British | St Kitts
I identify as Black British. My Mum is from Manchester and my Dad is from St Kitts in the Caribbean. When I was 8 years old, due to family circumstances, we had to move out of London to a small town called Chesham. When I moved there I was the only Black kid in my whole school. The only two communities were White and Pakistani. So, I quickly became aware of my identity. My Mum is from the North West of England which has a strong cultural identity of its own, growing up I spent a lot of time in Liverpool and Manchester so was exposed to that side of my English culture. My Dad has always been in my life and would tell me stories of his time in St. Kitts and gave me a lot of education of the general history of the West Indies. I feel a strong connection to my Caribbean heritage but feel that it’s something that I need to explore throughout my own life. I have always identified as Black and that has always been encouraged by both my Mum and my Dad, but I would find myself having to deal with other people’s perception of my race and that’s what can be very tough for a kid. If we were playing sports or going out, then I was the ‘Black kid’ because my race would be used as a positive for the White kids around me. But if I ever was present when someone said something racist or tried to make a joke at the expense of Black people, then I would often be told that I’m not really Black, or I’m only half Black ‘anyway’. So, it was frustrating having to justify my own identity on other people’s terms. I love my connection to White and Black culture. I feel that I have an amazing perspective on the world and can adapt to any situation. I used to go from working for a catering company in Buckingham palace straight to Visions in Dalston and no one would bat an eyelid. Especially for anyone that has moved out of London to ‘middle England’ you realise that it’s a very useful skill to have, because communication is the most powerful thing that we have. I’ve always been intrigued to think how I would have turned out had I never left London, but other than that I’m pretty content with how I am, I wouldn’t change anything.
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