Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible

.....................................................

June Sarpong MBE

.....................................................

Dr Karen Blackett OBE

.....................................................

Keisha Buchanan

.....................................................

Lady Leshurr

.....................................................

Lakwena

.....................................................

Laura Mvula

.....................................................

Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE

.....................................................

Malorie Blackman OBE

.....................................................

Margaret Busby OBE

.....................................................

Melanie Eusebe

.....................................................

Dr Nicola Rollock

.....................................................

Patricia Bright

.....................................................

Sarah-Jane Crawford

.....................................................

Sharmadean Reid MBE

.....................................................

Sharmaine Lovegrove

.....................................................

Susan Wokoma

.....................................................

Vanessa Kingori MBE

.....................................................

Vannessa Amadi

.....................................................

VV Brown

FOREWORD (#ud19a9d54-6548-5579-a064-8d337269503e)

Teacher or nurse?

These were the only jobs that my career advisor at school thought I would be able to achieve. Both vocations are admirable and worthy, but come on, just two career options for a working-class girl from Reading?

I had several passions growing up in the UK as the second daughter of two Bajan immigrants. I loved sport, specifically athletics, and I loved travel. The excitement of going to the airport, getting on a plane and flying to a new destination was a very special and rare occurrence in my household. I treasured it. I also loved TV advertising as much as I loved the TV programmes. I would critique the ads, think about whom they were trying to talk to, and think of better ideas as to how they could get their message across.

I ended up running for my athletics club, and I was good, but not good enough to pursue a career in it. When I was eight, I wanted to be an air traffic controller or an air stewardess, but I rapidly went off both ideas as I got older, when I realised that I would just be staring at a screen all day (or night), and I might not get time to enjoy the exotic places that I would be flying to. But my love for advertising never wavered. Back then, though, advertising was (and to a certain extent, still is) a very white-male, middle-class domain. So how would I carve out a career for myself as a young, black, working-class woman?

My dad was a very wise man. He knew nothing about the industry that I entered, nor did he know anyone in this field. My dad wanted myself and my sister to be doctors, lawyers or accountants – vocations that had a high standing back home in Barbados. These were professions that would earn us respect and, most importantly, a salary that meant we could have a good life. My older sister became an accountant and is now a university lecturer. She inspires me every day; she is strong-willed, bright and has a joy for life. I am the black sheep of the family. I didn’t go into medicine, law or finance. I pursued my love of advertising.

My dad knew how difficult it would be to be successful in the UK. It would be a marathon with many obstacles and challenges. He would often say,

‘You’re black and you’re female, you have to try twice as hard as anyone else.’

I did. I worked extremely hard. My athletics training made me focused. I am naturally competitive.

My dad would also say,

‘You have two ears and one mouth; use them in that proportion.’

I listened, I learned, and then I spoke up. I progressed.