Radio 1Xtra Programme "What is Black British Culture?"
In this programme by Radio 1Xtra most peoples views if they were Black or British were very different. Some said even though they now live in Britain they are still Carribain or African. However most of them said that as there parents are from the Carribian they are now Black British.
I think Black Britain is what people from the West Indies and the Carribian bought to Britain. This includes food, fashion sense, language and accents. In the 1940's people from the West Indies thought they were coming to the mother land. They could not of been further from it! There were about a dozen on them in one house, but they had no where else to stay so they put up with it. People of colour were not even allowed in certain venues so they had to find other ways of socialising. This is where the Black British Culture began. The only place for them to have gathering would be house parties. The Majority of people that came to Britain were Jamaican so they bought the dialect Patois with them. This is because before the WW2 Britain still owned the biggest empire the world has ever seen, owning such countries like Carrabian but as the empire faded the close links between them didnt which lead to the West Indian people immigrating to the UK.
Many black people in the 90s bought a certain dress sense to the UK. Such as low slung jeans, baseball caps, big sunglasses and trainers which is the dress sense of many youths today. The garms - is where black people in Britain started to shape their own identities again by what they wear, by fashion. Celebrities like 50 Cent have been shown fashioning this look many times. People however, say that many things shown in music videos are not influencing youths today in the right way and some things said dont need to be. People will be influenced by anything! - Music, things shown in videos (drug dealers, guns). Hiphop, dance, garage and grime music have been accused of having a negative influence on youths however it has been successful where other races have embraced it and not just in the UK. Another Celebrity that has embraced the Black British fashion sense is David Beckham. David Beckham had the traditional black style of hair. This was bought to the UK by Black people. However this could be called "Acting Black". This is a saying that black people use when other cultures borrow from the black community.
Even though black people have bought so much to the white community recent government statistics show that more white defendants were found guilty then black defendants in 81% of crown court cases yet more black people were sent to prison. There has also been statistics showing that more black boys are under achieving in school then white boys. This is trying to be stopped as there are now groups in certain communities helping people with their education.
Many things have now changed in the UK. Black people have bought to use new accents, food and music which is currently still alive now. This was helped by the birth of the 2nd generation of black people (black people born in the UK) which is when the two generations started to mix. The British dress sense has changed, the UK have new slang "you get me" which is a saying from Jamaica that can now be heard many times a day by youths. The Black British culture is being kept alive as kids can now wear what they want, they have no boundaries like there parents and grandparents would of had. Youths dont have to worry weither they are black or British anymore, its not neither, or. Black people havent lost their identity just yet, and hopefully it will be carried on in the next generation.
