Generally speaking, I have had a very complex relationship with my race and ethnicity. I am a Ghanaian by ethnicity and grew up in the multicultural city of Leicester. I spent most of my time in predominantly white schools and villages which meant that I had been exposed to racism and microaggressions from a young age. This naturally wore down on my self-esteem and confidence, but with a few years of work and a lot of self-reflection, I was able to restore the equilibrium in my identity. Being in places with little to no racial and ethnic diversity is a feeling I am too familiar with, so I hoped that coming to uni would at least allow me to mingle with more people of colour.
"It came as no surprise when I walked into my first lecture to find that I was the only black person on my course"
On arriving in Newcastle, I realised that I would probably run a similar course to when I was at home. Newcastle is not very racially or ethnically diverse compared to the Midlands, London or Manchester. There aren’t as many Afro-Caribbean shops like there are at home and there aren’t as many people of colour, all of which gave me a sense of comfort. So it came as no surprise when I walked into my first lecture to find that I was the only black person on my course. It is something most people don’t have to think about, but the feeling of being the only person of a racial group in a space is incredibly isolating and also adds a huge amount of pressure that was never asked for. What makes this worse is that it feels as though only you are experiencing this and the knowledge that trying to explain it would often end in gaslighting that makes you doubt yourself more.
Regardless, of the anxieties, I pushed through similarly to how my parents would have done when they first arrived in England. I will admit, it has been tough, being the only black person everywhere I went meant that I would have to defend my identity and that of other ethnic minorities due to ignorance and misinformation, I would have to have very difficult conversations with peers who had quite racist perceptions of ethnic minorities, frequent microaggressions, and most of all, tokenism. I will always remember finding it comical how I was contacted on numerous occasions during Black History Month of first year to write articles and co-host radio shows (which I did do because they were great opportunities and a lot of fun) only to never have that again once it ended. The most difficult thing I have found, however, is promoting my course to prospective students (especially those that are ethnic minorities), due to the lack of ethnic diversity and urgency regarding the matter.
"My experience has given me stories to tell and unique perspectives to offer when it comes to race, racism and identity"
With all that being said, it hasn’t all been so bad. Being the only black person has meant that I have been able to bond with other ethnic minority students over a similar struggle. Joining the Afro-Caribbean Society (ACS) also helped immensely as I could interact with people from across the African diaspora who have shared cultural values as me. Finally and most importantly, my experience has given me stories to tell and unique perspectives to offer when it comes to race, racism and identity.
Being a person of colour in Britain is not the easiest experience, and yet, it isn’t something I would trade for the world. With all the bad things, are also the good; the friends I’ve made, the lessons I’ve learnt and the experiences I’ve had are all invaluable and things I will carry with me for the rest of my life. So for those of you that were in a similar rut to me: it gets easier and it gets better! Don’t let your race and identity hold you back but allow it to propel and motivate you in everything you do, this way, you will find more commonalities with people that you realise.
