**Boris Johnson has repeatedly said racist things and perpetuated racist policies and ideas** - Evidence of racist, homophobic and misogynistic things is linked [here](https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T) - Johnson has also allowed racism and racist comments within his party and cabinet, as well as [xenophobia](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/priti-patel-home-office-eu-citizens-racism-b1875400.html) and [islamophobia](https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jun/03/islamophobia-inquiry-deliberately-excluded-muslim-tories-claims-ex-mep)

**As someone in a position of significant power, a lack of action and commentary on racial issues does point to Boris Johnson being racist.** - A racist = someone who is ['prejudiced against or antagonistic towards a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular racial or ethnic group, typically one that is a minority or marginalised.'] (https://www.lexico.com/definition/racist) - I think that often the term 'racist' is distanced from everyday life by equating it only with someone who is literally Hitler level. But taken in a basic sense, being a 'racist' is quite easy, and can easily arise through non-action and prejudice born of ignorance. The bottom line is that [Boris Johnson has done and said things that are prejudiced against/antagonistic towards marginalised groups] (https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T). - [This article] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/18/racism-isnt-about-ignorance-some-smartest-minds-have-upheld-systemic-inequality/) talks about the dangers of assuming that racism = a kind of innocence. Being in closed groups that lack diversity and having a certain degree of privilege (as Boris definitely has) can result in genuine ignorance of racial issues. - But another kind of racism, more of a wilful ignorance, is more malevolent. This can equate to being aware of an unequal system and choosing to manipulate or take advantage of it. ["The problem of racial inequality is not just a lack of knowledge; it is the lack of willingness among many white people to commit to an equitable distribution of resources."] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/06/18/racism-isnt-about-ignorance-some-smartest-minds-have-upheld-systemic-inequality/) This is obviously amplified in the case of Boris Johnson because he occupies such a powerful position.

**Britain’s Prime Minister is racist; I can’t defend some of the awful things he has said.** • Labelling someone ‘racist’ is an extremely weighty accusation and one that requires evidence, which is why I ultimately believe Boris Johnson is. Upon reading this statement, my first reaction was, _“well he’s said racist things, but is it bad enough to be racist”_ which completely contradicts itself. If he’s said racist things, denied the existence of racism, refused to support footballers taking the knee and made excuses for his derogatory remarks, then he’s racist and we shouldn’t be hesitant about calling this out because otherwise we are _complicit_. • Describing the people of Africa as [“flag-waving piccaninnies” with “watermelon smiles”]( https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T) in 2002, Johnson himself made some awful comments whilst referencing the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair’s, visit to Africa. Deemed racist by many, Britain’s Prime Minister continues to deny his previous comments as racist or apologise for his remarks, instead insisting that they had been [“taken out of context”]( https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T). • _And it doesn’t stop there_ - in 2018, Johnson compared Muslim women who wear burqas, to [“letter boxes”]( https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T) and a particular female student as a [“bank robber”]( https://www.businessinsider.com/boris-johnson-record-sexist-homophobic-and-racist-comments-bumboys-piccaninnies-2019-6?r=US&IR=T). Islamophobia is something he has been accused of before, making it even more alarming to me that this country elected him Prime Minister in July of 2019. Johnson has only made this country more divided and encouraged people to think that it has become acceptable to be so _disgustingly_ discriminatory. • After the awful racism endured by many Black England football players after the Euro 2020 loss to Italy, [Boris Johnson condemned how “appalling” the abuse was](https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/7/13/boris-johnsons-condemnation-of-racism-in-football-is-hypocrisy). However, many people in this country cannot get past the utter hypocrisy of such comments from the same man who said [the problem with Africa is that Britain is “not in charge anymore”]( https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2021/7/13/boris-johnsons-condemnation-of-racism-in-football-is-hypocrisy). Boris Johnson has said some truly awful and racist things - I think that makes him racist.

I wonder what people make of the fact that Johnson has the most ethnically diverse cabinet in history? People who have never met the man and only ever heard him through another biased channel think they know better than the colleague he works with every day? Are Priti Patel, Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak, Kwasi Kwarteng, Alok Sharma, Nadhim Zahawi all just self-hating people of colour or maybe they know that he isn't racist? He certainly doesn't cover his back from accusations of racism like most modern people do but does he actually think that other races are inferior and yet employs them all to run the country? Makes no sense to me.