Should we care for Ben

Ben Douglas has written an article in the Daily Mail, to express his disgust at being called the N-word. But should we as a Black community care about his feelings when he mocks us on radio and TV. He fails to realise that the stereotypes he throws at his own people are the same ones people throw his way. His appearance on The Big Question was so shocking. He looked so flabbergasted when Precious Williams (whose book I must read one day which is titled Precious) discussed the cultural and identity problems she developed in her mixed adoption. In her case it was not that her parents could not look after her, the judge dismissed them as they were black. Her adoptive parents were loving but she was just not culturally aware and grew up with negative attitudes to her own people but threw education she has learned differently.

Now Ben was not having this and he basically tried to say her experience was rare, yet Dr Derrick Campbell who was a guest on the panel who works with people who suffer the fallout from being disconnected from their culture agreed with Precious. He called Ben out for his remarks on Radio 4 where he likened people from his birth place as dressed in tribal gear running around an open top fire. How can any Black person be taking seriously with remarks like that.

So when his latest article in the DM appears where he is disgusted at being lauded by his preferred peers with a racial slur (which it must be noted is not used as a term of endearment by all Black people) he comes crying that he was racially abused. I think Ben was shocked because he disassociates himself from Black culture and he readily accepts the white English culture that he was raised in. 

What does he mean by "I'm from Surrey not Harlem". Is he trying to say that it is okay to be called the N-word if you are from Harlem and all the other cities he named? Is he calling all rappers gangsters? He throws around the fact that he works in theatre as if to say that makes him special. Well Ben you should know many Black people work in theatre and attend theatre shows.  It is fine if you do not want to be seen as a Black British man but just an English man of no specific race. I just hope you see that the racial stereotypes you often throw at other Black people are the same stereotypes your preferred peers will and have thrown your way. 

I doubt you will be humbled by this. I bet Brian Belo is more culturally aware than you. I just cant sympathise with or for you. I hope the DM and its readers gives you sympathy you want. But I doubt you care about what I think. Right now I just cannot take this man seriously.