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Why So Few Black And Asian People At Glastonbury?
Lenny Henry, that stalwart champion of 'diversity', says he is “always surprised” by the lack of black and brown people at Glastonbury, as he called for better representation of ethnic minorities in all facets of British society.
Are they prevented from buying tickets - or is it that they just don't fancy living for several days in a tent in a muddy field?
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Are they prevented from buying tickets - or is it that they just don't fancy living for several days in a tent in a muddy field?
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Answers
Much like Diane Abbott (who is a racist), David Lammy and a few others, Lenny Henry sees racism in pretty much everything, but to crowbar a racist slant into black people choosing not to attend Glastonbury is absurd.
10:36 Sun 19th Jun 2022
Sorry, SP, but I think Lenny Henry is wrong about this. Specifically, when he says: “I’m always surprised by the lack of black and brown faces at festivals. I think, ‘Wow, that’s still very much a dominant culture thing.’”
Dominant culture: https:/
Applying that term to a music festival like Glastonbury is just completely wrong. Glastonbury's culture is laid out as part of its objectives here:
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When I read that, I think Glastonbury does a pretty good job of living up to its objectives. None of those objectives is exclusive to one skin tone, far from it in fact. If most black people don't want to go to Glastonbury, that's their choice, much like it's my choice not to go as well - I'm with them!
Dominant culture: https:/
Applying that term to a music festival like Glastonbury is just completely wrong. Glastonbury's culture is laid out as part of its objectives here:
https:/
When I read that, I think Glastonbury does a pretty good job of living up to its objectives. None of those objectives is exclusive to one skin tone, far from it in fact. If most black people don't want to go to Glastonbury, that's their choice, much like it's my choice not to go as well - I'm with them!
SP, my opinion stands so please stop preaching to me about AB. I'm not angry but I am sick of the victim mentality - and my opinion of you is based upon my 'life' experience of your posts on this site - the most recent a prime example. You complain about racism and yet you have no hesitation in defending Lenny Henry as non-racist even though his 'pride' at the decision made by Comic Relief to bar white celebrities from representing it in Africa wholly supports that accusation. I wonder what you would say if any organisation said it was barring black celebrities from any particular fund raiser? Boots and feet spring to mind.
Ellipsis
I see your point (Really!!! Not just saying that) - and Glastonbury has made great strides over the past few years to expand its content to attract a wider demographic, however the perception of Glastonbury being for a 'particular' audience (rock rather that dance) persists.
I went to Glastonbury three years ago and was surprised that it wasn't anything like I expected.
I know that Michael Eavis wants a more diverse selection of acts onstage which is VERY sensible...Glastonbury can't continue as an exclusively indie pop event because that's not what its audience is buying anymore.
I see your point (Really!!! Not just saying that) - and Glastonbury has made great strides over the past few years to expand its content to attract a wider demographic, however the perception of Glastonbury being for a 'particular' audience (rock rather that dance) persists.
I went to Glastonbury three years ago and was surprised that it wasn't anything like I expected.
I know that Michael Eavis wants a more diverse selection of acts onstage which is VERY sensible...Glastonbury can't continue as an exclusively indie pop event because that's not what its audience is buying anymore.
My old Latin master ( horribile pensu!) used to live at Pilton which is near the Leavises. It is a week of hell. The liddle road to Worthy farm is double blocked ( eek!).
Farmer Eavis originally said " why dont the young people come and play their music in my field?" - whenever it was. So it was a sense of exclusion that started it all off
he has put in £1m of bogs ( sewers )
I liked the Worthy-Cam which showed a few cows chewing the cud...
Farmer Eavis originally said " why dont the young people come and play their music in my field?" - whenever it was. So it was a sense of exclusion that started it all off
he has put in £1m of bogs ( sewers )
I liked the Worthy-Cam which showed a few cows chewing the cud...
// SP, my opinion stands so please stop preaching to me about AB.//
oh little children DO play with your toys peacefully !
And in the Eavis sense, I go for freedom of speech and expression. - SP could always anser " my sermon stand and I will preach about what I like...." dear dear
Eavis is a Zummerzet farmer ( aged 98) - does he really have a say in the line up?
oh little children DO play with your toys peacefully !
And in the Eavis sense, I go for freedom of speech and expression. - SP could always anser " my sermon stand and I will preach about what I like...." dear dear
Eavis is a Zummerzet farmer ( aged 98) - does he really have a say in the line up?
naomi24
I wondered whether you were misrepresenting Sir Lenny when you wrote:
"yet you have no hesitation in defending Lenny Henry as non-racist even though his 'pride' at the decision made by Comic Relief to bar white celebrities from representing it in Africa wholly supports that accusation."
It sounded off, and it was.
The actual story is this
Sir Lenny said: ‘Investing in local talent across Africa to tell stories from their communities is great and a much-needed step forward but as always there is more that can be done. The energy and passion for change and new perspectives is there in bucket loads.’
A lot has changed over Comic Relief’s 35 years, and so the way we raise money and talk about the issues we are here to tackle, and the people we are here to support, must change as well.
As I’ve said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let’s instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.
I wondered whether you were misrepresenting Sir Lenny when you wrote:
"yet you have no hesitation in defending Lenny Henry as non-racist even though his 'pride' at the decision made by Comic Relief to bar white celebrities from representing it in Africa wholly supports that accusation."
It sounded off, and it was.
The actual story is this
Sir Lenny said: ‘Investing in local talent across Africa to tell stories from their communities is great and a much-needed step forward but as always there is more that can be done. The energy and passion for change and new perspectives is there in bucket loads.’
A lot has changed over Comic Relief’s 35 years, and so the way we raise money and talk about the issues we are here to tackle, and the people we are here to support, must change as well.
As I’ve said before, this just perpetuates tired and unhelpful stereotypes. Let’s instead promote voices from across the continent of Africa and have serious debate.
12:20, That's a cop out, SP. Lenny Henry is 'proud' that Comic Relief will stop sending white people to Africa. He said so. And if the boot was on the other foot, he - and you - would be the first to cry 'racist'.
No 'digs' from me, just honest observations. By the way, just what does 'I see where YOU'RE coming from', mean?
No 'digs' from me, just honest observations. By the way, just what does 'I see where YOU'RE coming from', mean?
I see the BBC has given Sir Lenworth a two-part programme to further air his views:
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//If Stamford Hill were the only place where Hasidic Jews lived, then I'd concede you'd have a point, but it isn't.//
It obviously isn’t the only place they choose to live. All the Hasidic Jews in the world do not live in Stamford Hill. But it is the only place in the borough of Hackney where they live in any numbers and one of the few areas in London where they live. The area in Stamford Hill they have chosen is extremely small, restricted to a very few roads (perhaps no more than a dozen at most) and can almost be described as an “enclave”. Many people seem to settle or throng with people of their own kind and very often this means of their own race. Ex-Pats do so on the Costas. There’s nothing wrong with it – it’s just what people do.
But all this is rather off-topic. The question posed was “Why So Few Black And Asian People At Glastonbury?” It goes on to say that Lenny Henry is surprised that so few black people go there. You said he commented on the lack of diversity amongst the crowds there and asked why that is and suggested there's no reason for these questions not to be asked.
There certainly is no reason why such a question should not be asked. But far more relevant is why it should be asked. Nobody is preventing people of any race, colour or creed from attending Glastonbury. If they were I would be the first to shout. But nobody is. Black and other minority ethnic people don’t go there because they choose not to. Neither do I nor does anybody I know and the reason for that it is simply not attractive to us (and nor is the idea of giving £280 – plus booking fee, natch to Farmer Giles to squat in his field). The idea that everything must be “representative” of the population at large is fallacious. There is no need to worry why black people don’t attend Glastonbury and no need to worry why white people didn’t frequent the Four Aces in Dalston. I wonder, as an aside, how many times Lenny Henry has attended the Glastonbury Festival?
It obviously isn’t the only place they choose to live. All the Hasidic Jews in the world do not live in Stamford Hill. But it is the only place in the borough of Hackney where they live in any numbers and one of the few areas in London where they live. The area in Stamford Hill they have chosen is extremely small, restricted to a very few roads (perhaps no more than a dozen at most) and can almost be described as an “enclave”. Many people seem to settle or throng with people of their own kind and very often this means of their own race. Ex-Pats do so on the Costas. There’s nothing wrong with it – it’s just what people do.
But all this is rather off-topic. The question posed was “Why So Few Black And Asian People At Glastonbury?” It goes on to say that Lenny Henry is surprised that so few black people go there. You said he commented on the lack of diversity amongst the crowds there and asked why that is and suggested there's no reason for these questions not to be asked.
There certainly is no reason why such a question should not be asked. But far more relevant is why it should be asked. Nobody is preventing people of any race, colour or creed from attending Glastonbury. If they were I would be the first to shout. But nobody is. Black and other minority ethnic people don’t go there because they choose not to. Neither do I nor does anybody I know and the reason for that it is simply not attractive to us (and nor is the idea of giving £280 – plus booking fee, natch to Farmer Giles to squat in his field). The idea that everything must be “representative” of the population at large is fallacious. There is no need to worry why black people don’t attend Glastonbury and no need to worry why white people didn’t frequent the Four Aces in Dalston. I wonder, as an aside, how many times Lenny Henry has attended the Glastonbury Festival?
SP, //I’ll be honest with you - you lost me when you said you believed Sir Lenny was a racist and Tommy Robinson wasn’t. //
I didn't say that - and I don't think you are being honest with me. I asked you a question which you haven't answered so I'll try again. What does 'I see where YOU'RE coming from', mean? .
I didn't say that - and I don't think you are being honest with me. I asked you a question which you haven't answered so I'll try again. What does 'I see where YOU'RE coming from', mean? .
//says he is “always surprised” by the lack of black and brown people at Glastonbury, //
I am always surprised too. Crowds of almost a quarter million confined together for 5 days with surprisingly little trouble on average ... particularly the machette, knife, and gun crime that other "festivals" seem to attract. Is there a connection perhaps?
I am always surprised too. Crowds of almost a quarter million confined together for 5 days with surprisingly little trouble on average ... particularly the machette, knife, and gun crime that other "festivals" seem to attract. Is there a connection perhaps?
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