English | Barbadian/Jamaican
Both of my parents were born in the UK, however my Dad’s heritage is very much English, while my Mum’s Father was from Barbados and her Mother was from Jamaica. I think one challenge is probably the sense of not always 100% ‘belonging’ – not being ‘Black enough’ or ‘White enough’ to fit into one camp or the other, and sometimes feeling out of place as a result. I definitely felt this quite keenly at secondary school, because when you’re a teenager you’re struggling with your identity anyway and finding your place – so there were times where I wasn’t ‘White enough’ to really relate to a lot of my friends, but I also wasn’t ‘Black enough’ to fit in with some of the other friendship groups. Another big challenge has been the sense of not fitting into the predominantly White beauty standards that are so prevalent in our society, and so feeling ‘lesser’ or less attractive – although I definitely feel like this is now changing for the better. When I was a kid there weren’t really many successful, famous women or even fictional characters that looked ‘like me’ on-screen and in magazines. But there are now so many amazing women of colour in the public eye that are incredible role models, and casting of films and TV shows is getting so much more diverse now, and I think things are getting much better. I think being mixed-race has given me so many positive experiences – it’s allowed me to experience more than one culture, to feel comfortable with all different types of people. To be in touch with a whole world of colour and life and vibrancy and fun and music and flavour that wouldn’t be as accessible to me if I didn’t have the Caribbean part of my heritage. It’s given me the joy of going to Notting Hill Carnival pretty much every year – and proudly blowing my Barbados or Jamaica whistle! If I had the opportunity to be reborn I wouldn’t change anything. I feel massively grateful to have such wonderful parents and to have been born with this dual identity. Imagine growing up without fried plantain! Not the one.
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