Trevor Sinclair is wrong about ethnic minorities views about the Queen. Former English international footballer, Trevor Sinclair, faced a backlash last week with a tweet he posted regarding the passing of Elizabeth II. The tweet in question states: “Racism was outlawed in England in the 1960s and it has been allowed to thrive. So why should blacks and browns mourn? #Queen.” The tweet was ill-timed and caused a lot of controversy on social media. He has since deleted the tweet and apologised after temporarily suspending his own Twitter account himself. There is no doubt Sinclair picked the timing of his comments unwisely, but the fact that he retracted his comments and self-censored after being attacked on social media is also worrying. At the end of the day, Sinclair should freely express himself without the prospect of harsh punishment, such as the prospect of his job as a pundit on TalkSport being thrown into the air. I hope it doesn’t come to that outcome. Nonetheless, his comments regarding racism in the United Kingdom and questioning whether ethnic minorities should mourn the Queen’s passing is both patronising and, simply, does not stand up to scrutiny.

What we find from looking at recent poling and studies, the views of the Queen among ethnic minority voters shows positive results.

According to a YouGov poll in 2021, 67% of ethnic minority voters in the United Kingdom state that they admired and love the Queen herself. Although, 43% of ethnic minority voters believed the Royal family are a racist institution, it’s also worth mentioning these polls were shortly taken after the infamous Oprah Winfrey interview with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, which no doubt tainted the representation of the royal family as an outdated, archaic institution which is at odds with the modern, multicultural Britain it rules over. I have no doubt there might be some slight truth in this, as some values and traditions which are integral to the Royal family will always face difficulty being appreciated in the wider United Kingdom. But it is important to separate the individual from the institution, as you cannot fault Elizabeth II for all the complicated histories of the royal family.

Even so, the Queen is an admirable individual who inspired many individuals with her strong leadership and longstanding role as head of the Commonwealth for more than 70 years. This interview with Grace III is one of many individuals who speak highly of Elizabeth II and her strong influence on the Commonwealth countries and the beyond on the global stage. Although it is true that some countries residing in the Commonwealth wish to one day enshrine themselves as sovereign nations where they can elect their own heads of state and be more autonomous, the character of Elizabeth II is a strong presence within their hearts. One only needs to look at how former colonies such as India and Africa have been showing their condolences to her passing.

It’s also dishonest of Sinclair to refer to issues of racism thriving in the United Kingdom as well. In 2018, he admitted to racially abusing a police officer who arrested him for drink-driving. It is patronising, not least hypocritical, to speak of racism thriving in the United Kingdom when one cannot get their own house in order. Furthermore, to pin such charges of racism purely on the Queen does not stand up to scrutiny either. While there’s no doubt racial relations were worse prior to the drafting of the race relations bills in the 1960s, to use this to dismantle the Queen’s legacy is ignorant, wishful thinking that cannot be solely blamed on one individual but due to acts of other pure racists who were uncomfortable with the arrival of the Windrush generation into the UK. Since then, racial relations have vastly improved, with people willing to engage in inter-racial marriages and relationships far more than previous decades. And it was through the overseeing of Elizabeth II’s reign that we have seen seismic shifts in people recognising that it is the unique characteristic of our humanity that should bring us together in unison; and not on the basis of skin colour and racial differences.

Therefore, Sinclair’s comments are, on the whole, untrue of British ethnic minority peoples’ attitudes towards the Queen. What we have seen since the day of her passing is nothing but heartfelt tributes among people in the United Kingdom. We should not let such divisive comments tear us away from the magic and wisdom Elizabeth II brought to the hearts and minds of people in the United Kingdom. Although, for the sake of freedom of expression, we must allow such dissent and distasteful views to also find its home in our democracy. As someone who is a pro-republican, there is no doubt the United Kingdom will ever be the same again now that Elizabeth II lays in peace.

Callum Breese is a regular contributor to The Equiano Project.

Follow Callum on Twitter: @BreeseCallum