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Black British men talk about sexuality, mental health, culture, and racism in new book Safe


(From left) Aniefiok ‘Neef’ Ekpoudom, Derek Oppong, Alex Reads, Robyn Travis, Derek Owusu (Picture: Josima Senior)

If you’ve grown up anywhere with thriving diaspora communities, you’ve probably heard the word ‘safe’ used as a term of endearment, to say thank you or to say goodbye.

In his new anthology Safe, On Black British Men Reclaiming Space, writer and poet Derek Owusu refers to the colloquial term but also to the need for a safe space for black British men to talk about their lived experiences.

The Londoner, who has previously co-hosted the award-winning books podcast Mostly Lit, partners up with fellow podcaster Alex ‘Reads’ Holmes as well as 18 other writers, poets, and journalists, to form an anthology of black British voices that are so massively underrepresented.

When editor Derek realised there was only one black British male debut novelist in 2016 (Robyn Travis, who has an essay in the book), he knew more voices needed to be heard.

He put together a powerful collection of essays which feature spoken word artist Sully Breaks, the Guardian’s Joseph Harker, writer Musa Okwonga, novelist Alex Wheatle and a host of other talented men who speak on various matters.

Some of the topics explore the sexualisation of black men, absent fathers, the power of ethnic names, mental health, sexuality, the ‘blacksistential crisis’, and so much more.

The idea for the book came to Derek after his friend and journalist Yomi Adegoke suggested there ought to be a male version of Slay in Your Lane (which celebrates the strides black women have made).

Derek’s story They May Not Mean To But They Do looks at his childhood in foster care which he loved (Picture: Josima Senior)

Derek tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I didn’t really take it seriously but after a while, I thought this would be good, so I decided to put together 20 voices at the same time.’

Talking about why he there’s such a massive dearth of black British male voices, he adds: ‘The reason why we don’t see a lot of black British male writers is that a lot of them aren’t aware of access, how to go about getting published.

‘There’s also an element of having people speak for black men that it isn’t always possible to speak on it.

‘I would say that the black British male has been conflated with the African American male so a lot of people are only reading about those experiences.

‘There is a British version of racism that works entirely different from America.’

Derek’s personal essay recounts his childhood spent in foster care which he, surprisingly, loved.

He talks about being torn away from his white foster family and suburban life in Suffolk to move to council houses in London and how he, at points, felt repulsed by the idea of visiting his birth mother while living away from her.

Although he admits it was difficult, he feels that embracing trauma is important when writing about your own life.

He explains: ‘A lot of people don’t want to read about trauma all the time but trauma is part of the story. You can’t get to the conclusion without dissecting the trauma of your life.

‘Writing wasn’t just cathartic, it brought so many things to life. Before I wrote my essay, I worshiped my foster mum. When writing it, other memories came to mind, but it was a good experience as it allowed me to explore things I buried within myself.’

When it came to putting the rest of the book together, Derek wanted a range of voices.

He says: ‘I wanted a balance of established writers, up and coming writers, and writers who need a platform – that’s why we had a competition to find a contribution winner.’

The winner was 19-year-old Kenechukwu Obienu who speaks about the ‘blacksistential crisis’ and the feeling of being black in white spaces.

‘I am reclaiming my blackness from society,’ writes Kenechuwuku. ‘Let’s create spaces in society where we can learn and prosper among ourselves, where our blackness is not defined by anyone, Where our blackness can grow and evolve.’

As well as Derek’s essay and competition winner Kenechukwu, poet Sully Breaks looks at owning blackness through the act of stunting in his essay Why it is Important for Black Men to Floss (Not Their Teeth). Musa Okwonga looks at the black bisexual experience while Courttia Newland discusses #MeToo and being sexually harassed by a white woman.

‘People should read these stories because it is a window into the dynamic of black British men,’ adds Derek. ‘A lot of the time we see one-dimensional, caricatures or the African Americanised version of black men.

‘But this book is a humanising point, read it so you can find common ground with black British men and feel safe when you sit next to them on a train.’

Safe: On Black British Men Reclaiming Space is out now.

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