u/Motor_Cardiologist21

I’ve been thinking about this because younger Black Brits seem to mix a lot more across different backgrounds now, especially African and Caribbean.

Do you think we’ll eventually have a stronger shared black British culture where someone’s specific background matters less or do you think people will always identify more with being Nigerian, Jamaican, Ghanaian etc?

Of course those cultures aren’t going anywhere, but I’m curious what people think Black British identity will look like in another 20/30 years.

With the news of his passing, I thought I’d share a little about who Jason Arday was, as I didn’t know much about his work before either.

In 2023 aged 37, he became the youngest Black person ever appointed to a professorship at the university of Cambridge, as professor of sociology and education.

He was autistic, didn’t speak until he was 11 and couldn’t read or write until he was 18. He later became a teacher, earned a PhD and eventually became a Cambridge professor.

A lot of his work focused on race and inequality in British education, including the experiences and mental health of Black students, racism in academia and the underrepresentation of Black academics.

I thought this was worth sharing alongside the news about his passing, so his life isn’t only remembered for how it ended.

More info about him is linked

Rest in peace Professor Jason Arday 🕊️

For me, probably not. I get why people do it, especially with how ridiculous house prices are now, but I’d still want to live somewhere with a decent black population and some diversity.

I feel being one of the only black people in an area would put me off even if I could get a much nicer house for less. Curious if cheaper housing would be enough for you guys to make that trade off?

Happy Independence Day to the Jamaican black brits celebrating today! 🇯🇲

If you’re Jamaican, what’s your favourite thing about Jamaica? Could be the food, music, the culture, a childhood memory, or literally anything else

Welcome! This is a space for Black people in the UK, as well as anyone interested in respectful discussions about Black British life, culture, news and experiences. We’ve had quite a few new members recently, so I thought it was about time to make a proper welcome post 🫶🏽

Feel free to:
Share your experiences
Ask questions
Discuss current events
Post about music, food, fashion, careers, travel, and anything else relevant to Black British life

A few quick rules:
Be respectful
No hate speech or personal attacks
Keep posts relevant to Black British topics
Healthy debates are welcome, just keep them civil

Whether you’ve lived here your whole life or have recently moved to the UK, you’re welcome here.

Enjoy the community!

I’m curious because people seem to have really different experiences depending on where they grew up, their community, and even their own family.
Have you experienced colourism in the UK? If so, what did it look like?

If not, do you think it’s less common than it used to be or has it just changed?

Please keep the discussion respectful and remember that everyone’s experiences may be different. 🙏🏽

I’ve noticed a lot of people seem split on this. Some can’t wait to leave, while others wouldn’t live anywhere else.

If you had the chance, would you move abroad or stay in the UK?

If you’d leave, where would you go and what’s the main reason? If you’d stay, what keeps you here?

Curious to hear everyone’s thoughts

I’m 23F. My ex and I were together for almost 4 years and broke up around 10 months ago. We recently spent 3 days together (no sex), and it’s made me reflect on the relationship differently.
The biggest reason I left was that I lost attraction. One issue was that he kept saying he was going to become a “muscle dad” and get into the gym but never did. At the time, I saw it as someone whose words didn’t match his actions.

Looking back, I’ve realised that actions matching words is one of my biggest values because I grew up hearing a lot of promises that never happened. I also never properly communicated how important this was to me I assumed he should know. Since we’ve broken up, he has actually started going to the gym consistently.

The more I’ve reflected, the more I’ve realised how much I took for granted.

He’s incredibly attentive, emotionally intelligent, nurturing and reliable. He notices changes in my mood before I say anything, remembers little details about me, has helped me through embarrassing situations, bought thoughtful gifts, helped me financially when I needed it and always made me feel emotionally safe.

His biggest downside is that he’s naturally very cautious, whereas I’m more adventurous. If I suggest something new (like skating), he’ll usually come along, but I’m often the one initiating it. He’ll say things like, “Let’s buy all the protective gear first.” That used to annoy me, but ironically those knee pads ended up saving me when I fell. I’ve realised some of his cautiousness has actually rubbed off on me in a healthy way.

I also realised I don’t actually want someone exactly like me. I recently met a much more impulsive guy who smoked weed while driving and wanted public sex. It completely turned me off because all I could think about was the risks, especially with my career. It made me realise I don’t want reckless I want someone who balances me.

Other things:

He has far more female friends than male friends (his mum said he’s always been like that). They’ve always been appropriate, but I still don’t love it.

He had retroactive jealousy at the start of our relationship but genuinely worked on it and improved.

He doesn’t have a degree (doesn’t personally bother me much), works in car sales and is learning to trade.

The biggest compatibility issue is that he’d like to move to America one day, and I really don’t want to live there.

Another thing I’ve realised is that casual dating might just not suit me. I’ve matched with attractive guys on Hinge, arranged dates and then had no desire to go. I don’t know if that’s because I’m still attached to my ex or because modern dating just isn’t for me.

We deliberately didn’t have sex during the 3 days because I wanted to make sure I was thinking clearly and not confusing physical intimacy with wanting the relationship back.

If we ever did try again, I wouldn’t rush into a relationship. I’d want us to have honest conversations and date each other again first.

My questions:
Does this sound like genuine growth and a clearer perspective, or just nostalgia after reconnecting?

Can personality differences like me being adventurous and him being cautious actually complement each other long term?

Is it a mistake to reconsider someone who treated me really well because I originally focused on the things that annoyed me?

How much weight would you put on the America issue compared to everything else?
I’m looking for balanced opinions rather than blanket “never go back to an ex” or “definitely get back together” advice.

TL;DR: Broke up with my ex of almost 4 years 10 months ago because I lost attraction, but after spending 3 days together (without sex) I’ve realised I may have misunderstood some of the reasons I left. I’m wondering if this is genuine growth or just nostalgia.

A new study found that type 2 diabetes is rising in younger women in England, especially those in their 20s and 30s. As Black women, we’re already at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, so it’s even more important to stay mindful of our health.

This isn’t about being perfect with food. It’s about doing what you can: staying active, eating well most of the time, maintaining a healthy weight where possible, and getting regular health checks if you’re at higher risk.

Prevention is always easier than treatment. Take care of yourselves. ❤️

i know there are some run down areas or places ppl might call the hood, i kinda like the gritty vibe of certain areas. i remember hackney in the 2010s man it had lots of carribean, african, indian shops as well but i see less of those these days. it just aint how it use to be anymore. respectfully, gentrifiers have sorta killed the vibe man and i dont recognise the neighbourhood i use to live in. im kinda 50/50 on it cuz on one hand reducing crime and poverty is a positive to all of us but erasure of culture and black and ethnic minorities living in the area is something i dont like ill he real. ik it aint a race thing its more of a class thing but when wealthy people or companies move into the area, buy up property, renovate and take over, it drives up the rent in the area by isnane amounts. this doesnt just happen in east ldn, it happened it south as well. Brixton, Narm, Tottenham, Lewi. But hackney is the epitome of gentrified 🤣. I dislike it but like it at the same time. The thing is, working class ppl in general (id say im working class) just cant keep it up wid it. you know its wraps when a Gail’s opens up near you😭🤣. their food looks decent but im not spending £20 on a crossaint.
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Hii so I started skating like 3 weeks ago, I just want to know if I need to change my wheels if I want to skate on proper pavement/roads? I currently use wilverz idk if that’s any good but I didn’t care because I just wanted to start skating, it was gifted to me and was from amazon but yh idk anything and tips will be appreciated 😭

For me, I’d say meet the adebanjos. Maybe because I’m Nigerian, but it felt familiar in a way a lot of other shows didn’t.

I also used to find Little Miss Jocelyn show funny as hell 😭

Could be a TV show, film, viral moment or anything else. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think “Black British”?

Whether it’s something you wish you’d known earlier or advice that has helped you, or lessons you’ve learned the hard way, what would you tell a young Black person who’s just starting out in their career?

Could be about confidence, networking, workplace culture, money or anything else.

Not everyone can live in London, that could be because of cost, work, family, or just personal preference. So if you had to pick another UK city, where would it be?

Anybody going?

A lot of online conversations about black culture seem to be dominated by american pov, which makes sense because of how much content comes from the US.

For those of us who grew up in Britain, what parts of the black british experience do you think are unique or different?

I grew up in south london . It is diverse, but definitely predominantly black where I grew up. There were plenty of asian and other communities too, but most of the people I went to school with and saw day to day were black

What about you lot?

Mine are Gentleman and Tropical by SL 😂 Instant secondary school flashbacks. What’s yours?