Event Category: Black History Month

Seren: Hi, my name is Seren and I like drama, pizza and I'm mixed race because my mum is black and my dad is white. I live in Wales, which makes me Welsh, but I'm also British. But what does that actually mean? It can't all be about cricket, tea and the weather, so it has to be about the people, right? But what sort of person makes Britain what it is. Well, the people like me and you. I've been finding out about a charity called the Royal British Legion, which looks after people who have helped to keep everyone in Britain safe and make our lives better. Work that's called service because the people serve us all. It's the Royal British Legion that organises Armistice Day on the 11th of November and Remembrance Sunday. The days when we wear poppies to help us remember the sacrifices that people have made over the years to protect us, even dying to serve Britain. And for over 200 years, people from Africa and the Caribbean have been serving the country, helping to make Britain the country it is today. We usually remember the people who served in the Army, the Royal Air Force or Royal Navy, sometimes fighting, but more often doing humanitarian work, which means saving lives and making lives better. But there are lots of other people who serve. Paramedics driving ambulances. Firefighters rescuing people from burning buildings. Doctors, nurses and volunteers who go to places where there's been a natural disaster, like an earthquake or a pandemic. I've come to this youth club to talk to some people around my age and hear what they think about being black and British.

Lore: I would think of myself as British, but I feel like I want to embrace my culture more.

Shaun: I would see myself as British because I live here.

Kendra: I think of myself as British since I was born and raised here.

Seren: Do you guys know anyone in your family or community that has been in the forces or emergency services?

Lore: Yeah, um, back in Nigeria, my great granddad, before he passed away, he had he was in the Navy. He had a ship called the seal and he used it to transport troops.

Shaun: I haven't had anybody in my family during the war, but I feel like if I was to, it would be to protect my country.

Seren: My grandfather was actually in World War two. He fought for Britain. And, uh, quite a few members of my family are doctors. And my neighbours training to be a paramedic.

Dontay: My granddad, um, fought in the Army for a few years, and. Yeah.

Seren: Did you know that people with heritage like ours have fought for Britain for over 200 years?

Kendra: And I actually knew this since I was taught at our school.

Seren: I wasn't taught it at school.

Anashe: Me neither.

Seren: Why do you think that? Some were and some weren't.

Kendra: Um, maybe depending on like what part of England you live in or what part of the UK living. Um, the curriculums may be different and they may not be taught in like a history class.

Seren: Okay, so lean in. Can you see I'm going to show you an interview with someone who's in the British Army right now.

Captain Nasif Mugisha: Hi, my name is Nasif Mugisha and I'm a captain in the Royal Engineers, where I'm from in London. Not many people I know joined the Army at all. Um, no one in my family has joined the British Army. Some people were a bit awkward about it, I think, because their idea of what the army was was purely just about fighting. And from what you see in films, I describe my heritage as Black British. So my parents are from Uganda and Rwanda, two countries in East Africa. Um, but I myself was born here in the UK. Um, but I still do feel that those places are very much a big part of who I am as well. So I'm also a muslim and I'm a practising Muslim in the British Army. And that's something that is seen not really seen that much. And probably people think that it's something that's not necessarily compatible. Um, and what I found actually is being a muslim, um, and practicing my Islam in the British Army. I've actually not had any real difficulties or issues with it. I'd be lying if I said that I've never had people make prejudiced comments or even racist comments whilst I've been in the army, and that's something that is quite frustrating. But one thing that I've had from my experience of both working in the Army and working outside the Army, is that sadly, racism is something that still exists in our society and the army recruits from our society. So sometimes some of those people do slip through the net. And when I have raised it, or when I have dealt with it and addressed it, people have been really supportive. And the Army itself has really strong and robust policies, so it's not tolerated at all. I really understand how some a lot of young people don't feel British or even feel included by British society. I think that's something that I used to myself experience and feel that way. Um, and I get that because what we're told is the definition of British society, of Britishness is usually quite narrow and is usually things that are associated to do with basically just whiteness, um, or things that we've not experienced. And it's the idea that being British is basically not what we are. You know, this country was as much as it was built by, of course, white people, but also built by the work of, you know, for example, Bangladeshi textile workers, by Caribbean nurses, by Jamaican bus conductors, by people from all over the world of all different colours and races. Those people all contributed to the history and the success of this country. Then I realised that I 100% am part of this, and not just that. That I have just as much claim to what it is to be British. And that's why I, as a black British person, feel comfortable being in the Army, because here it's whether you look a certain way or sound a certain way. Ultimately, what matters when you're training, when you're on the battlefield, or when you're doing disaster relief, it's about how good you are and whether you can deliver. And the Army recognizes that. The reason why I think Remembrance Sunday is important is, well, as a serving soldier, it's really important to understand and remember the sacrifice that was made by people who wore this uniform or uniforms like this. And in the past, serving Britain. I recognize all those people that chipped in from all over the world to take a stand, to make those sacrifices when necessary.

Seren: So what do you guys think of the film?

Lore: The video rejected, um, stereotypes of the army because he didn't look like the usual soldier.

Ethan: It really changed my perspective of black people in the army because I thought that people normally would face really severe racism and it would be really hard for them. But, um, the way he explained it in the video, it seems like he still faces some challenges, but not as much as I thought he would.

Anashe: He inspires me to express my culture much more.

Seren: How do you guys feel about Remembrance Sunday? Do you feel a part of it?

Dontay: I don't feel that like I'm a part of it that much.

Anashe: I think that schools could be doing activities after school on that day.

Seren: Do you think that over 100 years ago, when the First World War ended, do you think that black people and people from the Commonwealth were thought about during remembrance?

Kendra: A long time ago, like, um, the society wasn't as inclusive or they were like they were more closed minded. So I don't think that we took, um, people that were in the British Isles or people from countries that were in the British Empire into consideration. Not so much in the past, but I think as, um, is coming to the future and more remembrance days are being done. Uh, more recognition is coming from black people and toward black people. For example, um, you can buy a black poppy on Remembrance Day, and that symbolizes the black soldiers and World War one.

Lore: I feel like they are for about some time, but like, not nearly as much as they should be.

Seren: Will you guys be silent for two minutes on Remembrance Sunday this year. And what will you be thinking about?

Anashe: Yes, I will, because I'll be thinking about the people that die for our country.

Seren: What will you remember? And what do you think about the idea of service and serving our country in some way? How could we all help to make our country a better, safer place for everyone?