We’re not having a grown-up conversation about racism

“We need to have a grown-up conversation about racism in this country.”

So said the Right’s Deputy  Antagoniser-in-Chief, and self-proclaimed “Neo-Guido”, Harry Cole. If ever a statement showed why race-relations are best kept below the top 5 items on any news agenda on any given day, this was it. Cole was taking part in a BBC News piece with Samira Shackle from the New Statesman. He then went on to do Sky News with Lee Jasper.

This is the problem with how news works, and how it isn’t suited to Cole’s claimed desire for a “grown-up conversation.” He must realise that he, like Lee Jasper, was asked onto the news stations for a reason. The formula of setting up a political cock-fight, often with the two participants sitting in different rooms and in front of different cameras, is always tiring. But at least when it’s over things like pension policy, it’s a substantiated argument often based on facts, figures and stats. You’ll normally find yourself agreeing more with one side than the other. Or you may have a particularly strong belief one way or the other. It may make you angry, but at least the people speaking have an understanding of the issue and facts and figures are easy enough to understand for viewers.

When it comes to the issue of race, however, this sort of formula is not just tiring and anger-inducing; it can also be dangerous and offensive. Facts and figures are largely irrelevant and the complex issues of identity and prejudice cannot be summed up in a 3-minute news item.

Despite agreeing with Trevor Phillips this week that Britain has made substantial progress in the arena of race relations, I don’t think “grown-up conversations” can be had with any noticeable volume in the public domain in this country. There’s no doubt that big issues like the Stephen Lawrence murder spark important public debates. The outrage to that murder was justifiably palpable, but the outrage led to progress. It took years and it took patience, but sadly that is the nature of progress. Sensible people, dedicated to progress sat, discussed, deliberated and acted. The problem arises when the outrage isn’t followed by this sensible and patient action, but merely more outrage that polarises the debate further and further.

Take Twitter. The vast majority of tweets related to two of the most prominent race-related news stories of late, the Luis Suarez and Diane Abbott cases, have been unhelpful; entrenched views becoming more entrenched by the unique forms of conversation that take place in the Twittosphere. And so this translated to the news stations once the two stories took the leap from Twitter to the real world. We get the views from the two sides of the coin. The problem with that is that the faces of a coin are so much more prominent than the surface of the edge that joins them.

Race is too complex to be played out in the headlines. See “Evra’s N-word rant”. Or see every paper headline where the word “racist” is put into inverted commas, thus protecting the news outlet whilst misusing the word “racist” and misleading the reader. See Liverpool constantly denying Luis Suarez is a racist – essentially denying an accusation that was never levelled against him. Or see tweeters saying that the response to Diane Abbott’s tweet from white people shows that she was right. Confused? You should be.

As an ethnic minority in the UK, the issue of race is acutely important to me. It has been a part of my life since I first stepped into a classroom.  And I, like many others, am totally comfortable talking about race. What I am not comfortable with is sensationalising the issue. It is too complex and delicate to be bandied around front pages as if it were the latest celebrity scoop.

George Galloway tweeted that he was going to be on a radio station to discuss the “brouhaha” about Diane Abbott’s tweet. When issues related to race and racism are being labelled “brouhaha”, it’s time to stop and take a deep breath.

The Football Association asked an independent body to investigate one incident of a footballer using racially offensive language. They came back with a 115-page report which delved into things such as the particularities of the language and culture of Uruguay. This surely shows that you cannot discuss an issue as complex and emotive as race in 140 characters, a newspaper column or on a 5-minute news slot.