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Oral history recording with Sean Wharton, whose parents were from St Kitts in the Caribbean. Recorded as part of Race Council Cymru’s Windrush Cymru Heritage Project.

“It was a natural process; this is where the family is from, and this is us.”

“My parents were a couple… my older siblings… two of them were born in St Kitts, and the three of us were born here.”

“I grew up with the knowledge that you have to work hard to get what you want, both parents worked full-time, my oldest sister used to look after me… some of the time so that my parents could work. We didn’t really want anything, but we didn’t really ask for anything, we had what we needed and that was OK.”

“I was always out, I was a proper child… I think when I was going to primary school I realised I was good at sport… All sports… which almost led me to be… accepted by people…”

“There is a rhetoric that says that you only become accepted as British if you are good at sport.”

“I was the first Black player to play for Wales schoolboys at 14… and I was the first Black player to play for Sunderland.”

“I went on to play about 14 times for Wales then, and that year I scored against England in Gillingham, and I used to experience racism during that time. In Ireland, people were spitting at me, and it wasn’t a good time, it was uncertain and I wasn’t quite sure what was going on. I was only young and I just wanted to play football.”

“I have a strong sense of belonging to the Caribbean and a strong sense of belonging to Wales at that time.”

“I don’t think we should underestimate the hard work our elders did in order for us to do what we’re doing today… it’s key that they don’t forget the legacy that my parents built.”