Aufgabe HT 3 - Aufgabe 1 · Abitur NRW Englisch GK · Haupttermin · Weiterbildungskolleg 2022

Klausurteil A: Leseverstehen und Schreiben integriert

1.

Outline why VV Brown decided to move away from the city and what she experienced living in the countryside. (Comprehension) [12 Punkte]

Klausurteil A

VV Brown

To be black in the British countryside means being an outsider

Only 2% of black people in Britain live in the countryside, according to a 2017 study. I am

part of that 2%. I live in a small village just outside Milton Keynes, where I am the only

woman of colour.

My partner and I moved from London in 2016 to escape the intensity of city life. Our home

5 in the capital was comfortable but, because of increasing house prices, we didn’t feel we could

afford the lifestyle we truly wanted for our growing family.

Leaving London didn’t intimidate me much; I was used to adapting. I had grown up in

Northamptonshire, and travelled around the world as a musician. I understood country life.

Yet I did have small apprehensions. Where would I find a quality black hair salon, and would

10 I miss the rich multiculturalism I’d had on my doorstep? We decided, despite this, that a

driveway and a large plot of land was better.

However, being in a village as a black female with children felt different from my childhood

memories. As a child I went to a quintessential British private school in the countryside,

where I was sheltered from national arguments and controversies around race.

15 This time around, I have found that being black means always being associated with big cities

and “urban” living. I am constantly being asked where I am from, as if I am a fumbling mess

who has got lost on the way from the capital. On one of my first visits to the local mother-

and-baby group, I remember another mother touching my child’s hair as if she was petting

a dog. Later on, I’d hear ignorant comments, with others in the group using outdated terms

20 such as “coloured” or “half-caste”. Once, someone even said “negro”.

I’d feel anxious when asking for inclusive books and multicultural themes in my children’s

classroom: would I be perceived as the “troublemaker” parent?

Walking into a country pub, it’s embarrassing to witness the silence and stares, followed by

the eruption of talking again once the customers have recovered from the cultural tsunami

25 of having a black woman walk in.

The daily micro-aggressions of country life are constant, and the anticipation of negative

reactions to my presence has become tiresome.

It would be offensive to generalise that all white country folk are racist, of course; but it’s

important to understand that ignorant, racist things can come out of the mouths of nice smiley

30 people in wellington boots.

The countryside is a territorial place, full of imperial nostalgia, that harks back to a time when

black people were not welcome. The very concept of Britishness is wrapped up in images

of the fields of England – and I do not represent that concept. Yet, as part of a dual-heritage

family leaving an overpriced city to set up life beyond the smoke, I am now a representation

35 of the countryside’s future.

People don’t often take the time to step out of their cultural bubbles, which means they are

susceptible to lazy stereotypes. In June, the BBC show Countryfile looked at racial diversity

and it was argued that a lack of access to the city for traditional countrysiders was the reason

for the disconnection and perceived hostility to minorities. Lack of access? I cannot accept

40 this, as the internet has opened up the world to all of us.

Strangely, the show elicited several complaints to the broadcasting regulator, Ofcom, claiming

that racism was no longer an issue in the countryside, that things had moved on. It would be

interesting to know how many black people shared those thoughts.

Ethnic minorities have tended to settle in cities, where there are stronger communities and

45 better job prospects; but with Covid-19, the traditional working environment is rapidly

evolving and moving in a direction where we can set up shop anywhere we want. Perhaps

this will lead to a cultural exodus from the cities.

Britain is a wonderful, ever-changing nation. Its new cultural heritage is fascinating. With

dual-heritage children being the fastest-growing demographic in Britain and the world

50 becoming more open-minded, I hope this beautiful mix of cultures and new versions of

Britishness will be represented in the countryside. We could forge a new identity for country

living that is not associated with old stereotypes.

I’d like to play a part in dismantling those old views. […]

I love the countryside: it’s where I want my children to grow up, and it’s where my family

55 has built our for ever home. I should not have to feel like an outsider. It should feel like I have

a right to live here, rather than a privilege.

Annotations:

2 · Milton Keynes · – a large town about 50 miles north-west of London

8 · Northamptonshire · – a rural area in England

13 · quintessential · – the most typical example of something

20 · half-caste · – very offensive: a term used for people of a mixed ethnicity

30 · wellington boots · – tall rubber boots often associated with the landowning aristocracy in the United Kingdom

31 · imperial nostalgia · – referring to the mentality of white British superiority during the time of the British Empire

41 · Ofcom · – Office of Communication; authority for the broadcasting, telecommunications and postal industries of the United Kingdom