“Merely describing yourself as black, you have started on a road towards emancipation.” – Steve Biko
There is a unique richness that comes with fully embracing an identity you are part of. It immerses you in your true self, allowing you as an individual to stand in pride and authenticity. I hold Steve Biko’s quote to heart. His quote resonates with me daily as I navigate my Blackness. What does it mean to be Black? I am a Black, gay British-Nigerian man, proud of every part of my identity.
And there is no better time than now for the intentional ownership of identity being Queer, Trans, Black, Asia, or any other at the margin of society, now that an extreme right-wing ideology driven by white supremacy is running havoc in the world.
Of course, everything has to be about race. It became about race when they invaded us, enslaved us, discriminated and segregated us. When they forced us into hard labor to build the countries of their dreams. It became about race when laws about my hair, clothes, and food were passed. It became about race when they could only coexist with us due to legal protections put in place to safeguard our rights. I have come to understand how race intersects with every aspect of life and heavily affects the Black experience.
My journey to Blackness started on the street of London, in one of the Boroughs with the highest number of Black people, Lewisham Borough. When I was stopped by the police and told a criminal looked like me, I can imagine how many innocent Black people have heard this all their lives or the many Black kids profiled and set up by the institutions that are meant to protect them.
For years as a trainer, I have worked with companies to implement practical DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) strategies that foster safe workplaces and increase productivity for Black people as well as Queer people. I have always tapped into my Nigerian background as well as my lived experience as a Black queer person in the United Kingdom. My guiding mantra has been that owning your Blackness as an identity, especially in a world that’s heavily anti-Black, is a road toward emancipation.
To truly appreciate my Blackness, I had to step out of my comfort zone and intentionally seek to know and understand what it means to be Black. I became intentional about finding my Blackness, embracing it, and also being what it is. Because to be black is to be fierce. To be Black is to represent excellence and to be Black is to be your full self, living unapologetically. I will never deprioritize my Blackness at the altar of white supremacy. I love being Black.
I have realized that so much of what Blackness means to me, both spoken and unspoken, seen and unseen is because of what my skin represents. There are aspects of who I am that I wouldn’t have if I weren’t Black and I believe the years the Black community has spent nurturing me have been instrumental in shaping my identity and positioning me as a thought leader. Despite the persistent stereotypes, we continue to thrive in the face of global anti-Blackness with many of us excelling as CEOs, athletes, and top achievers.
While my experience as a “Black man” living in Nigeria differs from my experience of a Black man living in the United Kingdom, both realities still intersect with each other. In Nigeria, colonial legacies persist in how we relate with one another. In schools, workspaces, politics, and society, whiteness is still upheld, despite the supposed end of colonial rules and indoctrination. But being unapologetically Black is something I have to learn in the face of whiteness that defines my blackness and this is while it is an act of radicalism.
One thing is clear, a proud and unapologetic Black person is a threat to the system designed to suppress the Blackness they express.
I am Bisi Alimi, a coach, public speaker, trainer, writer, and/or podcast guest. Book me HERE