I arrived in a beautiful city that embraced my difference in a way that I never could have imagined to be possible. For so long I have been shot down by “friends”, professors, even family member because of who I am. So it’s no surprise that being accepted and treated with tolerance was beyond abnormal to me. Ok so London’s different and by different I mean a lot of people are racially ambiguous and for that reason everyone experiences that “r word” that tears countries apart. But Londoner’s seem to embrace theses differences. The people are so exposed to so many different nationalities that me being whatever black that I am is collectively accepted.

I go to clubs and bar’s and pubs and guys for the first time talk to me and I feel really good about this because this has never happened to me before. I am so use to the blonde haired blue eyed bell getting all the guys attention and me being the best friend that nobody wants to be seen with. Ok that’s harsh but it’s true. Now I am not say at all that I haven’t experience racism here in this diverse city cause I have in the most unlikely places.  A student whose name I will not disclose out of respect has made it very aware the privileged white are oppressing all black. There may be some validation to this but I cannot support a person with a mentality from the 50’s. Not all white people are bad and not all black people are good. I was very y disturbed by knowing that it wasn’t the European students that had an issue but the American ones . She constantly badgered white and black student hammering her point that oppression is more than relevant in this day in age, that white people are all the same and hold the same racist traits putting a glass ceiling over all blacks every minute of every day. I slowly started realizing the radical mentality that this student was pressing on me and my thinking.

For weeks I thought there was something wrong with me. The voices in my head of the family member that told me that I wasn’t black enough were making their way toward the fore front of my mind. I am not insane and these words were like daggers. Being around this bitter student made me realize how much prejudice suck the life out of everything around it. I couldn’t breath, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t live because I was too concerned about what this student might think or say. This video is not about this student this video is about observation and my personal experience as being an African American in the United Kingdom. I am making this video because I want black, white, brown, yellow, purple, and orange student to be encouraged to study broad! Don’t let the ideals or prejudices hold you back. Oppression is a state of mind and activism is a state of being. Go out and explore, the world is vast in nature and holds some of the most beautiful and tolerant creatures on the face of the planet.

 It was ironic that this racism boiled from what I thought was a surprising place. Now like I said before London is not perfect in fact nowhere is and racism reeks throughout the world but if you get the opportunity to study somewhere new and push yourself past racist attitudes then do it. As a brilliant rapper once said You only live once. So why not explore and learn. The best way to beat racism and prejudice to expose yourself to another person’s way of living.  Go out and do don’t think just go!