“I was dyslexic and struggling like hell,” Lewis Hamilton on being subject to racism in school
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Lewis Hamilton
7-time Formula One World Champion and Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has achieved greatness in a variety of spheres, ranging from winning back-to-back races on the tracks to setting a statement in the public eye with his bold choices when it comes to fashion.
Hamilton’s wish for a more inclusive community emanates from his personal experiences, both in F1 and in the broader world. As he rose through the ranks of motorsport, the 37-year-old faced racial discrimination. Recently, he has faced racist online harassment, while three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet has been ousted from the sport for using racist and homophobic slurs against Hamilton in an interview last year in Brazil.
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Lewis Hamilton opens up on his struggles with racism as a child
“Look, when I was at school, I was dyslexic and struggling like hell. and one of the only few black kids in my school, being put in the lowest classes and never given a chance to progress or even helped to progress,” said the Briton with reference to his hurtful experience as a child. He continued: “Teachers were telling me, ‘You’re never going to be nothing.’ I remember being behind the shed, in tears, like, ‘I’m not going to be anything’, and believing it for a split second. The most demotivating thing to hear—especially when you witness them doing the complete opposite with your white counterparts.”
Hamilton is still an ardent defender for racial justice and is proud of his African heritage. He is currently spending his summer holiday on the continent, which he describes as a “grounding experience” that has helped him “gain a new perspective on life.”
Regardless of the difficulties he encountered, Hamilton went on to say that he forgives those who were critical of him, as the Mercedes driver was able to use their utterances as encouragement and accomplish what he has today. “I don’t actually hold any grudge against those people, because they fueled me up,” concluded Hamilton.
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Rishika Saha
(445 Articles Published)