Kenyan slams ‘post-Brexit racism’ in viral video

In an online video that hit three million views within two days, Kenyan Penny Wangari-Jones says there has been a huge rise in racism in the UK after Brexit.

“What are you doing about it? Silence is as bad as approval,” she says in the video named ‘Five Ways to Disrupt Racism’.

Like many other black people living in Western countries, she states that she has been a victim of racism.

But her experience is not what she shares in the video. It is the rise in hate crimes and hate incidents all over the world, which she says have been prompted by growing far-right movements and narratives within the communities.

MIGRATION EXPLOITED

“We are aware that racism exists, but when politicians and media continue to exploit migration as a means to get votes and get papers bought, it has over time brought out the bad in people,” she says.

Penny, who worked for the Racial Justice Network, says some of the language used and attacks experienced today never existed 15 years ago. This is what forms the basis of her motivation to do what she can to fight racism.

“Cameron called refugees risking and dying along the Mediterranean ‘a swarm’, Nigel Farage’s comment would be too long to list as would be by people like Trump. When leaders take on such stances, misinformed citizens will only take it further,” she adds.

Penny says even before Brexit, there had been a history of racism going up when the economy is not doing well, because of migrants, who are often used as scapegoats when there is discontent.

“It started to bring those feeling vulnerable and those who are pro-migration, anti-hate groups in solidarity.”

In the video, Penny recommends; “Don’t be a bystander, film it and report it, stick around for the victim, tackle the culture of racism and actively fight racism.”

“There are policies and rules that continue to be pushed through that mean migrants are treated differently. For example asylum seekers not being allowed to work even though going through the asylum can sometimes take years,” she said in an interview with the Daily Nation.

According to Penny, racism is not only about discrimination based on skin colour and where someone comes from.

“It does not only exist in the Western hemisphere. Internalised racism exists where individuals aspire so much to adopt the Western culture to the point of loathing themselves, their culture and their own people,” she said.

She encouraged everyone to do their part, however small, in order to reduce and finally eliminate racism in the world.

Recently, cases of unfair treatment based on racial differences have caused a lot of uproar, especially in the United States, where several protests have been held to champion the dignity of black people.

This followed filmed incidents of police officers killing African-Americans after suspecting them of being criminals.