The National Union of Students Black Conference in Bradford erupted into a civil war after the conference proposed to amend the term “Black” – for the sake of inclusivity – and include “Politically Black” people into the movement.
More: UPDATE: Loughborough and Hull Quit NUS Over Antisemitic President
The radical-left weekend-long conference is an annual event to guide the direction of the Black Liberation Movement in Britain. The student movement usually tackles such important “student” issues as abolishing prisons and aiming for “international peace and justice”.
But the very first proposal on Saturday has sent the meeting into turmoil.
A motion penned by East Kent College Student Union criticised the use of “Black” as an umbrella term for all non-white students.
It claimed: “the term `Black’ is evocative of people of African and Caribbean origins, using the language of “Black Students” is misleading and unrepresentative. In principle it understates the size, needs and distinctive concerns of the Asian, Arab and other ethnic communities within the movement”.
The motion urged changing the language to represent people who identify as “black” but aren’t ethnically-black: “NUS should open discussion and act to redefine the language and terms around the use of “Politically Black” and “Black” Students”.
“Politically Black” is a term adopted by non-black people of colour who identify with the struggle against racism and oppression. It has been repeatedly criticised for being used for political gain while silencing actual black voices within the movement.
The newly elected NUS president, Malia Bouattia – who’s currently embroiled in anti-Semitism row and causing mass-disaffiliation campaigns from the NUS – is also a Black Students’ Officer known for “Political Blackness” – despite being from Algeria, and not actually a black woman at all.
The proposal caused a massive furore and internal strife among conference delegates who took it out on social media and debate stage.
Multiple black students expressed resentment over their identity being hijacked by non-black people who don’t share the same experience and are often guilty of anti-black racism in their ethnic community.
According to one delegate, an ethnically-black woman was described as a “snake” for speaking out against “Political Blackness”.
The students were particularly upset by the wording of the motion that suggested “The NUS Black Students Officer should be ethnically black or the ‘title’ for the position should be changed”.
They argued that passing such a resolution would allow anyone, including white students, becoming Black Students’ representatives as long as they identify as “Politically Black”.
The debate thus took a nasty turn after delegates started asking to prove their real black ethnicity.
Others meanwhile responded by mocking “Political Blackness“:
One observer tweeted: “In all honestly if everyone can join #nusblack16 can I be white for economic purposes?”
If it wasn’t bad enough the NUS, such left-on-left civil war has even prompted suggestions about ethnically-black students disaffiliating from the NUS Black Students’ Campaign.
But for all of us watching the conference from a distance, we have just one question – has Rachel Dolezal’s revolution come to Britain?