BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Phoenix head given a knighthood



Congratulations to William Atkinson on his Knighthood for establised works in education.... However it had me wondering what I would do if I were offered a UK honour.... Yea yea I know we all talk a good game when we know we have absolutely no chance of being offered this honour..but i wonder if it came down to the crunch..how many of us would actually turn it down?

Given that these honours reinforce the old British Empire... Can I as a Black man legitmately accept one of these without feeling that i sold out and that I am disrespected my Ancestors struggle during slavery and colonalism....

However I was completely amazed to learn the other day that Robert Mugabe was actually knighted...... Now given his current utterances and his position on white settlers... I am firstly amazed that he hasn't return said honour, and I'm evenm more amazed that he accepted it in the first place... and it makes me now wonder how sincere he can really be about liberation when he accepted a Bribe from the very Empire he rallys against now..is me or is this a contradiction.....?

Hell to the naw!!!!!!!!

The only reason I might be tempted is so that I could have a nose around the palace but even then I wouldn't have access to the good rooms.

I respect peeps like Benjamin Zephynia(sp?) and that reporter Jon Snow,Albert Finney(the actor) and loads of others who I can't think of at the moment who turned theirs down.

What African/Black person would want anything associated with BRITISH EMPIRE??

I mean really..........

Most people say they wouldn't but depending on what area of profession you're in you wouldn't have much of a choice... refusing one is the opposite of being offered one, just as being offered one would open doors rejecting the offer is closing them, probably do you worse to boot as its considered a snub to the queen. They're nothing but extremely well organized hoodlums when it comes down to it, might even do you something.

Would depend on why I was offered the award.

i would not accept one. even though we hear of those who GOT one, we never or rarely get to hear about the many people, black white asian who pass on them. maybe it is officially seen as a snub, and they may take some institutional revenge but i'd still not accept it.

apart from the fact that it has the empire emblem attached to it, its also just a stupid elitist honors club.

I'd accept. It's not what i do, it's what's on my mind that counts.

Nope, for me the offer would be recognition enough, the rejection would be of more significance.

I never knew that Robert Mugabe was Knighted, and I believe that if Zimbabwe was still apart of the Commanwealth he should be addressed as Sir Robert!

If I was offered I would accept no problem.

However, the arguements about not accepting the due to Colonialism and Slavery I simply don't get.

I am a titled person in my own right, but if I was to be awarded an Honour I would rather recieve it for the work I had done for my Motherland rather than in Britain.

Perhaps there lies the rub, What are we doing that would make us deserve an Honnour from our respective Motherlands ? And would we accept such an award?

Point.

Although I don't think its that we're not doing anything, they just don't seem to be handed out as much or something, guess its the brain drain in effect but even then business peoples and people in other areas should be applicable for honors rather than have the Nobel and others recognize African achievements our countries should be doing so.

BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Kenyan ecologist wins Nobel prize

In Yoruba and other West African nations, traditionally people who have done great work for their community are made a Chief, although this has been subject to Cash for Honours like anywhere else.

I understand that there are also Civic Honours too!

Would be good to know more about things like that, don't really hear much about honors being given in our countries, nothing wrong with a bit of pomp and ceremony as they call it. .lol.

Do they have a general African honors system... rather than specific regional ones, a more prestigious African awards? Certain people doing work out there would deserve one I'd say.

I don't really like calling people titles like with Alan Sugar say i never call him Sir so if i had a title i would like people i think to call me by my name and not some title.

I think that these things can also represent an achievement of hard work or something well done so on that level i might like to accept but i don't really know.