A personal perspective on rural racism
Written by Corinne Fowler. Photo by Charlectoe Museums Association.
My parents were ramblers. As a child I trudged over damp hills asking: ‘How many more miles?’ I grew to love it and even walked from John o’ Groats to Land’s End. Though born in Birmingham, no one made me feel I didn’t belong in the countryside. Most ramblers enjoy similarly uncomplicated relationships with nature.
In adulthood I became an academic and read many studies about racism in rural settings. But before discussing the evidence, it’s worth addressing some standard responses whenever the topic of rural racism is raised. From scorn to aggression, these responses amount to confident collective denials that the problem exists. But what is all this certainty founded on?…