Last month, there was a viral moment for Black Scots when Americans began to ‘discover’ that they existed.
While overwhelmingly a light-hearted trend, with Scots inviting the Americans to come and view our country, there were some greater undertones exposing racial issues and preconceptions.
Scots were under the spotlight, being asked questions about the treatment of black people, the acceptance of black people and how our culture was different from America.
In the same week as this, Courtney Lamont, a young black Scottish woman, was sitting on a Scotrail train when she experienced racial abuse from an older woman who sat across from her.
The video which Courtney posted on her tiktok account got 3.5 million views, and features an older woman spraying dettol in front of her on the train, before saying ‘It’s F***ing stinking’.
The woman moves seats before being recorded saying ‘Get back to your own country’. When the woman is challenged by Courtney and other members of public on the train she admits she’s ‘proud to be racist’
This situation really exemplifies how underrepresented and marginalised black people in Scotland really are, and despite many people thinking Scotland is more welcoming and accepting, it’s important to recognise the work that is still to be done.
In response to this, I spoke to Courtney, wanting to hear firsthand about the ‘Black Scottish’ viral moment and a firsthand account of the experiences of Black Scottish people.
Firstly, I asked her about what she thought about the ‘trend’, and Americans ‘discovering’ that Black Scots exist.
“I’d had Americans comment on some of my videos before this ‘trend’ and I would reply, ‘you need to get out more,’ because I was unaware it really came down to the lack of visibility of black people in Scotland”.
“We’ve always been here, and our existence shouldn’t come as a shock. I used to think it was ignorance, but I no longer feel that way”.
“It’s more that Black Americans have now put a spotlight on us, and I’m really grateful for that because it’s helped me connect with other black creators in Scotland”.
Courtney expressed that the Americans who have visited her page have been extremely respectful and really supportive of her content, which has changed her perspective.
Courtney credited Starboy Fitness (@starboysobersfitness) as the creator who started the ‘trend’ after a video of him speaking went viral.
She said: “I’m especially thankful to Starboy Fitness, the content creator who started this all. That’s what it’s all about, supporting each other and showing up”.
The appearance of Scotland VS reality
One of the repeated comments on viral videos of Black Scots was highlighting how accepting Scotland was, and that racism was a thing of the past for Scots.
One user commented: “I’m from Scotland and honestly you’d fall in love with everything here, we’re soooo diverse, you’d have the best time”.
Another commented: “My father did live there for 18 months. They also hate the English, so there’s less chance of racism as they hate the originators of it”.
I asked Courtney what she thought about those comments and the sentiment that racism isn’t an issue in Scotland.
In response to this, Courtney highlighted: “That’s simply not true. Racism in Scotland is very real. It might not always be overt, but it shows up in everyday life”.
“Saying “racism isn’t an issue” just erases people’s experiences and makes it harder to confront the problem, pretending we don’t have it here is damaging”.
We turned to Courtney’s personal experience on the train, where another member of the public defended her, and condemned the woman who was being racist. I asked whether in her experience, if racism often goes unchallenged by others in Scotland.
“Mostly people stay silent because they don’t know what to do, but silence can feel just as hurtful as the abuse itself, because it feels like they are in agreement with the racist”.
“The first time for me was on the train, where people actually spoke up, and it made a huge difference. Even one person saying “that’s not okay” can change how supported you feel. It made me feel safe and less alone in an otherwise isolating experience”.
What can we do
While some say that the situation of racism is improving, it seems as if the country is progressively moving more right-wing and politically, we are not as united as a nation as we once were.
As someone who has experienced racism from a very young age, I asked Courtney whether she thought racism was getting worse in Scotland.
Courtney commented: “I’d say racism hasn’t disappeared; if anything, it’s just shifted”.
“Social media has made it easier for people to be openly racist online, but it’s also given us tools to call it out and connect with others and share experiences. So while the problem hasn’t gone away, more people are speaking about it, which gives me hope for the future”.
“Overall, the support I’ve had has shown me the best of Scotland, but we can’t ignore the worst. I love my country, and I believe the best step forward is to keep having these difficult conversations”.
I asked Courtney how she thought we could combat this behaviour and what’s next in Scotland to prevent the escalation and compounding of racism.
“Consequences matter, but education is key”.
“If people don’t understand the impact of racism, they’re more likely to excuse it or ignore it. Schools, workplaces, and public services all need to take racism seriously and talk about it openly”.
My conversation with Courtney highlighted the damning impact of racism and that it is not a thing of the past in Scotland.
To continue to move forward, we must open up the conversations and spread light on issues, even those that make us uncomfortable.
