Phrases and words that link negativity with blackness and positivity with whiteness – such as “black mood”, “dark times” or “whiter than white” – reinforce racist connotations and should be avoided, an anti-racism initiative has recommended.
Oh. This again...
Dr Sanjiv Lingayah, the director of Reframing Race, a non-profit research-based initiative, and co-author of the report, said: “The conversation on racism is stuck. With our trailblazing research we have been able to show how different messages on race and racism affect a mainstream audience.
“The upside is that new ways of talking about racism can lead to new ways of listening. This guidance provides a foundation from which advocates can be confident they are contributing positively to discussion, avoiding pitfalls and tropes, and moving others towards an anti-racist position.”
It doesn't sound very new to me. Does it to you, Reader?
What about all the epithets that are levelled against whites by non-whites. Are they included in the proposed purging of the English language?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking with my professional hat on, this looks like another fusillade in the war against, among other things, English literature; the classic texts will become almost unteachable if, every time you reach a reference to the contrast between light and dark, you are obliged to stop and intone the appropriate pious condemnations of the author’s attitudes and choice of language. Sadly, this report provides exactly the sort of virtue-signalling opportunity senior staff will rush to embrace.
ReplyDeleteYou’re right that’s it’s nothing new - it’s over thirty years since we were ordered to refer to ‘chalk-boards’ in the classroom to avoid giving offence - but, with today’s heavy bias in the curriculum towards post-colonial writing and the work of African or Caribbean poets, the impact of restricting language in this way means that it is likely future pupils will leave school entirely ignorant of this country’s rich and unparalleled literary heritage.
Well, fair enough, they'll leave ignorant of biology, maths, etc as well!
DeleteMy bank account is in the black, what have I done wrong?
ReplyDeleteNot sent your bank account details to someone in Nigeria?
DeleteHeh!
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