Thomas ‘Hal’ Robson-Kanu: “Celebrate your heritage, but it doesn’t have to define you”

The footballer and founder on breaking barriers, carrying culture forward connecting communities

Oct 04, 2021

Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week, I’m speaking to footballer and The Turmeric Co. founder Thomas ‘Hal’ Robson-Kanu, who is of mixed Nigerian and white heritage. Thomas’s take on identity was grounding; in our conversation we discussed humanity, breaking down barriers and how, at the end of the day, we’re all the same. Read what Thomas had to say about identity below.

How do you define your ethnicity?

My dad is Nigerian, and I’d describe myself as mixed-heritage. My mum and I grew up in Ashford.

Did you speak to your family about your mixed identity?

I was really curious as to where my dad was from. He’d tell me about his culture, especially the food. My family was a meeting of two cultures, which opened my eyes. That helped me to be accepting of differences.

My grandad was British and Geordie, so I want to celebrate that too with my own children. There is an element of responsibility in carrying that culture forward, but not a burden. It’s important to celebrate your heritage and where you came from, but also to make sure that it doesn’t define you. Before President Obama, there was no Black president, which implied that his heritage would stop him from becoming President. He proved that your race isn’t a definition of your future.

robsonkanu

A post shared by Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu (@robsonkanu)

Do you think your mixed heritage has led people to assume things about you?

We’re not advanced enough to not judge on first impressions, so there were opinions and judgements on me. Opinions can change quickly when someone speaks to you.

Now, it’s more broadly understood that race isn’t a reflection of character. When I was younger, there was an assumption that I was lazy, so I became the first player at training, arriving at 6am, then leaving at 5pm at night. Fortunately, I think progress has been made. I’ve helped change the narrative, that you should never judge a book by its cover.

Did you look up to anyone mixed when you were younger?

I looked up to the greats in football, like the original R9 Ronaldo [Luís Nazário de Lima] and Rivaldo [Vítor Borba Ferreira]. I remember thinking that they weren’t quite white, but they weren’t quite Black either.

People would say I reminded them of those Brazilian players, which made me realise that your skin colour is not a reflection of you, nor does it identify you as being from a specific place. It helped me break down barriers by seeing that I didn’t need someone of the same culture, colour or mix as me to identify with – we’re all human beings, with feelings and emotions, and people can be inspired by whoever they want.

robsonkanu

A post shared by Thomas Hal Robson-Kanu (@robsonkanu)

What’s the best thing about being mixed?

The combination of cultures is great, and I love that it makes people unique. As humans, we identify with who we see ourselves in. The easiest way to do that is through colour.

In schools, you’ll see the Black kids, then Indian kids and white kids all group together. For me, I was in a position where I could identify with the Black kids, the white kids and the mixed-race kids. It was an advantage, because I began to bring groups of people together. I was a conduit for people realising that people with different skin colours or who speak differently are still humans, and that you can still get on with and relate to them.

Can you define your mixed identity in a word?

Empowering. But that's not to say that if I wasn’t mixed, I wouldn’t still be empowered, because ultimately everyone is mixed. We have the world, it’s ours, we have the opportunity to understand different cultures and one another, which we need to embrace.

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