent panel, the brain child of Nick Clegg and the Chair Darra Singh, the Chief Executive of Job Centre Plus, provide some of the answers that we are seeking to address in terms of the big issues around young people, policing, race relations,  social and economic inequality and the impact of globalisation.

I must admit I have big reservations in this process, especially as the panel is not that independent. How can you have a Chair who runs Jobcentre Plus, a government agency which is at the forefront of implementing the government’s welfare reforms? It needs to demonstrate how it will support people from disadvantaged communities in getting employment especially in areas where unemployment levels like Hackney, Tottenham, Lambeth, Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham are double the national average.

How can the panel be described as grass roots when the membership does not reflect the cultural diversity and young people affected by the riots? And how will the panel demonstrate that it will not be a cosmetic exercise in community engagement and political expediency? Will the panel simply rehearse arguments that all rioters are morally deficient, whilst explore a new definition on community cohesion and recommend another community reparation/pay back scheme?

For these reasons a number of grass roots organisations and activities have already decided to boycott the panel process. It would not surprise me if we see the growth in alternative riot panels up and down the country looking at a wide range of issues from community cohesion, public health, young people, criminal justice, community resilience and social capital.

Using the government language and policy around Big Society and localism, why can’t local communities and groups of interest develop their own panel on inequalities instead of waiting for a report which may add very little value to local communities and neighbourhoods? Why can’t local authorities in partnership with local grass roots community organisations develop their own independent reports so this can be debated in Parliament, Council Chambers and Youth Parliament Forums?

It is disappointing and an indictment on the Coalition government that they did not establish a public inquiry to reflect the seriousness of the situation. Thus, this independent panel is merely a shadow or silhouette compared to the Scarman, Cantle and MacPherson inquiries which had the credibility and clout to call for evidence, cross examine key agencies and organisations with clear recommendations which forced all political parties to take seriously. These inquiries have shaped public policy development over the last 30 years.

No inquiry processed will solve the problem. But they provide a mirror that society can hold itself to and reflect. The riots in August further reveal cracks in the looking glass of this country which stem from the time of the breakup of the British Empire. What those cracks highlight is the biggest social divide in society in terms of race, class, and gender. They demonstrate that we are a long way off from a post-racial society.

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• Groovybear

  He doesnt have to justify anything. I grew up on estates with very  little money in my pocket (my first wage packet was less than ten pounds) and I too saw injustices around me. And we knew about poverty and police brutality. I know I did. But we didnt go about beating up on the police or looting shops. Sorry but your post is just looking to justify criminal behaviour.

  Young people: be they  black, white, yellow and it’s whinge, whinge, whinge… 
  Get yourself sorted mate.

• majxxx

  I agree with you, I was asking him to justify his excuses for the riots.

• Groovybear

  Were there non whites involved? Strange because  since the riots ended I’ve only seen pictures of  Starkey’s  erm , white chavs in the tabloids (and the good old Guardian of course). Don’t forget  there is no knife crime either  that involves  non whites, nor receiving  stolen property, or drug dealing, or benefit fraud. I know cos the media and the BBC told me so.  Funnily enough though in those areas still homogenously white/British, I heard there were no riots at all.

• Marciabrixton

  I apologise, but I feel compelled to take a diversion to close a ‘debate’. 
  I have observed some extreme and perverse comments below that are strongly worrying and dangerous. I’ve also noted that there is a certain profile that makes it their duty to crawl out from under their rocks, whenever there is a discussion that involves Black people or that community. Their “automatic target”. I have seen it in the police, the civil service, local authority managers, the government, shop-keepers and some individuals below. These people, like the sick murderer Anders Brevik are borderline delusional individuals who are spoiling for the “Great fight” or battle. This is a wrong and dangerous approach – Cool it! 

• mannin

  No black people were involved in the riots, honest. We demand an enquiry, then we can boycott it. I blame Thatcher.

• Marciabrixton

  Give me a break.  Everybody and their mate jumps on the backs of  full Black people to advance their cause. The latest are the Irish Gypsies who are defended by the the ‘Romany’ and ‘gypsy’ brigade who have usurped the UN committee for the elimination of racial discrimination. Every freak in the village use Black people’s backs as a foot stool to their political advancement. We all know that asians-muslims-hindus-sikhs, nepalese, etc,  have been doing it for decades.  And yet, they all claim that there is no such thing as racism, they themselves are not racist and they have never met a racist yet in their entire lives! And God-forbid if a Black person who has been a victim of racism should ever cry out. The usual response is call the police (i.e. every Black person is a crook, prostitute, thief, mentally ill or a flat-foot criminal). Even the mixed-raced are using full Black people as a cover for their goings on. The common factor with all of these all of the above is racism. They couldn’t give a fig if a Black person is harmed, falsely imprisoned, killed, murdered, disappeared, robbed, raped, mugged, stolen from, defamed or tortured. The silence is deafening. But, what a kerfuffle, when an asian shop-keeper claims such and such, or a muslim says that they are the victims of ‘islamopobia’. With legislation set up to pay foreign victims damages for torture, and lawyers falling over themselves to defend ‘brown’ people, there is a clear case of the government being culpable for the gross racism doled out to the Black community. And lets not forget the slavery argument – even refugees are receiving damages for ’slavery’ in this country. But the real victims of historical slavery have their mouths stopped, and even their lives taken away from them by this government. So no wonder illiterate fools like ‘mannin’ (oh how I laughed at the pun on Bernard) have got talk on the issue. As I’ve said before, every piece of slime, nut and dirt feels free to attempt to soil on full Black people. It’s got to stop. I am aware of government officials, parliamentary staff, ministers, the CPS and other deliberately blocking Black race cases coming through the courts, so that Britain can present itself as the ‘gentlemen and women’ of the world. the opposite is true. Ander Brevik’s case proved that with his links to Britain’s white supremicists. Even white psychopathic nuts are jumping on Black people’s backs and now claiming that they are being discriminated against. That is demonstration of badly this argument is being handled in the UK. All sensible people see it, and are embarrassed by it. I am not aware of any successful race case being brought by a full Black person of any substance. However, the successful legal action is guaranteed to come!

• Groovybear

  What did you think of those black people we saw pictured  in the papers seen stripping down the white male and the white female? Surely only a black man  with a chip on his shoulder would go and mug ‘the man’ when there are all those shops ‘open’ everywhere for the taking. Dont go crying racism to me. If that had been white boys doing it to blacks there would have been hell to pay. And no condemnation from the black community about its people targetting  white people for booty. One dead white man  in Ealing. Nothing said  – no apologies. You even got your carnival  after  all that. Go away.

• Groovybear

  Marciabrixton doesnt get any of her comments crossed out though does she? Wonder why that would be (not). Not to worry. Doubt many people even read this blog.

• Marciabrixton

  Don’t be silly! I am not advocating anyone goes around “stripping” or killing people. As for the riots, if one looks at English history, one will find that Britain is rich with the history of ‘riots’ up and down the country. ‘Riots’ that were carried out by a body of white people. But I don’t want to be distracted or bogged down by petty details and unreasonable references to race. The fact is that in all instances, the ‘rioters’ were described in the most despicable ways, and retribution and revenge was doled out on them all. By the way, I’d like a question answered. Millwall football club – was it not started by a group of Scotsmen and is therefore, fundamentally a Scottish club? And where did you learn that odd ‘Black’ twang? From some strange ‘urban’ video? You need to get your money back!

• Marciabrixton

  I note that after my submissions this “slavery” story was rushed out. Good try, but Britain is still the most racist country in the world for full Black West-Indians to live – fact! This ’slavery’ legislation was incorporated in the Justice & Coroners Act (inter alia).Very good!

  I note that all the organisations involved are totally racist. Slavery International, Crown Prosecution Service, Judges, Magistrates, CAFOD, Liberty, etc, etc. I must do a comparison.

  These people make the EDL-BNP-NF look like school children.

  At least they come onto websites like this and threaten full Black people up front. That fool who recently threatened Black people with bombs, etc, on this string, at least had the manners to do so publicly. Those mentioned above, do it “legally”, using the law and legislation to cover their backs when they torture and abuse Black people in this country.

  This country is so determined to cover-up the legacy of slavery and its true victims (full Black people of caribbean descent and background) that they are even prepared to make themselves look stupid on the international stage and reintroduce the notion of “slavery” in the year 2011. Then they (the Britiah state) can pretend that they are ‘fighting’ ’slavery’.

  However, it does not take rocket science to see where the paper trail leads. As I said, this country should brace itself for the case of cases in terms of the results of the slavery legacy. And by the way, the racist that enquired why my submission are not erased (and some have), is because I am famous and excellent at what I do – simple. The state won’t send someone to come and speak to me, “because they don’t speak to Blacks”, and neither can they publicly “acknowledge”. You do the maths!