Anti-Racism Activist Imarn Ayton Brands TalkTV Host A ‘Race Baiter’ In Fiery Slavery Reparations Debate

Anti-racism activist Imarn Ayton branded TalkTV host Julia Hartley-Brewer a “race baiter” in a vicious debate Tuesday over the Church of England’s decision to allocate raise £1 billion in reparations for slavery.

The Church announced Monday it would aim to turn a £100 million financial commitment into a £1 billion “fund for healing, repair and justice” for the “moral sin” of its complicity in the transatlantic slave trade.

Ayton was explaining that the Church isn’t likely to offer the money in direct payouts when it comes to reparations but, instead, will focus on investing in business-led initiatives, education and health programs aimed at affected communities.

Hartley Brewer interrupted: “But, hold on a minute, I’m so sorry, these things are happening already. Why should we be giving priority to a black person setting up a business in this country over a white person?”

She continued: “What about a black person who has been brought up in a nice middle-class family, gone to university, done nicely, thank you, and a white person who’s living on a sink estate who hasn’t had any of those opportunities? And you’re saying, oh, well, the black person should benefit from the church reparations because of something that happened to long-distant dead relatives. That’s not fair. That’s not really tackling inequality today, is it?”

The guest replied: “Julia. No, what you fail to realise, and I appreciate that, but what you fail to realise is that the Church of England didn’t use the Bible to justify, subjugate and pacify that white person in order to take their…”

Cutting in, the host said: “They thought they were spreading the gospel. I’m no defender of what the Bible teaches. I’m an atheist.”

As Ayton continued to explain her point the pair talked over one another, before Hartley-Brewer said: “When am I going to get my reparations? I’m a white woman. I’m the child of Irish immigrants and British people. When do I get my reparations from the Roman Empire? When do I get them from the Vikings?”

“You’re forgetting about the racism, which means that you’re leading with your bigotry, your agenda, whether that be your personal agenda or journalistic,” Ayton said. “It could be journalistic… GB News and TalkTV… right-wing agendas that seem to be bigoted.”

As the conversation grew more heated, the host responded: “It’s probably because I’m white. It’s probably because I’m white. You just accused someone who’s asking you questions of bigotry.”

Ayton responded: “No, because you wouldn’t say this to a Jew. You wouldn’t say this to a Jew, Julia. You wouldn’t talk about the Jews in terms of the Holocaust. You wouldn’t talk about the Jews in terms of anti-Semitism. You wouldn’t say to the Jews, ‘well, you need to get over it. It was in the past.’ And you wouldn’t talk about the fact that anti-Semitism has risen in the last, I don’t know, a few months since all of those issues around the world. You wouldn’t say that to Jews. But you’re saying it to me because I’m black.”

She continued: “So, isn’t that interesting? You keep saying to me, because you’re white, I’m going to say to you, you’re saying what you’re saying because I am black, race baiter. Thank you very much, Julia.”

At this point Hartley-Brewer said that producers in her earpiece were calling off the interview: “I’ve got someone shouting in my ear telling me I’ve got to go down, but I’m letting you carry on. You keep digging yourself deeper, love.”

“No, no, I’m very glad I got my time,” the guest replied.

The host said: “OK, now I’m afraid I am out of time, but you did a great job making your arguments well done.

“I did,” Ayton said.

“Imarn Ayton, who claims to be an anti-racism activist,” Hartley-Brewer said, as the feed to Ayton was cut off, “but not entirely sure she is.”