Lenny Henry used humour to protect himself while dealing with racist childhood bullying
Comedian Lenny Henry detailed how he used humour as his 'sword and shield' against the racist bullies in his childhood. The 66-year-old was born in Dudley in August 1958 to parents Winston and Winifred. His full name is Lenworth George Henry, and he was named after the doctor who delivered him at Burton Road Hospital.
Sir Lenny previously revealed the horrific racist abuse that has plagued him, particularly as part of a Jamaican family in the West Midlands in the 70s. He had said that "Keep Britain white" was often painted on walls in the area he lived in, and that people would hound his mother on the streets, "asking where her tail was".
In a new interview, the comedian said a lot of his defence from racism came from his late mother, Winifred. She had 'horrible things' yelled at her in the street after she moved to England from Jamaica as part of the Windrush Generation.
At the time, Black children living in the area he grew up in were advised to be outside in pairs due to the racist abuse they went through.
Speaking to The Sunday Times' Culture Magazine, he explained: "We were in the midst of this maelstrom, but you don't know that when you're kids. You just gravitate to people who like you, or want to snog you.
"My humour became my sword and shield. I could deflect something with a joke. I was being beaten up by one kid when I started to talk about the ridiculousness of us rolling around on the floor like we were married.
"People started to laugh and suddenly people thought I was worth something. I was still punched, but I'd have people protecting me. I had three white friends by the time I was 12: Greg, Mac and Tom. I still know them today and they saved my life, really. They encouraged me to be funny."
The racism continued well into his career, with him previously explaining that the National Front smeared "N.F" in excrement on his and ex-wife Dawn French's door.
They were even threatened with burning rags through the door and abusive letters. Dawn once said: 'We had words scratched into every panel of every car — very offensive, derogatory, racist terminology.'
Lenny's career began when he appeared on New Faces at aged 15, eventually winning the show with his impression of Stevie Wonder. Two years later, he started doing a stand up routine on The Black and White Minstrel show, where performers in blackface sang minstrel songs.
But being the only black performer in this intrinsically racist show gave Lenny "creeping dread".
'I would arrive at the theatre and know that I would be the only actual black person in the building, perhaps the only one within a 50-mile radius," he said.
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