Editorial

The trouble with "Great Britons"

Thomas Blair

A favourite device of white western societies is to force a Black human being into a more or less artificial class, then accuse the class of grave social disabilities and heinous criminal actions, and condemn them to low status, low pay and low self esteem.

Prime conspirators have been identified as Negrophobic media managers, gatekeepers of national institutions, power brokers and leaders of the public realm.

Although scarcely surprising, it still comes as a shock that Blacks are not found in the distinguished company of the "greats" in British society.

In a BBC sponsored poll, 30,000 people nominated the 100 greatest Britons, based on birth or residence in the British Isles. Then, more than 1.2 million chose their favourite (the winner was Winston Churchill) from the top 10 nominees after their cases were argued in a series of documentaries. All the "Great Briton" nominations were white.

Racialised choice
This result betrays a modern tendency to exclude Blacks and Asians, despite pious claims by some that "we live in a multi-cultural, multi-racial society". White pop stars, comedians, celebrities and millionaires - among them Julie Andrews, Cliff Richard, Charlie Chaplin and Richard Branson of Virgin airlines - shared a roster of "greats" along with the usual royals, soldiers, politicians, scientists and inventors.

Despite claiming a "superb publicity ploy", the worth of the BBC poll is very doubtful. Pop star Robbie Williams was "in" but BBC viewers and listeners didn't nominate Jazzie B whose musical collective Soul II Soul was a 1980s musical hit.

Michael Crawford, the 1970s comedian was included but not Lenny Henry, the comedian who shot to fame after his debut in the 1975 TV talent show New Faces.

Florence Nightingale gained a place in the list but not Mary Seacole, the unsung nursing heroine of the Crimean war.

Sports hero and footballer David Beckham was on the list but why not Ian Wright, TV host and former footballer or Tessa Sanderson, the sportswoman? Why not Frank Bruno, boxing champion, and Linford Christie and Daley Thomson, two of Britain's greatest athletes. What about Nasser Hussain, captain of the English cricket team?

And, among the contemporary figures nominated, why not the activist Claudia Jones, Shamir Ahmed the multi-millionaire clothier, Imran Khan the advocate for social justice, Ismail Merchant the film maker, Bernie Grant parliamentarian and Lord Desai, professor of economics at the London School of Economics?

These are great Britons too.
Indeed, our opinion piece argues: "Non-whites have helped to shape our nation in all areas, from politics to poetry and football to fashion."

Supporting this view are prominent Black leaders: Lee Jasper, race advisor to Ken Livingstone, mayor of London, and Trevor Phillips, chair of the Greater London Assembly, the London governing body. Race-monitoring organisations, such as the Commission for Racial Equality, Operation Black Vote and the Institute of Race Relations, have documented a 200-year stretch of Black and Asian achievements.

Furthermore, our feature article "Freedom's children boost hopes of Black Londoners" draws attention to a roster of Black heroes who have challenged the inglorious tradition of racialised exclusion.

Clearly, the trouble with the BBCs "Great Britons" lists is that they demonstrate widely held prejudices, at worst, and at best a "blind to blacks" syndrome that supports the status quo.

Therefore, advocates for changing public perceptions and challenging racist practices argue that corrective, counter actions are necessary.

Affirmation is important
Why? Well, for one reason, as our Chronicleworld feature puts it: "Young people of colour need role models who reflect their own specific historical identities and situations. Affirming their historic icons gives strength to communities bedevilled by disadvantage and long-starved of positive images".

Moreover, the united advocates for redefining greatness do so in defence of a wider principle which gains them allies in all classes. "Great" men and women, white as well as Black and Asian, should be judged on the quality of their personal life and struggle to defeat the social ills of prejudice and adversity, not merely as movers and shakers in the lily-white tradition.

Prof Thomas L Blair
Editor and publisher
http://www.chronicleworld.org/

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