Can London City Really be Home to Visible Minorities?

Dear Family Members,

I have just heard on the news that Stephen Lawrence’s memorial site has been vandalised.

My despair and disgust at these acts of cowardice equals my sadness that any human being could or would do such an awful thing. Which has lead me to question my place as a Black person in British society.

I know that I am British, I was born on British soil, educated in British schools, as an adult I now contribute to the economy.  I live in London the capital city which is known as the melting pot of the country.  I complain about all the things that Brits tend to moan about like the weather but I love London most of the time.  However, I do have an extra element to my cultural landscape; this means I am equally proud of my Jamaican/African Heritage.  I like most things ‘Yard Style’ for example, my food, my music, my men.  I also like Hip-Hop and Greek food and the most attractive man on the planet in my opinion Is the rapper Nas. Meaning, that I am as complicated and as complex as any-body and my heritage as well as my environment make up all of who I have become.

I have never felt like this has made me less British or like I needed to choose. This is, until the recent economic decline sucked all the fake multiculturalism feel good factor out of society to be replaced with the stark truth of the racist society that we actually live in. 

BNP membership is on the up, fools are blaming the recent riots on the rise in black culture. Don’t even let me get started on the police involvement in the killings of Mark Duggan and Smiley Culture.

Most people have no idea how it feels to be under the constant gaze of others; to be viewed as a threat, foreigner or exotic sexual fantasy.  I feel under constant pressure as I know that any moment I could be violated, disrespected or even killed by a nut job.  And like the Lawrence’s my family would not receive any support from the authorities; further, my grave site would be defecated the week the men who are accused of my murder are on trial.

We have all witnessed it verbalised at some point or other… “Why don’t they go back to where they came from?” but what happens if you come from here? Go back to where?