‘It’s the intent that makes it racist’: James O’Brien caller insists racism and unconscious bias aren't the same
9 January 2023, 13:49
Caller explains why she believes unconscious bias is not the same as racism.
After Prince Harry explained the difference between racism and unconscious bias in an exclusive interview, this caller maintains the fact that the two are not the same.
A James O’Brien caller shared her experience of “unconscious bias” from her mother-in-law, using it to explain why she feels it is not the same as racism.
Judy in Ipswich said: “I'm from black heritage and I have a son who is mixed race.”
On the question of the Duke and Duchess' child's skin tone, the caller said relatives “asked me the same question while I was pregnant. I found it offensive, but I never said anything to them because I knew it wasn’t coming over with that intent”.
READ MORE: Prince Harry denies he and Meghan said royals were racist in Oprah interview
“Even afterwards as my son grew, I said to my mother-in-law, ‘more and more he’s looking so much like his dad’ and she said ‘He can't, he’s black!’”, the Ipswich caller continued.
“That was not racism”, she said firmly.
James asked: “Then what is the bias, a bias towards what?”
“It’s a thought, it's a feeling, it's an opinion from where they came from”, she said, adding that her experience of people calling her names in the street was “more offensive” than what her mother-in-law said to her.
James O'Brien is 'fascinated' by Prince Harry separating unconscious bias and racism
“An unconscious bias would be thinking that because someone has dark skin they can't possibly have the same features as a white parent or vice versa”, James said, to which his caller agreed.
“We all have biases, even in the black community we have biases…it’s the intent that makes it racist”, she said.
“I know that my mother-in-law is in no way racist”, Julie confidently added.
“But she was displaying an unconscious bias?” James asked.
“Exactly”, his caller replied, affirming her point at the start of the call that racism is about the “intent”.
James continued: “And then depending on your relationship and the character of the person that you're taking to and your powers of communication, you can help them come to that realisation at which point, good is done - good work is done and potential future problems are removed from the equation.”
He felt that this was why Buckingham Palace “handled the Ngozi Fulani situation from the very start - the top priority there was to get two women to sit down together and that is what Harry refers to when he talks about Lady Susan Hussey being someone that they both love”.
