Why is your culture and heritage important to you?
Why is your culture and heritage important to you and how it is present in your everyday life?
The Culture Club Shop celebrates Black Culture everyday through our collection of lifestyle products that reflect African and Caribbean culture.
We love how culture influences so many areas of our lives, food, clothing, hair, music, language, books, events and so much more. We want to showcase the important role culture plays in our lives and asked friends of the Culture Club Shop to share their personal stories of why their culture is so important to them and how it is present in their lives everyday.
‘It defines who I am…’
My culture and heritage is important to me because it defines who I am, it's about the food I eat, the music I listen to, how I interact with others, the respect I have for others, the traditions I adhere to and the knowledge I've inherited from those that have gone before.
Bibiana
‘Culture to me is the way I was brought up…’
Culture to me is bakes frying in a hot pan on a Sunday morning, the smell of brown stew chicken for dinner and enjoying some home cooked jollof rice.
It is the feeling of deep-rooted connection when I see a picture of my grandparents house in Grenada and Ghana .
It is impatience for August to come so Notting Hill Carnival can begin so I can dance to soca behind the colourful floats. Culture to me is the way I was brought up, embracing my beautiful heritage by the way I act and live my life everyday.”
Reese
‘For me it inspires a sense of dignity’
'A widely celebrated piece of clothing, the headwrap is culturally significant in Nigeria. Both ornamental and functional, headwraps have long been synonymous with pride and nobility.
For me it inspires a sense of dignity and a gentle reminder that a woman's beauty, her hair, can be covered but does not take away from her feeling beautiful & regal.'
Rosemary
Who are we without our culture?
My culture and heritage defines me, it is who I am, my mannerisms, the way I interact with my friends and family, the way I speak, it is in everything I do!! My culture is what keeps me grounded and I believe I am a better person because of my heritage and upbringing. I love my culture and I am doing everything I can to ensure I pass on as much as possible to my future generations.
Sherween
'I try to ensure my children understand our culture'
My culture & heritage is important to me as it contributes to who I am today, who we are as black people, our history and how this impacts on us in present day. It’s important for us to know where we have come from to understand how we function today and how we can be better tomorrow.
Many traditions, practices & ways of living are changing and whilst it’s important to evolve and progress I also find it sad that we are losing many traditions and aspects of our culture. I try to ensure my children have an understanding of our culture and live our culture in everyday life by the foods we eat, such as a traditional rice & peas dinner every Sunday, spending time with family & friends, language, music, books, conversations and maintaining some of the traditions I remember as a child.
Nicola
‘It made me look within myself’
My desire to embrace my culture and heritage became more important to me after losing both my parents. It made me look within myself to find ways of adding elements to my daily routine as I know it was important to both of them...my culture and heritage is present in the music I choose to listen to, the people I socialise with and the food I eat.
Hilda
“When you know and understand your cultural heritage/ past... it teaches you to manage your present in a way that secures your future!“
Wendy
‘...Being born in the UK as a black man’
Personally my heritage and culture means a lot to me, growing up and being born in the UK as a black man knowing the struggles many black families may have encountered coming over from the Caribbean, and what they had to go through raising children here. Knowing especially in the 70s that it was very hard for our parents and some having to work 2 or 3 jobs.
As a young black man growing up I recall reading and learning about slavery and about the civil rights movements in the States, so I had a wide knowledge about black history and I am glad we have more resources via social media to learn the history and culture so the younger generation can relate to know why the Black History Month is relevant not just now, but all the times.
Jon
We want to hear why your culture and heritage is important to you. Join the discussion;
Email: info@cultureclubshop.com
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