Lewis Hamilton on school bullying
Lewis Hamilton has spoken about how school proved to be the most traumatizing chapter of his life. He recalls being bullied from the age of six. At that particular school, he was probably one of three kids of color. Bigger, stronger kids were throwing him around much of the time. He was always the last picked when they were choosing teams for football. He was always the last one chosen or not even chosen, even if he was better than somebody else. The constant jabs, the things that were thrown at him like bananas, people using racist language so casually, and really not knowing where he fit in. That for him was difficult. When he then went into history class and everything he learned, there were no people of color in the history they were teaching. He was thinking, where are the people that look like me? In his school there were only around six or seven black kids out of 1,200 students. Three of them were always put outside the headmaster's office all the time. The headmaster just had it out for them and particularly for him, he would say. Juggling all these different emotions that he was feeling, plus he struggled at school. He didn't find out until he was 16 that he was dyslexic.
Transcript (en)
I think for me, I mean, school was the most, probably the most traumatizing and most difficult part of my life. Wow. I already was being bullied at the age of six. I think at the time, that particular school, I was probably one of three kids of color. And just bigger, stronger bullying kids were throwing me around a lot of the time. I was always the last picked in the, you know, when you're standing in the playground and you're in the line of when they're picking teams for football I was always the last one chosen or not even chosen even if I was better than somebody else and then the the constant jabs the things that are either thrown at you like bananas or people that would use the m-word just so relaxed people calling you half-caste and you know just really not knowing where you fit in that for me was difficult when you then go into like history class and everything you learn in history there are no people of color in the history that they were teaching us so i was thinking oh well where are the people that look like me and i mean for me in my school there was only around i think there was around seven maybe six seven black kids out of 1200 kids and three of us were put outside the headmaster's office all the time the headmaster just had it out for for us and particularly for me, I would say. So like just juggling all these different emotions that you're feeling. Plus I struggled at school. I didn't find out till I was 16 that I was dyslexic.
