Having successfully campaigned against
the showing by the Barbican Arts Centre, of Brett Baileys Exhibit B, otherwise
known as the Human Zoo, with the full support of over a million people, the
inevitable whitelash has begun.
Deputy Prime Minster Nick Clegg weighed
into the debate today. Speaking on Nick Ferrari’s breakfast show on LBC. He
spoke out against ‘censorship’ and suggested that the exhibition was too
similar to that of ‘educational anti racist, Jewish holocaust exhibitions.’
There is a world of difference between
the two. The fact is such exhibitions as referred to by Clegg, are supported by
the Jewish communities who are rightly consulted, whose support is critical to
such efforts. Part of the black condition here in the UK is that we as a
people, were offered no such opportunity to engage nor are we afforded anywhere
near the same level of respect.
It is deeply ironic that, we the
supposed beneficiaries of this show have become further marginalised by the
imposition of a Barbican and Bailey constructed, white definition of what
constitutes ‘ anti racist art’. A definition that is being imposed upon us.
T his exhibition could be
compared to the Aparthied era, whit Krok
brothers, Gold Reef City Casino where they opened "The Apartheid
Museum."
We are told we don’t understand the art,
we are told we should be pleased, we are told that this will help the fight
against racism.
Let me make this absolutely clear, it is
for the victims of racism to decide what constitutes anti racism, not white
arts institutions or a Deputy Prime Minister who leads an all white
Parliamentary Liberal Democratic Party.
Can you imagine the outcry if, let’s say
a German artist, was to put on art exhibition that placed Jewish people in a
tableaux of gas ovens, as a means of raising issues about the objectification,
dehumanisation and oppression of Jewish people?
Truth is this idea wouldn’t get past the
drawing board. The very idea would be deemed entirely unacceptable and rightly
so.
Exhibit
B closure: The whitelash begins.
The on going campaign by the Barbican
and section of the press to smear our campaign as ‘extremist’ is laughable in
one sense, however becomes more insidious upon closer examination.
When one begins to closely examine the
nature of the Barbican response to our compliant, one begins to understand how
the Barbican got itself into this unholy mess in the first place.
First, the mere suggestion that a
virtually all white liberal arts institution could have made a mistake, on an
issue of race has been treated as a complete heresy.
That they should then embark on a
determined campaign to suggest that our opposition of this show was ‘ extreme’,
exemplifies the latent racism that lurks beneath their seemingly liberal
veneer.
Extremists.
Our demonstration attended by 600 people
was noisy, dynamic and peaceful. This is irrefutable and is proven by the
simple facts that there was not single complaint, not a single arrest, without
anyone being injured and without any damage to property. Yet Barbican continues to insist that the
protest was’ extreme’ in nature.
These are the facts that our white
dominated media seemed determined to ignore. Over the last few days we have
seen the press bend over backwards to ignore the facts and fall in line with
the Barbicans well-worn racist trope.
Yet talk to the police and you get a
different story. No arrests, no criminal complaints, no damage to property, no
incidents to report.
The Barbican, in using the word
‘extreme’ choosing these precise words, very carefully and deliberately, has
sought to brand the campaigners as ‘extremists’
I think is worth of noting this attempt
to move legitimate black protest into the realm of dangerous extremism.
White
Privilege.
We are, of course aware, as black
people, that white psychology and perception of black people, determines that for
some, any group of black people, whatever they may or may not be doing, will
always likely to be seen as potentially dangerous and violent.
However, there were signs, from the
beginning, that we were becoming victims of the Barbican’s own worst fears and
imaginings. When we first met the Barbican board, in an effort to reach some consensus
and understanding, outside the boardroom sat their Head of Security. Ask
yourself why would they do that?
The answer is easily understood if
you’re a conscious black person. Our daily reality for us we are routinely and
constantly viewed by some whites including liberals as pathological, mad, bad
or dangerous.
Call
Security, Black People Are Coming!
It was clear from that point on, we were
being regarded as a potentially ‘violent mob’. Brett Bailey himself describes
us as such, in an interview published prior to the shows launch. He stated that
the protest constituted nothing more than a ‘baying mob’. This racist trope,
from an artist who we are told, is on our side and working in our best
interest.
The sight of additional security
whenever we met and at the public consultation organized by Nitro Theatre on
behalf and in support of the Barbican was surrounded by security and this theme
would become increasingly evident with our every interaction with the Barbican.
Conclusion.
Both the Barbican and Bailey are popularly
considered, progressive liberal, good decent white folks. Yet they are intent
on deploying in their defence, that most of popular and well worn of racist
stereotypes, the ‘violent, unruly, baying black mob’.
This approach will further damage
Barbican reputation and anyone associated with it, among London’s Black and
genuine anti racist, communities.
We are set to begin a fresh campaign
targeting the Barbican for its failure to tackle institutionalized racism and
address its racism in the most diverse city, on the planet.
In the meantime in the words of US hi
hop revolutionaries, Public Enemy, ‘Don’t believe the hype’.
Chinua
Achebe talking about a white author writing about Africa said,
"...you cannot
compromise my humanity in order that you explore your own ambiguity. I cannot
accept that. My humanity is not to be debated, nor is it to be used simply to
illustrate European problems.”
