Lecturer ‘proud’ of exchange with Laurence Fox despite barrage of online abuse following Question Time row

A mixed-race academic who was branded “racist” by actor Laurence Fox has opened up about the online abuse she has faced since the high profile row, but insists she does not regret her comments.

Rachel Boyle, a university lecturer on race and ethnicity, clashed with Mr Fox on Thursday during a BBC Question Time debate about the press and public’s treatment of Meghan Markle.

In the days following the row, Ms Boyle has suffered a stream of hate messages via Twitter and email, mainly from people who seem to hold alt right views, she told The Observer.

“At this stage I’m not worried but I’m going to monitor it closely,” she told the paper.

However, she insisted, the support she has received far outweighs the abuse and she would “absolutely” make the same points again.

“I’m incredibly proud of how I handled the situation, of what I said,” she said. “I’m proud to be this voice, proud to have this platform.”

During the televised discussion, Ms Boyle said the Duchess of Sussex had been “torn to pieces” by sections of the press due to her ethnicity, calling her treatment undeniably “racist”.

When an exasperated Mr Fox insisted it was not racism and such suggestions were getting “boring”, Ms Boyle described him as a “white privileged male”, prompting him to call her “racist.”

Ms Boyle told the Observer she believes the row went “nuclear” because of the way the actor “dismissed my perspective, talked over me and then made really ridiculous statements for which he has no basis apart from his own personal position.”

The Edge Hill University professor said her decision to highlight white privilege has been heavily influenced by the work of the US activist Peggy McIntosh.

Laurence Fox has continued the row on Twitter, mocking his critics including Ms Boyle
BBC

“She talks about the invisible, weightless knapsack of privilege,” Ms Boyle explained.

“Within this knapsack there are special provisions, assurances, tools, maps, guides, passports, blank cheques you carry around. You have no idea that it’s there, but you also have no idea of the privilege that whiteness affords you.”

The 39-year-old said Meghan’s treatment highlighted society’s ongoing need to question such privilege and be alert to racism.

“The way she is treated by the press deeply worries me and makes me uncomfortable,” she said.

“The comments that I’ve seen in both the press and on social media do have racist undertones.”

Her remarks in the paper come as Mr Fox takes a "day off" from "winding up the wonderful wokies".

Following more than three days of antagonising his critics on social media, the Lewis star tweeted on Sunday morning: "Morning all. Right, super fun as all this has been, I’m going to take a day off from winding up the wonderful wokies.

"Have a lovely day everyone. Loz x #stunningandbrave."

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