Being black with a learning disability can be difficult sometimes.

Black young men are 40% more likely to be stopped by the police. This makes it very scary if you are young, black and have a learning disability.  

Two years ago I was stop and searched by the police at a local car free day. I was looking for some friends when two or three community police officers put me to the wall. They checked my pockets to see if I had weapons on me.

Everyone was looking at me and I felt embarrassed and angry. They asked me “what you are doing here?", I froze and didn’t know what to say.

I told them I had a learning disability they said don’t come back here again near this area. They treated me like a criminal like even though I hadn’t done anything. They stopped me for no reason.

I felt lost and that people just didn’t care. It made me feel insecure and I have been scared of going places on my own ever since.  

I have had positive experiences with the police where they have been kind to me because of having a learning disability . 

Once I was ill and they took me to hospital they talked to me kindly and were interested in my running. They did their best to support me, put me at ease and treated me with respect. 

I think the police should have special training to raise awareness on how to deal with young people with a learning disability. 

They could go into special needs schools to talk with them and learn how to support them better.

The police also need to remember just because I have darker skin doesn’t mean I’ve done anything wrong. 

I am inspired by people like Raheem Sterling, Marcus Rashford, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King and Barack Obama and that’s why I want to tell my story. 

About Black History Month

October is Black History Month.

It is a month when we all come together to learn more about what black people have done in our history.

It is important that we talk about black history more, because often people do not learn about it at school or on TV. Black people have changed the world as much as anyone else, so it is important for us all to learn about their achievements.

We have created this easy read guide about Black History Month. This is for you to read and use to learn more about Black History Month and some figures from black history that you might want to learn more about.