Yahoo Finance Good Morning Britain's Andi Peters opens up about being racially profiled in shops
Good Morning Britain host Andi Peters has opened up about his experience of being racially profiled.
The daytime TV show had an interview with former West Indies cricketer Michael Holding on Thursday (June 24). The conversation focused on the Black Lives Matter movement and Holding's experience of racism.
Following the interview, Peters said that Holding's experiences resonated with him, going on to explain that he's been racially profiled while walking around shops.
Related: Good Morning Britain announces show regular will step up as guest host later this month
Holding described criticism of Black Lives Matter as "bollocks" and Peters was inclined to agree, calling Holding's perspective "refreshing".
Peters said: "I think just the use of that one word expressed it all. You know, what sometimes as a person of colour you go through is a load of old... and it's actually just nice to hear somebody say it on television so that everyone hears it.
"And you know what? What he said about being followed, in shops, supermarkets, because of your colour of the skin? That really exists. It happens to me, I'd say, enough times for me to know, 'Oh, someone thinks I'm going to nick a Wispa bar'. I'm not – I'm just gonna go and get it and pay for it like everybody else.
"So it is extraordinary. It's just so refreshing to hear somebody speak so openly about it on the television. It meant a lot. It meant a lot to me and I'm sure a lot of people watching at home. You know what, thank you Michael because he speaks the truth."
'It meant a lot to me. Thank you Michael, he speaks the truth.'@andipeters thanks Michael Holding for his honesty about the racist abuse he's received and for speaking up. pic.twitter.com/wMhoYRVs3p
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 24, 2021
Co-host Susanna Reid agreed that it was an important topic to think about and something that people should reflect on.
Peters explained further that racial profiling is something that "happens a lot" and explained how difficult it is to navigate those situations as a person of colour.
"It happens a lot. You know it's happening, but there's nothing you can do. I'm lucky enough that people then go, 'Oh, it's you Andi Peters, oh, that's fine'. Well hang on a minute, that means you made an assumption. I'm lucky because somebody eventually realises, 'Oh, it's you'. Well, hang on, what does that mean?" Peters said.
"You judge me on the colour of my skin until you realise I'm that bloke off the telly, that's fine, he won't steal. We're talking about it and I think we shouldn't be ashamed to talk about it."
Good Morning Britain airs on weekdays from 6am on ITV.
For more information on how you can support Black Lives Matter, please visit its official website or donate here. Readers can also donate to the UK anti-discrimination group Stand Up To Racism, and the Unite Families & Friends Campaign, which supports those affected by deaths in police, prison and psychiatric custody.
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