Tony Hendriks - JAMAICAN PALEFACE
OCTOBER IS Black History Month in Britain and already some pretty historical things have happened. Scotland Yard has appointed Mike Fuller to the rank of Chief Constable, making him the first black man to achieve that in British Constabulary history. Good month to do it.
Ironically he has been made Chief Constable of Kent. Many of the thousands of white South Africans who fled to England after the fall of apartheid now live in Kent. The fact they moved thousand miles to get away from black rule and now have a black police chief cracks me up. Good month to laugh about it.
Of course just because they are South Africans doesn't mean they are all shaved-headed, racist, doppelgangers of Terre Blanche but it does put me in mind of Eddie Murphy's line to a bar full of rednecks in the movie 48 Hours: "I am your worst nightmare!" I guess you can run but you just can't hide.
Scotland Yard are under the cosh themselves right now. Despite Mike Fuller and his promotion it seems the only place you'll ever see black and white on equal terms in the police force is in the chequered strip on their hats. Ali Dizaei, the Iranian-born son and grandson of Tehran police commissioners and top cop stock was tipped for the top of the Met until he voiced opinions on the levels of racism in the force. Suddenly the fast-rising Superintendent was a bit too uppity and was under investigation by internal affairs in a flash.
CHARGES
Phone taps, over a year's surveillance and seven million pounds later, (they spend less on a murder hunt) and surprise, surprise, Ali was acquitted of all the charges. The charges started out as "threat to national security, misuse of drugs, sex with prostitutes and accepting gratuities" (all regulation police work I'd have thought) and ended up as no more than "a scratch on a car and °270 worth of questionable mileage charges." Good month to get acquitted.
They need Black History Month in Britain. Everything is very black or white; there is no middle ground. In a BBC interview a reporter called the Iranian-born Dizaei black. Ali blinked, looked a bit put out, but carried on. He knew the force was not with him but he thought he was an Arab not black.
In the land of red, white and blue the black, brown and yellow folk stick together and the Metropolitan Black Police Association says: "Black and Asian people should not join the Met." Not that many were thinking of it but it's not good advertising for ethnic bobbies is it? Bad month for recruiting!
Cries of racism echo across Scotland Yard as not for the first time the Met is accused of institutional racism (which is when even the tables, chairs and teacups make racist remarks as you pass, if you so much as try to sip water from the water cooler it spits in your eye) but it won't be the last. One step forward, two steps black!
Black churches have now come up with a new way to help police. Witnesses to crimes, always often reluctant to come forward for fear of being branded an informer or worse, are being encouraged to pray with ministers. If you let a little information slip into your prayer you're not informing, you're talking to God. If God passes on that information to the police, it's not your fault is it? He is just working in his mysterious ways.
NEW POSSE
Finally a new posse has hit the streets. Walking through the valley of the shadow of death, praying on guilty men and saving their souls: The Street Pastors; coming to a dark alley near you! These Afro-Caribbean, men of God, inspired by the work some of Jamaican clergy, are patrolling the streets in the wee hours, talking and listening to dealers, gunmen and desperados. I love it. Vigilante vicar posses.
PASTOR: "Give yourself up brother. To the lord that is." SHOTTA: "You gonna make me?" PASTOR: "Did I preach five sermons tonight or six? I might have one left or I might not. You want to find out? Go ahead, make me pray!"
Will it make a difference? Who knows but it is good people trying to make some good history, never mind the month.
Tony Hendriks can be re-read at www.jamaicanpaleface.com and e-mailed via the website.
