In the aftermath of Meghan and Harry’s groundbreaking sit-down interview with Oprah, the reaction among some has been to scramble to find excuses and to explain away instances of racism.
One of the most disconcerting revelations of the interview was the conversation that Meghan says happened between Harry and a member of his family, in which someone shared ‘concerns’ about the possible skin tone of her unborn child.
Discussing this on Loose Women, one white panelist, Jane Moore, suggested that the comments may have been nothing more than simple curiosity, no different to questioning whether or not the baby would have ginger hair.
She went on to say that it ‘could have just been a causally racist comment.’
The ‘just’ in this statement is telling. It implies that a ‘casually racist’ comment is in some ways less harmful than regular racism.
But, what is ‘casual’ racism? And is it possible to separate racism into hierarchical categories, with some forms being less damaging than others?
Is ‘casual’ racism somehow more acceptable?
‘The concept of “casual” racism implies that racism exists on a spectrum,’ says writer and anti-racism campaigner Alexander Leon.
‘It suggests that at one end of the spectrum there is overt, intentional racism, which is deplorable, and at the other end sits covert, unintentional racism – which is excusable.’
This, Alexander says, is the problem. The idea that certain instances of racism are excusable, or less damaging, due to the intention behind that behaviour.
‘Racism does come in many forms,’ says Alexander, ‘but the form that your racism takes has no bearing on its ability to cause suffering.
‘Nor is there anything casual about denigrating another human being based solely on the colour of their skin.
‘Nor is any racist act excusable – even when done unintentionally, covertly, or implicitly.’
He adds that this so-called spectrum of racism – where ‘casual’ forms are less harmful – exists only ‘in the minds of white people’, and reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of what racism is and what it feels like.
‘I don’t need to know whether someone intended to be racist to me or not to know that it hurt,’ he explains. ‘Often, it’s far from my mind.’
‘When we choose to centre the intentions of a person perpetrating racism, rather than centring on the consequences of their behaviour, the suffering and harm caused to Black and brown people is minimised.
‘The perpetrator becomes the protagonist in the story – they are the one’s who enjoy the privilege of being humanised.’
Alexander argues that excusing forms of racism as ‘casual’, ‘minor’, or ‘unintentional’ is a link in the chain of wider structural racism that exists in society. That the deeper structural and socioeconomic inequalities faced by Black and minority ethnic groups in the UK are frequently overlooked in a similar manner.
‘The concept of “casual racism” is a symptom of a culture that elevates white intentionality above Black and brown suffering,’ says Alexander.
Following the ‘casual’ comment from the Loose Women panelist, Charlene White – the only Black member of the panel on that day – countered by saying that the conversation between the royals was unlikely just simple curiosity, as Meghan explicitly mentioned there were ‘concerns’ over the baby’s skin tone.
Does labeling this interaction as ‘casual’ racism, rather than just calling it racism, provide an easy excuse this kind of behaviour without rigorously examining the motivations behind what has actually been said, or the damaging impact of those words?
‘”Casual” is not a good word to use with regards to racism,’ says Binna Kandola, senior partner at diversity & inclusion consultancy Pearn Kandola.
‘It suggests that the person is not only relaxed about what they’re saying, but also unconcerned about the impact their words are having.
‘It’s important to distinguish between someone’s intentions and their impact. Calling it “casual” seems to imply that the person didn’t mean anything by it. The focus then is on trying to get us to see it from the speaker’s point of view.’
Using this language creates a subtle, but important shift in focus, say Binna. This is dangerous because it can undermine the very real and very damaging impact of experiencing racism.
‘We need to work harder to try to understand the perspective of those who are on the receiving end of racist comments,’ says Binna. ‘By doing this we can then see in a very clear way the difference between intentions and impact.
‘By having a full grasp of the situation, we can all learn how to be more respectful in the conversations we are having, and to recognise the potential impact we may be having on others.’
Racism does come in different forms, and presents itself in many different ways. Some are harder to spot than others.
There is overt racism – that can be loud, obvious and sometimes violent, systemic and institutional racism – that is insidious and prevents ethnic minorities from progressing in their education and careers, there are microaggressions – the subtle, underhand instances of day-to-day hostility that can be tricky to identify and call out.
There is anti-Black racism – racial discrimination levelled specifically against Black people, and also colourism – which is a form of racism that privileges people with lighter skin within a minoritised group.
It’s important to understand these different forms of racism, how they manifest in the real world, and how they impact different groups of people.
But it’s also important to understand that none of these forms of racism are ‘casual’, and none of them should be dismissed as unimportant or innocuous.
The impact of racial discrimination on people from ethnic minority groups shouldn’t be devalued or explained away, particularly by those with no lived experience of racism.
The State of Racism
This series is an in-depth look at racism in the UK in 2020 and beyond.
We aim to look at how, where and why individual and structural racism impacts people of colour from all walks of life.
It's vital that we improve the language we have to talk about racism and continue the difficult conversations about inequality - even if they make you uncomfortable.
We want to hear from you - if you have a personal story or experience of racism that you would like to share get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk
Do you have a story to share? We want to hear from you.
Get in touch: metrolifestyleteam@metro.co.uk.
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Harry and Meghan's Oprah interview: Key moments
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have spoken to Oprah Winfrey in a bombshell interview about their decision to step back as senior working members of the Royal Family.
Here are the key points from the interview, which UK viewers can watch at 9pm on ITV on Monday, March 8.
- Meghan says it was Kate who made her cry over flower girls, not other way round
- Meghan says Harry was told there were ‘concerns how dark’ Archie would be
- Harry and Meghan reveal the gender of their baby due in summer
- Meghan sobs as she says pressures of royal life drove her to the verge of suicide
- Prince Charles stopped taking Harry’s calls after he quit Royal Family
- Harry says Meghan saved him from being ‘trapped’ like Prince Charles and Prince William are
- Princess Diana would be ‘sad and angry about how this has panned out'
- Meghan and Harry share adorable new video of son Archie at the beach
- Harry confirms terrible rift with William and says their relationship is now just ‘space’
- Queen ‘ghosted Harry during Megxit talks and got aide to say she was too busy’
source https://metro.co.uk/2021/03/10/why-casual-racism-doesnt-exist-and-shouldnt-be-used-as-an-excuse-14214780/
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