Writer Tempts Fury With ’Lazy Black Men’ Film

Jonathan Leake, Times Online (UK), May 2

A DOCUMENTARY blaming black men for testosterone-fuelled promiscuity, laziness and an obsession with masculinity is to be screened by the BBC this autumn. The Trouble with Black Men will be written and presented by David Matthews, who is himself black but who believes that too many black men have adopted a “shoddy way of life”.

The documentary is certain to provoke fury among some sections of the black community, many of whom regard such views as a new variant of racism.

Matthews, however, says it is an attempt to address one of the most serious and complex issues facing British society, namely the low achievement of young British black men compared with other ethnic groups.

This weekend he said: “It will be a provocative but carefully made documentary. There are issues like the overrepresentation of black men in prisons or the ever-increasing number of single-parent black families which need to be discussed much more seriously.”

Matthews is no stranger to controversy. Two years ago he criticised black women, saying he avoided dating them in favour of white women because they had fewer “hang-ups”.

In an article in the London Evening Standard, he said: “When I have dated black women, I’ve been dumped for demonstrating a lack of ’consciousness’ — I don’t hate white people enough — and I’ve had my advances spurned by numerous headwrap-wearing ’black sisters’ after admitting to ’tupping’ the ’white ewe’, as Iago put it in Othello.”

The new documentary, spread over three one-hour programmes, is among the first publicly to reflect the growing concern over young black men.

Recently Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, pointed out that there were twice as many black men in prison as there were in university.

Many in the black community share Matthews’s belief that, while racism by whites is still widespread, it is no longer an adequate explanation for the problems of young Afro-Caribbean men.

Among them is Dr Tony Sewell, a former lecturer in education at Leeds University, who is also black. He said: “The number of young black boys being brought up in single-parent families recently rose above 50%. When there is no father figure, then black peer-group pressure seems to drive youngsters away from achievement.

“There are other problems, too, like the failure of schools to recognise these problems and impose adequate discipline and other responses.”

Recent Home Office figures show that the black prison population has risen by 58% since 1997. Out of the 70,000 male prison population in England and Wales, 10,000 or 14% are black. By contrast just 2% of the overall population is black.

Education statistics show similar discrepancies. In 2002 only 30% of black pupils gained five or more good GCSE grades, compared with 51% of whites and 80% of Chinese pupils.

However, views such as Matthews’s still infuriate many black leaders. In an interview with Blink, a newsletter aimed at the black community, Lee Jasper, senior adviser to Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, accuses Matthews of “internalised racism”.

Jasper added: “That makes Matthews an excellent gift to the British National party. There has always been a tradition of the mainstream media offering opportunities for black people who appear to validate racist thinking. David Matthews firmly belongs in that tradition.”

Ken Barnes, president of 100 Black Men of London, a black community organisation, said: “His arguments are old and tired and black men are sick and tired of these kind of stereotypes. It’s not just black men who act like ’gangsta rappers’; I’m sure there are white men out there who love that kind of lifestyle. All you have to do is watch Ibiza Uncovered or Holiday Reps to see that.”

Others disagree. Elaine Sihera, editor of Impact magazine, told Blink that Matthews was raising important issues: “Some things black men are accused of are true — lack of responsibility towards the family and, in his words, the lazy way of life.”

This weekend there was uncertainty about when the documentary would be screened. It was meant to be shown on BBC3 in June or July, but it emerged it would not be broadcast until the autumn, probably on one of the main terrestrial channels.

The BBC said this was due to production delays rather than fears of sparking controversy within weeks of the arrival of Michael Grade as the new chairman of the corporation.