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In reply to the discussion: I went viral today! [View all]Celerity
(43,413 posts)Are you saying there is a probability that I grew up in a slum? Perhaps I am reading too much into it.
In the positive side, I also am certain that the comment would not have been made if we were in a face to face situation, as, for the record, I am a mixed race, part black female. I have a white Swedish father (my wife and I have lived in Stockholm now for several years), and a Bajan, (i.e. from Barbados) multiracial mum. Of course, unless you are familiar with my background (which I have shared on DU many times, but you only joined DU in mid 2022, so may not have encountered me elaborating on it before) you would not know that, so I am sure there was no intended bias.
I grew up in South Kensington, London, btw, which, I am happy to report, does not have any 'Projects' aka, in British parlance, council estates (social housing) that are often situated in problematic, vulnerable areas. A notable exception, and somewhat near to my area of west London would be Churchill Gardens in Pimlico (Pimlico is directly to the southeast of Belgravia, one of the most expensive neighbourhoods on the planet), but that area is now overall very posh (most of the Westminster area has been for centuries, it is where Buckingham Place, et al. are located), and there have been multiple (still ongoing) controversies over the estate for decades, as developers want to demolish large parts of it and turn it into extremely high end housing.
I was born in Los Angeles (I am the only US citizen in my family, my wife included), but my parents moved back to London when I was a young toddler. I had always wanted to go back and live in L.A. for a spell, and I was able to do just that whilst I read for a masters degree at uni there.
cheers,
Cel