Belinda rises above racist row in Rose of Tralee
Thursday, 21 August 2008
THE daughter of a former Antrim businessman has refused to allow her time as London's Rose of Tralee to be soured by the dark shadow of racist hate.
Belinda Brown, whose proud dad Sam was proprietor of Sam's Electrical on Railway Street until he decided to shut up shop and open an Irish Bar in his native Jamaica, took the coveted crown back in June - and she hasn't been far from the headlines ever since.
The 27-year-old moved to London after obtaining both Undergraduate and Masters degrees in Finance from Queen's and said she is keen to spread the message of modern Irishness and her own mixed race heritage at the final of the competition when 31 Roses from around the world will vie for the coveted title this month.
“Since I was chosen as London's Rose of Tralee I have cherished the opportunity to represent the multiculturalism that is modern Ireland. I have a mixed heritage and am equally proud of both parts of it," she said.
Sadly sinister elements disapprove of her life-affirming message, and Belinda has been the subject of racist postings on Stormfront.org, a white supremacist chat forum operated by a former leader of the Ku Klux Klan.
One posting read: 'The London entrant for this year's Rose of Tralee is a half-caste mongrel. What the hell are the organisers thinking of?', while another said: 'Last time I checked our women were pale-skinned maidens from our Emerald Isle, not some mud from London'.
The hate campaign has been widely condemned with many, including top fashion designer Paul Costello, offering public support to the local girl.
The 62-year-old Dublin designer, whose clothing is sold in the city's Brown Thomas and Harrods in London, usually 'does not get involved in contests like the Rose of Tralee' but he decided to help Belinda by designing a dress for to wear in the competition.
“Diversity can only strengthen the competition," he said. "The fact that she is there now is very timely. Yes, she looks different from the usual Irish candidate but that can be a very good thing."
