Ronkeslens

I’m guessing you are accessing your skin and glow to confirm this statement. If you are familiar with the Black British culture, I’m sure by now you know this isn’t a compliment. The first time I was called fresh naïve me thought it was a compliment, however, after getting familiar with the British culture I’ve realised it means you are different and not in a good way.

WHO IS A FRESH PERSON?

A “fresh person” is a person that exhibits a different trait or culture different from the British culture. when your activities or culture is foreign to Black Brits, you are fresh to them. The terminology is often used on Africans and Caribbean’s and not particularly used on anyone from western countries.

WHO CALLS PEOPLE FRESH?

The word fresh is used in the black community. I may be wrong but I haven’t heard any white person call other people fresh. it is widely used blacks that emigrated to Britain years ago or people that were born in the country. It is a black people thing to emphasize that you are new and they are used to the system/culture. I don’t think people used the term fresh maliciously always. sometimes, your subconscious is just reminding you that you have adapted. America has a different culture to Britain but Americans do not get called fresh. Asian people here don’t call their people fresh why is this so? I’ll just say it as it is, we black people still have that slave mentality and automatically think our people are local and below the white people.

WHY ARE PEOPLE CALLED FRESH?

There are so different factors that will earn you the fresh title. I still get called fresh sometimes because of my accent. I still have my Nigerian accent and this just makes me fresh apparently. Other factors includes the way you dress, food you make, the way you eat. You are fresh if you use your hands to eat swallow, the way you apply your makeup can also be fresh . I am sure you get the gist now. I just think calling people fresh because of this factors is a reflection of how you view them regardless of its a joke or not.

DEALING WITH BEING CALLED FRESH

It isn’t cool to know that people are mocking or jesting because you are doing things a different way. The best thing is to own your freshness or work on adapting faster. I remember when I came into the country initially, I was called fresh a lot cause of the way I dressed, I used to wear so many layers because it was too cold for me. I didn’t own my freshness then, I was desperate to adapt. The point is, you can choose to change or remain true to yourself. You are in control of how people make you feel.

To conclude, I know calling some fresh isn’t that deep but lets be kind to people that come visiting, schooling etc. It is already difficult adjusting to the environment change, culture shock, weather etc. No need to mock or jest, instead just teach people how to adapt faster to relevant things like how to get the bus, train etc and not petty things like how people eat or expecting people to change their accent to impress who? story for another day. Thank you for reading, feel free to leave a comment, like and share.