Explainer
What comments led to racism charge and royal
resignation?
Charity founder Ngozi Fulani felt violated after Lady
Susan Hussey’s ‘deeply regrettable comments’. Here’s why
Aamna
Mohdin
@aamnamohdin
Thu 1 Dec
2022 14.45 GMT
The royal
family has been embroiled in another racism scandal following the resignation
of Lady Susan Hussey after making “unacceptable and deeply regrettable
comments” to a black charity boss during a Buckingham Palace reception.
Ngozi
Fulani, the founder of the charity Sistah Space, said Hussey left her feeling
violated after she allegedly took her lock and moved it away from her badge,
then repeatedly questioned her about where she “really came from”.
The palace
described the remarks as “unacceptable and deeply regretable”. A spokesperson
for Prince William said “racism has no place in our society”.
Fulani
described the encounter as abusive and an attempt by Hussey to try to make her
denounce her British citizenship. The incident on Tuesday, at a reception on
gender-based violence, was witnessed by Mandu Reid, the leader of the Women’s
Equality party, and another charity representative.
Fulani
posted about the interaction on social media. Here is a breakdown of the
exchange and an explanation of why it has led to accusations of racism.
Fulani
alleged that Hussey took her lock and moved it out of the way to see the name
on her badge. Anti-racist campaigners have long argued that touching someone’s
hair without their permission, particularly a black person’s hair, is offensive
and discriminatory as it feeds into the “othering” of black people.
The
academic and writer Emma Dabiri wrote about this in her first book Don’t Touch
My Hair: “Generally, black people know our hair takes time and effort to do so
they don’t usually try and put their grubby hands up in it. I think there is
also more of an awareness of boundaries and personal space, as well as the
enduring, if these days mostly implicit, awareness that our hair has a
spiritual significance.”
Fulani felt
the same. She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “She just made a beeline for me,
and she took my locks and moved it out of the way so that she could see my name
badge. That’s a no-no. I wouldn’t put my hands in someone’s hair, and
culturally it’s not appropriate.”
‘No, what part of Africa are you from?’
Fulani
claimed after she was repeatedly asked about her origins, that Hussey asked her
what part of the African continent she was from. It is offensive and ignorant
to assume that because someone is black, they have come from the African
continent.
In response
to being asked which African country she was from, Fulani responded that she
didn’t know as “they didn’t leave any records”. She was pointing to the slave
trade, in which millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas
and the Caribbean. It was the largest forced migration in human history. Many
descendants of enslaved people are unaware of their ancestors’ origins as
detailed records of people’s names and origins were not kept.
‘No, but
what nationality are you?’
When Fulani
said she was from the UK, she alleged Hussey then asked her to clarify her
nationality. A nationality is the sovereign country a person belongs to. The
implication is that Fulani is not a British national and because of her
appearance and skin colour she must be a national of another country.
‘No, but where do you really come from? Where do your
people come from?’
Asking
someone where they are from can be a harmless question, but it depends on the
context: how it is asked, to whom, and the response given. In this case, Fulani
alleged she was asked where she is “really from” and where “your people” come
from.
This line of
questioning again suggests that because of their skin colour or appearance,
they cannot genuinely be from the UK. It can make someone feel as if they don’t
belong or have a right to be in the country. These feelings can be compounded
when asking someone about their “people” when they have made it clear they are
British and identify as such. When later interviewed, Fulani echoed this when
she said she felt the questions were “trying to make me unwelcome in my own
space”.
It is also
particularly racially insensitive to ask where someone is from once they have
already answered the question.
‘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?’
The refusal
to accept the answer given to this at-times fraught question can lead to
allegations of racism.
Fulani also
alleged that she was asked when she first came to the UK, which many feel is a
galling question to be asked when you are from the country.
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