BBC TV "WDYTYA?" Series 5 Episode #5: Ainsley Harriott

[MarkyP]

Ainsley Harriott did seemed genuinely shocked at some of his discoveries, but I don't believe he showed any ignorance of slavery at all! He was just unaware of the deeper social aspects attached to slavery and the West Indies, not really surprising as he's British. 

I've enjoyed every episode so far, particularly Boris Johnson's. I think a lot of us have got some sort of connection to other countries in our family tree so it's very interesting to see how other countries operate. Obviously all we're going to get is mostly the emotion of the celebrity involved because that's what makes good television, and it's up to us as to whether we believe that emotion is genuine, I tend to think myself disingenuous if I don't believe it! 

Have to say I was glad they taught WW2 for history, something I enjoyed learning about as a teenager, as I managed to get my history O-Level with no revision at all! 

And something I learned from the Ainsley program? That Barbados is 1000 miles from Jamaica, I had know idea it was so far, I always imagined the West Indies to all be quite close together. 

[cuthie]

Yes, Hasler I thought this too and said to my OH he looked more white than black.  Cuthie

[ninkynoo]

Ditto ,I too thought it may have been the fact it was a very old tinted picture.
Lin

[pancho]

I have a great Idea maybe the makers of the programme could do my family tree free of charge as i have to keep my money for keeping warm this winter I bet my tree would be just as interesting as
any celebrity as Ive already uncovered a couple of unusual events so far from my Irish ,English,Scots,
roots so VOTE FOR ME
Oh and yeah the photo of Ebenezer did show a kind of mixed race actually he looked more white if
anything .
anyway another good programme

[liverpool lass]

LOL Larkspur!! My sister was doing some supply teaching in the years leading up to her retirement and was asked to take a History class the next day. The topic..... John Lennon! She nearly died as she had been a contemporary of the famous Beatles and knew them all! Probably why she decided to retire but you can guess that she really loved teaching this topic 

[madfan]

And something I learned from the Ainsley program? That Barbados is 1000 miles from Jamaica, I had know idea it was so far, I always imagined the West Indies to all be quite close together. 

Your not the only one! 

[Nick29]

, and similarly Ainsley Harriott appeared to know very little about slavery. 

Sorry, but at what point did he appear to know very little about slavery?

The point where he appeared to be in total shock, when he found out that he was related to a slave owner.  I am neither well schooled in black history nor black myself, but I was aware of that fact.  Many black people of Caribbean descent have blue or green eyes - surely Mr Harriott didn't assume that all these people were products of mixed marriages from the last 50 years ?  Of course, when I used the word "ignorant", this was intended in the naive sort of way, and not casting any aspersions on his education.

[kizmiaz]

, and similarly Ainsley Harriott appeared to know very little about slavery. 

Sorry, but at what point did he appear to know very little about slavery?

The point where he appeared to be in total shock, when he found out that he was related to a slave owner.  I am neither well schooled in black history nor black myself, but I was aware of that fact. 

You were aware of the fact that Ainsley Harriott was related to a Slave Owner? Your vast knowledge about these celebrities knows no bounds!

[Nick29]

You were aware of the fact that Ainsley Harriott was related to a Slave Owner? Your vast knowledge about these celebrities knows no bounds!

DNA testing on people from the Caribbean showed a lage percentage of "Mulatto" or mixed race people, which showed that sexual abuse was rife in slave trading.  And it wasn't just in the Caribbean - the same pattern has shown up wherever slaves were traded.   When Mr Hariott started his search, it was inevitable that he would eventually find European white blood, and fairly certain that the blood line would be of his family's enslavers.  Pure statistics, that's all. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulatto