Blackface may feel like a thing of the past to some, but its legacy as a tool to dehumanise and humiliate black people still resonates to this day. I don’t doubt that those who have taken part in the practice during Up Helly Aa festivals in the past did so without the intent to hurt but ultimately that doesn’t matter. It’s continued use would exclude BAME Shetlanders and visitors alike and it’s good to see the organisers have listened. Ellie deserves no small credit for her campaign on this issue.
The decision to cancel January’s Up Helly Aa festivals will have certainly been an extremely difficult decision for organisers but sadly it was the right choice. While good progress is being made to tackle this insidious disease it’s almost impossible to know with any certainty what the situation will be in the UK come the new year, let alone globally.
Up Helly Aa attracts visitors from around the world. While in normal times they are welcomed to Shetland the risk of a major outbreak on the island, which would surely stretch resources to breaking point, has been rightly identified as simply too great. It’s the first time the festival has been postponed since 1965 and even then, it was only delayed a week after the death of Winston Churchill. That’s a long record to be broken but it does serve to undermine the seriousness of the situation and I commend the committees for making the right call.
This will naturally have a knock-on effect for the tourism industry in Shetland which has already suffered significantly in recent months. Though it seems likely that the tourism industry will, to an extent, resume on the 15th of July there are still uncertain times ahead. Schemes from both the Scottish and UK Government to support the tourism sector throughout this difficult time but they cannot allow complacency to set it.
Even though the tourism sector is gearing up to reopen neither government can assume that all will be well immediately. The UK Government’s apparent enthusiasm for winding up the furlough scheme is a worrying combined with Boris Johnson’s attempts to dress up modest spending as a radical recovery package are worrying early signs of the Conservative attitude.
The industry will, at the very least, need all levels of government to stand ready to provide further support as the recovery continues and step up in the event of a second wave. The problem is likely to be particularly acute on the islands which are naturally harder to access and tailored support for the islands must be considered.
I was also pleased to see the positive response to Ellie Ratter’s campaign to ensure that the use of blackface is no longer permitted at Up Helly Aa. Guizer Jarl Liam Summers commitment that the practice will not be tolerated at the Lerwick event was positive, and other committees have signalled likewise.
Blackface may feel like a thing of the past to some, but its legacy as a tool to dehumanise and humiliate black people still resonates to this day. I don’t doubt that those who have taken part in the practice during Up Helly Aa festivals in the past did so without the intent to hurt but ultimately that doesn’t matter. It’s continued use would exclude BAME Shetlanders and visitors alike and it’s good to see the organisers have listened. Ellie deserves no small credit for her campaign on this issue.
Shetland may be remote, but her work has helped ensure that when the world comes back to Shetland it will be welcoming for all.
This column first appeared in the Shetland Times