I see in Science the first black person that makes me want to join the BNP!..tomorrow!
The above was said Derek Laud, one of the four black contestants in the Big Brother house. It was in relation to his frustration at Science’s behaviour and personality. According to Derek, Science is immature, ghastly, has peasant ways and is a nightmare.
The BNP, or as it is known in full, the British National Party, is an extreme right-wing political party. As stated in Wikipedia,
The modern BNP was founded in 1982 by John Tyndall, a former chairman of the National Front and a public follower of Nazi ideals.
They support the deportation of all illegal immigrants. They also advocate for the introduction of a system of voluntary, financially-aided repatriation for existing, legally-settled immigrants. Along with this they would like to see a reduction in unemployment benefits and disability benefits. The UK tabloid newspaper, The Sun referred to them as a Bunch of Nasty People. I never agree with the Sun, even on this occasion, because to me, calling them nasty is understating how wrong and evil and the BNP actually are.
When we first moved to the UK our family had our fair share of one-to-one encounters with the National Front and I may only have been about fours year old but there are some things you never ever forget. I don’t care about their name change or leadership changes, the National Front were evil and the BNP are no different.
That is why I find it hard to understand why anyone, especially a black British person, a son of an immigrant would make such a bizarre statement.
Derek Laud is a member of the Conservative party but even his party have gone to great lengths to openly differentiate themselves from the BNP. Anyone in the UK with some common sense knows that openly supporting the BNP in any way whatsoever is not the done thing.
Having watched a lot of Big Brother I get the impression that Derek likes to say/do things for the shock-value. This is no different to any other Big Brother contestant. Everyone in that house wants the camera to focus on them. Sadly Derek’s remark is not comparable to the exposing of breasts/causing conflict and similar attention seeking activities that Big Brother contestants are known for.
After watching Big Brother I decided to visit a Big Brother related forum to see if any one else had picked up on this statement and what their view was. I could not believe that quite a number of people thought that Derek’s comment was his attempt at (a) irony (b) a joke.
That whole “it was a joke� thing doesn’t do it for me. The comment is at best, in bad taste and anything that falls into the bad taste category, for me, ceases to be a joke.
The thing that annoys me the most about Derek’s comment is that by stating that Science’s actions are enough for him to want to join the BNP he is firstly inferring that Science’s behaviour is a by product of his race (that is so Roberto) and secondly that on this ground alone, Science deserves to be subjected to racial ridicule/hatred In some far fetched way I can see why some may consider it ironic for a black person to be so repulsed by another black person to the extent that he/she wants to flee his race. However, this is not what Derek said. Derek said he wants to join a group that amongst other things incites racial hatred; that is taking it to a whole new level.
It is this sort of statement that many hate groups use to justify their own actions. Hate groups can turn around and say things such as “You see, even their own people agree that we need to remove them�. That for me is possibly one of the main reasons why I found Derek’s comment to be irresponsible (at best) and pure evil (at worst).
I have never been one to lump the burden of an entire race on the shoulders of one person however I think that we as individuals do have a certain amount of responsibility towards the rest of humanity. A black person ‘joking’ about wanting to join the BNP is not just a wrong against the black community in the UK, it is a wrong against all those who the BNP seek to expel, crush and punish. That includes all immigrants, everyone who is disabled, unemployed and even all those who speak out against the BNP.
Two things came to mind when I heard Derek speak last night. One was the Malcolm X’s House Negro/Field Negro analogy. To be honest, Derek as House Negro first came to mind when I read about a comment he had made pre-Big Brother. As the first black Master of Foxhounds for the New Forest Hunt he was challenged by an anti-fox hunting protester. The protester said to him that 100 yeas ago the ancestors of the other huntsman would have been hunting him, and Laud (according to Aldershot MP Gerald Howarth) responded by saying,
“100 years ago my ancestors would have been eating you.”
The second thing that came to mind is a quote that is often used by Xquizzyt1 “This is Why We Can’t Rise as a People�.
Indeed!
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Farmgal says
No matter how annoying science is (and trust me he is annoying, the kind that will make you pull your hair out) derek had no right to say that, I hope he gets booted out!
Mama J did you see maxwell making a racist remark about Italians……thats his way of dealing with an argument I think he is a coward. and to think he is a fav to win, Ihave never voted lakini I will vote to have him kicked out. I cant believe I am watching B bro this much ..I blame makosi
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Guess says
I think I heard this on Choicefm the other morning, and I was like What? I didnt know the circumstances surrounding it but at least you have explained it here.
Even when people ‘joke’ about things, there are limits, and I would think Derek would be ‘smart’ enough to know these. Good work MJY
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Wambui says
Hear hear MJY. I think the BNP is more sinister today than ever. Just looking at their website scares me. Last week I read an article they had on multicultural genocide perpertrated by immigrants into the UK. Yes genocide. There is no irony here. All Derek has done is confirm to the millions that watch BB that it is acceptable to endorse the thinking that persons of another colour other than pink are inferior and deserve sub human treatment. Whatever form it takes. Farmgal, you vote gal!
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nicholasgichu says
since am not watchin BB-uk i shall not comment on Science et al…but i’d like to poin out y’all are as bad as i am when it comes to tv! ha -so there!
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Bluegiraffe says
does anyone know what his family background is? my sister and i were having a discussion about this. she thinks he was probably adopted into a middle class home, whereas i think everything about him is complete affectation and he’s chosen to reinvent himself.
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mshairi says
I agree with Bluegiraffe regarding Derek perhaps being adopted by a middle class family ( a white one I think). From what I have seen, Derek in some situations distances himself from black people, especially people like Science (poor, single parent homes) who he calls ‘peasant’ and does not see himself as black person.
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Mambo says
I was astonished at the posh toff’s comment. But he does do it for shock value. That man has friends in high places… and he’s certainly not poor!
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sally says
POOR DEREK? WHO IS HE REALLY? I REALLY DON’T THINK EVEN HE KNOWS. I DO BELIEVE HOWEVER THAT THIS MAN HAS SOLD OUT BIG TIME, TO BE ACCEPTED BY A SET OF PEOPLE WHO FONDLY REFER TO HIM AS GOLLY. I WONDER WHAT THEY CALL HIM BEHIND HIS BACK. YES SCIENCE MIGHT BE LOUD AND HE MIGHT HAVE A LOT TO SAY. BUT I SAY GO SCIENCE, BE TRUE TO YOURSELF AND NEVER BE ASHAMED OF WHO YOU ARE AND WHERE YOU COME FROM. WE ARE A BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE AND PEOPLE LIKE DEREK WILL NOT MAKE ME THINK OTHERWISE.
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Viv AKA Mervin says
Yes, I saw the comment made by Derek and thought that whereas amongst black people we can make comments about each other ( lets be honest we do!), to go on a national platform like Big Brother and say something like that can encourage bigots and racists alike.
I initially saw Derek as a one-off, with his witty comments (albeit as a poor man’s Oscar Wilde), entertaining & camp, and at times thought that when speaking to Science he was sincere and at times did try to give him sound advice ( though it could be perceived as patronising at times!), I think his efforts were genuine, as Science did need advice from a more mature person on his behaviour ( but he is young, so time will mellow him out, we have all been there!)
However, as Derek intrigued me even more, I decided to look up him on the internet. Yes, he is a Tory and fox hunts. No big deal, that’s his choice.He is well spoken, intelligent and articulate. Again, I have no problem with that, and furthermore don’t think as black people we should let that bother us. To think we cannot move in circles of our choice is denying ourself opportunities. We should be the last people to expect perceived sterotypes of ourselves.
However, I was disturbed to read that he was a member of the right-wing Conservative Monday Club, who alledgedly support repatriation. Now where does that leave Mr. Laud? As the token ‘black guy’ ( he seems to exemplify that anyway by all accounts!). Yes, maybe he does fit the ‘House Negro’analogy explained by Malcolm X (and to be called Golly too! Someone talk to him please!)
How can he stand shoulder to shoulder with people who would be prepared to kick him out the country and treat him like a 3rd or 4th class citizen ( he would be treated worse than the peasants he constantly derides!)?
And to think he wanted to stand as an MP to oppose the late Bernie Grant in Tottenham! Ha. Do me a favour!Derek Laud could not relate to the black community, because he is not black! Yes, by pigmentation, but being black is deeper than that.( And how could he relate to young black people, or old, by explaining why he feels it suitable to be called ‘Golly’ by his peers? Lets see him get out of that one!)
It is a conciousness within your heart and soul that makes you proud of your history,family, friends, culture and all the other nuances that make us so. The Irish, Italians, Jewish and all other immigrant communities would understand that unique thing that binds us together.
I too think that Derek’s upbringing shows that he was raised more than likely in a white middle class enviroment, which is no fault of his own let me digress.Adopted kids need a solid family enviroment first and foremost, and yes, cultural enviroment to which they come from should be considered( see Derek laud for a perfect example).
Sorry for going on, but I have so there! Later.