Page 70 - Future Leaders Magazine

IDENTITY
Am I black enough?

they may be seen as not black enough. For
Future Leader instance, a black person who speaks the
Ayomide Ayorinde Queen’s English may be assumed to not be
black enough. But the reality is they still
tackles a complex might experience and understand what
being black encompasses in our society.
question that many For anyone to suggest their experience
young Africans and as a black person is void because they
don’t ‘act’ black only serves to perpetuate
African Caribbeans society’s stereotype carved for us of what
blackness is supposed to be. Being different
may ask themselves “We realise how from these stereotypes should actually be
at some point in great we are by seen as fulfilling and amazing. If I am not
like the black girl they expect me to be,
their lives… learning, growing that should not make me any less black as I
still understand the joys and struggles that
and flourishing” comes with my race and my skin colour. The
joys being but not limited to the richness of
am not black enough. What does that our culture and the lows being the prejudice
I that we sometimes are subjected to.
even mean? The word black in relation
to race should simply refer to your
I feel genuine sadness to think that many
genetics, ethnic origin and skin colour.
race should determine our personalities or
colloquialisms of the Black British youth.
Yet in a way, some define our blackness as understand or fully appreciate some have fallen for the trap that says that our
the music we happen to be drawn to, the Yet, I am not the full Nigerian who stayed preferences. We as black people should want
slang terms we choose to use or not use long enough to absorb all things Nigerian to break away from stereotypes restricting
and the way we choose to clothe ourselves. since I moved just before this could happen. our blackness to being loud and angry or a
This is where the terms ‘Oreo’ or ‘coconut’ So it can get quite confusing trying to liking to solely grime and hip-hop. If that
become relevant. decide if I am black enough or not because means we end up being less black based on
The common slang terms are often used of what I’ve been programmed to think other people’s standard then so be it.
to describe someone acting ‘too white’ being black is. Are you black enough? You are absolutely
both on social media and in person. It is Still, it is funny how people may be seen black enough because being black is
defined as someone who does things that as too black because to some their skin’s beautiful and unique and complex and that
are perceived to be stereotypically white or proximity to chocolate is exactly what we are and what we want
not doing things viewed as stereotypically is the main thing it to be. You cannot change who you are
black. These definitions can be difficult to determining their and you should not need to. The reality
wrap one’s head around since black is the blackness. Yet, is little else matters because the fact
first thing people see when they look at you; in the same that you are black means you are
not a set of opinions, beliefs, nationalities breath black enough. Do not ever feel
or personalities. So it is easy to feel like if the need to lose yourself or your
you are not great at that, what can you intelligence in a bid to be ‘black
succeed at? The fact is, it is wrong that enough’ because to be black is
we even have to feel this way. to be excellent. There is no one
Recently, the subject of being standard for blackness and there
black enough has been is no checklist of what to do to be
highlighted in shows black enough. And remember, as
such as American US actor Jesse Williams said
network ABC’s in his infamous BET Awards
Black-ish. The speech in 2016: ‘Just because
sitcom, starring we’re magic doesn’t
Anthony Anderson mean we’re not
and Tracee Ellis-Ross, is real.’ FL
about an upper-middle-class
African-American family who are
desperately trying to establish a sense of
blackness for themselves in a predominantly
white community.
This is just as real for me as the child of
immigrants because it is easy to sometimes
feel like I don’t fit nicely into any box. I was
not born in England so I don’t completely

68 FUTURE LEADERS | 2017-18