English | Sierra Leonean

Photo credit: Wolf Marloh

I identify as mixed-race. My Mum is White, from Holmfirth West Yorkshire. My Dad is Black, from Freetown, Sierra Leone. Dad was a Civil Engineer and was working in Huddersfield on building the sewage works. 

My Mum had a hard time. She was a strong woman and went it alone. My Grandparents tried to talk her out of marrying my Dad and even brought someone round to speak to her to tell her if she went to Africa she may be eaten. She went to Sierra Leone in the 60s with a 9-month-old baby. What a woman. It was a challenge at school with other kids and sometimes the teachers as the only mixed-race child in school. I lived as a child in Freetown and Kenema. I remember a lot of it, and I would love to show my family someday,

I think it hard to teach people not to get upset at the bullying and racism. I do think it has made me hard. I will protect anyone, and kindness goes a long way. Education, people are shocked when I tell them what happened to me at school. People need to call people out. Don't stand and watch, stick up, say something. I've been attacked at school by boys. I never told my Mum either as I didn't want to upset her.

We had the best of both worlds as kids my sister and I spoke Krio. My Mum did not, although she understood it. I think I'm a jumbled-up mix of food, culture and music, and I like it that way.

I have never hidden my culture or identity, although I do wonder about the fact I prefer my hair straight to afro. Although in lockdown it's now full afro. I wear it afro as my daughter and hubby prefer it. My connection to my heritage has changed as I’ve grown. I do feel proud of my heritage and lucky. Lucky that I got to live in both worlds. I knew both sets of Grandparents, both granddads were called Frank. Sadly they never met. 

In my acting career I have had some great opportunities, and a great agent who never stereotyped me. The same at drama school. However the industry likes to put me in the stereotypical nurse roles, and I've played 12 of them. 

If I had the opportunity to be reborn I would return exactly the same and know what I know now.    

During the pandemic I’ve been spending a lot of time walking. I was shielding as I have asthma and low immunity due to having Hereditary Spherocytosis. Which meant at the age of 20 I had to have a splenectomy. 

The protests after the death of George Floyd brought a lot of things to the surface about the racism I had at school. I lived in Sierra Leone until about 8 then it was back and forth for a few years. Settling in Huddersfield. I think I had every day at school with name calling. Mainly from boys. They also used to chant club adverts at me. Fortunately I had some mega friends who I still have to this day who were amazing. The Black Lives Matter movement has opened up a dialogue with my daughter and my husband which has three perspectives.