Post by Taxigirl on Nov 27, 2003 10:09:04 GMT
A black poet has rejected the offer of an OBE because he claims it stands for colonial brutality and slavery.
Benjamin Zephaniah, writing in the Guardian, said the honour's full title, Order of the British Empire, gives the impression of white supremacy.
He said he would consider accepting the award on behalf of the millions of people who opposed the war in Iraq.
Footballer David Beckham is among those who will be collecting honours from the Queen at Buckingham Palace on Thursday.
Mr Zephaniah, from Birmingham, said: "I get angry when I hear that word 'empire'; it reminds me of slavery, it reminds me of thousands of years of brutality; it reminds me of how my foremothers were raped and my forefathers brutalised."
He said he would have preferred to be offered an award for his work in animal rights or his "struggle against racism".
But he would consider taking it for the anti-war protesters, who performed "such hard work - much harder than writing poems".
In his poem Bought and Sold, Zephaniah said writers who accepted an OBE or became Poet Laureate were compromised.
The poem says: "Smart big awards and prize money is killing off black poetry."
He joins film director Ken Loach who also turned the honour down, although he did so discreetly.
Last week, a government review of the honours system revealed ministers are considering changes after complaints that too few women and people from ethnic minorities get gongs.
But the England football captain, David Beckham, is due to attend, accompanied by his wife Victoria.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "As captain of the England team, David Beckham has performed with great distinction and has been a great ambassador for the country on and off the field."