Black Bodies, White Politicians
Samaria Ayanle, Diane Abbott and Ethnoviolence in British culture.
You know, we never asked for the Windrush line.
(Or other cheap efforts to demonstrate a false solidarity).
…
But then it never really seemed to occur to politicians to listen to the voices of thousands when they cried out for reparations or change at any institutional level. What has always seemed far more important in the line of British interest these last few years has been the continued dismissal of black and brown citizens whilst maintaining the façade that we’re the quieter more ‘respectful’ imperialist power. But whether it comes to the Windrush line or one anti-racism scheme to the next, cheap consolation prizes never accounted for the experience of racial marginalisation in the UK, nor did they account for the actual lives lost. These were doomed to go overlooked and under investigated, because as bodies begin to pile up, the truth about Britain’s racism problem would become increasingly more apparent. As for the incompetence exhibited by law enforcement when it comes to the investigation of these deaths, the fact of institutional racism would very quickly stain that Great British Brand.
Samaria Ayanle
Right now a lot of us are thinking of Samaria. Despite what the lack of national outrage might tell you.
Last week, 19 year old Samaria Ayanle was found dead by police near Putney Pier on the river Thames. Devastating news of her death comes weeks after she was reported missing by her university (SOAS) on March 8th, despite having been found by police back in February. Even still, police weren’t able to identify her body until March 13th signifying at best what can be called a lazy investigation. CCTV that detected her near marble arch in February would have provided police with important information surrounding her whereabouts, and sooner would’ve been far better than later. Now though, (and entirely expectedly), Metropolitan Police are treating the death as being ‘unexplained’ but many theorize their own explanations.
As the latest in an increasing line of suspicious deaths involving black victims in recent years, there are those online speculating the presence of a murderer or serial killer with a racially charged motive. In any case, what’s clear here is a pattern.
‘For Black Women UK’ took to their platform last week, listing names of black people who have turned up dead near bodies of water since 2020;
Blessing Olusegun
Richard Okorogheye
Olisa Odukwe
Kayon Williams
Taiwo Balogun
(and most recently, Samaria).
When we look at these deaths alongside Samaria’s, it becomes clear that the investigations into black murders are always bound to face their limits, past the point of engaging in some necessary due process. Blessing’s death in (2020) was officially ruled accidental in a one day inquest after being found on Bexhill beach, despite the fact that her mother insisted that she couldn’t swim and wouldn’t have gone into the water intentionally. This case bares similarly to that of Richard Okorogheye (2021), who’s ‘circumstances of death remain[ed] unclear’, despite the coroner also admitting that the 19th year old’s death was ‘consistent with drowning’.
It's no surprise that when it comes to the investigation of deaths like these and those where white people were victims, like Sarah Everard’s death in 2021, there are disparities the attention provided for them, despite the fact that black people being overrepresented in statistics around homicide.
According to the Guardian, Black people are 4x as likely to be murdered than white people, with this disparity only continuously growing. The murders recently taking place only further illustrate this reality.
“Between 2013 and 2016 black people were three times as likely to be murdered as white people, after comparing population sizes. That then rose to 3.7 times as likely between 2016 and 2019”.
(The Guardian : Michael Goodier, 2023)
The Culture
When we think about other examples of violent crimes that have become so prevalent as to cause concern for the everyday individual, we look at the root causes. More specifically, we tend to look at the ways in which our culture may have fostered an environment that facilitates these crimes. For example, we have successfully attributed increased rates of gender-based sexual violence to rape culture as it exists within modern day society. Subsequently, we must look at rising rates of race-based ‘suspicious’ deaths or probable murders, as being the symptom of a culture that helps racism to thrive, an “Ethnoviolent Culture”, we can call this.
For those that live in the UK, many of us are familiar with the British sentiment that is DENIAL – the most destructive quality. This is a quality that I believe to be integral to Ethnoviolent Culture, to the extent that its existence relies on it. Of course we can attribute the existence of Ethnoviolent culture to bigotry and racist attitudes in individuals, but in order for something to constitute culture, there must be a way in which we’ve managed to normalise and minimise black suffering.
- denial.
We’ve seen denial manifest in a number of absurdities over the years, but it’s latest exhibition would be laughable if it wasn’t so terrifying.
Diane Abbot
In 2019, leading financial donator to the conservative party Frank Hester expressed disgusting remarks about Labour MP Diane Abbott for Hackney North and Stoke Newington– Britain’s longest-serving black MP.
“It’s like trying not to be racist but you see Diane Abbott on the TV and you’re just like, I hate, you just want to hate all black women because she’s there, and I don’t hate all black women at all, but I think she should be shot.”
Formally, Hester runs a healthcare technology firm, Phoenix Partnership, which has been paid over £400m by the NHS and other government bodies, and I’ve always found it demoralising to learn of the most offensive people at the helm of such necessary institutions in this country. With power, comes the great capacity to manipulate the truth about bad intentions and deny deny deny. This time’s bastion of denial wore the face of a TPP spokesperson, who defended the company's ‘diversity’ and ‘professionalism’, emphasizing high standards and commitment to healthcare… But how might we trust the integrity of a company whose CEO holds such clear and selective hatred.
Similarly, a Conservative party spokesperson acknowledges Hester's apology admitting the ‘rudeness’ of Hester’s remarks, but stating his criticism wasn't based on gender or ‘race’.
“You just want to hate all black women because she’s there”
… Deny, Deny, Deny…
This exhibition of repugnance for an equal associate has re-ignited that question that has been bouncing around Britain for too many years now…The question that asks,
‘Does making a racist statement make you a racist’?
(and it actually isn’t a joke)…
The question to determine whether or not making violently racist remarks makes you a racist could only exist in this country. Here, we see demonstrated the success that the British empire has had in convincing it’s citizens and the world that you can separate racist practices from the people that practice them. This narrative has bled into our ideals (our Ethnoviolent culture), which is why we still find ourselves asking this question.
In an ITV interview with Shehab Khan and Michael Gove, Khan asked Gove about Hester’s comments and their implications, with Gove responding,
“It can often be the case, it has often been the case where there are people who have said unacceptable things in the past who’ve repented (…) my natural inclination is to forgive”.
Though my guess is that it isn’t his place to forgive Hester at all. Gove, your forgiveness is worth exactly nothing, because those that are really being affected, like Blessing, Richard, Olisa, Kayon, Taiwo and Samaria can’t make the choice about whether or not to forgive and forget because they’ve been forever silenced by powerless individuals whose behaviour had been emboldened by powerful figures like Hester.
What We Know Now
With regards to these ‘suspicious’ deaths, I can’t be sure in saying I agree that there is a serial killer on the loose. What I am sure of though, is that there are people aware that black victims are disregarded victims, and that our government continues to incite violence against black people. There are those who see these truths and have or intend to take full advantage of them. I can’t be sure in saying this is a killing spree, or that this is one entity rather than a continuation of a pattern we should be noticing statistically. Even if I understand it, I’m unsure about the narrative that says there must be a serial killer on the loose because it underestimates the capacity for racism as it exists in the average British person. This storyline also underestimates the capacity for selective incompetence at an institutional level by the British power, which has demonstrated since its inception, a proclivity for race-based violence and the continued justification of it
– The induction of Ethnoviolent culture.
So it’s not our job to forgive and forget, especially not where it’s the government’s responsibility to make change. Samaria Ayanle is owed, Diane Abbott is owed, black British people are owed actual solutions to Ethno-Violence. Even as I’m writing this now I’ve just read of yet another missing black young person, 16 year old Favour Ozidede from Derby,
And one can only hope we’ll see this black body found
(alive),
…
Asisa.
For any information as to Favour’s whereabouts, please call 101 ref; 24MIS004684
Sources
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/09/black-people-in-england-and-wales-four-times-more-likely-to-be-murdered “Black people four times as likely as white people to be murdered” The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/13/frank-hesters-ugly-words-about-me-are-a-reminder-all-parties-including-labour-must-stand-against-racism “Frank Hester’s Ugly Words About Me” The Guardian : Diane Abbott
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/samaria-ayanle-missing-thames-found-soas-police-london-b2512689.html (Samaria Ayanle) “Friends slam ‘unforgiveable delay’” The Independent
This was a very necessary post. The fact that there is a "Serial killer" narrative swirling around is proof that those in power intend to ensure those who influence the growing ethnoviolent culture of Britain are not actually held responsible.