Trampling On My Human Rights
Yes, my skin colour is black and I am educated, but guess what?
I am not a minority.
Once a housing officer turned his back on me and said: ‘the nigga should go back to London’. This was after my door had been kicked in by the brother of a transvestite. The siblings were both alcoholics and in a violent sexual relationship, with each other.
Prior to moving into the property, I knew there was something not just right. The other residence greeted me with open arms. I started a petition to get the council to clean up the communal areas and the residence all signed and were eager for me to move in.
I followed my instinct and called Social Services to investigate and made a request for them to attend the property with me, because my landlord made it clear if I did not move in I will never receive any more housing offers. I was thinking about my child. Social Services declined any input, so I moved in and 6 hours later the neighbours and the police had to rescue me, with my baby hidden under my coat.
My door was being kicked in as I was being called racially offensive names. I went to the window screaming for help, then I heard fighting outside my door and the residence rescued me. The residence and the police made it quite clear that the flat was a hot zone and placing a mother and child, to live opposite the fighting couple, was a no go situation. When I asked the residence why they did not warn me, they explained that I am the first person who was interested in their views and through me they had hope. From that day on the council intentionally placed me in problem areas, even though a judge had warned them about this unsavoury conduct.
Who says professionals are not guilty of racism?
In Northampton town Londoners are called ‘overspill’. The Londoners I know who came to live in Northampton did so to work and be productive, we are not overspilling.
Trampling On My Human Rights learning from the past and embracing my future.
I came to live in Northampton town believing that my ethnicity or colour will not be used against me. I have lived and travelled to other countries. I am bred, raised and educated in London. I have lost count as too how many times I have been told: get out and go back to London or called a refugee. My child and I have been called other names too.
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