I Belong Here

The author was on a journey through Northern England in Summer 2019 when she became the victim of a race hate crime. The crime was a vicious attack on her right to exist in a place on account of her race. After the event Anita experienced panic attacks and anxiety. She was intent on not letting her experience stop her travelling freely and without fear, and she was eager to continue journeying alone as a woman, asserting her right to exist. The Pennines called to Anita with a magnetic force and her journey through the natural landscapes of the North is one of reclamation, a way of saying that this is her land too and she belongs in the UK as a brown woman