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Black And In Business In Yorkshire: Why Is It So Hard To Be Myself?

#FUBU – for us, by us is a motto claimed by many black entrepreneurs as a response to always being told, "if you don't like the lack of representation given to you, make your own". This has led to a boom in businesses and projects created out of a need and frustration with the lack of understanding and empathy from mainstream media.

In 2019 I started my beauty business Haus Von Ralferine after constantly feeling ignored and unwanted whenever I attended makeup masterclasses. I would consistently be the person with the most products from whichever brand it would be running the session, yet I would still feel overlooked. The masterclasses would have attendees of various ages, racial identities, and skill levels, but the models were always the same: young, white women having heavy and complex looks applied. Having a personal wealth of experience meant that I still benefited for the most part. Still, the core issue was that the masterclasses were not accessible to many people interested in learning.