The 'Cool Black' by Gold Maria Akanbi

THE ‘COOL BLACK’.

GOLD MARIA AKANBI, BA FINE ART, LIVERPOOL JOHN MOORES (2018).

By questioning ‘Blackness’ as an identity truly forged by Black People

I remember meeting with a friend a few years ago in North London. The sky was a pale grey and dark denim blue, clouds formed, ready to burst at any time - it always seemed to rain whenever I was in North London. For some reason it always felt closer to the sky.

My friend was only a few years older than me but wise beyond her years, she had been the catalyst with so much when it came to me and my life. The world existed around her, she did not simply exist in the world. I remember us walking towards either her house or the park, not too sure which one it was but I am sure about what we did during the time - we discussed different facets of blackness, political and otherwise. But on this particular day she really led me down the rabbit hole. She began to talk and walk in that fervent manner so familiar to me; walking as if planting her knowledge in the ground and talking as if what she was saying was half conspiracy, half spiritual enlightenment. It was hard to keep up - and I have pretty long legs.

She began to talk about how she didn’t aspire to be ‘Black’ in any sense of the word, how the concept of ‘blackness’ and being ‘ghetto’ as we know it today was created by the white imperialists of the world. She went on to say that the concept or even identifier of ‘Universal Blackness’ was a farce and had only really held negative connotations for her. For her, first she was Igbo - Nigerian - Nigerian British - Black (I

think my memory even threw in Nigerian British to be polite) because being identified as Black never did her any favours and held so many premeditated and preconstructed connotations, few that she even had control over. However, remembering that she was Igbo, Biafran even, helped her to overcome the prejudices that being Black brought her in her Britain. It gave her pride and helped her to remember who she truly was, aside from the stereotypical and that lauded by pop culture as being the representation of the day.

This made me ponder, for at least 4 years, who really controls the narrative of being Black? Who gets to say what is Black enough to be on TV, to be in all the music videos, to make the music and be the social influencers we see in the mass media and on TV? I’ve often felt too ‘African’ to be ‘Black’ when I was growing up in South London. Nose too broad, dress sense too sensible and hair too nappy - too ‘aff’.

Today, Blackness is around more than ever in London. Whole events, book clubs and picture galleries are dedicated to the Black Presence in the UK. Edward Enninful is the Editor of Vogue and the new biracial Princess, Meghan Markle, made our jaws drop as she ‘Blacked Up’ Windsor Castle with her African-American live choir and priest. Blackness is everywhere but is it truly ours? Did we TRULY create it? Or are we simply following a recipe that was conjured up by The Oppressors 250 years ago?

The recipe for Blackness seems to be oppression and struggle - but make it fashion! Never debate Blackness, don’t talk about