Notting Hill Carnival is about unity, not divisiveness

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Monday 29 August 2016 12:41 BST
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Performers in costume pose on the first day of the Notting Hill Carnival in west London
Performers in costume pose on the first day of the Notting Hill Carnival in west London (Getty)

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I didn't see the point of the article (Black culture is popular, but everyone should remember why Carnival started when partying this weekend, 28th August) other than divisiveness. It is entirely against the spirit of the Notting Hill carnival to single people out in order to shame them. Carnival is about cultural unity in our area, it is about love and togetherness. Your article was dangerously simplistic, not all white people enjoy black culture because they've adopted some post-colonial fetishisation around the countries their great great grandparents may have participated in desecrating, what a narrow minded sort of thing to say. Some of them maybe do, sure, but there are many white people you haven't considered, some have black heritage, some have black partners and kids, some white people belong to mixed families, some white people just live here and are a part of this area and its culture.

I have no problem with the invitation for people to become active in trying to spread the unity and love outside of carnival and tackle the racial injustices in our country, I actually agree with that, but I think the article went about it in the wrong way, when you shame people, it rarely if ever inspires the desired change. Divisiveness is not what we need in 2016 and going forward.

C E Stuart Address supplied

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