Char Jones used to do everything to blend in with her peers, even rubbing talcum powder into her skin as a child to make herself look white.
But the terror of being punched in the face simply because she looked different or the vile names she was called has never left her.
Four decades on, the high-ranking Fire and Rescue Service PA has told how Scotland has much to do to combat the racism that continues to shape her life.
And she won’t go out alone at night – not because she’s a woman but because of her colour.
Sharing her experiences ahead of tomorrow’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Char, 47, said: “I am proud to be Scottish and I am proud of my Indian heritage. I have a very positive outlook on life but there is still racism in the world.
"It does exist – 100 per cent. You can feel it, sense it in the pit of your belly, that someone doesn’t like you because of the colour of your skin.
“I feel vulnerable sometimes. If I have a night out in the city, then I ensure I get on the earlier train. It isn’t because I am a single female but because of the colour of my skin. I want to avoid that bracket of people who could cause hassle.
“There is a knock-on effect of headlines involving black and ethnic minority people. You can get told to go back home and you are obviously intimidated if it is a group. You cannot confront it – you just get your head down or you might get beaten up.”
Char – short for Charmaine – was born in 1974 and was one of five children who grew up in a “very happy and loving” home in Grangemouth with parents Matt, a paramedic, and full-time mum Audrey.
She said: “We didn’t realise we were the only multiracial family at the time but we stood out like a sore thumb. We were all picked on for the colour of our skin.
“From the N word to the P**i word to others like ‘darkie’. All those really terrible, horrible names. I suffered so much racial abuse as a child, I tried everything I could to try to blend in.
“I wanted to be white. I used to buy talcum powder and rub it in to make me paler. I was called P**i at primary school and told I was dirty. No one would hold my hand or pick me for teams. People always had a best friend but I didn’t.
“You would latch on to someone else who was getting bullied for some other reason and be friends with them.
“One time a boy punched me in the face because of the colour of my skin. He broke my glasses and chipped a bone in my nose. Mum was angry and upset and went to the school but I do not recall what happened to that boy.
“It would have aggravated it anyway so I just shelved it in my brain – but I have kept the glasses as a reminder of what happened.”
Char, married to Watch Commander Neil, added: “The boy had called me P**i. The thing is, I wasn’t Pakistani. My heritage is Indian and I am Scottish. It was clearly an ignorance with his parents because kids are not brought up to be racist.
“But I felt sorry for him as I had really good parents who dried my tears and told me I was amazing and beautiful, so I’m proud of who I am.”
As a teenager, Char went on to triumph in athletics, training six nights a week with the Falkirk Victoria Harriers in long jump, sprinting and hurdles.
Her dad was a coach and encouraged her into the sport aged eight.
She said: “I loved it – it was a comfortable environment. The odd time you would hear someone say, ‘You can beat the P**i.’ I would tell my dad and he would say, ‘You run… run harder and run faster – and you beat them.’”
Char said racism continues to cast a shadow over her life.
She added: “When Lewis Hamilton came into F1 and was doing well, a lot of people were against it because he was mixed race.
“I remember going into Howgate shopping centre in Falkirk and there was a bunch of girls who made monkey noises at me because that’s what folk were doing to him.
“I even got a call from my brother about the Covid Delta strain to say he hoped no one would blame it on me because I’m Indian.”
Char is still not convinced racism is being tackled head-on.
She said: “Racism is still a big problem in Scotland. I don’t think you will ever eradicate it. Education is the best place to start. The younger you can get children to understand we are all different but we are all the same, the better.
“I feel happy and safe at work. In the Fire Service you are embraced, not treated differently.
Char’s boss Liz Barnes said: “We need to continue to highlight these issues so people like Char can feel free to go about their daily lives without having to consider the impact her skin colour may have on others.”
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