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I am Guyanese on my mothers side and Algerian on my biological fathers, however, my very British step-father raised me very much as his own, and so I can attribute much of my racial identity to that as well. Black Britain is rich in culture, and growing up in London, I feel I had quite an inclusive experience growing up. Many of my childhood and adult friends look like me, and that is something that cannot be said for other parts of the UK. Weekends spent visiting family in Kent, namely Canterbury and Folkstone, provided my first experiences of ‘otherness’ - feeling odd and out of place. I often found these experiences awkward and uncomfortable particularly when references were made to how ‘exotic’ my complexion was, or how ‘interesting’ of a hair texture I had. I doubt that any comments were ever made to intentionally hurt or alienate me, but highlighting my ethnicity almost always had the opposite effect. As an adult, I don’t feel shame or discomfort, only pride in who I am, and as a mother, I hope to lead by example for the watchful eyes of my children.

Aisha Lakhdari-Thompson