Sadly racial abuse of @AshleyBanjo and @diversity for their amazing performance on BGT last night felt inevitable. But there’s a more insidious racism on display today where people seem to believe they’re not being racist and that needs calling out. A thread.

It is ones which claims @Diversity_Tweet success proves there isn’t racism. This suggests that it is not the talent of black men and boys which was the driving force of their success but the ‘tolerance’ of the white audience.

It strips black people of their power, talent and self-agency. It says your own work isn’t the main force, it is that we’ve let you become visible. And when a black person refuses to play this toxic game of gratitude, for example such as @sterling7, news media can turn to attack

I fear a right wing press backlash on @AshleyBanjo and a campaign of attack journalism. @sterling7 ‘crime’ was spoke out about the reality of being an immigrant child of colour and didn’t show enough ‘gratitude’. The attack by the press was sustained and horrific.

And ultimately it demands that black people use their voice not to cry for justice and inequality but to prop up systemic racism which tells other black people they should be grateful when they’re allowed success. And it is sickening.