Last summer, after the death of George Floyd sparked anti-racism protests around the world, the UK descended into debate around just how racist this country is compared to the US. Those hoping to protect their white privilege condemned the idea that Britain is still racist today, despite the statistics and lived experiences of Black people proving it. The fact we were even having the conversation felt ridiculous at the time, and today, the reaction to Sainsbury’s latest Christmas advert proves why.
Posting one of their three Christmas adverts this year, the first called ‘Gravy Song’ shows home footage of a Black family celebrating Christmas, eating dinner and opening presents. It’s shown as a phone call plays over the top between a father and daughter discussing how desperate they are to spend it together, with the dad singing a song about how great his gravy is. It’s heart-warming, relatable and captures the public mood of praying we can spend Christmas with our families perfectly.
But you wouldn’t know that from the comments. Instantly, racists piled in threatening to ‘boycott’ Sainsbury’s for apparently being ‘too woke’, virtue-signalling and misrepresenting Britain. The post has near 5,000 replies and 30,000 quote tweets of people making racist remarks about it, and those attempting to fight that racism.
What these racists fail to realise is while Black people make up 3% of the UK’s population, that’s near 2million people. To say that millions of people don’t deserve to be represented in advertising is not just racist, it’s senseless.
Not only that, but crying about feeling unrepresented in a country where the vast majority of advertising stars exclusively white people is pathetic. Because what are you really upset about here? Not being the target of a corporation's capitalist agenda? Really? It’s particularly ludicrous because there are also two other Sainsbury’s adverts promoting their Christmas products – the other that’s currently out features an exclusively white family from Liverpool.
Ultimately, what the comments show is that these people aren’t upset about ‘virtue-signalling’ or being unrepresented at all - they just don't like seeing a joyful and sweet Black family celebrating their love for each other over Christmas on their TV. It’s indisputable racism.
So if you weren’t convinced by the hideous treatment of Meghan Markle or Marcus Rashford, let this be the final proof you need that the UK is still in fact a racist country. And with that in mind, here’s how you can help support the charities fighting it in the UK and beyond…
Charities To Support - Grazia
1 of 23Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust
Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust works with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds aged 13 to 30 to inspire and enable them to succeed in the career of their choice
2 of 23Peace and Healing for Darnella Fund
Darnella Frazier, the brave young woman who filmed the murder of George Floyd, deserves peace and healing. In addition to the trauma of watching a black man be murdered by police, she has had to deal with trolls, bullies and ignorant people harassing her online. This fund is to support the healing and the restoration of hope for Darnella Frazier —whatever that means to her.
3 of 23Justice for Jacob Blake Fund
Set up by Blake's mother, this fund will cover his medical expenses, mental and grief counseling for his family and to assist them in the days to come, as they continue to seek justice for Jacob. A portion of these proceeds will also be used to benefit his six children.
4 of 23Milwaukee Freedom Fund
MFF was started by Black and Brown Milwaukee organizers to support residents' right to protest for justice. Donations help support their work helping protesters and community mutual aid and start a locally controlled and operated Milwaukee Bail Out Fund that is part of the National Bail Out Network. Through this work they will build on ongoing bail abolition efforts, support immigration efforts, work towards Black and Brown Liberation and support Black and Brown young people as they build a new world.
5 of 23George Floyd Memorial Fund
This fund covers his funeral and burial expenses, mental and grief counseling for the family, lodging and travel for all court proceedings and to assist the family in the days to come as they continue to seek justice for George. A portion of these funds will also go to the Estate of George Floyd for the benefit and care of his children and their educational fund.
6 of 23Minnesota Freedom Fund
The MFF is working with the US National Lawyers Guild and Legal Rights Center to help bails that are set for protestors.
7 of 23Prison Reform Trust
Prison Reform Trust works to make the prison system in the UK just, humane and effective.
8 of 23Joint Council For The Welfare Of Immigrants
The JCWI aims to create a world in which immigration law and policy are based on sound evidence, promote the rule of law and are underpinned by respect for human rights and human dignity
9 of 23Access UK
Helps reduce BME youth unemployment, provide employment and training solutions for youth offenders and implement anti-gang initiatives in the community.
10 of 23Charity So White
Tackles institutional racism in the charity sector.
11 of 23Black Thrive
Black Thrive works to reduce the inequality and injustices experienced by Black people in mental health services.
12 of 23The Ubele Initiative
Supports the African diaspora community.
13 of 23Women In Prison
Supports women affected by the criminal justice system and campaigns to end the harm of prison to women, their families and our communities.
14 of 23Race On The Agenda (ROTA)
Race On The Agenda (ROTA) is a social policy research organisation focusing on issues that impact BAME communities.
15 of 23Show Racism The Red Card
Provides educational workshops, training sessions, multimedia packages, and a whole host of other resources, all with the purpose of tackling racism in society.
16 of 23The Equality Trust
Works to improve the quality of life in the UK by reducing economic and social inequality.
17 of 23Stop Hate UK
A service for victims of racial harassment aiming to end hate crimes in the UK.
18 of 23Runnymede
Generates intelligence to challenge race inequality in Britain through research, network building, leading debate, and policy engagement.
19 of 23National Bail Out
This US charity is a Black-led and Black-centered collective of abolitionist organizers, lawyers and activists building a community-based movement to support our folks and end systems of pretrial detention and ultimately mass incarceration.
20 of 23Black Lives Matter
This US organisation (for which there is a UK movement here) fights to end state-sanctioned violence, liberate Black people, and end white supremacy forever.
21 of 23BEAM
BEAM is a US training, movement building and grant making organization dedicated to the healing, wellness and liberation of Black and marginalized communities.
22 of 23Ahmaud Arbery Memorial Fund
Ahmaud Arbery was chased and gunned down by Travis McMichael, son of retired Brunswick investigator Greg McMichael, under the father's and son's pretenses of witnessing a burglary in Satilla Shores of Glynn County. There is no evidence of the alleged burglary.
23 of 23Belly Mujinga Memorial Fund
For the memorial of Belly Mujinga, the railway worker who was spat at before she died of Covid-19.