Thread by @carysafoko

I woke up feeling weirdly emotional about the football. For those of you not following England are in the final of #EURO2020 . Which is massive. And as a Black Londoner it feels... complicated. I want to try and explain why.

There are many of us who grew up in England but were never allowed to feel English. Who see the St George's cross and remember the people who fly it who say we don't belong here. That we should "go home"

Years ago when campaigning for @hopenothate with @krsegal & @RukayahSarumi we were ambushed by the EDL at a train station. A crowd of very angry people who hurled abuse at us and anyone black they saw. They wore the St George's cross on their clothes. Carried it in their hands.

Were it not for @SamTarry and the police I don't know what would have happened that day. I'll never forget the young black girl who got off the train with us who was just trying to go home. And the monkey noises they made at her. And how scared she looked.

So I don't like that flag. But I do like this England team. I love the heart of @MarcusRashford, the skills of @sterling7 and the calm mature leadership of @GarethSouthgate. I like that they take the knee, that they don't just "stick to football"

And as @UnrelentingEgo would say @BukayoSaka87 must be protected at all costs. He is #blackjoy

The joyless lefty in me (be real: we can be pretty joyless) wants to warn of the dangers of nationalism, sees the crowds of drunk men on the streets and feels scared, worries about England winning.

But another part of me watched Raheem Sterling against Denmark and my heart soared. He works so hard and plays so well and he ignores all the shit from the media and the abuse from the trolls. And that part of me thinks: This is England. And I am part of it and I belong to it.

It's how I feel when I listen to grime music. Or walk down Ridley road on a Saturday morning. Or sit in Clissold park ranting with @LolaOkolosie. Or when I go to another country and they don't put milk in their tea.

It gets even more complicated for me because neither of my parents consider themselves English. My mum is from Wales and my Dad is from Ghana. But I grew up here and on Sunday I'll be cheering on the boys. But not waving the flag. #thisisengland.

TLDR: I'll be listening to this track on repeat for the rest of the weekend: open.spotify.com/track/5lj0rO3i…