In this episode of Wait, I’m Black?!, Michael sits in conversation with Maurice Mcleod – CEO of Olmec, Councillor, social commentator, and media executive.

Growing up in the UK, Maurice came to recognise something many people never have to think about: the constant awareness of being seen as Black before being seen simply as a human being.

Together, they explore what it means to carry that awareness through everyday life, the rare moments when it falls away, and the profound freedom of being seen as a human being first.

This is a conversation about identity, belonging, and the subtle ways racialisation shapes not only how others see us, but how we come to see ourselves and move through the world.

If you’d like to follow the journey, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or follow us on Instagram @wibpodcast. And if you – or someone you know – has a “Wait, I’m Black?!” moment you’d like to share, we’d love to hear from you.

In this episode of Wait, I’m Black?!, Michael sits in conversation with Grace Mosuro – inclusion specialist, speaker and advocate – about moving to the UK as a child, and the experiences that transformed her understanding of race, identity and belonging.

Grace reflects on being called the N-word for the first time. Her first reaction was not outrage, but confusion, only gradually realising it was directed at her.

They explore what happens when the way you see yourself collides with the way the world sees you, and discuss identity, belonging, exclusion, representation, and the subtle ways people learn where they are – and are not – expected to fit. Grace also reflects on how these experiences have informed her work and her commitment to helping create environments where people feel seen, valued and able to thrive.

This is a thoughtful conversation about race, self-discovery, and the moments that can fundamentally change how we understand ourselves and our place in the world.

If you would like to follow the journey, you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or follow us on Instagram (@wibpodcast). And if you – or someone you know – has a “Wait, I’m Black?!” moment you’d like to share, you are welcome to reach out.

In this episode of Wait, I’m Black?!, Michael sits in conversation with Christine Kinnear – award-winning Founder and CEO of With Insight Education – about growing up Black in the UK, the lasting impact of early racial experiences, and the quiet ways underrepresentation shapes what people, especially young people, believe is possible for them.

Christine reflects on encountering racism at a painfully young age. But this conversation also explores something less obvious: the impact of what isn’t present – the absence of representation, visibility, and affirmation in the spaces young people grow up within.

They discuss how children absorb messages about belonging, value, and potential long before they fully understand race, and why seeing yourself reflected in positions of possibility matters more than many realise.

This is a thoughtful conversation about identity, aspiration, and the subtle ways the world teaches people where they do, or do not, belong.

If you would like to follow the journey, you can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts or follow us on Instagram (@wibpodcast). And if you – or someone you know – has a “Wait, I’m Black?!” moment you’d like to share, you are welcome to reach out.