My Take on Tanning: Adam Deacon

Name: Adam Deacon
Age: 28
Race: British
From: Hackney, East London
Occupation: Actor, Writer, Director, and Music-man
Twitter: @realadamdeacon

What box do you check on the Census?
Normally just White British.

What’s the racial make-up of your friends?
I love the fact I’ve got friends from all walks of life, all backgrounds, and all races… That’s the great thing about living in Hackney: I’ve never been, but from what I’ve seen on TV I guess it’s like New York, a real melting pot of people. I love the fact that Hackney has so many different kinds of people. If you just watched the London riots on TV, you would think Hackney is just full of hoodrats, but it’s not; it’s got all kinds of people here. The middle class love Hackney too, don’t be fooled!

What’s your favorite musical mashup of all-time?
I love the grime scene here in East London; it’s the music here and it gets mixed. Pure energy, proper London sound too. Hopefully the US will all know about it soon. The UK scene is becoming a movement now. There’s a lot of American artists recognizing our sound now, and it’s a great thing. We just need Hollywood to take notice of our UK culture here too.

A recent Gallup/USA Today poll found that many Americans feel that Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream of racial equity has been achieved. What do you think?
I’m not sure how it is in America, but I think we are a long way off in Britain from what Martin Luther King dreamed of. Only recently in the UK we just witnessed the trial of Stephen Lawrence. It was a racial attack but it took 18 years to put these guys to justice for a racial crime which everyone knew they were guilty of. So no, I still think we have a long way to go. Racism is still there but I just think it’s a lot more undercover these days.

What do you think of Jay-Z’s statement that “Hip-hop has done more than any leader, politician, or anyone to improve race relations”?
He might have a good point there. Everyone does listen to hip-hop, so I guess it does bring people together in a way. I don’t think people watch color when it comes to music anymore we have got past that now. If I’m honest, politicians don’t do a lot so I’m sure hip-hop must have had a bigger impact than any politician has. That and Sesame Street!

What are your musical tastes in terms of genres and artists you listen to and who puts you on to new music?
I listen to all types of music; I love music. Anything from Jackson 5 to Michael Jackson to Marvin Gaye to Bob Marley to Dizzee Rascal to Luther Vandross…I just love music, man. I love what the UK scene is putting out at the moment too. It’s taken some time for the artists here to get to the number one spots. I’ve grown up with a lot of them and it’s amazing to see the urban scene finally break out into the mainstream. We are probably at that stage where the American Black music scene was in the ’90s. It’s becoming commercial here now. I love the fact we are not just looking at the US for our inspiration anymore, but doing our own thing right here in the UK in our own way. I know you guys must know about Tinie Tempah!

How important is race when it comes to dating or marriage and do you have a preference when it comes to dating or marriage based on race?
I used to have a massive crush on mixed race girls; I had a massive stage of that. Everyone said I would grow out of it and I did eventually. Still love them, but now I like all types of girls. I’m like the United Colours of Benneton out here! I love blonde girls too. I would love to find myself a nice English rose one day maybe. But on a serious note, I think that it matters a lot less these days. I guess it all depends on the individual’s family or beliefs. Everyone is different.

Do your parents care if you date or marry outside your race and do they have a preference in terms of race when it comes to who you date or marry?
Nah, they wouldn’t mind at all. They just want me to find a proper girlfriend! I’m getting on a bit now… As long as she’s a good girl, they’re good!

How do you feel about others who date outside their race?
Personally, I think it shouldn’t ever be a problem.

Does it bother you when people of a certain ethnicity prefer not to date within their own race (i.e. African-American guy preferring white girls, Asian-American girl who doesn’t date Asian guys, etc.)?
I have a lot of Black friends, girls and boys, and they are always having debates about this. Why more and more Black men date White women and all that, but I think it’s all about the individual choice what they like. I guess different races and cultures have different ways of dealing with the same issue, so it’s what you feel you want in your life. I remember when I’ve dated Black girls in the past and people have tried to say the girl shouldn’t be with me and she should be with a Black boy, but the girl didn’t care because she wanted to be with me. At the end of the day, that’s the main thing; it’s about what you want.

Do you think that the trends of minorities becoming the majority and whites becoming the minority in this country will have a positive or negative impact on race relations?
I think it’s all about what area you are from. If you come to London then yeah, you are going to see everyone. I guess the minority thing in London ain’t really as big anymore, plus we’ve always been great at dealing with accepting new cultures. Personally, I actually think it makes our city stronger but if you look at Britain as a whole then White people are still the overall majority. All living together is the only way it should be.

In what aspects of your life is race still a factor?
I guess being an actor, my race counts a lot ’cause it’s probably one of the first thing a casting director would want to know. I find with myself its not so much a race thing that is a factor in my life but my class. I think that’s more of an issue for people in the UK for me.

What’s the most racist thing that’s ever happened to you?
I’m olive-skinned so I found I was stared at a lot more after September the 11th and the London bombings. I guess it’s not been so much to me, but I’ve witnessed a lot of racial incidents happen. The worst being a close friend of mine who is Black, who was attacked by white police officers, which he’s certain was a racial attack.

Do you have a problem with non-African-American people who grew up on hip-hop using the n-word?
Everyone has their own opinion innit and ’cause I’m not Black I wouldn’t wanna say if it’s right or wrong but I know it can be used as just banter and it don’t have to be said in a harmful way. But generally, it’s just not a great word.

What was your reaction to Barack Obama being elected president?
I thought it was great. It got us following the American political system here too. But I think everyone thought something massive was gonna change — including me, but it didn’t. It would be nice to see that kind of buzz around elections in Britain one day ’cause the general vibe here with young people is no one really cares that much.

What is your tanning moment?
When I directed my own movie Anuvahood, people tried to say it would probably just be Black people that went to the cinema to watch it but I knew that wouldn’t be the case. All young people would relate to the comedy and they did. They all went out to watch it and they understood it too. Its not a Black and white thing anymore, it’s a culture.

If you’d like to be interviewed for “My Take On Tanning,” please email sophie@tanningofamerica.com