Sonia Sodha: The hounding of author Kate Clanchy has been a witch-hunt without mercy
Publishers and other institutions are turning cowardly and brittle when faced with social media frenzies Clanchy appears to have been cast beyond the pale, where there is no room for nuance. But it is evident from the testimony of those who know her that she has done a huge amount of good, championing young people whom society too often ignores. Her students have gone on to address the UN, been commissioned to write poetry for the BBC and had their poetry set to music by acclaimed composers.
How to make sense of her ostracism? Some people are desperate to see the world cast in black and white. Clanchy’s worst crime is not to fit this mould. Of course she doesn’t: none of us can rise above the imperfectly human. Look at her in the round and it’s obvious she’s done more good than most. This is why the strand of anti-racist thinking that is obsessed with the blame and shame all white people should bear for structural discrimination is so corrosive to common cause and understanding.
White people who do nothing to challenge racism are terrible,
but white people who trip up when trying to do something about it are even
worse. The societal misogyny that infects this movement means it sees older
white women as the very worst of all. Any expression of distress is the
weaponisation of “white women’s tears”. The witch is not permitted to have
feelings; they distract from her role as lightning rod for anger at all of
society’s ills…
