World Cultural Diversity Day. Black In The Day
Warning. Contains language some may find offensive. To be fair all of yous should find the offensive language offensive, if not, you really need to have a quiet word with yourself.
Today is World Cultural Diversity Day (that’s so White). The World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (full title, that’s so White) celebrates not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development (that’s….you get the idea).
To celebrate the day some workplaces encouraged their workers to wear traditional clothes. Based on the estate I live on that would involve wearing them fleecy looking joggers tracksuits that make you look like you’re ready for prison.
Anyway, what better time to reminisce about growing up during Great Britain’s golden age of casual racism, the 1970s/1980s. I’ll leave Northern Ireland outa this one as they had enough to deal with at the time.
I were born and bred (strong in the arm and thick in the head) in a very multi-cultural place. You could call where I live, “diverse city” (I thank-you).
I won’t bore you with how across the way from me mum and dad’s ode house there were a family who had a black dog called Nigger. Although in their defence our street were quite culturally diverse so it obviously weren’t personal. I won’t bore you either with how me and me best mate (a White skinned brother), fed up with hanging out where we lived, opted to hang out elsewhere in the city, and ended up knocking about with a skinhead who were in the National Front. Race relations?
No, what I will bore you with is some of the uniquely British racial slurs (Black Lives Banter?) that were quite common place when I were growing up.
Mind you I do think the person who invented the phrase, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,” had obviously never been surrounded by a bunch of people calling them names. Bullied privilege?
So, on with the show….
Cullud/Coloured
This is an awkward one for me as mum, God rest her soul, used this all the time. Me and the sibs would sit round the table with her (I believe nowadays it would be called an intervention) and politely tell her, “We say, ‘Black’ now mum.” However she would have none of it. Thus proving, if prove be needed, that ode people are racists.
Wog
Who would’ve thought fruit preserve manufacturers Robertson’s would be responsible for triggering Vietnam vet type flashbacks whenever I heard the words “jam” or “marmalade?” And no, explaining that wog apparently stands for White Oriental Gentleman don’t help.
Nig Nog
This one’s quite clever. Calling you nigger and wog without actually calling you. Over egging the racist pudding much?
Noggin the Nog
This one may have been unique to our school’s Tardy twins. Not their real names. Must protect the innocent and all that…. On one hand it’s quite flattering to be compared to a children’s cartoon Viking. On the other hand it’s actually a smart spin on nig nog. A bit like how ‘Alt Right’ is a smart spin on ‘fascist bastud.’
Blacky Sambo
This one perhaps pointed to a more enlightened future when there would exist ‘Whitey Samboes.’ Slightly related to this I still get the mild quivers whenever I hear the name ‘Nottingham School of Samba.’ Although that might actually be down to the music they play.
Black Bastud/Black Bastard
This one was an elaborate trap. You reply with “White Bastud!” and are immediately in a verbally abusive arms race where you quickly run outa ammo once you say “Honky!”
Black c***
I’ve never been called this. In fact the only time I’ve ever been called c*** were at work. Some years ago I were a Union Rep, and a fellow union member, a woman well known for her love of the expletive, were chatting to a new starter. I overheard her say to him, “You should ask the union.” Upon seeing me and wishing to ask for my assistance she shouted, “Oi c***!” Feminism eh?
