The racist abuse faced by a charity boss at Buckingham Palace is further evidence that black people are made to feel they “do not belong” in the voluntary sector, a campaigner has said.
Ngozi Fulani, chief executive of the domestic violence charity Sistah Space, was questioned about “which part of Africa” she was from when she attended a royal event yesterday.
Fulani says she was “interrogated” about her origins by Lady Susan Hussey, an aide to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The exchange left her “stunned” and made it harder to focus on her job representing survivors of violence at the event, Fulani said.
Buckingham Palace has apologised for the incident and Hussey has resigned.
Jon Cornejo, a former charity campaigner and now an anti-racism consultant who works with voluntary organisations, said experiences like Fulani’s took place “every day in our sector”.
Fulani, who founded Sistah Space in 2015, said Hussey approached her and asked her a series of questions including “Where do you really come from?” and “Where do your people come from?” The questions continued even after Fulani explained that she had been born in Britain.
Fulani told the BBC this morning that she initially thought Hussey was asking which charity she represented, but it soon became clear that Hussey was questioning her nationality.
The questions were about “trying to make me, really, denounce my British citizenship”, Fulani said.
She added: “This is not appropriate. I am in a room full of women who have experienced domestic abuse, of advocates, of so many different people. [I had to ask myself] how do I handle this situation kindly and carefully?
“I found myself in a situation where I was not sure how to handle it, to be honest with you”
Fulani said: “If you invite people to an event against domestic abuse and there are people there from different demographics, I don’t see the relevance of whether I am British or not British,” adding: “You are trying to make me unwelcome in my own space.”
She said: “I want the focus to remain where it should be, on the women and girls who have survived domestic abuse.”
Cornejo, who worked as a campaigner for Amnesty International before becoming a consultant, told Third Sector: “Ngozi Fulani was at the palace to celebrate the amazing work of Sistah Space in supporting African and Caribbean heritage women affected by domestic abuse.
“Yet it feels like Ngozi and Sistah Space’s work has been completely ignored in the discourse around this ugly racist incident.
“Time and time again we see that black and ethnic-minority people, but especially Black women, in the charity sector face racist abuse and microaggressions on a daily basis.
“At every turn they are sent the message that they do not belong in the white middle class space of charities.
“This incident has to start a broad conversation in our sector about how we fail Black women and other racialised people in our sector [and] how conversations such as these are happening every day in our organisations. And how so often these racist comments are excused by other people as ‘harmless curiosity’.”
Halima Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Foundation, a race equality charity, said the incident was a reminder of “how important education and empathy are to moving us forward as a country.
“Despite pushback in some quarters of recent governments, the teaching of race, empire and migration in schools is clearly constructive and necessary, not least to prevent the Britishness of minorities being questioned for generations to come.”
Buckingham Palace told the BBC: “We take this incident extremely seriously and have investigated immediately to establish the full details.
“In this instance, unacceptable and deeply regrettable comments have been made. We have reached out to Ngozi Fulani on this matter, and are inviting her to discuss all elements of her experience in person if she wishes.
“In the meantime, the individual concerned would like to express her profound apologies for the hurt caused and has stepped aside from her honorary role with immediate effect.
“All members of the household are being reminded of the diversity and inclusivity policies which they are required to uphold at all times.”