BBC Documentaries

Mixed Race Britain: How the World Got Mixed Up (2011x197)

Uitzenddatum: Okt 08, 2011

It is only ten years since the mixed race category was added to the census in Britain and only 40 years since laws against miscegenation were in force in 16 states of America. Yet interracial relationships have been a feature of society throughout modern history. This film, shown as part of the Mixed Race Britain season, tells the stories of prominent relationships that created huge controversy at the time and examines the historical and contemporary social, sexual and political attitudes towards race mixing. Among those contributing are Tony Benn and Professor Kwame Anthony Appiah. About this programme Throughout history, interracial sex has been one of society's great taboos, but despite the social and legal constraints placed on mixed-race couples, such relationships have been an ever-present feature of modern society. Through the stories of relationships that created scandals in their own time, this documentary examines the complex history of interracial relationships and chronicles the shifts in attitudes that for centuries have created controversy and anxiety all around the world.