A prominent member of Stand Up to Racism Southampton posted a controversial video on social media, raising questions over the boundaries of anti-racism activism.
Jayanti Shah, a familiar face on local television and at community events, has featured widely as the face of Stand Up To Racism in Southampton, with a social media profile description as an ardent campaigner for social cohesion and anti-racism. His social media profiles declare his mission “to challenge Racism. Action for anti-racism not rhetoric of community cohesion or diversity.”
Mr. Shah shared a video online entitled “Token White Employee” by Naseem Hussein, a fringe comedian in Australia. Hussein’s work draws on his Muslim background and often treads a fine line between parody and polemic, drawing both praise and criticism but seemingly divisive.
The video, a play on workplace diversity initiatives by depicting exaggerated office characters navigating awkward attempts at inclusion. In one scene, a character introduces “the very first person of color,” to which the individual responds, “I’m fine with white.”
Divisively the video continues “We did our research and googled white rituals. This is for your alcoholism. This is for your gambling habit. And you can download as much pornography as you like. I’ll see you later. Have fun!” and continues “Ha ha! Sucked in, white boy! Woo!”
In a previous interview with the Southampton Daily Echo, Mr. Shah underlined Southampton’s Stand Up To Racism’s commitment to inclusivity and made it clear that hate and bigotry has no place in the city, he said. “Our community stands together against all forms of bigotry and division, and we will continue to challenge those who seek to spread intolerance.”
You can watch the comedy video below:
