In September we asked our colleagues and customers to get involved in our Black History Month activity by telling us a bit about their experiences of living in this country. And we've been moved to have received a handful of honest, open stories about people's journeys.
Today we share Housing Manager, Tade Olalekan's, story of moving from Lagos to boarding school in the UK, plus her hopes for the future. A big thanks to Tade for sharing her story with us.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Tade Olalekan, I was born in Lagos, Nigeria from Nigerian parents. I moved to the UK in 1988 to go to boarding school because my Dad worked for an oil company and we kept getting transferred to different countries every couple of years.
What has been your experience of living in the UK?
My experience has been mixed but mostly good. My first proper experience of being of a different ethnicity came from boarding school where comments like, 'go back to your own country' were used towards me by a classmate. As a child this was heart-breaking, especially when all you want as a child is to fit in.
I had some really good friends around me who stood up for me. But on the whole, my experience has been a positive one and very accommodating. There are people that do make you remember your ethnicity but I try to challenge their views in a positive way.
What is your vision for the next generation?
My vision for the next generations is to see more acceptance and embracing of differences between us all. I would like to see less fear of what is perceived as different and an understanding that differences between us is a good thing.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Just be you and embrace your heritage. Don’t try to run away from it because you are trying to conform to the norm.
