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A consequence of being successful is that everybody thinks they can be successful too.

Sometimes they come right up to me and tell me to my face that they could do what I do. It's like they're looking at me thinking 'You ain't doo-doo. If you can make it, so can I.'

It's true, they can make it. The only difference between me and them is that I know what it takes to make it, they don't.

I know the hard work it takes, they don't. I know the sacrifices it takes, they don't. And I know the intelligence it takes, they don't.

I know what it takes to achieve what I've achieved and, with all due respect, YOU don't.

You see, it's one of the unfortunate things about coming from a community where so few people have become successful that you get a lot of jealousy and disrespect.

People become so eaten up by their lack of success that instead of directing their venom and ire towards the source of their oppression, they start back-biting each other. But that's all good. I don't feel no way about it. Because those haters have been around for donkeys years.

Like one particular oversize joker, so riddled with maggot-like hatred for those of his colleagues more successful than him, that he has become consumed with hatred towards them.

So poisonous is his malice that he himself became toxically ill. But that didn't change him. No sooner was he back on his feet than he was back to his evil ways. Like I say, he's a joker, but not a particularly funny one at that. He's currently spending his every waking moment trying to disparage my good name to any fool who will listen. That's the real joke about it. He portrays himself as a conscious black man who's not afraid to say the things other black men are afraid to say, yet he spends his time bad-mouthing those who have done better, but he doesn't have time to improve his own situation.

Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but do white guys get this kind of disrespect from us when they're successful?

When Terry Wogan was top ranking as a radio host I never heard any black people saying, "That's easy, I can do that..." But now suddenly, guess what, we all think we can do it.

When some of my colleagues come up to me and say, "All you do is talk on the radio, I can do that?" I just laugh. You see, they don't realise that I started at the BBC World Service from the age of 12.

They haven't seen all the hard work I've put in from presenting and producing programmes on Swedish national Radio to British national Radio, Nigerian national radio and American national radio. They didn't see the years I spent at the National Youth Theatre or on The Voice and other newspapers, honing my craft.

So why is it that when a black person is successful we don't give them the respect they deserve? Why is it that when a black man or woman achieves something we all think that we can do that, when we don't know and can't imagine what it takes to achieve what they've achieved.

Pic cap: ENVY: Why don’t we big up successful people like Jay Z and Beyonce more?

I’M BACK AND PROUD

Congratulations to those of you who graduated this summer. You've done your bit to change the negative perception of young black men and women in this country.

When I graduated 21 years ago I wasn't even thinking about 'the community'. Frankly, I was thinking of myself. It was a proud moment for my parents, but for me all I wanted to know was how I was going to get 'paid'. 21 years on and I am invited back to the University of Essex as Alumnus of the Year.

The ceremony last week was one of the proudest of my life. I sat there on the stage with the Chancellor, Lord Phillips of Sudbury, the vice-chancellor and all the other dons. I was delighted to see that my alma mater has become one of the most multi-cultural higher educational institutions in the country and every time another black person stepped forward to get their degree I couldn't help but beam an even broader smile. Because I can imagine what they've been through to get to where they've got to. And I wanted them to know that as far as I am concerned, their success is our success.

The proudest moment of all was when Lord Phillips invited my daughters and my wife to share the platform with me as I received my award. The applause that our family got from the assembled students and parents was amazing. I realise now that as Britain's foremost black family, myself my wife and our children are obliged to set an example in every respect and aspect, so that we can help change the perception of black men and black families in this country. It's a challenge, but we KNOW what it takes to achieve it.

Talking of families, here are a few reasons why me and my misuss decided not to have a double barrelled name when we got married......

Published: 20 July 2008
Issue: 1330

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