As Mirror Sport’s Black History Month mini-series continues, boxing star Cheavon Clarke provided an insight into leaving his native Jamaica to live in the UK. The Caribbean is known for its chilled and relaxed nature which the 31-year-old will go on to describe. After 11 years living in Stonehenge near Montego Bay, fourth-largest urban area in the country, he and his sister were offered an opportunity that would change their lives forever. “I was born in Jamaica in 1990 and it was cool, we were free people, everything was calm and was done at a calm pace," he began.
“I grew up in Jamaica until I was 11 years old. We didn't have as much recreational organised sports and all the up-to-date technology but it was a great experience growing up there. There were a lot of life lessons learnt to help you navigate life and get the best out of it. In 2002 my dad asked if me and my sister wanted to come and visit the UK and we said ‘yes we’d like to try it.’ We were meant to go back to Jamaica and when my old man asked us again we said ‘it’s cool here’, it’s alright, and it just went from there.”
Despite going through a significant change in his life, Clarke adjusted well to life in Britain and settled in Kent after moving from Peckham in South London where his father lived. In the early/mid 2000s, very few black people lived in the southeastern England county, and it was at school where Clarke sadly experienced racism for the very first time. “The first time I experienced racism was in school and I didn’t know it was racism, I never experienced it in Jamaica," the boxer shared.
“This kid said something and the teacher said ‘what did you say?!’ and I was confused. Then they called in my parents and his parents and they handled it accordingly, and that’s when I started getting educated and learning about it.” During this series, Mirror Sport has spoken to athletes who have spoken of their pride when they think of Black History Month and how it offers a time to celebrate the achievements of Black Brits. But Clarke provided a difficult perspective and explained why he has a problem with the term.
“I don’t like the term Black History Month. It’s not just Black History, it’s history, period," he said. “There’s also a narrative that Black History just revolves around slavery, it’s bigger than that.” But like some of the other athletes Mirror Sport has spoken to this week, Clarke called for black history to be taught thoroughly and consistently in schools.
“Just put it in the curriculum," the Commonwealth Games medallist mentioned. "The history we are taught is selective history, don’t be selective. If everybody is educated on it then we’re on the way to fighting some of the problems that we have and there is less of an excuse.” Throughout Black History Month or any discourse regarding the black community, the importance of representation will always be a significant topic.
Clarke identified two iconic Premier League footballers as his inspiration and they no doubt have a special place in the hearts of Arsenal fans. “I’m the biggest Arsenal fan but it was Thierry Henry and lately I’ve been watching Ian Wright and I’d like to be the Ian Wright of boxing," he said, beaming. "It doesn’t matter who you support, he’s just that guy. I’ll never be Ian Wright but I take some inspiration from him.”
Regarding some inspirations closer to home, Clarke hailed his two boxing coaches that helped him on his journey to reaching the pros, which he achieved earlier this year. In fact, one of his trainers who he saw during his very first practice session, was running the same boxing club he joined in Kent a short while after. After his first session, ‘Chev’ was told by the coach Jason “you’ll be a world champion one day” and after meeting Len at the club, the trio formed a successful partnership.
“I was thinking ‘this guy’s lost it’," he chuckled. "But it was his attitude, his energy and I thought ‘this session was really hard but I’m coming back’. I moved just down the road and I heard there’s a boxing club and I went there, looked through the window and it was the same coach.
“There was another coach added, and it just became us there, they took me everywhere, they guided me. I had my first fight, second fight, won championships, it just went from there. They were just two black guys in Kent that were running a boxing gym, at the time in London, that wouldn’t have happened." After capturing a bronze medal at the Commonwealth and European Games, in addition to a silver at the European Championships, when asked what the proudest moment of his career is far, Clarke once again hailed the two black men who influenced his career and life.
“More than anything else, achieving what Jason said I could. For somebody to see that and for me to become the most successful amateur boxer out of the southern counties, that’s a reward for him," he said. "I sincerely believe in rewarding people for their time and letting them know that they were right. Him and Len saw something in me and they just helped to nurture and build it.”
His humble attitude and ability to listen and be taught has propelled Clarke to become a professional boxer and after winning his first two fights, the fighter is keen for more success moving forward. “I want to level up and achieve the best I can achieve" he said. "I’m going to train, do my best and I’ll let the results speak for themselves. I know what I can do, my team knows what I can do and Eddie knows what I can do, and it’s just for me now to show you.”
Read more of our stories about Black history at www.blackhistoryisourhistory.com
Sign our petition in a bid to make the history of Black Britons a mandatory part of the National Curriculum here.
