As the elections approach in May, and being the commemoration year of the abolition of the British slave trade, it is beyond rational understanding that a senior civil servant, Duncan Macniven, Scotland's Registrar-General, could have said to one of your journalists (The Herald, March 16) that, "Africans in Scotland objected to being defined by colour of skin, while Asians are defined by geography". As a black Caribbean who first came to Scotland in 1964 and has represented Scotland extensively, I demand, and I hope that other members of the ethnic community will demand, the evidence for this statement. If this evidence is not provided, then we have here a government consultation that will divide the community and initiate racial problems in Scotland that did not exist before.
All the members of every ethnic group in Scotland have worked tirelessly to try to improve race relations and now this ill-considered action of Duncan Macniven has raised the ugly head of racial conflict where there was none. It is being claimed that the protesting Africans do not want a "black" identity and want this choice from the census form, to be removed.
As far as I can ascertain, the views of those who are of a "black" identity have not been assessed for such a conclusion to be drawn. I am in closer contact with the community than Duncan Macniven and I know of fewer than five Africans who hold this view and I know of no person of "black" identity who wants "black or white" identity removed from the census form. Duncan Macniven must produce the evidence for the speedy, reckless, politically lopsided action he has taken.
Duncan Macniven said the "Recommendations on the issue from an MSP committee has left him little choice". Who are the members of this committee? It is astonishing that a group of MSPs would act on the views of fewer than a handful of Africans and spend an enormous amount of money to seek change to a census form that gave a better distribution of ethnicity in Scotland than will be achieved by a revised census form, from which black and white categories may be removed. Incidentally, how many white people have been asked about this proposed change? Without a black category the needs of the black community in Scotland will be swept under the racial carpet. One Scotland does not mean one colour or one identity. It means one attitude to justice. The irrational lumping together of the natural diversity of people will hide the needs of disadvantaged communities.
For example, if the gipsy category was subsumed in the white category, the needs of gipsy people would disappear and not be addressed. I cannot believe that MSPs could have ordered such an action using evidence that has not been presented to the community. Macniven must understand that the identity and wellbeing of "black" people are more important than his political timetable.
In The Herald's article, Macniven also said: "It is no longer necessary to find out the religion in which Scots were bought up . . . this would bring Scotland into line with England, where people are only asked their current religion or faith." Who told Macniven that this is what the Scottish people want? Where is the evidence? Which members of the people of Scotland; which MSPs or which Africans proposed this unification of Scotland and England?
In the past, the removal of the "black" identity and rights of 20 million African people was carried out during New World chattel slavery. Scotland was involved in this slavery, in which, black Caribbean slaves had no right to life. This unique, profitable and brutal slavery was managed by a small group of people colluding in Britain and Africa to promote self-interest. All decent people in Scotland should not allow the dangerous and expedient activities of the few to damage the good image of this country again.
If the scientific evidence for Duncan Macniven's "little choice" of political action is not presented, the race-relations work of the government, many communities and institutions will be damaged by the ill-considered expediency of a civil servant and by a handful of Africans who don't like to be called "black". If this census is put in place with the words "black and white" removed, the word "black" will revert to a word of general racial abuse. Scotland cannot be a party to this unjust expediency of Duncan Macniven and his undisclosed MSP and African advisers. - Professor Geoff Palmer, 23 Waulkmill Drive, Penicuik.
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