Marvina Babs-Apata is a Nigerian-born project manager and mother of two. She founded Angel of Youths, a non-profit organisation that builds social projects about young peoples’ passions. In celebration of Black History Month, InTheMiddle profiled one of the most inspirational figures in the Leeds art scene.
Marvina’s mother didn’t tell her they were permanently migrating to the UK. At thirteen when they left Nigeria, she couldn’t see the reason for the move as she found Africa to be so “rich and cool”. Secondary school and college were not a pleasant experience for her either, as she was a victim of bullying which she believes was due to her being African. She didn’t have a “cool” accent or know the local slang which made her stand out, and she was always made to feel like she was lesser for being African. It was this experience that led her to create Angel of Youths, a non-profit organisation that builds social projects about young black and ethnic minority peoples’ passions.
The fact that there weren’t any positive images of being black in the media and society drove Marvina to strive to change herself and her identity so as to fit in with society’s standards of “normal”. The stereotyping she received in school was not just from fellow peers but also from staff; despite taking math, chemistry, biology and further maths, Marvina’s teachers told her she could not pursue a science degree and that she should try a less challenging career path.
While she was in Africa, Marvina had never thought of herself as black. She was just another human being who lived in the great nation called Nigeria. It was only when she came to England that she started to become self-aware of her black identity; all of a sudden there were stereotypes that determined what she could and couldn’t do or how she was supposed to act. One such stereotype came into play when to everyone’s astonishment, Marvina chose sailing for PE at school instead of long distance running or sprinting. She didn’t understand the reason behind the astonishment until recently. Through her work with Black and Minority Ethnic Leeds communities as one of the main founders of Angels of Youth (AOY) she is exposed to the issues that young black people face in society.
It was only when she came to England that she started to become self-aware of her black identity; all of a sudden there were stereotypes that determined what she could and couldn’t do or how she was supposed to act.
Marvina is a microbiologist by profession, but her desire to make history and impact future generations acts as her biggest motivation. However having two jobs can be quite challenging and as a result she is taking a year out to focus mainly on AOY work. Just like her role models, she believes that it’s better to be poor and leave a legacy behind than to be comfortable but forgettable. Her words of advice? “Do not do things because they sound or look good. It shouldn’t be about money or pride because making an impact on people is much more fulfilling than that.”
My Leeds My Culture will be showcased at Leeds City Museum from October 2014-2015.
Johnny Philomen
Image: Angels of Youth/Facebook