By now, many will have seen the BBC Africa Eye x BBC Eye Investigations documentary 'Racism For Sale': In February 2020, a shocking video began to circulate on Chinese social media. A group of African children are being instructed, by a voice off-camera, to chant phrases in Chinese. The kids repeat the words with smiles and enthusiasm — but they don’t understand that what they’re being told to say is “I am a black monster and my IQ is low.” The clip ignited outrage in China and beyond.

But no one ever answered the crucial questions: Why was this filmed? Where was it shot? Who made it? These questions send #BBCAfricaEye and #BBCEyeInvestigations reporters Runako Celina and Henry Mhango on a journey into a Chinese video-making industry that exploits vulnerable children across the continent.

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Today, we bring you the podcast episode recorded as part of the documentary which takes a deeper look at the industry, the beliefs that underpin it, and our own personal reflections on Blackness in China.

Note: There were some technical difficulties that have contributed to sound issues during parts of this episode - we apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused.

Watch the documentary Racism for Sale here

Recommended reading:

- “Anti-Blackness” in Chinese Racial-Nationalism: Sex/Gender, Reproduction, and Metaphors of Pathology, by the exceptional Kun Huang. Kun Huang is a PhD candidate of Comparative Literature at Cornell University

- China, We Have a (Racist) Problem, JACKYNICOLE EYOCKO

- China's Second Continent, Howard French

Recommended watch:

Racist Chinese Calls Africans N-Word With Low IQ!

With thanks to our guests

Credits:

Executive Producer, Editor - Runako Celina

Producer - Inés Forman,

Dancing to a racist drum - An exploitative video industry in focus 54:40 Share

Black Livity China - the Podcast

Shownotes Transcript

Dancing to a racist drum - An exploitative video industry in focus