I was also not allowed to watch Harry Potter😔This is a much needed discussion within the Black-British community, the differing views and experiences within the culture does not eliminate us from having one. The divide probably comes from our grandparents generation with some black people getting better treatment than others leading to disdain from both groups. I found out the other day that my Grandfather - born and raised in Nigeria - went to the university of Reading! My aunt, also born and raised in Nigeria, spent two years at my secondary school decades before me. All this to say being of African descent will always have some relation to ‘Britishness’ whether it’s obvious in the examples stated or whether it’s implicitly through the mark of colonialism.
yes, culture does not eliminate us from having for sure! that is also so cool that your extended family has ties in the Uk! ultimately, I think we are doing the work to interrogate how we feel by having these discussions and understanding the origins of our sentiments. I think compared to our forefathers and mother, we are better equipped and have the toolkit to examine culture and identity, whilst accepting our inter-diasporic differences.
This is a beautiful essay. Personally, I like to use the the word “Black Bruitsh” when thinking about the relationship of coloniality and unites Black people’s experiences within this country e.g the way in which citizenship (or fair justice) can be eroded in face of the criminal justice system due to Anti-Black Racism also the ways in which Black folk also help turn the cogs of imperialism as well -Kemi Badenoch
That being said the fluidity part of Black Britishness I worry at times it doesn’t always give space of cultural appropriation within diasporas. Or even the canbalism of Black Neoliberal actors within Black British culture who uses “DEI” to align with very neo-colonial brands such as Apple and Google. I worry at times that Black British culture is just a commodity for brands.
First of all, thank you for reading Hilary! I think those are some very interesting points. The commodification of the Black British culture and Black cultures in general is definitely something we want to discuss in the future!
This was a dope, very well written article - articulated a lot of thoughts I’ve been having much clearer than I’ve been able to in discussions w friends and family. I suppose like all aspects of culture black-Britishness is not fixed and has grown as an identity over time - in some ways we are the first gen to accept black Britishness more widely
Thank you so much Nyasha! I like the concept of the identity growing over time, it really captures how our relationship with black-British culture has perhaps shifted over time. It will be interesting to see how time changes how we engage with culture and how it develops.
I really enjoyed reading this, thank you! Noting the inter-diasporic differences are important because we can then explore the layered & complex nature of a Black-British identity. We don't have to be either/or: a Black-British identity isn't one which is rigid because it recognises there are other cultural and national markers which supplement that identity.
Yes! The notion of not being either/or is definitely something that we wanted to resonate with everyone because we could both relate to feeling split or that we didn’t really fit into one of the only categories. Thank you for reading!
admittedly i never thought of a ‘one’ black british identity, i always thought of britain having more explicitly known & historically present African groups, so this was dope to learn from
I really enjoyed reading this that I had to share it. As someone born and raised in London to Caribbean parents, this exploration of Black-British identity really resonated with me. The way it unpacks the fluidity of identity, the weight of colonial history, and the everyday realities of being Black in Britain felt so relevant. It captures the nuances of what it means to exist in this in-between space, connected to Britain yet deeply rooted in Caribbean heritage. Such a thoughtful and necessary read!
I was also not allowed to watch Harry Potter😔This is a much needed discussion within the Black-British community, the differing views and experiences within the culture does not eliminate us from having one. The divide probably comes from our grandparents generation with some black people getting better treatment than others leading to disdain from both groups. I found out the other day that my Grandfather - born and raised in Nigeria - went to the university of Reading! My aunt, also born and raised in Nigeria, spent two years at my secondary school decades before me. All this to say being of African descent will always have some relation to ‘Britishness’ whether it’s obvious in the examples stated or whether it’s implicitly through the mark of colonialism.
yes, culture does not eliminate us from having for sure! that is also so cool that your extended family has ties in the Uk! ultimately, I think we are doing the work to interrogate how we feel by having these discussions and understanding the origins of our sentiments. I think compared to our forefathers and mother, we are better equipped and have the toolkit to examine culture and identity, whilst accepting our inter-diasporic differences.
This is a beautiful essay. Personally, I like to use the the word “Black Bruitsh” when thinking about the relationship of coloniality and unites Black people’s experiences within this country e.g the way in which citizenship (or fair justice) can be eroded in face of the criminal justice system due to Anti-Black Racism also the ways in which Black folk also help turn the cogs of imperialism as well -Kemi Badenoch
That being said the fluidity part of Black Britishness I worry at times it doesn’t always give space of cultural appropriation within diasporas. Or even the canbalism of Black Neoliberal actors within Black British culture who uses “DEI” to align with very neo-colonial brands such as Apple and Google. I worry at times that Black British culture is just a commodity for brands.
First of all, thank you for reading Hilary! I think those are some very interesting points. The commodification of the Black British culture and Black cultures in general is definitely something we want to discuss in the future!
This was a dope, very well written article - articulated a lot of thoughts I’ve been having much clearer than I’ve been able to in discussions w friends and family. I suppose like all aspects of culture black-Britishness is not fixed and has grown as an identity over time - in some ways we are the first gen to accept black Britishness more widely
Thank you so much Nyasha! I like the concept of the identity growing over time, it really captures how our relationship with black-British culture has perhaps shifted over time. It will be interesting to see how time changes how we engage with culture and how it develops.
I really enjoyed reading this, thank you! Noting the inter-diasporic differences are important because we can then explore the layered & complex nature of a Black-British identity. We don't have to be either/or: a Black-British identity isn't one which is rigid because it recognises there are other cultural and national markers which supplement that identity.
Yes! The notion of not being either/or is definitely something that we wanted to resonate with everyone because we could both relate to feeling split or that we didn’t really fit into one of the only categories. Thank you for reading!
admittedly i never thought of a ‘one’ black british identity, i always thought of britain having more explicitly known & historically present African groups, so this was dope to learn from
I really enjoyed reading this that I had to share it. As someone born and raised in London to Caribbean parents, this exploration of Black-British identity really resonated with me. The way it unpacks the fluidity of identity, the weight of colonial history, and the everyday realities of being Black in Britain felt so relevant. It captures the nuances of what it means to exist in this in-between space, connected to Britain yet deeply rooted in Caribbean heritage. Such a thoughtful and necessary read!