Velma Browne
“Ebry jackass Seh ‘im cubby is a race hass.’”
Translation:
Every jackass says his cub is a racehorse.Explanation: Every parent thinks their child is destined for greatness.
Velma’s parents moved to Walsall from Antigua in 1960
A story of resilience, hardship, and a mother’s drive for independence
Born into frequent moves and overcrowded homes, Velma recalls a childhood shaped by resilience, hardship, and her mother’s drive for independence.
From teaching her mum to write her name to learning barbering to support her family, she also faced racism from college tutors. Her story reflects strength through instability, practical skill-building, and overcoming barriers of race, poverty, and illiteracy.
Listen to Velma's Oral Stories
House to House
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I was born, actually born at home, erm, December 63, it was the coldest weather, snow. The ambulance took that long to get through. My mum delivered me at home with the aid of my godfather, young 20 year old Boise.
Erm, my dad was of no use. She already had two toddlers, a year and a half and 2 1/2 years older than me, so she basically, when they got there, the ambulance, they just said I was comfortable, she was comfortable, they left us there and they said, that's fine. Erm, and so I lived there until I was 6, Hillary Street.
Erm, then my dad decided to go back to Antigua to visit his mum. Sold the house, didn't tell my mum he sold the house. So, then she had about two, three weeks to find somewhere. So we lived in lodgings, including Wednesbury Road, and we moved about five or six times in 10 months.
He came back at the end of 10 months, six people in one room. My mum had no idea he'd sold it because my mum was illiterate, and so when he bought the house, he bought it with sitting tenants, and he was the only person that had to sign for that house, so she didn't know anything. Until he was leaving, and he says, I'm leaving, I've sold the house, and he gave her 100 pound for her and four children.
And when he came back to no house, she'd just have to keep finding rooms to move us into. And she'd have to lie and they'd say, do you have children? She'd say no. And she'd have to creep us in at nighttime. So the landlord wouldn't know, but with four little children, 5, 6, 7 and 8. And we had to keep quiet, but at some point, you make a noise, they'd find out and they'd say to my mum, you'd have to leave, you'd have to leave. So she'd have to keep finding other places.
And, so we would be there for a few weeks, a month, six weeks, move, and just went on and on. And then he came back erm, 10 months later. And by then we lived in Wellington Street and there was six people in one room in one double bed. I still remember.
Mum and Dad meet
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Mum and dad, they met in Antigua. So, they knew each other from when they were young anyway. And then, erm, he'd go up to see her because he told me when I'd visit him, erm, sort of 20 years back. And he said he'd walk up because she lived in the village further on from him.
My dad came from Jennings and my mum was born in Bolans, the very next village. And he said in those days it wasn't like here where you could jump on and off a bus. So he'd walk up there, and he'd walk back, and Antigua gets dark really early. By about 5:00 evening in the summer, it's like night time. And you can imagine, there's hardly any light in, even now. It's still dark early. And once it gets dark, the mosquitoes are out.
[laughter]
They're just swarming. So yeah, they met there.Dad came in 59 and then my grandmother wanted to come, clearing throat sorry, in 60. My mum didn't want to come. She never wanted to leave Antigua. Anyway, so my grandmother badgered my mum to come with her. She forced her, basically. And so my mum came in 60. My dad sent for my mum. And then that's how she ended up here as well. When they first came, they lived in Birmingham, but she didn't like it. They only lived there for, erm I think, a few months. Then they moved to Wednesbury for a couple of months. And by then, my mum's pregnant with my sister. And she still didn't like it and ended up in Walsall.
But when they moved here first, would you believe they lived up the road in Wednesbury Road? Right at the far end. And they lived there erm, from 61 until they brought the house where I was born in 63.
How I met my husband
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I'd sort of seen him around when we were children. So I knew him, then we moved from where we lived in Goscote to Coalpool.
And so then my brother, Colin, he's passed now, but Colin, sort of, you know what young boys are like, they find friends. And then he started to hang around with Jimmy. And then they started to say to Colin, I fancy your sister, blah, blah. And Colin was telling me, I was like, no, because I've never had a boyfriend, no. And then Jimmy started chasing and chasing, and you know, they weigh you down. Then my dad found out there was murder. We weren't allowed boyfriends. laughing And so, yeah, kept pushing and pushing and pushing. And I ended up with Jimmy, pregnant. And yeah, and that was...
Just before my 17th, and by the time I was three months pregnant, we were married, and by the time I was twenty, four boys, I know by the time I was twenty-one, finished.
