The Sussex have broken a major taboo: they have accused the most famous family in the world of racism. The rebellious couple, the British Prince Harry and his African-American spouse Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have catapulted the issue of race into the centre of British society, by means of their dramatic interview in March with Oprah Winfrey. They broke not only the first commandment of the Royal family – the firm, according to the Duchess: – thou-shall-not-say-anything-of-relevance, but they forced white Britons from the upper class down to the most humblest of the working class to gaze at the mirror and confront their own racism.
What is more, this happened at the time of the UN week on racism, which is honored annually!
In Germany it is shown the respect of important personalities, beginning with its President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Which does not mean that this recognition of the issue has brought about an improvement. On the contrary: right-wing extremism, derogatory utterances, attacks of ‘others’ are increasing. As Jürgen Micksch, chairman of the Foundation Against Racism warned, this serious problem will continue to be an issue for a long time to come. And not only in Germany. People such as George Floyd are still not allowed to breathe, a right-wing extremist tried to attack Jews in Halle and killed innocent passersby, in Hanau citizens with a migration background were murdered.
Is it still not generally accepted that a fallacy that teaches that `races’ have specific characteristics and qualities, which categorizes them as valuable or inferior, is deadly? That it leads to slavery, to Auschwitz, too contempt of humans, to mass murder?
Strange: Voltaire, the most celebrated philosopher of the enlightenment, who declared that humans were equal and that not birth but virtue was significant, had constantly besmirched Jews. Addressing them, he thus said: ‘You appear to be the maddest of all. The Kaffirs, the Hottentots, the Negroes of Guinea are by far more rational and more honest than your ancestors, you Jews.’
That doesn’t seem very enlightened. It is tragic that his views reverberated through the centuries to influence public opinion. And judging by the few examples cited above, such irrational and despicable prejudice continues to exist, from the Royal British Mountbatten’s family, once german Battenbergs such reprehensible, supposedly ethnically ‘founded’ prejudices persist.
Germany’s President Steinmeiner hit it on the nail by pointing out that the means of a constitutional state and a determined civil society are needed in the fight against racism. Is it not realized that racism is despicable with its unjustified hatred, disgust, discrimination, rejection and exclusion of ‘others’ ?
At the same time it is also important to remember the words of Adorno, when he demanded that in ensuring Auschwitz will not be repeated, the first thing above all that is needed is education. Intolerance and prejudice can be overcome once it is understood that these are as baseless as they are irrational.