Coconuts, race and hate speech
Is it racist for a person of colour to call someone a coconut? Should it be a crime?
A teacher was put on trial after she was pictured at a pro-Palestinian march holding a placard that showed then prime minister Rishi Sunak and then home secretary Suella Braverman as coconuts. The term “coconut” can be used to suggest that someone who is brown on the outside is white on the inside - that they are somehow acting in a way inconsistent with their ethnicity. The prosecution called “coconut” a “racial slur”; the judge said the placard was “political satire” and found the teacher not guilty. How did the case play out in court? What’s the history behind this use of the word coconut and others like it? And what does the law say about when speech becomes criminal?
Presenter: Adam FlemingProducers: Simon Maybin, Ellie House, Elliot RyderProduction coordinator: Janet StaplesEditor: Richard Vadon
AntiSocial
Peace talks for the culture wars.In an era of polarisation, propaganda and pile-ons, AntiSocial offers an alternative: understanding, facts, and respect. Each week, Adam Fleming takes on a topic that's generating conflict on social media, blogs, talk shows and phone-ins and helps you work out what the arguments are really about.
- No. of episodes: 116
- Latest episode: 2025-05-09
- Society & Culture
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