It’s not racist to be proud to be English
Dr Vernon Coleman
The essay below is taken from `England’s Glory’ by Vernon Coleman and Donna Antoinette Coleman.
There is a widespread view among politicians and journalists that praising England, and the English, is racist. When the Scots or the Welsh talk proudly of their heritage that is regarded as a fine thing, to be applauded. But when the English do the same there are frowns and sneers. Schools in England teach children very little about England's proud history. Moreover, there is a strong tendency for commentators to credit all the good great things our nation has done to `Britain' or the `United Kingdom' and to describe all the bad things as `English'.
We do not subscribe to these views. `England's Glory' is an unashamed celebration of England and the English. And we believe that the English have much of which to be proud.
A recent survey showed that English citizens were responsible for four out of five of the world's great inventions and discoveries. Books about the world's greatest thinkers, scientists, artists and industrialists invariably include more individuals born in England than anywhere else.
Any list of the world's greatest thinkers must include Francis Bacon, John Stuart Mill, John Locke, Thomas Malthus and Thomas Hobbes. The names William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, John Milton, Daniel Defoe and Geoffrey Chaucer would head any list of the world's greatest writers. An all-time list of the world's top dozen scientists would have to include Charles Darwin (the father of the theory of evolution), Michael Faraday (who gave us electricity and the electric motor), Charles Babbage (who invented the computer), William Harvey (who discovered the circulation of the blood), Joseph Lister (who saved millions of lives by introducing antiseptic procedures into surgery), John Snow (the first real epidemiologist and the doctor who made anaesthetics acceptable), Joseph Swan (who invented the electric light bulb) and Charles Wheatstone (who invented the telegraph and the telephone).
A list of innovators and originators would have to include George Cayley (the originator of manned flight), George Stephenson (the inventor of the railway) William Henry Fox Talbot (the inventor of photography), Robert Hooke (whose list of important inventions would fill a book), William Petty (the father of modern economics) and many, many more. A list of influential politicians would have to include Oliver Cromwell (the father of Parliamentary democracy), Robert Peel (who introduced the world's first police force) and Rowland Hill (the father of the Post Office and the postage stamp). No list of explorers and adventurers would be complete without Francis Drake, Walter Raleigh and James Cook.
Many of the great English achievements have been airbrushed out of the history books. School teachers and university lecturers do their best to erase English history from the curriculum. Time and time again credit for new inventions is claimed dishonestly and inappropriately. It is time for a little proud and joyful flag-waving.
NOTE
The above essay is taken from `England’s Glory’ by Vernon Coleman and Donna Antoinette Coleman. To purchase a copy of the book please CLICK HERE
Copyright Vernon Coleman and Donna Antoinette Coleman March 2025
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