British | Jamaican
I am a spiritual person on my spiritual journey and believe in God. Primarily, I am considered to be Jamaican and White British and racialized as White and Black Caribbean. However due to the multiracial origins of Jamaican heritage my predominantly African roots are there along with Scottish, Chinese and Indian with talks of Spanish descent also on my Father’s side to add. Often around family members on my Father’s side I reflect that I had the tendency to adapt my accent to appear more well-spoken in order for me to be more relatable and approachable.
My parents met at school in Worcestershire not long after my Mother came to live in England from Jamaica at the age of 15. My Mother is very cultured, particularly having been born in Jamaica. Based on this I have had a predominately traditional Caribbean upbringing within the more urban city area of Birmingham, including reggae music, food and patois (living and growing up with my Mother as a single parent). I would also see my Father regularly in the suburban Worcester area of the countryside.
I feel that interracial relationships can be successful so long as parents of mixed-race heritage learn both sides of their heritage equally and are mutually respected, particularly within Black and White unions as tension still exists predominantly within the two race groups. My Grandparents had a very traditional British ideology of that era and were not open to the concept, which is significantly different to my view of the current era.
This topic has always been a personal interest of mine due to my personal experiences, however, were sparked by the controversial treatment of Megan Markle as I could strongly identify on both sides. With some people negatively vocal at her self-identification as a Black woman and some vocal at the fact that her Blackness was an issue within that particular setting. This experience was particularly familiar during periods of my Miss JA UK reign.
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