GENSOCIAL
STEVE MCQUEEN, director of Small Axe said he was prepared to boycott the BBC if they did not apologise for their use of the n-word.
In an interview with the Radio Times, he said: “I can’t tell you what I did, but there was going to be some kind of boycott on my part if it wasn’t corrected.”
Speaking to Chi Chi Izundu in the magazine, he said: “That they didn’t react on the n-word is ridiculous.”
The director also shared that he felt it was important that the corporation provided more opportunities for people of colour.
A repeated mistake
The BBC’s Fiona Lamdin used the word in a segment about an attack on a Black man in Bristol.
At first, the BBC defended the decision to broadcast the phrase.
In August, Lucy Worsley used the word in a documentary.
Popular personality Sideman quit his BBC Radio 1Xtra show in protest. In August, he said the decision felt “like a slap in the face.”
Black professionals also called for people to boycott the organisation in protest.
An apology
In August, BBC director-general acknowledged that the use of the n-word had caused distress, and apologised.
He also sent a long email to staff following discussions with colleagues.
In the email, he wrote: “We are proud of the BBC’s values of inclusion and respect, and have reflected long and hard on what people have had to say about the use of the n-word and all racist language both inside and outside the organisation.
“It should be clear that the BBC’s intention was to highlight an alleged racist attack. This is important journalism which the BBC should be reporting on and we will continue to do so.
“Yet despite these good intentions, I recognise that we have ended up creating distress amongst many people.”
McQueen’s latest series Small Axe highlights the experiences of London’s West Indian community. The stories are described as a “love letter to Black resilience and triumph.”
Red, White and Blue explores the life story of Leroy Logan, a Black retired Metropolitan police office.
Another episode, titled Mangrove shows the heavy-handed state response to a restaurant owner’s peaceful protest. Frank Crichlow’s restaurant in Notting Hill was subjected to multiple police raids.
Lovers Rock explores the culture that surrounded the romantic reggae genre in the 1980’s, though some have argued it has not accurately depicted the era.
The episode which explores the life of Alex Wheatle airs this Sunday. It tells the story of an award-winning writer who spent time in prison and was raised in a majority-white care home.
You can read the full interview in the latest Radio Times magazine.
