No Hierarchy of Racism – Racism Is Racism, Wherever It Appears

Opinion: Romany activist C J Smith speaks out about Diane Abbott’s recent comments about Travellers

 In light of recent comments by Labour MP Diane Abbott, it is essential to restate a fundamental principle: there is no hierarchy of racism. Racism directed at any group — whether Black, Jewish, Romany Gypsy, Roma, Irish Traveller, Asian, or otherwise — must be treated with equal seriousness.

In a BBC interview, Ms Abbott defended past remarks in which she claimed that people of colour experience racism “all their lives,” while Jewish people, Irish people, and Travellers experience “prejudice,” not racism. She further stated:

“Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism… I just think it’s silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same.”

These comments are not only incorrect — they are deeply divisive and harmful. Racism is not defined solely by visible characteristics like skin colour. Racism is rooted in ideology, history, and power. Jewish people have faced centuries of violent antisemitism, culminating in genocide. Romany Gypsies, Irish Travellers, and Roma communities have faced state persecution, marginalisation, and exclusion across Europe for generations. These are not forms of mere “prejudice” — they are racism, enshrined in law, policy, and social attitudes.

This issue was also reflected at the 2023 West Mercia Police Race Hate Conference, where a university professor claimed that Gypsies and Travellers who settle in housing are “no longer Travellers.” This denies our identity and undermines the fact that Romany Gypsies and Irish Travellers are recognised as ethnic groups under the Equality Act 2010. Our ethnicity is not contingent on lifestyle or accommodation. Such statements effectively erase our existence and give cover to those who wish to strip us of protections.

We must be absolutely clear: all forms of racism are serious and deserve equal recognition and response. There is no acceptable form of bigotry. There is no lesser racism. To draw lines between one group’s suffering and another’s is not solidarity — it is division.

I call on all public figures, including Labour MPs, to reject frameworks that downplay the racism faced by any community. Racism is racism. Wherever it appears, it must be named, challenged, and rooted out — not debated or ranked.

By C J Smith

Gypsy and Traveller Awareness Trainer and Activist

(Photograph by Francis Clarke from Birmingham, West Midlands, United Kingdom - twt-sunday-fc - 22, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83015710)