Caller moved by Doria Ragland's admission that she didn't have childhood race talks with Meghan
9 December 2022, 18:01
This caller tells Shelagh Fogarty that she relates to Meghan
This caller was moved by Meghan's mother's admission that she didn't have early conversations about racism.
Shelagh Fogarty spoke with a caller of mixed heritage who could relate to the concept of white-passing, after Doria Ragland said in the Sussexes' docuseries that she did not have those early conversations about race with Meghan.
Christine in Birmingham who is half English and half Jamaican said she heard a clip, and felt that when “some white people” first saw Meghan, they “thought she’s got something, maybe it's Italian or Spanish which they could have coped with”.
“But when they realised that her mother was black, that’s a whole different ball game!” she said.
Christine added that all three of her children have green eyes, and that her youngest, 23, has wavy blonde hair and could “pass for white”.
“You don't have to be racist or not understand racism by calling someone the n-word or saying ‘Go back to your country’”, Christine continued, before highlighting a category of “polite racism”.
Shelagh agreed with this, using the example of Black people not being hired despite meeting job requirements.
Christine criticised right-wing newspapers for the excuses they made for Lady Hussey after she asked black charity boss Ngozi Fulani where she “really” came from, such as the fact that she was 83.
“That woman has travelled the world how many times with the Queen? How many people has she met? You're trying to tell me she doesn't have diplomacy, a little bit of decorum…basic manners?” she asked.
She also said the right-wing press treated Diana “appallingly”, asserting they thought she was a “commoner”.
“If she was a commoner, God help the rest of us!” Christine said.
She felt that the Sussexes have “brought this country into the 21st century” by talking about race on their docuseries, and are doing us a “favour” in the process.
