Identity - Octavia Jackson

I’m African American and Irish. My mother’s side of the family originate from Ireland, Evanston and Chicago. My father’s side of the family originate from Jackson, Mississippi.

My personal religious affiliations are agnosticism. My mother and father identify as Christians.

Listed holidays or days of remembrance that I celebrate in my family:

• Christmas

I identify with my African American roots more than Irish. It’s somewhat labeled upon me by society that “hey you’re black before everything else” so I just stick with that more so than being Irish. And I always get the “there’s Black people in Ireland?” question.

Living in a predominately white suburb me and my brothers have been victimized due to use being African American, yes. 

I do not identify with things that aren’t mentioned above. 

I do have friends that cross multiple ethnic, race, religious and cultural barriers. I have friends that are white, black, mixed, Hispanic, Italian and Indian. I have friends who are Jewish, Atheist, Catholic and Christian. I have friends who identify as homosexual, pansexual and heterosexual.