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Pensioners spark race row at home
By: Esther Addley
The Guardian, May 5, 2001
As an original member of the Specials, Clifton Golding's son Lynval is
something of a local hero in Coventry. But the celebrity connection cut no
ice last week when Mr Golding senior tried to move into one of the city's
residential homes only to be told he would not be welcome - because he was
black.
The band's lineup of black and white musicians, and blend of reggae, ska
and punk, may have been an important multicultural influence in the late
1970s, but its message clearly did not reach a group of white pensioners
at the home. They threatened to walk out if Mr Golding senior, who is 76
and suffers from emphysema, moved in.
Despite the efforts of the home's proprietor to distance himself from
their attitudes, Mr Golding's family have made a formal complaint to the
council and to Coventry's race equality council.
But they believe the incident also raises wider issues about care
provision for Britain's ageing ethnic minority population, 50 years after
the first wave of Caribbean immigrants to the UK.
"When my dad first came to England from Jamaica in 1953, there were
signs on guest houses saying 'No blacks, no Irish, no dogs'," said
Lynval Golding. "He had to sleep in a shed for two weeks, because he
could not find anywhere to live. Now he is in old age, he has to go
through all that again."
Yesterday Ken Grasby, proprietor of the Cordelia Court home, said he was
shocked by the attitudes of five elderly white women in the home.
"The ringleader, a 90-year-old woman, said: 'I have lived next to
them for 40 years and I don't want to retire with them.'
"I am appalled that people still have attitudes like this, but they
obviously do," he said.
Mr Grasby approached the council for advice on the situation, later
telling the residents that if they did not like living with a black man
they could leave. But Mr Golding's family believe he did not act
decisively enough.
"I have spoken to the family and apologised on behalf of a very
bigoted minority of residents," said Mr Grasby. "As far as I'm
concerned there was never any question that he would not be allowed
here."
Despite his apology the Goldings decided not to move their father into the
£300 per week private home. He is now in temporary respite care, looking
for somewhere else to live.
Sawarn Malhotra, race equality officer for the Coventry race equality
council, said the incident illustrated a wider problem in the provision of
care for elderly people of non-white backgrounds.
"Service providers need to recognise the needs of diverse
communities, and to be geared up to providing facilities that are
genuinely multicultural," he said. "Different facilities might
be needed for people with specific religious, cultural or dietary needs.
"Social services need to look specifically at whether a home is
suitable for all the minority communities living in the city. As a service
provider there's more to being mulitcultural than simply not being
racist."
A spokeswoman for Coventry city council, which licenses the home, said it
viewed the incident as "totally unacceptable". "The owner
of a home will sign a contract with us, part of which is to ensure that
all people are treated equally. They need to tell racist residents in no
uncertain terms that their behaviour will not be tolerated."
Mr Golding's daughter Connie said: "The council needs to look into
why more black people aren't going into homes and whether, when they go
into these places, they are made to feel welcome."
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