The appalling outbreak of mob violence across the UK in recent weeks has been shocking. We are deeply saddened by these shameful developments. The perpetrators claim to be inspired by a form of patriotism that we wholeheartedly reject. Their motivation appears more directly linked to racism, encouraged by misinformation often being promoted by unscrupulous actors for their own benefit.

We are aware that the riots have directly affected many of our African colleagues and students. In the immediate aftermath, the Institute focused on their wellbeing, but we have also been following the various commentaries and discussions about what has occurred. There is one aspect that we think has been somewhat overlooked. There are distinctively British aspects of the racism on display, and perhaps also to the upswell of revulsion that has followed.

Political violence in Britain against people of colour and non-Christians is affected by the still poorly interrogated legacy of Empire and colonialism. The worldview of the far-right in the UK is deeply influenced by historical notions of white entitlement, and that is something that still pervades in less overtly pernicious aspects of British life. British racial stereotypes have their roots in past Imperial prejudices. Those prejudices helped justify the means by which Britain maintained, and sometimes enforced, power across its Empire.

The renowned Zimbabwean novelist, Tsitsi Dangarembga (who is also a Patron of the Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa’s student-focused Programme for African Leadership) has commented:

“I do not understand how anyone might think the legacies of Empire could have any other effect than to produce such turmoil. I think the riots are a wakeup call to engage specifically and directly with the legacies of empire as they manifest today, rather than submerging these legacies of empire in discourses of diversity.”

However, on a more hopeful note, Tsitsi acknowledged:

“The counter-demonstrations are about more than just local ‘communities’. They display a multiculturalism and openness present in the UK that is perhaps also a legacy of the British Empire.”

The UK is a multicultural country, and British multiculturalism is in some ways distinctive. It is a product of half a century of deliberation, social policy, and law. But it is more than that. It draws on an approach to colonial governance that, in large parts of the Empire, worked through existing systems. That was a mechanism of control, and aspects of that legacy are obviously problematic. Nevertheless, it gave rise to a view that other ways of life should generally be understood, respected, and not viewed as a threat. It could also have a subversive quality, leading to challenges to the assumptions and authority of British administrators. The discipline of social anthropology, which was established in the early twentieth century, emerged out of such acceptance and enthusiasm for other ways of life and thinking. It is a reason why Jomo Kenyatta and other African independence activists chose to study at LSE.

Subsequently, the perspective imbued strategies adopted to address immigration from former colonial countries to Britain in the post-colonial era. Despite inevitable tensions, it is one reason why it is now widely accepted in Britain that abusing someone for being culturally different or looking unusual is unacceptable. Racism occurs, as we have seen, but, at its best, the UK is an inclusive and welcoming country. The visible embrace of multiculturalism on display in response to the riots across the UK, and the scale of the reaction, shows a side of Britain that should be emphasised, and largely celebrated, more than it is.

At times like this, it is perhaps important to remember how far we have come since Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech in 1968 and the activities of the National Front in the 1970s. The events of the last few weeks are so shocking in part because organised, racist, hate-filled riots have been on the decline in Britain. The riots should serve as a reminder that multicultural trends that have been so beneficial to Britain can be reversed. There are political actors in the UK using toxic populist rhetoric to try and achieve that. It is not enough to simply reject this view. We need to promote the benefits of multiculturalism, embrace people in our communities regardless of their differences, and, crucially, not be content with evocations of diversity. We need British multiculturalism to inspire unity of purpose, and to be orientated to solidarity, rather than separation. The shameful events of the past few weeks will pass, and when they do the rioters will not have won. It will not be their vision of Britain that prevails. It will be ours.

Co-signatories

Professor Tim Allen

Professor Joanna Lewis

Professor David Luke

Dr Martha Geiger

Photo credit: Wikicommons