“Equality, Talent, Success well…Imagine you apply for jobs but never hear back. Imagine you search for a home for your family but are never successful. Imagine you experience harassment, bribery and violence that leaves you deeply traumatised in your chosen profession in contemporary dance, which states it is open, creative, understanding and artistic about the world. FAKE! This is often my reality living in Spain and visiting Denmark, EU today, just because of the colour of my skin.
I was traveling through Copenhagen, Denmark, and on this trip I was standing in the ****hotel café waiting to be served breakfast, a tall man, Director approached me and gave me his room number. I responded by saying thank you now I have your room number. And smiled. How can I help you? He asked me to serve him a coffee? I turned to the woman behind the counter and said I think he needs serving.
He thinks that I’m working here, although I’m not wearing a uniform. We both laughed at him openly!
What happened next shocked me more, he asked for me to take his food to the table despite clearly being told I’m not working in the ****hotel. I very politely walked away attempting to remember that not all humans on the planet are ignorant, dumb and out right racist in Copenhagen Denmark. But inside I felt disappointment for the lack of life education so many people don’t have despite priding themselves on speaking several languages here and describing how culturally diverse they are in friends or other. FAKE!
Social media cross my mind to use as a weapon to hurt the man that just hurt me!! I was hurting from the fact he thought I was a cleaner and not a director and because of the colour of my skin and the expense in the ****hotel, he assumed I worked in it. I didn’t take a photo but I did image how angry this could make a person, a Director or CEO who was undermined and belittled because of the colour of their skin.
Personally, I am stronger and more resilient than most can ever image, my mother prepared me for the world. The blood ties of my great ancestors resonates through my body, my creativity and my strength. No discrimination, racism, slander, belittling, accusations, or more can effect the root of who I am. I do not live in your light, FAKE people, you live in the shadow of our existence and our history.
He, or any other groups or individuals will not define who I am as a human being or female director, CEO or artist.
I am very proud of my skin, my difference, my world, my culture and my history. I stand in awe because of my inner talents, wisdoms, intelligence, abilities, my ambition and success.
I am more than a body of skin, I am a spirit with strength and wisdom. I am ready.
Project Equal Arts, Funded by European Union 2024-2026
Being Black In the EU: https://fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2023-being-black_in_the_eu_en.pdf. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, 2024
