CBeebies presenter Ben Cajee is being praised after he took a moment to talk to kids about what it’s like being mixed race
Cajee, who has been a presenter on CBeebies since 2005, took a minute to talk about his parents, who come from different ethnic backgrounds.
“We’ve been friends for a really long time, so I thought I’d tell you a little bit about me and my family,” Ben said.
“My mum is called Fiona and she was born near Coventry and she is white. My dad is called Yakub and he was born in London and he is black.
“Now as you know my name is Benjamin, but pretty much everyone calls me Ben. I was born in Ipswich and I am mixed race and I am really, really proud of that.”
Ben went on to talk about what each of his parents gave him: his love of West Ham United from his dad, and his smile and love of music from his mum.
He then shared some words of wisdom with the young audience watching CBeebies at home.
“Sometimes people have been unkind about what I look like and the colour of my skin, but I try and forget about those people and instead, focus on the people who are there for me and who supported me,” he said.
https://twitter.com/ben_cajee/status/1318088400805777408
Cajee shared the clip on Twitter, where it is being widely praised for its message of compassion, understanding and focusing on the good people in the world.
“Be. More Ben.” one commenter wrote. “Where was this when I was five?” another said.
“This is genuinely beautiful and another item in an evergrowing body of evidence that the only sensible discourse happening right now on TV is in kids telly,” added another.
Here’s to you, Ben. Thanks for sharing.
