How I feel connected to other Black people.
“Is it me, or are there lots of Black people here?”. The words sound different when they come out of a White person’s mouth. The fact is, my White wife and I are comfortable with it because she’s heard me ask the same question on numerous occasions during our six-year relationship.
Because I am Black, I always know who’s around me and, more importantly, the colour of their skin.
I live in Copenhagen, Denmark, and it’s very White. I see people from other backgrounds, but they aren’t Black like me. Where are the dark-skinned, curly-haired people of Caribbean or West…
Some of us haven’t ‘figured out’ this racism thing yet.
Woke: ‘Alert to injustice in society, especially racism.’ — The Oxford Dictionary
Despite deliberate attempts to misinterpret the word, we should all be ‘woke’, shouldn’t we? Being conscious of the complexities of racism and its manifestations surely one of our most important allies to engender positive change?
Being ‘woke’ is a phrase that -in my experience- is primarily directed towards White people or commercial companies who have recently acknowledged racial discrimination where it had previously gone ignored or undetected. 2020 put the emphasis on all people, especially the White population, to be more informed and active in the fight against…
A family Christmas game exposes ignorance towards derogatory images
When my wife opened up the “games chest,” she gazed down and bellowed, “What! You can’t own that. It’s a racist game!”.
The game is called Sorte Per. Sorte translates to the word “Black” and “Per” is a common Scandinavian name; therefore, it translates into Black Per. It’s like calling someone Black Dave, White Sonia or Brown Sanjay.
Per is the main character, but there are other characters in the game. They are all, without exception, White. …
Afrobeats music is sweeping the world. Get in on the act.
What is Afrobeats?
Not to be confused with Afrobeat, Afrobeats is African popular music originating from the west coast of the continent. Its explosion over the past 10 years means it’s unlikely that you haven’t heard music from or derived from this genre. Here are 9 tracks, of various styles, for you to sample. Enjoy.
1. Iskaba by Wanda Coal.
You are welcome to pull out your very best dance moves for this one, but truthfully, they aren’t needed. Even your syncronised dance choreography you made with your bestie in grade 5 will look cool to this.
2. Bolanle by IVD and Zlatan.
An energetic feel-good track. Envisage a number of Nigerian Aunties in…
So stop trying to.
*This is by no means a ‘how-to guide’ to support a loved one with their mental health. This is a story about my experience. If you require support, speak to a professional.*
Like other family members, my wife had a history of mental health illness before we started dating six years ago. But in 2016, she struggled more than at any other time in her life. Watching your loved one at rock bottom is beyond heartbreaking.
Depression (and anxiety) hit her. Like a sniper’s bullet right between the eyes. She didn’t stand a chance.
I lived…
We acknowledge its existence, so why the surprise?
“To be surprised at a racist incident is like being surprised at seeing the sunrise at dawn.”
A Grade 3 teacher walks into the staff room where four Black staff members are chatting. He comments “Oh, it’s dark in here.”
A colleague coaches Martial Arts to kids on evenings and weekends. In a casual conversation, he describes a group of Brown attendees as “typical immigrants who think they are better than everybody else,” whilst looking directly into my eyes. His facial expression saying, “but you know what I mean though. Right?”
A Brown-owned greengrocer’s store, located in a diverse neighbourhood…
The most sickening article I’ve written.
I feel sick to my stomach. My face is tight with anxiety and it’s causing crows’ feet on either side of my eyes. They age me beyond my years. They make me shiver. My shoulders are tense. Why can’t I stop staring at them? They say it’s tough to stop looking at unsettling things, and this is beyond repulsive. I’m captivated by them- in the worst possible way.
I have a phobia of baked beans.
Most people have an aversion to snakes, spiders and Tom Cruise movies. Society accepts them as ‘normal’.
An ironic take on a common Medium article.
*Warning-This article contains high levels of irony*.
I joined Medium 3 months ago and I already made $0.40. I never thought it would go this well, so quickly! It was a totally easy and straightforward process.
“Learning the alphabet can help you write words.”
Follow these 5 steps to become as successful as me;
1: Learn The Alphabet.
This is a great place to start. Whatever you are writing about, you will need words, which in turn, are made up of letters. Learning the alphabet can help you write words. I can’t stress how helpful I…
And that's exactly how it should be.
It’s 15:56, and I’m sweating. I’m cycling up the only known hill in the city of Copenhagen. The ascent isn’t the steepest, but the longevity is what gets me. Every. Single. Time. My u14 football (as in Soccer) team happens to practise on top of the god-forsaken incline. I started off with vigour, but now — half way up — the lactate in my quads is burning. The lady zooming past me makes eye contact for the briefest of moments. She smiles. This is her smug justification for buying her costly electric bike, which glides silently into the distance.
The…
A personal journey
“I’m going swimming. See you later” I said to a friend.
He looked at me out of the corner of his eyes with a confused look. His nose creased up as if he had smelt a bad odour.
“But you can’t swim” he replied. This was true for the last time he had seen me in the water. But things had changed since we were 14 years old.
“It wasn’t pretty. Horrible actually. Like seeing someone swimming in the same pool as you without the verruca sock, they desperately need”.
We were in the same Maths class at school, which…
Nathan Foolchand
Personal, opinionated and informal articles.
