Archive for Black British stories of struggle and success to be set up

The new archive intends to showcase the successes and struggles experienced by Black Britons, reports Correspondent Sejal Karia

Organisers of a new archive of spoken accounts want to hear from Black Britons over the decades with a story to tell.

From the original arrivals from the Commonwealth to the subsequent generations of Black Britons of today, it’s a way they hope to describe the struggle and successes of being Black and British.

One of those taking part is Chidi Onyeche, a British born Nigerian who questioned her background growing up.

“It took me a long time to get to grips with all of those different cultures and identity that I’m now happy with,” she said.

“I remember feeling completely displaced growing up as a black British person, not really British, not really black, because I’m Nigerian.”

A realisation that came, she says, after some painful reckoning.

“I always thought you could outperform racism, you could out-educate yourself from racism,” she said.

“So I went to Oxford. I work at the second biggest law firm in the world, you don't hear my accent and think 'working class'.

“And you know when I go to certain places people still have the same perceptions.”

Perceptions, former Blue Peter presenter, Diane Louise Jordan hopes will be dismantled through this project.

“Lives are complicated. They're just not black and white and this archive is going to be for everyone, not just for black people to be on a soapbox about or white people to feel guilty about.

“It affects all of us so I think we've all got a lot to learn from hearing each other’s stories.”