The Streets

[RCNAL]

This is pretty much an invite to the few Brits on here as well as anyone who has idea. I've been to England a few times. I liked it as a tourist/visitor.
Other than the black Americans at the several US air bases around England there aren't a lot of black Americans. So, that being the case, I was a curiosity in parts of London and definitely in areas like Liverpool and the northeast where I am usually the only black American in the area walking about.

I get treated better than black Brits. Same way I've seen black Brits treated differently (better) in America when I've seen them.

I will say this. When you talk to them privately and keep it one buck. There are a lot of blacks in England that are down AF. Tariq has said as much and from my personal experience of traveling, outside of America, British blacks are the most down and 'get it'. I've said before the reason I think is we share a similar domestic relationship with the dominant culture. Everyone else is a buffer to black Americans and the same in England from what I can tell.

Many white Brits may not like Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Arabs but the police go harder on the blacks there than anyone else. Only once or twice I've gotten the feeling a cop was about to treat me the same as in America "What are you doing here?" kinda vibe and the minute the London cop hears my accent and realizes I'm a visitor his whole vibe turns 180. Of course I'm thinking what I wasn't?

Also, the local slang is unique. I can't describe it but it seems like a mix of British cockney, Jamaican patois with some black American slang thrown in ('Fam' 'Bruv'[brother], 'lit', etc). The largest ethnic group is Jamaican, other Caribbean islands well represented, Barbados, Trinidad being the other big groups, but these days a lot of Ghanians and Nigerians. A whole lot.

I think if there is one place where black empowerment gets big next after America its London. That said, there seems way more interracial relationships and marriages. It's way more normalized than in America. An interesting dichotomy. I've seen a lot of Blacks, men and women, very pro black in vibe but also seen way more interracial relationships, especially black guys/white girls. That's a LOT. And the sisters that are the baddies, dimes, almost always have a white man. I seen some baddies, expensive styles, etc tall, pretty AF, nice fit body and I can't recall seeing one with a black guy. I'm sure they are some but I've not seen it.

Chime in Brit guys or others....what I am getting wrong? Or right?

 

[Troy]

Terrymist and B1 Ski-Kid

 

[Deleted member 1475]

This is pretty much an invite to the few Brits on here as well as anyone who has idea. I've been to England a few times. I liked it as a tourist/visitor.
Other than the black Americans at the several US air bases around England there aren't a lot of black Americans. So, that being the case, I was a curiosity in parts of London and definitely in areas like Liverpool and the northeast where I am usually the only black American in the area walking about.

I get treated better than black Brits. Same way I've seen black Brits treated differently (better) in America when I've seen them.

I will say this. When you talk to them privately and keep it one buck. There are a lot of blacks in England that are down AF. Tariq has said as much and from my personal experience of traveling, outside of America, British blacks are the most down and 'get it'. I've said before the reason I think is we share a similar domestic relationship with the dominant culture. Everyone else is a buffer to black Americans and the same in England from what I can tell.

Many white Brits may not like Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Arabs but the police go harder on the blacks there than anyone else. Only once or twice I've gotten the feeling a cop was about to treat me the same as in America "What are you doing here?" kinda vibe and the minute the London cop hears my accent and realizes I'm a visitor his whole vibe turns 180. Of course I'm thinking what I wasn't?

Also, the local slang is unique. I can't describe it but it seems like a mix of British cockney, Jamaican patois with some black American slang thrown in ('Fam' 'Bruv'[brother], 'lit', etc). The largest ethnic group is Jamaican, other Caribbean islands well represented, Barbados, Trinidad being the other big groups, but these days a lot of Ghanians and Nigerians. A whole lot.

I think if there is one place where black empowerment gets big next after America its London. That said, there seems way more interracial relationships and marriages. It's way more normalized than in America. An interesting dichotomy. I've seen a lot of Blacks, men and women, very pro black in vibe but also seen way more interracial relationships, especially black guys/white girls. That's a LOT. And the sisters that are the baddies, dimes, almost always have a white man. I seen some baddies, expensive styles, etc tall, pretty AF, nice fit body and I can't recall seeing one with a black guy. I'm sure they are some but I've not seen it.

Chime in Brit guys or others....what I am getting wrong? Or right?

The lingo/slang that we use varies, depending on the city. I'd say that Birmingham got the most unique and original slang compared to the brothers and sisters in places like Manchester and all over London. No diss to London but there's a lot of swirling going on there compared to other cities, even though they got brothers and sisters that are on Black Empowerment, Birmingham and Manchester do more Black Empowerment and Black people there are more ready to stick up for each other as they don't do a lot of swirling there either, I remember going to Manchester as a teen and Black people there would stay close and protect you, the sisters would sit next to you and smile and they were peng af too lol. I've seen the middle Easterners, Pakistanis and Indians in British movies and shows and they try and make them look and sound like Black people, like with that shitty ' Man Like Mobeen' TV show where the pakistanis or whatever thay are, use our lingo and try to make their struggle look like ours, they even did that with Top Boy, so with that and the Windrush Scandal going on at the same time it makes me feel like the Dominant Society is trying to literally replace us with them, kind of what they're doing in America with the buffer classes.

 

[RCNAL]

Interesting. Keep in mind, Americans aren't familiar with this so a bit of an explanation.
Peng? Don't know what that means. I have heard of the show Top Boy. Seen a little of it so I know the gist but I'd guess a lot of Black Americans don't know about it. England is only about 5-6 percent black, right?

How are Black Americans perceived? What is the biggest issue to Black empowerment there? Unity? Not enough Blacks to make a difference in comparison to the population?

I know what Windrush is (huge migration of Caribbean blacks in the '50s and '60s) but 99 percent of black Americans would have no idea what that is, what is the scandal? How they were treated?

 

[Deleted member 1475]

Interesting. Keep in mind, Americans aren't familiar with this so a bit of an explanation.
Peng? Don't know what that means. I have heard of the show Top Boy. Seen a little of it so I know the gist but I'd guess a lot of Black Americans don't know about it. England is only about 5-6 percent black, right?

How are Black Americans perceived? What is the biggest issue to Black empowerment there? Unity? Not enough Blacks to make a difference in comparison to the population?

I know what Windrush is (huge migration of Caribbean blacks in the '50s and '60s) but 99 percent of black Americans would have no idea what that is, what is the scandal? How they were treated?

Peng means pretty or beautiful. I'm guessing England as well as Wales is about 4 or 5% in population, the government websites don't tell you much and undermine our population over others in every sense but according to Dean Okai Snr. from ADPAC (the founder of the African Diaspora Public Affairs Committee) we are 2,457,334 in total, although this number is probably much higher or lower by now.

I'd say that Black Americans are well respected since some of us have that slang used in ours, I haven't met any Black Americans outside of the internet. For threats towards Black Empowerment for us would be the swirling and the fact that there's not a nationalistic approach to how we present ourselves as Black British people so there's no specific style or 'look' that can distinguish us from other Black people in the world, I think if there was then there would be more unity and cultural breakdown for us in this country which would better our fight against white supremacy.

When the Windrush boat arrived to the UK, those Black people were treated like shit, one example that I'll give is when they came home from work in the factories they would have to sleep in neighborhoods that had houses which had been previously bombed by the Nazis and had to sleep under roofless homes so the beginning of the Windrush Generation was nothing bright at all.

The Windrush Scandal was introduced at the same time as the 'Commonwealth Immigrants Act 1962' was established which didn't allow illegal or even legal (mainly Black) migrants to the country or to come back to the country, if you had grandparents that were born in the 'British colonies' they would be targeted and thrown into detention facilities like the Home Office and be either forced onto a plane that would bring them back to where they were from or potentially murdered by the Race Soldiers while imprisoned in those facilities. This was further enforced later on with the 'Immigration Act 1971' and the immigration impact on Black families from the Caribbean was finally acknowledged around 2017 when the Windrush Scandal was brought up that mainly involved 83 cases of wrongful deportation and horrible mistreatment of Black Caribbean people brought on by the Home Office which included, Black people being unlawfully detained with a lot of elderly brothers and sisters having their doors smashed in by Race Soldiers and being pulled out of bed whether they were naked or fully clothed and chucked into vans, these elders were and still are losing their jobs as well as their own homes, being robbed of their right to recieve any medical care (both at the Home Office and anywhere else where you suffered a serious injury, you would be instantly denied).

 

[Terrymist]

I appreciate you asking this question. This is something that we talk about constantly and consistently in the UK both online and offline.

British blacks are the most down and 'get it'. I've said before the reason I think is we share a similar domestic relationship with the dominant culture. Everyone else is a buffer to black Americans and the same in England from what I can tell.

It would seem to be the case. From the interactions I've had with Black Americans, we have a similar view here to the dominant society. We recognise the need to push back against white society. Contrast with France, where from what I gather, traditionally have been more conciliatory. This is starting to change Adama Traoré's death in police custody casts long shadow over French society
Death of Adama Traoré - Wikipedia

Many white Brits may not like Indians, Pakistanis, Chinese, Arabs but the police go harder on the blacks there than anyone else.

Pakistanis and Arabs did get some heat following 9/11, but for the most part, the police still target black people. Case in point: 'There was no chase' before Chris Kaba was shot dead by police, family say

Chris Kaba: What Happened and What Next? - Stop Hate UK

Also, the local slang is unique. I can't describe it but it seems like a mix of British cockney, Jamaican patois with some black American slang thrown in ('Fam' 'Bruv'[brother], 'lit', etc).

This is generally a London thing. As much as other parts of the UK may be influenced by London, they have their own slang and way of doing things. London almost exists in its own bubble, so there will be a different vibe with Black Londoners compared to Black people from the rest of the country. With that, there will be a different approach to racism too.

 

[Terrymist]

No diss to London but there's a lot of swirling going on there compared to other cities, even though they got brothers and sisters that are on Black Empowerment

True, but overstated. When I've been to Cardiff, Leicester and Sheffield, there was a lot of swirling going on. However, with Leicester and Sheffield, it was Black swirling with Asian, as opposed to white. The swirling in London, there is a lot of it going on, but it tends to get highlighted, and people are more vocal with it.

Birmingham and Manchester do more Black Empowerment and Black people there are more ready to stick up for each other as they don't do a lot of swirling there either, I remember going to Manchester as a teen and Black people there would stay close and protect you,

True, I did find Mancs and Brummies are more willing to watch out for each. Ive been treated well by Black people any time I've been to Manchester and Birmingham. And I agree, that the chicks in Birmingham are nice too.

 

[Terrymist]

England is only about 5-6 percent black, right?

How are Black Americans perceived? What is the biggest issue to Black empowerment there? Unity? Not enough Blacks to make a difference in comparison to the population?

We will get the results from our latest census next year, but by the last figures we made up 3% of the country. It is expected to increase, but not by much Population estimates by ethnic group and religion, England and Wales - Office for National Statistics

Black Americans are perceived positively by Black Brits, but not by the dominant society. They see you as a "bad influence" by giving ideas to us such as fighting racism. The dominant society in the UK points to the USA and says they are the real racists. They often say that Black Brits should be glad to be in the UK and not America as we are treated better. However, cases such as Smiley Culture, Stephen Lawrence, Mark Duggan, Christopher Alder, Sara Reed, Joy Gardner show its all cap.

 

[Terrymist]

What is the biggest issue to Black empowerment there? Unity? Not enough Blacks to make a difference in comparison to the population?

For threats towards Black Empowerment for us would be the swirling and the fact that there's not a nationalistic approach to how we present ourselves as Black British people so there's no specific style or 'look' that can distinguish us from other Black people in the world, I think if there was then there would be more unity and cultural breakdown for us in this country which would better our fight against white supremacy.

Would also add we tend to include other groups into our struggle, BAME etc. Our numbers are small, but this coalition waters down our effect further.

 

[RCNAL]

One of the reasons I want to know more about your collective plight is that black Brits have been the most vocal outside of America. The BLM marches were big in England and that is lost on almost all black Americans. As I stated prior, Tariq has said his biggest support outside America is England.

One would think it would be Canada since Canadians are pretty much linguistically indistinguishable from black Americans. You can't hear a black Canadian speak and identify him as such, generally speaking. Also, I know for a fact the police in Toronto especially but also in the provinces are just a racist toward black Canadians.

But its black Brits that seem to understand us more and I'd like to see more communication between both of us who are on code. Having been there myself a few times, I can attest to it. One thing for sure though, Brixton will remind you of pretty much any hood in America. I was on alert the minute I stepped off the Victoria line into Brixton station...haha. King's Cross for you Americans is akin to Grand Central Station in NY, mix of everyone Brixton though? Its almost all black at the station. I got lost and right after they heard the American accent it was love.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Here is the ironic thing. The Blacks in England are almost always from either the Caribbean or Africa and I would say the Caribbean blacks, generally speaking seem to be more pro Black. No diss on the Africans there, I met a few Ghanian ridaz...and some Nigerians one as well that was about the business.

However in America, its the Caribbean and African immigrants that mostly off code but its flipped in the UK. My guess is because of the buffer class situation in both. Foreign (non FBA) blacks in America will often be elevated above FBAs in America. That option isn't available in the UK. They are looked at by whites as the bottom, most feared, the same as FBAs in America. I may be a bit over;y simplistic maybe but that's how I see it having been to both.

 

[Sapphire]

I am not in the UK but have a friend who is. Seems like black people are at the bottom, same as any other white dominate nation. They also go out of their way to protect groups that target and sexualize children. Sound familiar?

 

[RCNAL]

So, this is the UK slang huh? Ish is funny but its good

 

[RCNAL]

In France Blacks (and north Africans...Algerians, Moroccans ) are on the bottom of the totem pole, but it seems like those Brothers aren't nearly as down as the British brothers. The black women in Paris for example, the fine ones, swirl heavy. But the fine ones in London don't swirl as much but they do be swirling but not nearly as much as the French blacks.

The British blacks definitely got that swag and the white boys respect it but in France, the brothers are a bit more....hmmm....I'll go with passive.

 

[Deleted member 1475]

In France Blacks (and north Africans...Algerians, Moroccans ) are on the bottom of the totem pole, but it seems like those Brothers aren't nearly as down as the British brothers. The black women in Paris for example, the fine ones, swirl heavy. But the fine ones in London don't swirl as much but they do be swirling but not nearly as much as the French blacks.

The British blacks definitely got that swag and the white boys respect it but in France, the brothers are a bit more....hmmm....I'll go with passive.

I didn't know that France had some Black people that weren't tourists, they must not have a long history of being there though if there's a lot of swirling and lack of awareness going on for them in that country.

 

[Terrymist]

Harry and Meghan has been an ongoing issue in the UK for a while now: A white lens sees Harry and Meghan as villains – through a Black one, they’ve done Britain a favour | Nels Abbey

 

[RCNAL]

I didn't know that France had some Black people that weren't tourists, they must not have a long history of being there though if there's a lot of swirling and lack of awareness going on for them in that country.

Nah, one of the stupid things I do is go to hoods. The hood in Paris is outside the city. There are a LOT of blacks there from mainly French west Africa (Senegal is well represented, Togo, Ivory Cost, etc) and a lot of Caribbean blacks from French speaking islands (Haiti, Martinique). They are clicked in fairly tight with the north African arabs. And its hood AF. But in Paris proper, in the city, mixing, LOTs of swirling...heavy. If you see a very pretty sista, she got a zaddy. I am hard pressed to see one who is a 9 or 10, and they got a few, about 5'9", 5'10", body like a motha effa, smooth dark skin, tight dressed heels and if she's coming out of a decent restaurant some either older French white boy or a young dude.

The more (pause) good looking brothers, tall, fit, are often with a white girl. The older white women like the young fit black guys. I didn't get the same comradery vibe from the blacks there. Once they hear the accent and we are in the same space, they are cool, but English blacks were far more interested in having a conversation. The fact that I know the football (soccer) teams is a huge ice breaker, especially globally. They are very surprised. The blacks in France love basketball way more than English blacks. They are into it. They know more about some of the players than I do.

 

[RCNAL]

Harry and Meghan has been an ongoing issue in the UK for a while now: A white lens sees Harry and Meghan as villains – through a Black one, they’ve done Britain a favour | Nels Abbey

A side note. What was funny to me was that she NEVER self identified as Black despite being raised by a single Black mother. She grasped on desperately to her white half (from an estranged white father).

Black American women were going extra about how she got her Prince, low key pushing it into Black mens faces. They were identifying with a woman who didn't identify with them or wanted to be in any way shape or form and it was lost how pathetic it all was they were bigging up a woman who wanted nothing to do with them. Meghan had no personal black friends...literally.

Thanks to the white Brits for reminding her she is a bedwench.

 

[Terrymist]

Black American women were going extra about how she got her Prince, low key pushing it into Black mens faces. They were identifying with a woman who didn't identify with them or wanted to be in any way shape or form and it was lost how pathetic it all was they were bigging up a woman who wanted nothing to do with them.

It was exactly the same with Black British women. There was a lot of "we have been accepted" or "what a great day for us" talk going on.

Thanks to the white Brits for reminding her she is a bedwench.

She sure did get her wake up call.

 

[Terrymist]

A side note. What was funny to me was that she NEVER self identified as Black despite being raised by a single Black mother. She grasped on desperately to her white half (from an estranged white father).

Black American women were going extra about how she got her Prince, low key pushing it into Black mens faces. They were identifying with a woman who didn't identify with them or wanted to be in any way shape or form and it was lost how pathetic it all was they were bigging up a woman who wanted nothing to do with them. Meghan had no personal black friends...literally.

Thanks to the white Brits for reminding her she is a bedwench.

Just to add, it was ironic that Meghan Markle was in the movie "Horrible Bosses". Considering the family she married into, thought it was exactly right.

 

[Terrymist]

To add, the case of John Yems provides further insight to how s**t goes down in the UK: John Yems was given a get-out-of-jail-free card over racism by FA panel | Sanjay Bhandari

John Yems: FA disagrees with panel that former Crawley manager 'is not a conscious racist'

The amount of times "banter" is used to hide disgusting racial abuse is astounding.

 

[Deleted member 1946]

I know nothing about the UK. I wanna learn more.

 

[Terrymist]

I know nothing about the UK. I wanna learn more.

Bro, I would be happy to help.

 

[RCNAL]

I've had great interaction with British brothers. American black men are almost mainly at military bases. Air Force bases I think. Not too much interaction with Brit blacks I think.

So, when I was there, I was one of the first if not first brotha from America they met. It was great. Hearing blacks with a British accent and they hearing a black person with an American accent tripped each other out.

I got nothing but love. And for the most part, they were very pro black and conscious. The last stop on their subway south, Brixton Station, was a trip. When I took the subway from way across town it was like taking the 2 or 4 train from near Wall Street to Harlem. Anyone that knows NYC will tell you the demographics change once you hit near Central Park. It was like that on the Victoria line. I could tell the demographics changed 2 or 3 stops prior. Long azz escalator up to the top and it was mostly Black.

My spider senses on alert because any area with a lot of 'us' and you are not from there, instinctively you on alert. The trip thing is they were speaking their version of street black talk, seemed like a mix of cockney English and Caribbean patois, but when I asked for directions or in a store or whatever, their English got more 'posh' as they say...lol.

Maybe its my game but them London girls was kinda stuck up...haha. Some thought it was a fake American accent and I had to show them either my passport or American drivers license, then they softened up a wee bit.

I found the Blacks in other parts of England a bit different.

I'd say this though, outside the USA, the British blacks by and large are the most thorough blacks I've ever met. But also with that said I saw a lot of interracial dating. Not that I'm against it but in far higher numbers than I see in America. Especially white boys with the cutest sisters. But brothers with white girls is common. And these days with so many eastern Europeans there (Polish, etc) a few of them with brothers.

One of the first things I notice too is the brothers gauge what kind of American you are politically (same with white Brits) and ask you fairly early in most conversations what you think of Biden or Trump or Obama.

There is supposed to be a 'special relationship' between both governments and there is but real talk? The Brit people think Americans (and by Americans they mean whites) are anywhere from uncouth, loutish to crazy AF, self centered as a nation. They will take out their frustrations about America to you since you are the only American they can talk directly to. I was like 'Yo, the White House has an email address'

Lastly a pet peeve they have is we call the Super Bowl winner 'World Champions' and we are the only ones who play it. lol....good point. Never thought about it till they told me.

Bring an umbrella. It's always raining.