Starkey believes that young black people must choose between doing the right thing and their own identity and culture. That is wicked.
“Children can’t achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black youth with a book is acting white.” – Barack Obama, 2004 Democratic National Convention
“That a substantial section of the chavs…have become black, the whites have become black, a particular sort of violent destructive nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion… this language which is wholly false which is a Jamacian patois which has been intruded in England… it’s not skin colour its cultural… listen to David Lammy, an achetypical successful black man, if you turned the screen off so you were listening to him on radio you’d think he was white.” – David Starkey, 12 August 2011 Newsnight
At the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama alluded to a destructive phenonemon among America’s black communities: A small minority among those communities excusing lack of educational dedication and aspiration by terming such behavior as ‘acting white’.
I am no expert on American black culture, and Obama may have been attacking a straw man. But a brief glimpse of black culture on both sides of the Atlantic shows how the idea that the then congressman from Illinios was tackling, is pure rubbish.
In every generation, the black community in this country have produced figures, from across the political and cultural spectrum, whose words and deeds declare a clear message of bettering yourself through education and living up to your responsibilities, from Learie Constantine and C.L.R. James, to David Lammy, Diane Abbott and Shaun Bailey today.
What Starkey and those that Obama looked to take on do have in common, is that, according to their worldview, young black people must choose between doing the right thing and their own identity and culture. That doing something they may have pride in is ‘acting white’.
Such an outlook is historically and cultural ignorant. It may be not too far to suggest that it is wicked and has the capacity to be incredibly destructive. And anyone who espouses it should be ashamed of themselves. Starkey would do well to listen to the petitioners and apologise.
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22 Responses to “What Starkey and those he claims to despise have in common”
Richard Gadsden
Barack Obama was never a congressman. In 2004, he was an Illinois State Senator and then was elected to the US Senate that November, taking office the following January.
Bootsy
Hands up who has watched Ali G and didn’t find it offensive (in terms of what Ali G actually is and not his actions).
Ali G represents the comical side of what Starkey is saying, but that’s ok I suppose…
Mister Jabberwock
Why as soon as someone says “black” or “white” do you turn your brains off and shout “racist”.
What Starkey said (taking out, I grant you, provocative language and references) was that there is a “gangster culture” that originated in certain black youth populations and which has been adopted by certain white youth populations as a form of imitation and that this culture was at the heart of many of the riots.
Now is there anything in that statement that is not self evidently accurate?
And is there anything in that statement that is racist?
I think the more questionable thing he said was regarding David Lammy – where he equated an RP-ish accent with “white”
The one thing that is clear is that left has at least one unavoidable knee jerk reaction.
Mister Jabberwock
Daniel – Slight apologies as my comment was really about the general reaction to Starkey, rather than your post as I think you are criticizing the David Lammy part of his remarks more than the ganster culture part a criticism I broadly share.
Crispin
Mr. Sensible
Yes, Mr Mouse, I think I heard enough of Mr Hitchen’s right wing reactionary nonsense when I listened to the program on Saturday to last me a lifetime, thank you.
When Starkey admitted to reading, and subsequently endorsed parts of the ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech I think that said it all.
Another example of reactionary nonsense that has built up following these events.