Love Island star Jack Fowler has opened up to fans about how he suffered both racism and white privilege while growing up.
The ITV hunk explained that while he had a light complexion, he is actually mixed race and his father is a black man from a small island in the South Atlantic.
Taking to social media, Jack uploaded a proud snap of himself with his father alongside a long explanatory caption.
Jack wrote: “Here’s me and my dad.
“My grandad was one of the first hundred to arrive just after the Windrush on the RMS St Helena from a very small island called Saint Helena in the South Atlantic that has a population of 4,000 people.
Jack Fowler has opened up about suffering racism (Image: Instagram)
“My Nan shortly followed and then they had my dad who was born and raised in London.
“My dad met my mum, who was a white British East Londoner, when he was 12, and as my dad reached 34, my older brother was born followed by me.”
The reality TV star continued: “We were both born and raised in east London.
“Growing up with a dad who’s a man of colour was a powerful insight into what racism is really is. Because my dad is black, I was educated from a young age about the slave trade as my ancestors were slaves on their home island, Saint Helena.
Jack Fowler poses with his father (Image: @JackFowler)
“The experiences that my dad had growing up being a man of colour in school and throughout adulthood have been taught to me.
“There have been times where I’ve been treated different because of the complexion of my dads skin.
“An example is during my young footballing life where I was treated differently as soon as people knew that my dad was black.
“I was confused at the time but quickly learnt and became aware of what was happening. It made me feel frustrated but I understood that my dad is a black man who has been through feeling this way all of his life.”
Jack, who took to the streets of London last weekend as part of the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement, went on to explain he feels a sense of responsibility to share his own story.
“I love the black culture and it hurts to still see that even in 2020, black people are not being treated equally. I feel as a white looking mixed race man, I’ve experienced many moments of white privilege,” he continued.
“It’s times like these that we should treat people of all colour, religion and walks of life equally.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
