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October is Black History month and the BBC is airing its Mixed Race Season. In a special guest post Aniwaa Buachie shares her personal take on the season.
The BBC has decided to broadcast a season of programmes documenting the rise of mixed race people in Britain. When I first heard about this season, I couldn’t help but feel slightly offended by this gesture. Having watched the BBC all my life, I rarely ever see any drama or a season dedicated to a particular ethnic group. The BBC fails to explore the experiences of Black, Asian and East Asian people, yet these are the genes that contribute to the rise of mixed race people. I wonder as to why they could even think that producing a season dedicated to a particular ethnic group is something to be proud of?
The BBC has decided to broadcast a season of programmes documenting the rise of mixed race people in Britain. When I first heard about this season, I couldn’t help but feel slightly offended by this gesture. Having watched the BBC all my life, I rarely ever see any drama or a season dedicated to a particular ethnic group. The BBC fails to explore the experiences of Black, Asian and East Asian people, yet these are the genes that contribute to the rise of mixed race people. I wonder as to why they could even think that producing a season dedicated to a particular ethnic group is something to be proud of?
Is the BBC running blindly into a topic which is a not only glorifying a particular race…..which of course portrays a very colonial objectifying view of ‘Mixed Race people.’ Almost like the slave plantations times when being of a lighter hue allowed you to sit in the masters house whilst the darker black folks worked all hours of the day and gained no recognition for their work!
Sorry to be so extreme, but this is what it appears to be. I can’t remember there ever being a time when the fat cats at the BBC thought that it might be great idea to have a season dedicated to Asian, East Asian and Black African- Black Caribbean history and entertainment! Black, Asians and East Asians are also TV license fee payers as well, so as a paying TV license customer I expect to see programmes that reflect this!* The fact that October is Black history month, I would think that if they wanted to have a diverse autumn programming, they might have considered broadcasting productions which highlight the fact that it is Black History Month?
Or perhaps because the majority of the BBC audiences live in a community where there are hardly any ethnics and so seeing a lot of ethnic people on their TV screen might just give the ignoramuses a heart attack!
I just think by having this ‘Mixed Race’ season are they not addressing the effect before the cause? I would think that it is imperative for the BBC to perhaps have a season which is dedicated to Black, East Asian and Asian people prior to this ‘Mixed Race season.’ It is important for the ignoramuses to understand the journey of Black, Asian and East Asian people from the past until the present. Some of you may feel that I am making a fuss over nothing because we all live in one big happy world….and there is hardly any racism. For those of you that think that, you are perhaps a white individual who due to that fact that we live in a world, where society has classed white as a default majority – you have managed to live a rosy life without a hint of exposure to any racism.
I am sure that if the BBC wouldn’t ever dream of having a white season…..maybe because the majority of programmes that the BBC produces is from a white perspective, which explains as to why you get black, Asian and East Asian people constantly playing age old stereotypes. But yet the BBC has taken note of the rise of mixed race people and their journey but not the progress of Black, East Asian and Asian people, particularly second generations Black, Asians and East Asians who have a more diverse and radical insight on life. This as a result allows one to look beyond race and culture and procreate with an individual who is completely different in terms of race and culture.
I do not think that the ‘Mixed Race’ season is all negative, no, it is extremely encouraging to see a rise of mixed race people, as it is a clear indication that we as a nation are beyond defining an individual by their race. It makes me happy to see this development, however by the BBC having a ‘mixed race’ season, it also appears that the transition and shift of interracial relationships is irrelevant because they are more concerned with the end result rather than focusing on the individuals that make up mixed race people. Exploring the foundations is the only way to understand the beauty of the end result.
*A month should not be allocated to black history, as the history of black people should be all year round. This also goes for Asian and East Asian people particularly as the labour of Asians, Blacks and East Asians contributed to the wealth of Britain but also because of the fact that now we have a rise in mixed race people.
Anniwaa Buachie is an Award winning Actress and Artistic Director of Golden Delilah. Follow her on twitter @AnniwaaBuachie, explore more of her work and writing at www.anniwaabuachie.com.
For more on Anniwaa's theatre company go to www.goldendelilah.blogspot.com and follow Golden Delilah on Twitter @GOLDENdelilah
Sorry to be so extreme, but this is what it appears to be. I can’t remember there ever being a time when the fat cats at the BBC thought that it might be great idea to have a season dedicated to Asian, East Asian and Black African- Black Caribbean history and entertainment! Black, Asians and East Asians are also TV license fee payers as well, so as a paying TV license customer I expect to see programmes that reflect this!* The fact that October is Black history month, I would think that if they wanted to have a diverse autumn programming, they might have considered broadcasting productions which highlight the fact that it is Black History Month?
Or perhaps because the majority of the BBC audiences live in a community where there are hardly any ethnics and so seeing a lot of ethnic people on their TV screen might just give the ignoramuses a heart attack!
I just think by having this ‘Mixed Race’ season are they not addressing the effect before the cause? I would think that it is imperative for the BBC to perhaps have a season which is dedicated to Black, East Asian and Asian people prior to this ‘Mixed Race season.’ It is important for the ignoramuses to understand the journey of Black, Asian and East Asian people from the past until the present. Some of you may feel that I am making a fuss over nothing because we all live in one big happy world….and there is hardly any racism. For those of you that think that, you are perhaps a white individual who due to that fact that we live in a world, where society has classed white as a default majority – you have managed to live a rosy life without a hint of exposure to any racism.
I am sure that if the BBC wouldn’t ever dream of having a white season…..maybe because the majority of programmes that the BBC produces is from a white perspective, which explains as to why you get black, Asian and East Asian people constantly playing age old stereotypes. But yet the BBC has taken note of the rise of mixed race people and their journey but not the progress of Black, East Asian and Asian people, particularly second generations Black, Asians and East Asians who have a more diverse and radical insight on life. This as a result allows one to look beyond race and culture and procreate with an individual who is completely different in terms of race and culture.
I do not think that the ‘Mixed Race’ season is all negative, no, it is extremely encouraging to see a rise of mixed race people, as it is a clear indication that we as a nation are beyond defining an individual by their race. It makes me happy to see this development, however by the BBC having a ‘mixed race’ season, it also appears that the transition and shift of interracial relationships is irrelevant because they are more concerned with the end result rather than focusing on the individuals that make up mixed race people. Exploring the foundations is the only way to understand the beauty of the end result.
*A month should not be allocated to black history, as the history of black people should be all year round. This also goes for Asian and East Asian people particularly as the labour of Asians, Blacks and East Asians contributed to the wealth of Britain but also because of the fact that now we have a rise in mixed race people.
Anniwaa Buachie is an Award winning Actress and Artistic Director of Golden Delilah. Follow her on twitter @AnniwaaBuachie, explore more of her work and writing at www.anniwaabuachie.com.
For more on Anniwaa's theatre company go to www.goldendelilah.blogspot.com and follow Golden Delilah on Twitter @GOLDENdelilah
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