According to the Guardian: “More than just brashly consumerist, Essex was also painted as a hotbed of bigotry, the place where white people moved to escape parts of London that were no longer white enough for them.” Listening to Dara Akomolafe, a local black, these people were not even fully aware of the extent of urban exodus to their community and the local appeal of nationalism that existed at the turn of the century. Their hope is a future sense of awareness.
Where did you grow up?
Dara Akomolafe: I grew up in Essex, England, a largely white community with a few minority groups such as Africans, Indians, Chinese, etc.
Exposure to culture / ethnic diversity?
Essex wasn’t known for diversity and has only become more so in the last few years. I can’t say I’ve been exposed to ethnic diversity. The small minorities that do exist conform to the culture displayed by the majority.
What was your degree of awareness of racism in your upbringing?
I wasn’t really that aware of racism mainly because discrimination and insulting were almost put in the same category. I felt that being black was just my “flaw”. It was similar to someone being picked on because they were overweight. Having said this, my school, however, did raise awareness of this matter. Therefore, I was aware of racism to an extent and became aware of the frequent cases of racism towards me. These I finally came to realize was actually racism as I got older.
Are you aware of institutionalized racism / existence in your respective country?
It quickly became very clear to me that the narrative of ‘black people’ which my white friends had was very different to the one I had witnessed. The British media and education system do a very good job at making it sound as if black people suffered and are in need of a ‘white savior’. If I’m being honest, all I can remember from learning about black history was the slave trade. I’m not saying the slave trade shouldn’t have been taught, but there definitely should’ve been a balance to the story. It should’ve been made much clearer that the slave trade is just one part of black history and a greater emphasis should’ve been placed on many other parts of black history.
Degree of your own awareness of racism in your everyday life / community?
I think I was subconsciously aware of it every day of my life from a young age in school. I realized I was very different. I sensed a bit of difference in my treatment by teachers and by my classmates. I clearly stood out from the rest and my young teenage years were when I started to feel quite uncomfortable with that. It’s affected me and inhibited me from properly expressing myself as a young boy in an effort to try and conform as much as possible. I then began to realize the existence of discrimination in general, not just about race.
How has anti-racist activism been received in your respective country?
I think that anti-racism has been accepted quite well. A lot of people are now taking the time to listen to the various perspectives that had been kept hushed up for a long time. However, I think that there still is a lack of participation. Not that many people are actually being active. Many still take a more passive stance. They just watch all of this go by. Unfortunately, most people don’t feel it’s their problem or that they need to deal with it. There’s a distinct disconnect from the effort to actually be anti-racist.
Do YOU think your country could be doing a better job, working to resolve racism?
I think people, both society and my friends, need to realize most of the change needs to happen within us. People find it is so easy to just pass the problem on to the government or say it’s happening worse in a different country than ours. The reality is the change comes from within. It’s annoying to see people don’t actually realize this and for that reason I think we have a long way to go for anti-racism to take hold but I’m glad recent events have started the ball rolling.
About the Article
Reflections on the impact of racism in England.
