Opinion: Racism Does Exist in Stroud – I've Experienced it

First published on the Stroud News and Journal website 16/06/2020.

I KNOW some of you will roll your eyes and scoff at the suggestion that Stroud has problems with racism but I hope my personal experience of living in this town will shed light on prejudice on our doorstep.

A 2011 census revealed that Stroud had a population of 32,670 people – 101 of which were black (0.003%).

Stroud was 97.5%-white nine years ago, so I always stood out like a sore thumb.

I felt like an alien from another planet, being constantly stared at by older people and often being asked: “Where are you from?” It didn’t seem to matter that I’ve lived in Stroud since the early 1990s and talk like everyone else. I still was asked: “Where are your parents from? Grandparents?”

The insinuation is that I can’t be a true Stroudie if I’m black, so a wedge has already been placed between us.
I’m an oddity in my hometown and underrepresented.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t just apply to me - my two daughters also get the alien treatment.A lot of strangers have a fascination for touching afro-Caribbean hair and do so without consent – it reeks of entitlement. I would never touch the hair of somebody’s child I didn’t know.

The negative stereotypes of black men are a big factor in our mistreatment. We’re accused of being poorly-educated, hyper-masculine, of large stature and aggressive, so we’re automatically perceived to be a threat.

I’m watched and followed around supermarkets by security guards as a result – something that happened when I wore tracksuits years ago and something that still happens now when I wear a smart jacket and jeans. You’re made to feel like a criminal when you’re just minding your own business. Assuming the worst from black men spills over into law enforcement too.

I’ve been pulled over on multiple occasions due to my car details “not coming up on the system”. But they miraculously appear minutes later and I’m free to go. I would bet I’ve been stopped more times than the average 30-year-old…

Even my old secondary school fell into the trap of assuming the worst from me. I was arrested as a child for visiting friends at a sixth form, despite others doing so without the police being called on them. I was charged for ‘trespassing’ as I was no longer a student.
I’ve never received an apology from that school.

But that’s how it goes. Black people are viewed as less sympathetic, so these acts of prejudice often get swept under the carpet.

For example, an older woman crashed into my parked car while I was picking up my daughter from primary school and refused to give me her details. She then accused me of being aggressive and scary when confronted, so I ended up being criticised more than her, and I’m still awaiting justice.

That being said, Stroud isn’t a terrible place. The peacefully observed #BlackLivesMatter protests reinvigorated my love for the town but I hope these instances of prejudicial treatment will subside now more people are having their eyes opened to inequality.