Socialist Workers' Party conference, London
TitleSocialist Workers' Party conference, London
ReferenceTAPE/172/2
Date
11-Jul-92
Scope and ContentOn side 2 - "White racism"
The tape starts with a racist assumption “are all whites racist?”
The speaker puts forward the assumption that racism is a product of Capitalism. Before a Capitalist society arose the colour question was not one that was asked, e,g, Ancient Rome had a Black emperor. The speaker says that racism is a relatively new phenomenon. The speaker also brings into the equation cultural diversity as a possible device for separation, i.e., cultural apartheid. The speaker talks well about immigration, immigration laws and how the masses are whipped up into a frenzy about phantom immigration. The speaker sweeps across a wide range of incidents and viewpoints upon racism. He appears to support the thesis that Society itself produces privilege, discrimination, nationalism and racism. The speaker also relates that one’s struggle affects one’s assumptions and viewpoints, e.g., the dockers in London’s East End first of all support Enoch Powell after a bitter defeat at a strike, i.e., they needed a scapegoat, then in the early seventies the miners / dockers influence converted them to socialist principles.
A speaker from the floor speaks passionately about racism, the Winston Silcott case (arrested as he signed on a police station on bail).
A second speaker speaks about racism in the police force and accuses the police of racist tendencies, due to the role they have to play in a capitalist society.
The tape ends with opinions from the floor.
The tape starts with a racist assumption “are all whites racist?”
The speaker puts forward the assumption that racism is a product of Capitalism. Before a Capitalist society arose the colour question was not one that was asked, e,g, Ancient Rome had a Black emperor. The speaker says that racism is a relatively new phenomenon. The speaker also brings into the equation cultural diversity as a possible device for separation, i.e., cultural apartheid. The speaker talks well about immigration, immigration laws and how the masses are whipped up into a frenzy about phantom immigration. The speaker sweeps across a wide range of incidents and viewpoints upon racism. He appears to support the thesis that Society itself produces privilege, discrimination, nationalism and racism. The speaker also relates that one’s struggle affects one’s assumptions and viewpoints, e.g., the dockers in London’s East End first of all support Enoch Powell after a bitter defeat at a strike, i.e., they needed a scapegoat, then in the early seventies the miners / dockers influence converted them to socialist principles.
A speaker from the floor speaks passionately about racism, the Winston Silcott case (arrested as he signed on a police station on bail).
A second speaker speaks about racism in the police force and accuses the police of racist tendencies, due to the role they have to play in a capitalist society.
The tape ends with opinions from the floor.
Extent1 Cassette tape
Physical descriptionNWSA copy
LanguageEnglish
Persons keywordSocialist Workers Party
SubjectConferences, Race and racism
Conditions governing accessOpen
Levelfile
Normal locationZ (Room 24)