What do you think about Cameron’s bitter row with Oxford over racism Lollipop?

As I flicked through the Daily Mail today shocked by Simon Cowell’s abrupt exit from the UK’s X factor another major headline also surprised me. Last night at a local election in Harrogate, North Yorkshire PM David Cameron publicly accused UK’s top university, Oxford of racism. He branded the institution as “disgraceful” for supposedly admitting only one black student in 2009. However Oxford swiftly retaliated with the actual figures from that academic year and argued, ‘The figure quoted by the Prime Minister is incorrect and highly misleading – it only refers to UK undergraduates of black Caribbean origin for  single year of entry, when in fact that year Oxford admitted 41 UK undergraduates with black backgrounds.

27 of these undergraduate admissions were black British students and 14 were students of mixed race.

Of the 27 black students, one was of black Caribbean origin, 23 were black African and three were listed as black ‘other.”

The Daily Mail also stated that Oxford can only monitor its intake of ethnic minorities via the UCAS university application form.

Students are asked to describe their ethnic origin when filling out the form, however this is not obligatory and many choose not to submit this personal information. Therefore their figures are not conclusive. So perhaps they should not be used to brand Oxford as a racist institution. Instead we should ask students with black backgrounds what they think.

“I think these figures are ridiculous,” says my younger sister Lollipop who like me of course is of black Caribbean origin, “look sis, it also says that just 20 black British students were accepted on to undergraduate degree courses in 2010, along with 19 students of mixed race, in comparison with 2,298 white students. Can you believe that sis? It makes the figure look even more shocking.”

“I know sis even Deputy PM Nick Clegg has got involved and supported Cameron by saying, “the wider point that the Prime Minister was making is absolutely right.” He wants universities to be doing a lot more for prospective students from poorer and minority backgrounds especially if they will soon be charging tuition fees of £9,000 a year.”

“He’s right! If I had to pay nine grand to go Oxford I would want them to be tackling problems like this.”

“Me too,” I agree. However as I continue to read the article 3^rd year Oxford geography student Jeremy  Boon made me think again. He is also of Caribbean heritage and said that when he first applied race wasn’t something h considered at all. “I always thought academic ability was the only thing they really value at Oxford- and I still do.”

Of course academia is what Oxford is renowned for and when I was deciding which college and university to go to race wasn’t something I considered either. Instead I considered their courses, their freshers’ packs and the city’s night life.

Race wasn’t something I looked at because it is something I’m used to dealing with constantly. I’m used to dealing with being the only black girl in my class and so is my sister at her high school. I’m used to dealing with being only the black woman in my workplace. And after 22 years I’m also used to being part of the only black family that lives on my street and so is my sister which is why I know she’ll be fine when she decides which university to attend or whether she’ll even go at all.

Only now are Clegg and Cameron dealing with this issue however I’m totally used to this issue as are most people of ethnic minority backgrounds that live in England because we live in a predominantly white country.

It’s great that the government wants to highlight this issue but is it an issue that should be highlighted when black students are the minority everywhere in England not just in Oxford?

Should we be doing more to help the Ivory Coast?

As I flick through today’s Times the latest on the civil war in the Ivory Coast suddenly grabs my attention. Their “recalcitrant leader,” Mr Laurent Gbagbo still refuses to surrender and accept Alassane Outtara as the new president despite UN and French troops fully supporting forces loyal to Mr Outtara.  These forces have stormed the presidential palace in a bid to capture Gbagbo, who remains entrenched in his bunker surrounded by enemy troops.

However Hamadoun Toure, the spokesman for the UN mission to Ivory Coast said by telephone that, “We spoke to his close aides, some had already defected, some are ready to stop fighting. He is alone now; he is in his bunker with a handful of supporters and family members.”

“Time is definitely almost up for Mr Gbagbo then Lollipop,” I say to my younger sister who quickly glances at the Times’ article. “All I know is that I definitely wouldn’t want to be in the Ivory Coast right now. More than 1,500 people are reported to have died in the standoff over the past four months you know sis.”

“So where would you rather be then Lollipop? In Libya where at least 1,500 people are dead or wounded in Misrata,”

“Neither! Both countries are in an awful state sis,”

“I know but some like Tutu Agare managing partner of Nubake Investments seem to think the Ivory Coast are definitely worst off.”

In his article for the Times he argues that, “Ivorians were already being killed weeks before Colonel Gaddafi had threatened revenge on the people of Benghazi- yet were there calls for No Fly zones or military intervention by coalition of foreign powers?”

He believes Libya is more important to the UN and the Ivory Coast is a mere side-show because the old stereotype of Africa as the poverty-stricken corrupt dark continent has returned.

“Over the next 18 months there are due to be another 17 democratic national elections in Africa.” Yet “The message is steal elections in Africa and the world will ignore it.”

However Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson argues it would be wrong to compare the Ivorian crisis with that of Libya in terms of international response to protect civilians.

“For the past four months,’ he said, “the United States has been working closely with its African and other international partners to achieve a peaceful outcome of the Ivorian crisis. A robust international peacekeeping force has been on the ground since 2002, beginning first as an ECOWAS operation and then converting in 2004 to a U.N.-led effort.”

Despite such peacekeeping forces being emplaced the media and the UN can’t deny that they have been more focused on Libya then the Ivorian crisis. Only now after four months has the turmoil in the Ivory Coast made headline news.

Even Lollipop has noticed how Libya has garnered the most headlines in the papers and on TV.

“The situation in the Ivory Coast seems just as hard-hitting and violent sis. I don’t get why they’re being treated so differently. I don’t see Cameron sending more RAF jets to Africa”

“Well French troops and foreign powers have been taking action. French ministers have confidently predicted that Laurent Gbagbo could cede power within hours.”

“Well we’ll soon see if they are right then won’t we sis. Anyway in other news, have you seen that 22-year-old woman who apparently looks exactly like Justin Bieber on You Tube singing, “Baby?” She’s got  over  230,000 hits on the website!

“See! I told you he was a girl Lollipop.”

“He is not a Girl!”