When I was growing up (a black girl in a very white world I might add), it was common for people to call the chinese takeaway "the chinky", the corner shop was the "paki shop" and black people were "nignogs" and "darkies". If you were lucky and very very good, you might be referred to as "the coloured gentleman". While some people today in Britain might find it acceptable to continue with these derogatory terms, most find it abhorrent. If you have ever been on the receiving end of this kind of language you would understand fully why the situation had to change. The saying when I was growing up was:
"Sticks and stones will break your bones
But names will never hurt you"
This is totally false. As anyone who has ever been verbally abused by someone will tell you. What the phrase really meant was:
"Shut up"
In the same way the feminist movement fights to change the sexist society we live in, the anti-racists take up the challenge against racism. There are always those that will use these movements to deride the issues. The backlash against feminism is quite ferocious. We are told stories about working women being unable to find partners. That delaying having children will result in deformed babies or infertility. That really things are not that bad for women. Finally, we are being led to believe that men are now the victims. Basically, this boils down to:
"Shut up"
The backlash against the anti-racist movement is equally ferocious. We are told stories about black people hating whites. We are overwhelmed by ridiculous exaggerations of political correctness. We are bombarded by white anxiety that black people want to wipe them out. We are told that things are really not that bad for black people. And indeed that white people are now the victims. Again, the same.
"Shut up"

I am glad those words are gone from our mouths. I am glad that it is unacceptable to use derogatory words to describe huge numbers of people. I am glad that we have been forced to look at our racist language and change it. I am glad that we didn't shut up.
There is still so much to do. Sometimes it seems like we will never reach equality. I am sure I will be told to be nice, and not rock the boat, and be grateful for the few concessions I have been granted, many, many more times before I die. But until then, I am not going to SHUT UP.