#blacklivesmatter racism is a human problem

Yeah the main counterargument seems to be it's the umbrella term for Maori, Aboriginal, Inuit, etc which I get but it seems to cloud things somewhat

Britain has seen continuous migration over thousands of years, whereas North American populations had little contact with Europe over hundreds of years. When the 'Celts' arrived in Britain 3,000 years ago (as is currently estimated), they will have been newcomers, undoubtedly not without conflict, to be added to by plenty of migration from throughout the Roman Empire (numerous finds attest to that), until the Saxons came, then the Normans, and people were very mobile in the Middle Ages:

In the 15th century approximately one in every ten people in England was foreign-born, and in London it was one in six.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zyrymnb/revision/1

Despite the high level of migration then, it's still hard to compare it to the volume of migration into the Americas. Obviously, that, too, didn't start to happen at the press of a button, but grew over centuries; it was still more sudden than the history of immigration into Britain. Perhaps medieval immigration into Britain can be compared somewhat to immigration into the US during the 20th century, but European populations have always mixed irrespective of major waves caused by wars. We also know that there have always been many black Britons, long before Africans became the main targets of slavers. It's funny how creatures who evolved to walk upright on two legs have a tendency to move about the place. :)

Thanks for the response Oliver, basically the best version I've heard against me claiming indigenous-ness (indigenality...?) to England. It makes sense for the word not to mean much when there has been continuous historical migration to and from a country or region. Even claiming European indigenous-ness doesn't make much sense as yes we've had migrants from Africa, middle East and Asia since millenia so what would that really mean? It still irks my spectrum side that loves a strict definition so someone being in England and saying they're indigenous...to Samoa would feel weird to me but I could live with it

I'm still 6th gen Londoner though so I might hold on to that for a while lol

https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/blog/bame-thoughts-on-a-name/#:~:text=BIPOC%20%E2%80%93%20this%20is%20a%20very,/Indigenous/People%20of%20Colour.

I have also seen this brought up a few times. The definition can be linked to a coloniser/colonised dynamic and if you are of the nation that historically colonised you can't be considered indigenous

Aye, it's been nearly a thousand years since England was agressively colonised. I do like to tease gammons with the notion that this is also how long it's been since they had an English monarch; since 1066 it's been Vikings with French accents, same but also part Welsh (the Tudors), a Spaniard, Scots, Dutch, Germans and German-Greeks.

since 1066 it's been Vikings with French accents, same but also part Welsh (the Tudors), a Spaniard, Scots, Dutch, Germans and German-Greeks.

And the English King then only did about 20 years after taking over from some Viking Cnut and his kids.

The Philip of Spain reference really annoys them. Bonus rage points for explaning that many of those monarchs saw England as a minor part of their possessions and spent as little time here as possible.

And that those pesky Angles, Saxons and Jutes were all from around Germany anyway and they're better off looking for ancestry in Wales, Ireland or Brittany if they feel strongly about these kind of things.

In a similar vein I like explaining how 'Great' Britain was actually a fuckery like 'Oh you are greater Bretagne now'once they had a pop at us and won

When you come from a different European countries education system you get a a snap shot of the way the Catholic church divided up south America. While dividing up Africa brought great riches.

So great is very selective, as it is on the shoulders of oppression and quite a bit of ethnic cleansing.

Great just means bigger as far as Britain goes, with Brittany being little Britain, but not that one.

Yep sorry my point was it doesn't mean great like that at all, in fact kind of the opposite

Hello, I got what you meant. I'm just chatting, have experienced UK and Italian schools.

Never got the right wing comments when Britain was great. Great at ethnic cleansing, slavery stealing resources.

Ok cool, thankfully I've had a large immigrant friendship group and have been regaled with many similar tales that have helped combat the English curriculum propaganda and your aforementioned British exceptionalism. Yep exactly, harking back to'when Britain ruled a third of the world' as if that wasn't accomplished and maintained by cunty cunt moves that are still having repercussions today, yes mate how 'great' we were...ffs

Great doesn't have to mean good. We were awesome.

Now you're just being snotty.

Black history month is great example of shut the fuck up and listen/read. Should be part of the curriculum. Was an ignorant whiteish European, and I was working in Lambeth with the black cultural archive. Did not understand/comprehend why they were there (yeah I was that level of ignorant as there is a whole bit of history I was not taught, which made me ashamed. Used to spend many hours learning and being amazed at the white washing) had no idea who Mary secole was till I read and was taught. She did more than Florence nightingale. If you disagree read up what both did.
I never knew till I worked with black cultural archives. Hence my agreement with a minimum of black history quarter, as a month is not enough to give honour and appreciation to what black people did as part of our society. Oh I did the reading as I couldn't believe that this was so hidden.
That is why black history month is so important, as my ignorance is no excuse to be able to learn. Never knew I could sit through an hour talk and genuinely as how I could learn more, as the information was so much beyond I could accept. Reading up showed how many lies I was taught.

Do I sound like I'm being an old white arsehole.

As captain Blackadder said so well, easier to beat a country when you have guns and they have sharpened sticks.

just seen this ,would be interested to see how it when ?

Thank you for your reflection .I think its really important that non black people do the shadow work or BHM is and continues to be a paper exercise .

Listening to BBC Radio 4 medicine, blood transfusions, despite all the prejudice in America, this incredible man truly prevailed

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_R._Drew

The segregation of blood banks on racial grounds took the American Red Cross a very long time to apologise.

Ebony-Jewel Cora-Lee Camellia Rosamond Rainford-Brent on desert island discs.. possibly the best episode this year..

Have no idea who any of those women are?

You joke Corny, one person..

Ebony’s mum and brothers are absolutely solid.. bad playlist.. the poignant moment is her reaction and pain shared with Michael Holding in the wake of BLM, which could have ended her broadcasting career.. and heartbreak of losing one of her brothers to knife crime. Just to have understanding around living in the UK surrounded by prejudice, backing oneself, having a voice for change and better lives for all..

late edit
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/cg7rr4g3kvzo.amp