[ritchiebaby]

And if those uppity blacks just hadn’t looted all those shops or burnt all those cars - all of those police officers would probably have been charged and already in prison by now, right? Sure.

Thats the heart of the problem right there.

The other issues you seem to be conflating with racism are more to do with islam than anything else. Im not sure thats relevant to this. Hauling down a statue might just be photo opp, but its certainly got more people talking about the subject and learning about our history with slavery up and down the UK than ever before. A lot more folk will know about Colston now than before. Thats a real step in the right direction.

I'm just afraid that anyone reading your first sentence would get the impression that the way to get justice is to engage in violent activities. And that, I'm sorry to say, is the heart of the problem. Extreme views and actions from both sides just win out again.

I remember being taught at school about the British Empire and it's involvement with the slave trade. But also how it led the Abolition Of Slavery through Wilberforce and his allies.

My point about the other instances I mentioned is that it does not have to be Black v White to be considered racist. African countries have led the way in the slave trade (the Moors from the Barbary Coast, Egyptians with an almost acceptable form of slavery, Central African countries positively benefitting from the Atlantic Slave Trade). More recently you have Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and Uganda. Add in Myanamar and it goes on and on.