True allegiances
In an earlier version of the controversial incident that happened in the US White House, regarding the non inclusive attitude expressed by the current American president towards Africans and Haitians, I can remember a question that was publicly asked several years ago, by a senior British Conservative politician, about the true allegiances of Britons of Black and Minority Ethnic heritages.
“If England was playing cricket against the West Indies (India, Pakistan etc) which team would they support?”, he asked.
I wonder who Winston Churchill would have supported in the Olympic Games, since his mother was American. There are many folks with mixed backgrounds who should also be asked this same question.
The subtext in this fellow’s infamous comment is the idea that only people of Caucasian heritages can identify fully with British nationality. Perhaps there is another side to this subtext that he wasn’t aiming to examine.
Due to the fact the Britain and other European nations were complicit in raping, pillaging and exploiting the people, land and resources of Black and Minority Ethnic folks in the not too distant past, is it possible that there is a lingering feeling of resentment from “people of colour” and guilt from some of the beneficiaries of imperialism, colonialism and slavery?
Is there a reset button somewhere that can be pressed, so we can all just get on with our lives?
