The royal family has been embroiled in another racism scandal following the resignation of Lady Susan Hussey after making “unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments” to a black charity boss during a Buckingham Palace reception.
Ngozi Fulani, the founder of the charity Sistah Space, said Hussey left her feeling violated after she allegedly took her lock and moved it away from her badge, then repeatedly questioned her about where she “really came from”.
The palace described the remarks as “unacceptable and deeply regrettable”. A spokesperson for Prince William said, “racism has no place in our society”.
Fulani described the encounter as abusive and an attempt by Hussey to try to make her denounce her British citizenship. The incident on Tuesday, at a reception on gender-based violence, was witnessed by Mandu Reid, the leader of the Women’s Equality party, and another charity representative.
Fulani posted about the interaction on social media. Here is a breakdown of the exchange and an explanation of why it has led to accusations of racism.
Fulani alleged that Hussey took her lock and moved it out of the way to see the name on her badge. Anti-racist campaigners have long argued that touching someone’s hair without their permission, particularly a black person’s hair, is offensive and discriminatory as it feeds into the “othering” of black people.
The academic and writer Emma Dabiri wrote about this in her first book Don’t Touch My Hair: “Generally, black people know our hair takes time and effort to do so they don’t usually try and put their grubby hands up in it. I think there is also more of an awareness of boundaries and personal space, as well as the enduring, if these days mostly implicit, awareness that our hair has a spiritual significance.”
Fulani felt the same. She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “She just made a beeline for me, and she took my locks and moved it out of the way so that she could see my name badge. That’s a no-no. I wouldn’t put my hands in someone’s hair, and culturally it’s not appropriate.”
Fulani claimed after she was repeatedly asked about her origins, that Hussey asked her what part of the African continent she was from. It is offensive and ignorant to assume that because someone is black, they have come from the African continent.
