Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible. Yomi Adegoke
Althea Efunshile CBE
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Amma Asante MBE
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Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE
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Bola Agbaje
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Charlene White
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Clara Amfo
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Dr Clare Anyiam-Osigwe BEM
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Cynthia Erivo
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Dawn Butler MP
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Denise Lewis OBE
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Estelle
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Florence Adepoju
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Funke Abimbola MBE
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Gemma Cairney
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Irene Agbontaen
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Jamelia
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June Sarpong MBE
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Dr Karen Blackett OBE
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Keisha Buchanan
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Lady Leshurr
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Lakwena
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Laura Mvula
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Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock MBE
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Malorie Blackman OBE
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Margaret Busby OBE
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Melanie Eusebe
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Dr Nicola Rollock
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Patricia Bright
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Sarah-Jane Crawford
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Sharmadean Reid MBE
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Sharmaine Lovegrove
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Susan Wokoma
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Vanessa Kingori MBE
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Vannessa Amadi
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VV Brown
Teacher or nurse?
These were the only jobs that my career advisor at school thought I would be able to achieve. Both vocations are admirable and worthy, but come on, just two career options for a working-class girl from Reading?
I had several passions growing up in the UK as the second daughter of two Bajan immigrants. I loved sport, specifically athletics, and I loved travel. The excitement of going to the airport, getting on a plane and flying to a new destination was a very special and rare occurrence in my household. I treasured it. I also loved TV advertising as much as I loved the TV programmes. I would critique the ads, think about whom they were trying to talk to, and think of better ideas as to how they could get their message across.
I ended up running for my athletics club, and I was good, but not good enough to pursue a career in it. When I was eight, I wanted to be an air traffic controller or an air stewardess, but I rapidly went off both ideas as I got older, when I realised that I would just be staring at a screen all day (or night), and I might not get time to enjoy the exotic places that I would be flying to. But my love for advertising never wavered. Back then, though, advertising was (and to a certain extent, still is) a very white-male, middle-class domain. So how would I carve out a career for myself as a young, black, working-class woman?
My dad was a very wise man. He knew nothing about the industry that I entered, nor did he know anyone in this field. My dad wanted myself and my sister to be doctors, lawyers or accountants – vocations that had a high standing back home in Barbados. These were professions that would earn us respect and, most importantly, a salary that meant we could have a good life. My older sister became an accountant and is now a university lecturer. She inspires me every day; she is strong-willed, bright and has a joy for life. I am the black sheep of the family. I didn’t go into medicine, law or finance. I pursued my love of advertising.
My dad knew how difficult it would be to be successful in the UK. It would be a marathon with many obstacles and challenges. He would often say,
‘You’re black and you’re female, you have to try twice as hard as anyone else.’
I did. I worked extremely hard. My athletics training made me focused. I am naturally competitive.
My dad would also say,
‘You have two ears and one mouth; use them in that proportion.’
I listened, I learned, and then I spoke up. I progressed.
I