British | Trinidadian
I would identify myself as a spiritual woman of colour. My parents are both British, my dad’s family are from Lancashire and my mother’s parents came to the UK from Trinidad in the ‘60s. I’m not really sure when I first began to understand I was mixed. I think I was always aware because I didn’t look much like my mum or my dad, but it wasn’t something I saw as being too different actually until I moved to Wales at 15. I became even more aware when I moved back to London to study when I was 18. I was shocked at the amount of mixed-race people I saw. I think it gave me a feeling of fitting in that highlighted how out of place I had subconsciously felt before. I do think there are bias attitudes towards mixed-race people, although I didn't actually realize until I moved to London! I had never been aware of colourism and how much of a negative impact it has within the Black community. To see people openly say that they favour people of a lighter skin tone upsets me because they are saying they think there is some sort of superiority that comes with having lighter skin which I think is fundamentally quite messed up. A negative experience I guess is not feeling like you fully belong anywhere, I think moving a lot growing up didn’t help with this either. When you are mixed-race, people try and figure out where you’re from a lot more than they would someone who is a just one race, and often the fact I’ve got a British accent just isn’t enough for them. I do enjoy having two cultures to learn from and be a part of though. I feel British, but when I’m with my Trini family it makes me feel very proud to be Trinidadian too. If I had the opportunity to come back to this earth I would want to come back the same! I’m happy with where I’m at. I feel very lucky to have the family I have and to have experienced many things in not so much time. I’m looking forward to the future. The future of mixed-race is a brilliant one, with so many mixed-race people that everyone is from everywhere. I hope it resolves conflicts and brings people peace.
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