TV

Noughts and Crosses producer on the ‘subtleties’ of racism: ‘It isn’t just the N word’


Noughts and Crosses explores the ‘subtleties’ of racism says producer Kibwe Tavares (Picture: BBC)

Noughts and Crosses executive producer Kibwe Tavares wanted to portray the ‘subtlety’ of racism.

The drama, based on Malorie Blackman’s book of the same name, is set in an alternative universe where Africa has colonised Europe and black people rule over an underclass of white people.

The show depicts the minutiae of this ‘race reversal’, from the hairstyles to the snippets of Yoruba in the dialogue, and even plasters to match black people’s skin tone.

Kibwe explained that he hoped to show how racism can consist of small microagressions rather than just broad strokes like racial slurs.

He told Metro.co.uk: ‘Racism isn’t like someone dropping the n word or name calling, it’s sort of like the death by a thousand cuts thing. It’s all the little details that you realise.

‘I went a predominantly white school and when my white mates go to a pub or something and they’re the only white one in the room, it’s a big thing for them. But it’s quite common to be the only black guy in the room.

The story follows Callum, a white Nought, and Sephy a black Cross, falling in love (Picture: BBC)

‘So with things like the hair or the plaster, it’s the tiniest things you feel all the time as opposed to how you normally see racism and race projected.

‘The subtlties felt much more relatable, like people getting people’s names wrong.

‘The big question I came back to was if England was a colony essentially, what would the world look like from the micro to the macro-scale? All the conversations that came up a lot was about trying to do that justice.’

Noughts and Crosses continues tonight at 9pm on BBC One. All episodes are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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