In a series from the Atlantic, a Nigerian girl named Toluse Akinlabi talks about her experience living as the only black person in her community in Ireland. Some people who had the misconception that Africans live on trees were often shocked to find out she could speak English fluently.

Read her below

Hi there! My name is Toluse, and I’m 22 years old. I was born in Nigeria and lived there till the age of six. We then moved to Lesotho, then moved on to Cavan, Ireland, where I’ve been since the age of nine—that makes it 13 years that I’ve called the Emerald Isle home.

Despite this fact, though, it can still feel like I’m a stranger here.

When I first moved here in 2003, I couldn’t understand why people kept being surprised that I spoke English fluently, that my parents both worked in the medical sector, and that I loved Kylie Minogue as much as the next person. The fact that we were middle-class Africans, and not refugees or asylum seekers, seemed like a shock to the system for many of the people in the small town we lived in.

To their merit, some people did try to make a conscious effort to be sensitive and normalise the fact that my siblings and I were the first and only black people in our school. I remember doing some colouring with classmates in my first month at school. Amanda said “pass me the skin colour” (what I would call peach), and Gillian replied, “you can’t say skin colour, because that’s not everyone’s skin colour.” Gillian will never understand how touched I was by her defence of my reality.

I can’t say I’ve ever encountered aggressive racism, but I’ve certainly experienced a number of microaggressions because of my skin colour. From guys asking if I taste like chocolate and declaring that they can “handle” me, to people asking where I’m REALLY from after I state that I’m from County Cavan. It’s like they don't understand how it cuts at a person when you question their identity with no other basis except for the fact that their skin has got more melanin in it.

I am Nigerian and I’m Irish; I can’t twerk, but I love Nicki Minaj; I braid my hair and I play field hockey; I speak Irish, Mandarin, and Yoruba. I am not just “that black girl”; I’m Toluse Akinlabi—phenomenal woman, that’s me.

Toluse also kept a blog during her year living and studying in Beijing (that’s her pictured below on the Great Wall).

http://www.lailasblog.com/2016/10/people-ask-if-i-taste-like-chocolate.html

you are welcome Toluse!

when there's mary kay everyday

Madam Toulouse abi na PSG, sidan one place ojere. You call these fun facts challenge?

Two boys for Agege here, only them dey push Tipper wey break down....and sand dey inside the tipper...


Why she no kuku come back abi she wear anchor or wrecking ball for leg??

Aunty if life in the abroad is not fair try Naija, atleast the only problem we are having is bad government which you can manage and no body wee sheck weda you are black or white

Being Black overseas is a real Biitch..

If you are broke, WAHALA... If you are rich, they are shocked.

Being the only black Family on a long street in a high brow neighborhood of Paris was quite funny. Na so Police patrol for the area increase, only one neighbor dey greet us (and they were an Indian family that worked in the same office with my Dad and had even worked together in Nigeria before).

One day, our old neighbors Cat jumped into our compound and when we caught it and tried to return it, this woman did not come out (though we could see her peeking from her window).

And the usual when we dey stroll for street, them go cross go the other side jejely..


Online, for my Liverpool FC official Facebook page, there is a running joke of "AFRICAN EXPERT" whenever an African makes a post. They use it to mock Africans. They say things like 'Do you people have Cable TV in Africa?'

Racism is real o!! Especially in Europe and Asia. America and Canada own no bad like that again.

The only way to overcome it is to get filthy rich because na that one dey pain dem pass to see a wealthy Black Person wey dem no fit yeye.

Lawd na wen i go enter Aeroplane sef all dis small Girl, na so my Junior Sis dey travel upandan from Dominica to China

Who Send Her? But Seriously, That Geh Take Style Wowo oooo

Will u marry me ?

No place like home.




Nedal was here!

Issorait

Hmm!. Such happens to Blacks in all parts of the world, and in some cases, alot worse than your experience. You should be grateful you aren't in Belgium, Ukraine or Russia. That could have been alot worse.

if e tire you, dey come house.

The twerking thing is real

She looks like sumwan dat will be scared of preek

That is why I tell people no place like home. I have been stoned egg twice in london at night from a drivebuy...what if it was acid or I was shot at? we might have our problems as a nation but I wont trade my country to be a second class citizen in the western world

This one na news too?

Omo ilu oyinbo....

Keep being you...proudly Black

The way people talk about these yeye Oyinbos as if they don't have access to news and see development in black nations of the world. Don't they have Internet access even if their local new channels lie to them.

What are they feeling like, world class citizens?

These whites are nothing but local champions.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME,BUT THERE COULD BE BETTER CONDITION SOMEWHERE THAN HOME!

NO PLACE LIKE HOME,BUT THERE COULD BE BETTER CONDITIONS SOMEWHERE THAN HOME!

Someone actually asked if she taste like chocolate? Jesu!!!

Kpele oo.. Tolu... Same shii happened with my friend in michigan he called to tell me the whites used to be surprised that he could speak english fluently and that they do think less of Africans not to talk of African-Americans now ooh.

#irepblackbeauty#

RIZLER:
Pffft afonja babes and worwority ehn

YOU TOO,YOU FINE?

And you are still there since 2003. is this write up meant to discourage us? if you survived it, then we will 10times over and if it ddnt kill you then, it definitely wont kill us cos we are stronger and tougher.
Thank you.

GurlFriend:
In a series from the Atlantic, a Nigerian girl named Toluse Akinlabi talks about her experience living as the only black person in her community in Ireland. Some people who had the misconception that Africans live on trees were often shocked to find out she could speak English fluently.

Read her below



Toluse also kept a blog during her year living and studying in Beijing (that’s her pictured below on the Great Wall).

http://www.lailasblog.com/2016/10/people-ask-if-i-taste-like-chocolate.html