Madam,

Aberaeron Carnival: Celebration or PR Disaster?

If the Aberaeron Town ‘Improvements’ Committee thought that approving and awarding a prize to a float mocking another small nation in any way enhances the image of the town or of Wales in the eyes of the world, they’ve made a sad mistake.

‘Blacking up’ is racist mockery that rightly went out with the ark, and hasn’t been acceptable for decades. The float was accompanied by a backing track containing revolting, stereotypical, racist lyrics. How anyone involved with this debacle thought that it might be acceptable is beyond belief. They and their narrow-minded supporters quote that it was ‘only a bit of fun’ – since when has their right to have ‘fun’ at the expense of others superseded the right of others to dignity and respect? If they really think that float is such an innocent bit of fun, then test it out in Notting Hill at the next carnival, see how many of the one million people there find it funny.

This debacle has reached the national press. How does the Town ’Improvement’ Committee think that this helps the efforts of Visit Wales and others in the tourism industry attract visitors to west Wales? Do you think black people watching that YouTube video will think ‘that looks like a friendly welcoming place, I’ll go there on holiday’?

Wales, Welsh culture and language has and continues to be subjected to many racist stereotypes. The float, its supporters and the Aberaeron Town ‘Improvements’ Committee have only helped to entrench some of those ridiculous stereotypes held about Wales being backwards, populated by unsophisticated, uneducated, village idiots. Congratulations to the committee on this spectacular own goal.

Yours etc,

Name and address supplied.

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