247 Ink Magazine (Februaryr/March) 2019 Issue #25 | Page 31

The reasons I have blackwork tattoos have absolutely nothing to do with any ideas about race, it is a sacred and ancient ritual practise, that for me is personally healing on a multitude of levels. My grandma is part African American and Native American, My grandad is Jewish. I am very closely connected to them both. To- gether they were one of the first mixed race couples to be married in America back in the day, even made it into the papers and ev- erything! Hand in hand at one of the ‘Ban the Bomb’ marches in the 60’s. My grandma has often regaled me with stories of racist abuse she had thrown at her growing up so often that it just became nor- malised, that she had to engineer her way through like the boss she is; so the idea that I could be involved in racist prejudice myself is something I done a little snigger at and gurgled tea into my wind- pipe inducing a choking fit when I discovered it. Calm your sorely mistaken political-correctness-gone-Batshit-crazy boner and check your facts! People need to chill out thinking I’m some ballsed up reverse Michael Jackson wannabe with a life des- tined to churning out number one smash hit singles with ease and 27