If you are a black or any other minority and speak out on an issue then expect to be discredited.

You are simply talking when you are not supposed to and you should leave the complicated stuff to others. 

Stormzy was the latest high-profile celebrity to have his words misconstrued and rightfully accused the media of "intentionally spinning (his) words" after he said he believed the UK was still a racist country.

The grime rapper, 26, responded to a number of news reports in a tweet on Sunday morning.

Stormzy, who released his second album Heavy Is The Head earlier this month, made the comments in question during an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

Asked whether the UK was still a racist country, he said: "Definitely, 100%. It's like: 'Oh no, we're not racist'. But there's a lot of racism in the country.

"The difficult thing with the UK is, as you said, in Italy it's a clear problem, whereas trying to explain that Britain is a racist country is the most difficult thing ever.”

Broadcaster ITV had to apologise after a tweet, who like many others stated that Stormzy had said the country was racist. Not so.

The issue with Black, Asian, Chinese and all minorities in the UK face is that you are expected to speak in a specific way and if you don't you will be vilified and made to look as if you are a) not patriotic enough,  b) Ungrateful to the country where you reside or c) Know your place in society.

Much of these feelings come from a belief that you are not truly British anyway and should be appreciative of what the nation gave you and your parents. Even if you have managed to succeed against all odds then you have to be grateful to this country and hold back from calling out any faults.
You may be born here but a true Brit acts and behaves in a certain manner. Anything out of the ordinary is simply not tolerated.

Let us be honest about this, Diane Abbot was only being targeted because she was both black, female and a Labour MP. 

If you are looking for support from other minorities then you won’t get it if you happen to 
back the wrong party or say something that goes against their own opinions.

Here is Sajid Javid after Stormzy made his comments.

 

 

Which takes us on to the point of discrediting. The opinions of minorities tend first and foremost to be discredited by a media that does not want to or has no intention of changing the status quo.

If your readers are most likely to react to semi-racist articles then that is what you will post. the headline will in many ways look to garner enough reaction from people who already hold prejudicial views. Why change a winning system?

Large sections of the mainstream media have a huge problem with diversity within their own workforce and this continues to show when articles are printed or programmes broadcast.

That is not to say that one has to be a minority to write on other minorities but when it comes to race it would help to challenge these narratives from within.

What the Stormzy incident has laid bare is how articles by mainstream media organisations to fit in to a particular narrative. 

Regardless of what is said and the context behind that saying there seems to be an inherent need to mould that into what we would like them to have said.  That way the message is nullified an d we talk about how and who said it rather than what was said.

Unless we have an effort to change this then any Black and Asian celebrity or politician can expect the same treatment again and again.