Alex Beresford said his experiences with racism have lasted throughout his life, and insisted he’s faced “institutional racism” in many environments in his new column, claiming the bigger problem with society involves “co-workers”, “parents at the school gate” and is not just on camera.
The reporter referenced a commission created by Prime Minister Boris Johnson following the Black Lives Protests last year, which claimed there was “no evidence” of institutional racism in Britain, and that it is a “beacon” for other white-majority countries.
Offering his own opinion, Alex hit back that the report does a “disservice to this country”.
“If we acknowledge that there is racism in Britain – as the report does – then we have to acknowledge it will find its way into institutions,” he said. “This report gives a false sense of hope that our work is done and will also give social-media racists the comfort to push a little bit further as they hide in plain sight.
“The harsh reality, though, is that social media is just a reflection of a bigger problem in society. These people are co-workers, they are parents at the school gate,” Alex claimed.
Alex has also spoken out about the aftermath of the last few weeks since he entered into a live spat with former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan over his comments about Meghan Markle on the ITV show.
What’s more, the 40-year-old GMB star insisted not all racism is “caught on camera”, and actually happens behind the scenes.
Referencing the horrific death of George Floyd after police officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nine minutes in America last year, which caused a national and world-wide outrage, Alex offered that racism comes in many forms.
“Between myself and friends, we have dozens of examples where we have faced institutional racism throughout our lives: in some of their cases, it meant losing out in the workplace and restricted opportunities,” he continued.
“The point about covert racism is that you know it exists because you have experienced it – but it is much harder to prove.”
The star went on to say he’s been thinking about his own journey as a mixed-race man going from living on a council estate as a child in Bristol to his hugely-successful career on ITV.
Alex referenced many instances where he received racist hate and vitriol and the helpful tools he was given by his mum to help him survive and thrive in the world.
The weather forecaster also explained the reasons why he’s decided to have a break from posting on social media.
“Since then [the live debate with Piers Morgan earlier this month] I have been subjected to relentless racism myself on social media,” he said in his Telegraph column. “I haven’t announced it.
“I have been forced to step away from Twitter and Facebook because it was getting too much,” the star continued. “I am a strong person, but I am not made of steel.
“These are just the past few weeks of my own very much-lived experience of racism in Britain,” Alex added.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
