Leanne #mixedmonday
Hi Im Leanne! I am a CRM Manger by day and I make children's clothes by night, @Cocalia_Custom_Clothing. I am a mother to three little girls aged 8, 5 and 3, so usually I use every minute of every day doing 'something', whether it be cleaning up after them, reading books, cooking, baking or doing 'cosmic' yoga on the rug with them. I was born and raised in Bristol. My parents split when I was young and I spent most of the time with my mum in south Bristol and every other weekend at my dads in Easton, which I loved as I was surrounded by so many people who looked like me!
How would you describe your ethnicity?
A beautiful blend of Jamaican and White British. My mum was born and raised in Bristol and moved around when younger but all within the same side of town. My dad was born in Kingston, Jamaica and came to England when he was around 12 years old. My mum has myself and one other daughter and my Dad has 5 children, so all in all I am one of 7 and I love it. I love being part of a big family and we live all over the place – Bristol, Spain, Jersey, Ireland and my eldest sister recently relocated back from the US to Devon.
Has your mixed-ness influenced your career in any way?
I am not sure I would say my mixed-ness has influence my career choice but I have made influences because of within my career. Always being the only one for a long time that looked like me, I always wanted to change that and challenged it often. I am lucky that my parents always taught me that I am enough even when I didn't feel it so I was never afraid to go for a job, I may have doubted whether I would get it but now 20 odd years on I am able to use my mixed-ness to help it become the norm and that everyone should feel welcomed regardless of their race, sexuality or anything else for that matter. I am lucky to be able to meet with groups with likeminded people who encourage and inspire each other to keep pushing the boundaries. I am also an Equal Opportunities Ambassador for Babbasa and have been able to ensure jobs that we advertise for my main place of work are advertised through Babassa which I feel is a massive step in the right direction for my firm and I am proud to have made that happen. Babbasa are working on amazing things. If you have time check out #OurCity2030and get involved.
If you could describe your mixed identity in one word, what would it be?
A privilege. That wouldn’t of always been my answer but the older I get the more I love my mixed-ness and encourage everyone to love their differences.
What is the best thing about being mixed heritage?
I feel extremely lucky to be mixed, I feel I can look at the world with different views and relate to them both, I feel it has given me power to be able to speak up because someone can't say 'I'm not black or I'm not white' so wouldn't understand. It hasn't always been that way but make sure to encourage my children to embrace their mixed-ness and differences along with everyone else's whatever that maybe.
