Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, Labour’s shadow mental health minister, today posed a question to health secretary Matt Hancock in the Commons, regarding the government’s lack of testing and its impact on the UK’s coronavirus death toll. A completely valid question that a lot of us have been asking ourselves.
But Hancock’s response was anything but valid: ”… I think she might do well to take a leaf out of the shadow secretary of state’s book – in terms of tone.”
I wasn’t particularly surprised by the fact a white man was tone policing a woman of colour, but what did catch me off guard was how brazen it was. Hancock made no effort to hide his contempt, or skirt around it in a public arena. He was plain and blunt, like a teacher telling off their student in front of the whole class.
Tone policing is nothing new to women of colour. It’s been used against us for most of history. As soon as we started joining conversations, the policing of our voices began. It’s a method used time and time again to gain or re-establish power dynamics between white people and women of colour. Of course, this is not to say that a healthy debate can’t be had, but when that debate shifts into the realm of tone policing, then that debate has already been lost.
It’s a particularly successful tool used by white people, men in particular, to silence and diminish women of colour. When a woman of colour is “checked” on her tone, it serves to reinforce the perceived inferior position that she’s in. White woman can be tone policed also, but it’s not as commonly used as it is for women of colour. Plus, white women are also entirely capable of tone policing too.
It goes back to the stereotypical imaging around women of colour. We’re typically seen as rude, aggressive, and emotional. And if we dare to say something that goes against the status quo, then we’re seen as having stepped out of our assigned role in the conversation and must be put back in our place. How dare we speak out of line when they allowed us to be a part of the conversation. We must earn the respect of our white peers in order to be listened to.
Dr Allin-Khan asked a critical question of the government in a sensitive and polite manner. Nothing about her questioning or tone was rude or improper. She’s an experienced MP with a wealth of knowledge behind her, and she’s an A&E doctor currently working in the NHS. So, if anyone in parliament has the right to ask this question in a pandemic, it’s most certainly Dr Allin-Khan.
Hancock’s tone policing makes you wonder if the Shadow Secretary had been the one to ask this question, would his tone have been checked like Dr Allin-Khan’s?
It’s also an effective method at diverting attention away from the question – something I’m sure Hancock was well aware of. The question of testing is a topic he’s tried to skirt around for weeks.
Tone policing makes you doubt yourself and what you’re trying to say. It can be really embarrassing if done with others present. And it can end up achieving its desired effect of silencing us.
But it’s about time white people stopped tone policing us. It’s time they stopped silencing our voices, and simply let us speak without repercussions. Dr Rosena Allin-Khan made an excellent point today and that should be our main takeaway.
Shahed Ezaydi is an environmental research & content writer for Intelligent Facility Solutions, and a freelance writer.