British | Nigerian
I would identify myself as mixed-race. My dad is White British, my mum is Nigerian/British. I grew up with my mum in a predominantly White area of England. I feel like I’ve known I was mixed-race all my life. It was definitely made clear to me as a very young child when I never saw another person of African descent in nursery or primary school. During school I would latch onto anyone who was also outcast or different. There are definitely bias attitudes towards mixed-race people, from teachers not wanting to do my hair for school plays or yelling at me about hair extensions in gym class. And from the Black community that refuses to accept me since I have White skin and no African culture. It’s the middle ground where you get ignorance and rejection from both sides. My only other Nigerian friend in school took it upon herself to explain to me about my African culture. I owe her everything as that alone kept me from being lost in the sea of “I don’t even know who I am” that filled my mind. When I was younger I tried really hard to be White. My mum and I don’t share a surname either, so every teacher parent meeting day would be stressful as people wouldn’t realise we were related at first. And I always had to explain my mum’s Nigerian surname pronunciation, but they would just be confused because I do not look African so ‘why would I know that?’. If I had the chance to be reincarnated I wouldn’t mind what background I’d be born into, but I do acknowledge the privilege I’ve had as a white passing teenager in these times, even though it’s felt very isolating trying to be someone that I am not. There are so many mixed-race people now, that number will only continue to grow. I’d never seen another person’s Afro in real life till I was a teenager running around London alone. Diversity in media is everything, just knowing others are out there like you would have changed my childhood so I really hope in the future we can get to a place where every possible culture is visible in popular media and no one feels gatekept by another culture.
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