Mel B has opened up about her experience of racism in the UK.
The singer, who was born to a white British mother and a black father from the Caribbean, spoke about her own experiences – as the black lives matter movement continues.
“It was really when I went to school that I understood the colour of my skin had such an effect on the other kids,” she told the Daily Star.
“All of a sudden I was called all these names I didn’t understand like ‘P**i’, ‘Redskin’ and obviously the N-word,” she explained.
The TV personality added that she was also made feel picked on when she joined the Spice Girls and management wanted her to change her hair.
“I remember when we first did the video for Wannabe we had a big styling team and one of the first things they said to me was: ‘OK, so we need to straighten your hair.’
“I refused point-blank because my hair was my identity and yes it was different to all the other girls but that was what the Spice Girls were about – celebrating our differences,” she said.
Credit: Chris Connor / WENN
The singer added that her band mates Geri Horner, Victoria Beckham, Mel C, and Emma Bunton all backed her in the argument.
Mel added that she felt “incredibly proud” to see demonstrations happening worldwide after the shock death of George Floyd.
