Why London is no place for a young black man?

                   http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2009/apr/10/black-in-london?CMP=share_btn_tw

Published April 2009

Written in the Guardian, Peter Akinti describes his experience growing up and living in London from birth as an African British child and offers his opinion as to why it is so easy for black males living in London to stray on the wrong side of the law.

He begins by telling us he grew up in East London "where you could get your arse kicked if you didn't learn fast to keep your mouth shut and your eyes constantly averted" and how he spent most of his time "hanging around, robbing bus conductors, breaking windows, stealing cars and challenging people to fight on the flimsiest pretexts". He got involved in a robbery at a young age and his Nigerian parents vowed to never let him out the house again. He explains that Nigerian culture doesn't allow room for parent/child negotiations which gives us context on his background and his national identity. He further goes on to explain  how he studied law for his parents - again something that is entwined in Nigerian culture, pleasing your parents and getting a "real" job.

Eventually going on to have his own magazine company, he explains why he is always at a disadvantage - because of his race. "Black men in Britain remain almost invisible, at the lowest level of the "racial hierarchy"

I found this article very interesting as it is relatable. Even though I am not a black male, I know many who find themselves in the same situation as Akinti had found himself in when growing up in the 90's. This article could also be used as a detailed example for my MS1 Media Exam in June for the topics of either race, issues or national identity.