During Black History Month 2025 we spoke to Economics student Jamaine for the Race Equality Charter blog:
Is activism and helping drive change for Black people in Britain important to you?
For me personally, it's quite an important thing. Making sure that people's voices are heard, making sure that people are respected, and are not being discriminated against or not given the opportunities that they should be. I try and help combat that.
I’ve always found myself gravitating towards opportunities that help to improve equality or help minority minoritized communities. For example, I used to work with a company called Elevated Minds. I'm from South London and this group is in Southwark, and they work to alleviate tenson between the Black community and police through communication opportunities.
I also felt essential fulfilment from doing that work that actually benefits people and has a real impact. That's something that's very important to me.
How is your family history and cultural roots important to who you are as a person today?
My family history and culture has shaped me into the person that I am today. Not just from the food, but also in the mannerisms that my parents have passed down to me! A lot a lot of people have told me I'm clearly from Uganda, that I ‘behave Ugandan’.
It's so important to me, I love my background. I really enjoy having the opportunity to go back there too. I’ve been to Uganda a couple of times and it's been a real eye opener, not just to see where my parents are from, but to see where I am coming from as well.
Who are your Black role models or icons that mean a lot to you?
I have given this question some thought, and I would have to say my parents would be the biggest ones. I could have said maybe someone like Muhammad Ali or Anthony Joshua or whoever, but on a personal level it would be my mum and dad because they’re so close to home. Literally. I see who they are and I know where they're coming from.
I would say that they're definitely my role models and mean a lot to me because they've shared with me their personal experiences. Both my parents came to the UK for university from Uganda. Learning about all that they've been through on their journey meant a lot to me in terms of how they were working so much alongside university so that they can pay for everything. They had to grow into their independence when they came here, because most of their family lives in Uganda, back home. So they had to stand on their own two feet. When my Mum was in university she had I think it was three of us (I have quite a lot of siblings), and she was even taking us to university with her sometimes! Seeing their dedication, their commitment, and them not letting anything become an obstacle is an inspiration.
I think one more person that I would say is a role model to me is my next-door neighbour, but we call him Granddad. He's very inspiring because he came from Dominica in the Caribbean to the UK, and because he's a bit older there was more 'overt’ discrimination that he had to go through. He shared one experience about how a brick got thrown through his window, in the same area that I live in today. So just seeing that all that he went through and he's not a bitter person, he's very joyful. That means a lot to me in terms of being able to persevere and not allow negative experiences to shape my outlook on life.
What are your hopes for the future as a young Black person in Britain?
My hope for my future in terms of being a young black person is just not allowing anything to become an obstacle for me. One thing that my parents have drilled into me is “no excuses”. So not allowing anything to become an excuse, even if something is an obstacle, it's just an opportunity to climb even higher. Because with obstacles you're meant to go over them. Whether it be my race or whatever it is, to persevere and to find success in whatever my hand finds to do, just like my parents have showed me with their example.
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