Society
Fight for the future of Birmingham, or let the racists win
Published 10 April 2000
Birmingham seems to be hotting up, bubbling and backfiring. First, there was the vicious attack in that city on Chris Cotter, the white boyfriend of the black athlete Ashia Hansen. His enemies attempted to scalp him, Geronimo-style. Then, as if to declare it was no one-off event, his assailants coolly warned three other athletes, via their association, that they could expect similar treatment.
Obviously they wanted everybody to know that this was an organised thrust from the far right. The right-wing groups seem to want to kill two birds with one stone. First, they don't like the parade of black athletes wrapped in the Union Jack. Black is British sticks in the throats of the fascists. Second, they don't like mixed race relationships, which imply racial harmony. This last foray into Birmingham is an attempt by terrorists to whip up sentiment against the general advances we have made on the racial issue.
Birmingham threatens to be very murky waters indeed. With the collapse of BMW's Rover plant and with the ensuing mass of unemployed, the far right will attempt to sow the seeds of racial discord. The competition for a dwindling number of jobs is going to be fierce.
Quite recently, I travelled through England while making White Tribe, a documentary series for Channel 4. Generally, the population appeared reasonably comfortable with the black and Asian communities in England. There were two examples of the opposite. When I went to Dover and Oldham, I found a cold and brutal racism expressed through the frustrations of the unemployed. Once a thriving port, Dover is now a place one merely passes through. Doverians are a defeated race. The appearance of asylum-seekers and a ruthless far-right activism brought the place back to life in the hunt against foreigners.
Likewise Oldham, once thriving with textile mills, has been reduced to a shadow of its former self. In the good times, Pakistanis and locals worked together producing textiles for the local and foreign markets. Now, the Taiwanese and Koreans produce at lower wages. In the changed circumstances, locals are violently hostile to Pakistanis. A covert racial conflict is being fought by the day. Combat 18 activists are building a capacity for war and the Pakistanis are prepared to retaliate. This is no scaremongering, trust me.
We need to avoid a similar situation in Birmingham. First, the future of the West Midlands must also be the responsibility of blacks and Asians, not just whites. We have to be seen to participate at all levels. Bill Morris, the head of the Transport and General Workers' Union, is already at the helm. But popular figures, such as cricketers, footballers and athletes, must be mobilised in an attempt at resurgence. The Pentecostal churches (so favoured by West Indians), the Muslim mosque and the Hindu mandir must all gather their forces. Local whites must be made to understand that we are moving side by side with them in all attempts to stave off the impending economic doom. I am not speaking here of anti-racism. That is only a minuscule part of the whole. We need to be proactive, not reactive.
Second, official bodies need to step up their fight against right-wing terrorism. The police squad that has been formed, under John Grieve at the Metropolitan Police, against racial attacks must become a national body. The intelligence services, now free from the cold war and partially free from the Irish struggle, must also play a part.
The task is huge. But we have much on our side. Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, has set the anti-racist agenda. Even detractors of Tony Blair's regime cannot deny ministers' sincerity in this regard.
No whingeing here, no "Britain is a racist society" jibes; we need all hands on deck. As I wrote last week: there is more to Britain than racism, and more to blacks and Asians than anti-racism.
Post this article to
We want to encourage people to comment on our content and to exchange views with other readers and hope this will be done on a courteous basis. However, if you encounter posts which are offensive please let us know by emailing comments@newstatesman.co.uk and we will take swift action where necessary.
