Yesterday, the LAE welcomed author and journalist Tomiwa Owolade for an engaging and lively discussion on the themes included in his book This Is Not America.

This is Not America is built on the idea that black Britons are British first and foremost, and thus are likely to have more in common with other Britons than with black people in other parts of the world. It argues that too much of the conversation around race in Britain today is viewed through the prism of American ideas that don’t reflect the history, challenges and achievements of increasingly diverse black populations at home. 

Students found the talk incredibly insightful in highlighting a more socially conservative perspective on black British identity. They were able to ask Owolade to delver deeper into the thesis of his book, and these ideas were questioned and challenged by a panel of Year 13 students Ethan, Tiffany and Hamidu.

They then opened the discussion out to the audience with a Q&A covering Owolade's career, and his views on politics and race relations in the UK. Hamidu said, "overall, it was a great experience to converse with one of Britain's leading sociological journalists".