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Starkey accused of racism over ‘black culture’ claims
Historian under fire for claiming that ‘the whites have become black’ during riot debate
Historian David Starkey has been accused of racism after blaming the riots across England last week on black culture and claiming: "The chavs have become black. The whites have become black."
He made the comments on Newsnight on Friday night and immediately came under fire.
Another guest on the show, author Owen Jones, claimed afterwards that Starkey's TV career had "ended in disgrace" and said "he has introduced race into the debate in a very inflammatory way."
During the interview Starkey said that he had been re-reading Enoch Powell's infamous 'Rivers of Blood' speech about race relations.
"His prophecy was absolutely right in one sense," he claimed. "The Tiber didn't foam with blood, but flames lambent wrapped around Tottenham, wrapped around Clapham.
"But it wasn't intercommunal violence; this was where he was completely wrong. What has happened is that the substantial section of the chavs have become black. The whites have become black.
"A particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic gangster culture has become the fashion. Black and white, boy and girl operate in this language together, this language, which is wholly false, which is this Jamaican patois that has intruded in England. This is why so many of us have this sense of literally a foreign country."
He also said that Tottenham MP David Lammy, who is black, sounded as though he was white.
Commentators lined up afterwards to attack Starkey. On Twitter BBC reporter Robert Peston said: "David Starkey's nasty ignorance is best ignored, not worthy of comment or debate – though I fear there will be a media feeding frenzy."
Piers Morgan added: "RIP David Starkey's TV career. And good riddance. Racist idiot"
However, Starkey was not without support. Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, James Delingpole described the Newsnight set up as a "trap".
He also said Starkey was telling the truth. "The cultural point he is making is indisputable," he wrote. ·
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David Starkey ( sorry, never heard of the fellow before) is typical of the very many 'white' British bigots one finds in the UK. Racial stereotyping is their main thing. All subcontinental Asians are hardworking and decent, not given to looting etc, all Muslims are terrorists or have terrorist sympathies, all Chinese are good at maths and science. All 'blacks' are loud, noisy, not bright and potential looters and rioters. What can you say to or about such people? Nothing sensible or intelligent I fear.
If Starkey's TV career ever was to become so pathetic as piers morgan's is, it is best to get out before falling to such a tedious and pandering level. While some of Starkey's words were ill chosen, his comment about the pervasiveness of the current ganster "culture" is dead on, and anyone who wants to ignore it ought to get out amongst modern day youth, on public transit for example. VERY eye opening! No morals, no values, no respect for anyone or anything - that is the new mantra of such youth. It's more akin to some form of sociopathy than it is to anything else, and those who choose to ignore this do so at their own, and ultimately to society's, peril.
The BBC allowed a racist historian to air his bigoted and narrow minded views within a public forum (this coming on the back of the Darcus Howe "you are a rioter" fiasco). I am a Black British woman who has studied Law at a top 5 UK institution, yet, Starkey referred to Black culture in totality as having a nefarious impact on white society. Well I cannot recall going out to loot my corner shop after finishing my final exams.
Black culture is disparate. There is no such uniform entity. He is suggesting that Nigerian, Jamaican, Antigua, Trinidadian, Cuban, Barbadian, Trinidadian, Zimbabwean culture is the same as we are all black. For goodness sake we do not even eat the same food let along share the same cultural traditions. His suggestion is also that since we are all black, we are all prone to rioting, crime activites,speaking patois and subverting impressionable white youth. Ridiculous and offensive to the extreme. Black culture was not responsible for the riots, it was a subculture unique to dispossessed urban youths that was responsible for the riots.
He has cast a shadow over the entire black community and contributed to the racism which is now being levelled against my community particularly online. He stoke the fires and his comments were like an incediary device and I personally know of many black people who are presently scared for their safety. I am black as I stated earlier and no one that I know speaks patois or listens to gangster rap. This is a fallacy and a dangerous one. He has sterotyped an entire community and contributed to the belief that black people are no good and good for nothing.
Thank you David Starkey!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IfV0Av6QYw&feature=player_embedded
I've met many black people and most are much like most white people;decent people getting on with their lives. So if Starkey meant to associate all black people with "gangsta" he was wrong. If he meant the "gangsta" culture has black origins and many of the white troublemakers were heavily influenced by it he may be right. ____________
It would be silly to dismiss what may be right just because Starkey chose his words poorly. And if a black subculture is significantly and harmfully affecting young people, black and white alike, then if we ignore that, maybe pretend it isn't real, the biggest sufferers are likely to be the many decent black people who will be tarred with the brush.
Well done Mr Starkey for speaking the truth and giving us some very focussed historical perspective on this week of shame our country has just experienced.
This is typical fare from 'right on' groupies such as Peston and Morgan (sound like a brand of baked beans don't they?) who need to curry favour with the Lib-socialist BBC luvvie set and meeja and will go to any length to justify failed holy grail multicultural policies and it's linked economic failures, the two inseparably inter twined. Both these chaps are clearly feeling insecure about their careers at this time and so attack a professional who is more professional then the two of them put together.
If they were anywhere near 'genuine' they would call the police and report the crime they accuse Starkey of, so committed cowards they remain.
I hope Mr Starkey also has the courage to take 'P&M' the baked bean men to the courts for slander and for failure to report a crime to the police, both. Once they've been trashed by a good judge perhaps we'll see an end to their careers?
Delingpole is another courageous breath a fresh air in the disfunctional wilderness that Britain can sometimes conjure up for an intelligencia who puts their erroneous judgements in its proper perspective. Future historians will pour ketchup over the musing of people such as 'P&M' who seem morally about as deep as ink-wells. Mr Starkey will live on for his solid social historical perspective.
Sad to say that this is what many in 'White Britain' think, it is a racial issue, it shouldn't have taken what happened to bring this forward but it has. Sorry Piers, you and I know this man is not losing anything, no one in the UK cares that much, if he was in the US we would be talking end of career, not here sorry.
I've lived here and in the US - things are just seen a little differently, I wish it was the end but...