The Myth of the Angry Black Woman
14th of June was the day that marked what deprivation and marginalisation looks like in modern day Britain. Driving past these blocks I often used to wonder, viagra what it must be like being so poor and living next to the rich? Tower blocks designed to mass house numbers of mainly ethnic working class members, creating urban communities was a way for councils to keep housing crisis under a quantifiable goal. Grenfell Tower located in North Kensington being arms length away from the middle/upper class members of London, who are supposedly the reason why Grenfell had its “refurbishment”. In order to make it too look more appealing, just how House Slaves were made to look a bit more well presented then their peers, to please owners but not as adequate as their owners in the 1870s (and onwards).
Similarly, councillors had the same principle for Grenfell Tower. Asides from Grenfell being a sight for sore eyes, it nor was of enough value to councillors. The residents were cheap to fend for. To use inflammable material it would cost £2 more. This unfortunately didn’t fit with the country’s budget, therefore buying cheap and flammable material draping Grenfell seemed to be ideal. This is what the UK government thought was best and practical when refurbishing the tower.
If only they had actually seen the residents as people instead of numbers. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of ethnic minority tenants. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of low income earners. If only.
To those who say Grenfell tragedy isn’t anything political, it is nothing but a symbol of political dictatorship. The poor are the oppressed in this country, it’s well disguised through our fancy skyscrapers and deceitful speeches. Residents and local people of Kensington numerously voiced their concerns to the council. It’s so hard being heard when your Black, Brown and broke? These rich middle class neighbours must be thinking whilst watching the news. It’s so hard to be given security, we see now the cost of security was somewhat £2 more, according to our government.
Moreover, it hasn’t been a week and already the media is attempting to downplay this corporate mass murder by dumbing down the death toll and giving less news coverage gradually. Great Britain is a country that prides itself in giving stupid 1 minute silences to tragedies caused by usually terrorists or natural disasters. Well where’s our stupid 1 minute silence?! The government hasn’t issued us one. Perhaps if the Grenfell tragedy was an obscenity committed by enemies of the state and not the state itself, we may have have had a chance of receiving better justice, the dead would have received some dignity and the media and government would be on our side.
Written by Hajra Khan
14th of June was the day that marked what deprivation and marginalisation looks like in modern day Britain. Driving past these blocks I often used to wonder, diagnosis what it must be like being so poor and living next to the rich? Tower blocks designed to mass house numbers of mainly ethnic working class members, creating urban communities was a way for councils to keep housing crisis under a quantifiable goal. Grenfell Tower located in North Kensington being arms length away from the middle/upper class members of London, who are supposedly the reason why Grenfell had its “refurbishment”. In order to make it too look more appealing, just how House Slaves were made to look a bit more well presented then their peers, to please owners but not as adequate as their owners in the 1870s (and onwards).
Similarly, councillors had the same principle for Grenfell Tower. Asides from Grenfell being a sight for sore eyes, it nor was of enough value to councillors. The residents were cheap to fend for. To use inflammable material it would cost £2 more. This, unfortunately, didn’t fit with the country’s budget, therefore buying cheap and flammable material draping Grenfell seemed to be ideal. This is what the UK government thought was best and practical when refurbishing the tower.
If only they had actually seen the residents as people instead of numbers. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of ethnic minority tenants. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of low income earners. If only.
To those who say Grenfell tragedy isn’t anything political, it is nothing but a symbol of political dictatorship. The poor are the oppressed in this country, it’s well disguised through our fancy skyscrapers and deceitful speeches. Residents and local people of Kensington numerously voiced their concerns to the council. It’s so hard being heard when your Black, Brown and broke? These rich middle class neighbours must be thinking whilst watching the news. It’s so hard to be given security, we see now the cost of security was somewhat £2 more, according to our government.
Moreover, it hasn’t been a week and already the media is attempting to downplay this corporate mass murder by dumbing down the death toll and giving less news coverage gradually. Perhaps if the Grenfell tragedy was an obscenity committed by enemies of the state and not the state itself, we may have have had a chance of receiving better justice, the dead would have received some dignity and the media and government would be on our side.
Written by Hajra Khan
14th of June was the day that marked what deprivation and marginalisation looks like in modern day Britain. Driving past these blocks I often used to wonder, viagra sale what it must be like being so poor and living next to the rich? Tower blocks designed to mass house numbers of mainly ethnic working class members, pill creating urban communities was a way for councils to keep housing crisis under a quantifiable goal. Grenfell Tower located in North Kensington being arms length away from the middle/upper class members of London, purchase who are supposedly the reason why Grenfell had its “refurbishment”. In order to make it too look more appealing, just how House Slaves were made to look a bit more well presented then their peers, to please owners but not as adequate as their owners in the 1870s (and onwards).
Similarly, councillors had the same principle for Grenfell Tower. Asides from Grenfell being a sight for sore eyes, it nor was of enough value to councillors. The residents were cheap to fend for. To use inflammable material it would cost £2 more. This, unfortunately, didn’t fit with the country’s budget, therefore buying cheap and flammable material draping Grenfell seemed to be ideal. This is what the UK government thought was best and practical when refurbishing the tower.
If only they had actually seen the residents as people instead of numbers. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of ethnic minority tenants. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of low income earners. If only.
To those who say Grenfell tragedy isn’t anything political, it is nothing but a symbol of political dictatorship. The poor are the oppressed in this country, it’s well disguised through our fancy skyscrapers and deceitful speeches. Residents and local people of Kensington numerously voiced their concerns to the council. It’s so hard being heard when your Black, Brown and broke? These rich middle class neighbours must be thinking whilst watching the news. It’s so hard to be given security, we see now the cost of security was somewhat £2 more, according to our government.
Moreover, it hasn’t been a week and already the media is attempting to downplay this corporate mass murder by dumbing down the death toll and giving less news coverage gradually. Perhaps if the Grenfell tragedy was an obscenity committed by enemies of the state and not the state itself, we may have have had a chance of receiving better justice, the dead would have received some dignity and the media and government would be on our side.
Written by Hajra Khan
14th of June was the day that marked what deprivation and marginalisation looks like in modern day Britain. Driving past these blocks I often used to wonder, erectile what it must be like being so poor and living next to the rich? Tower blocks designed to mass house numbers of mainly ethnic working class members, rx creating urban communities was a way for councils to keep housing crisis under a quantifiable goal. Grenfell Tower located in North Kensington being arms length away from the middle/upper class members of London, who are supposedly the reason why Grenfell had its “refurbishment”. In order to make it too look more appealing, just how House Slaves were made to look a bit more well presented then their peers, to please owners but not as adequate as their owners in the 1870s (and onwards).
Similarly, councillors had the same principle for Grenfell Tower. Asides from Grenfell being a sight for sore eyes, it nor was of enough value to councillors. The residents were cheap to fend for. To use inflammable material it would cost £2 more. This, unfortunately, didn’t fit with the country’s budget, therefore buying cheap and flammable material draping Grenfell seemed to be ideal. This is what the UK government thought was best and practical when refurbishing the tower.
If only they had actually seen the residents as people instead of numbers. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of ethnic minority tenants. If only they had seen the residents as people instead of low income earners. If only.
To those who say Grenfell tragedy isn’t anything political, it is nothing but a symbol of political dictatorship. The poor are the oppressed in this country, it’s well disguised through our fancy skyscrapers and deceitful speeches. Residents and local people of Kensington numerously voiced their concerns to the council. It’s so hard being heard when your Black, Brown and broke? These rich middle class neighbours must be thinking whilst watching the news. It’s so hard to be given security, we see now the cost of security was somewhat £2 more, according to our government.
Moreover, it hasn’t been a week and already the media is attempting to downplay this corporate mass murder by dumbing down the death toll and giving less news coverage gradually. Perhaps if the Grenfell tragedy was an obscenity committed by enemies of the state and not the state itself, we may have have had a chance of receiving better justice, the dead would have received some dignity and the media and government would be on our side.
Written by Hajra Khan
The Angry Black Woman is a stereotype that black women are ‘sassy, approved ill-mannered and tempered by nature’. It is a trope that is reflected in all forms of the media, primarily white, and its roots date back to slavery.
Joi (left) and Dionne (right) feed on the stereotypes of a black woman.
So, on a recent episode of Big Brother, it was no surprise that when British-Nigerian Deborah Agboola stepped into an argument to defend her sister Hannah, she was immediately called ”aggressive”. Many viewers gave their screens the side-eye as Deborah is an amicable housemate, whereas others, who have consistently engaged in explosive rows, have not been called such. Hannah later said that ‘if I took away [our] skin colour – and I’m going to take it there – no one would say [we’re] aggressive’.
Deborah and Hannah, from Big Brother
I was happy to see that viewers, regardless of race, supported the sisters and called out the comment for what it was: a derogatory term that demonises black women for expressing themselves.
Yet many, who did happen to be white, felt otherwise:
‘Deborah and Hannah are pulling the race card!’
‘They’re so delusional!’
‘It’s got nothing to do with race!’
But it’s got everything to do with race. And as a black woman I have seen this trope hurled at us over and over again.
For instance, last summer I was on a study programme in China with other British counterparts. Most of whom were white, although there was one other black girl (who was very outspoken). I wasn’t bothered about the colour disparity as I was kind of used to it and was more interested in a person’s character than their colour. However, it wasn’t long until I started to notice how they treated the other girl and comments like ‘aggressive’, ‘angry’ and ‘I knew she’d be the sassy black one’ arose.
Now, I’m not going to pretend that she was completely innocent because even she urked me at times, but when you had one white guy who was always ready to fight, one white girl who always kicked up a fuss and another white guy who’d sadistically whisper he’d snap your neck, it makes you wonder why her complaints during a game of cards made her known as the threatening one?
Unlike Deborah and her sister, she did not address it. Regrettably, I did not come to her defence either. I think the fear of being called out for using the ‘black card’ was the issue. But this false card and mythic stereotype are perpetuated to shut us up. Let’s not. Let’s call out of the bs when we see bs.
Written by Anna Christian
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