Angélique Beldner (44) is SRF’s first black news anchor. She never really wanted her skin color to be a problem. Why are you doing it anyway? His life changed last summer, he says on SRF’s “Reporter.”

Over the years, she has come up with a strategy that will not hurt her as much as possible. Not only did she not broach the subject, but she even apologized for the racist statements by telling herself that it was certainly not meant to be evil. But discussions of the “Black Lives Matter” movement had shown him that this was not the right way to go. I’ve been too nice for too long. That is something that has changed this summer, which I think has to stop now, “says the host of” Tagesschau “and” 1 against 100 “.

Comments have changed

In his everyday life, Beldner repeatedly faces racism. “People still grab my hair because they want to see how it feels, so Chruslä,” he says. It is no longer known as “chocolate”. Today terms such as “Latte Macchiato” or “Café Mélange” are used.

The SRF front man also encounters racism at work. Because to this day there are people who have problems with Beldner’s skin color. “Those are the ones who write, for example: ‘Enough with the denial!’ And then there are also the ones that are negative, but that I can’t say for sure has anything to do with racism. For example, a woman who writes that I can go clean the bathroom, that I am good enough for that, and for nothing else. “

The curls had to be hidden

She is also critical when she talks about her first restraint at the “Tagesschau am Mittag”: at that time, she had to tie her hair so that her natural curls could not be seen, because they would not look good in the light.

Tatjana Kotrovic, SRF’s chief stylist, explains that at the time she decided on a look “that goes with novelties, that is, elegant and expressive.” Both hair and clothing should not be too distracting from the content. These strict guidelines would become a thing of the past. Beldner can now be seen regularly on television with his hair down.

Rejection by origin

A few years ago, the mother of two would not have thought at all that she would moderate at SRF. “I applied for the first time in Tagesschau 15 years ago. At the time I was told that Switzerland was not yet ready for a dark-skinned presenter. “Even today’s television editor-in-chief, Tristan Brenn (54), is shocked by this story. He could hardly believe it.” Even if you had. the feeling in this house that certain people might be offended if a moderator has a different skin color, then you should have done it even more, “he says. Beldner didn’t find the reason for the rejection too bad at the time.” He was used to it and understood it. “.

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Angélique Beldner, host of «Tagesschau», on racism

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