I knew David Starkey was conservative and an enthusiastic supporter of Brexit, but he's apparently a reactionary in other ways too. I don't think there's any doubt about his attitudes here, nothing being exaggerated by the woke generation or the media.

David Starkey criticised over slavery comments

The TV historian and author told an online show hosted by the conservative commentator Darren Grimes that slavery was not genocide because of the survival of "so many damn blacks".
Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent has given him the boot.

We have terminated David Starkey’s position as Visiting Professor with immediate effect. His comments are completely unacceptable and totally go against our University and community values.

twitter.com/CanterburyCCUni/status/1278977372943941632

David Starkey has always been a piece of work. Canterbury Christchurch Uni is just as woke as the other universities around.

I have to go to Canterbury soon. The only thing I like in Canterbury the view from M&S cafe,that over looks the Cathedral grounds.

The only time I ever visited Canterbury I got food poisoning from a fish supper I ate in a café! The cathedral was nice, though, and I remember visiting an art gallery in an alcoved cellar, where in one alcove there were two men dressed in medieval costume discussing the latest football results. The art works were paintings, so I don't think they were an installation. It was very weird!

I saw the whole interview, and in context, it did not seem racist.
I knew this would happen.

Admittedly I haven't seen the interview at all Honey, but struggle to see how a "context" could take the racism out of the words "so many dammned blacks" for you when discussing slavery?

wyot wrote:
Admittedly I haven't seen the interview at all Honey, but struggle to see how a "context" could take the racism out of the words "so many dammned blacks" for you when discussing slavery?

I cant remember the details but he was responding to slavery being called genocide. Something like "its not genocide. If it was genocide there wouldnt be as many damned blacks".

I think his quibble was with the wording, and it was clearly a lighthearted comment. Insensitive and stupid, definitely, but hardly worth the sacking and shaming.

Okay...but still bewildered at the use of the phrase "damned blacks" coming out the mouth of any non-racist, and I have seen a lot of Starkey over the years and don't readily associate him with making "jokes" or being "stupid".

I will watch the interview!

I didn’t think the interview was racist either. I felt the tone overall was inclusive not exclusive.

Can you explain what led you to conclude that it was clearly a light-hearted comment? I find it hard to see anything amusing in the expression and wonder why he or anyone else would.

Something like "its not genocide. If it was genocide there wouldnt be as many damned blacks".

I interpreted this in a different way. Everyone seems to be interpreting 'damned' in the modern, derogatory sense, as in, say, 'bloody blacks'.

'Damned' in its pure form means 'condemned to hell', which might well describe the plight of those who were enslaved. In other words, those who died were better off than those damned (condemned to hell) blacks who survived and, as slaves, suffered a fate worse than death. Had there been genocide, then indeed there wouldn't have been as many damned blacks.

I agree with him that slavery was not genocide as it was not designed to wipe out people of a certain ethnicity, although many died as a result of it. But his point about 'damned blacks' could have been made in a different way. It seems to me that he didn't appreciate how it would be received outside of the academic bubble.