Inclusive Hong Kong (English version)：Meaning Bestowed by Their Dark Skin

Karl-Buah Kelvin Owusu is a Hong Kong citizen of Ghanaian descent in his 20s. Born and bred in Hong Kong, he went to a local primary school before attending an international secondary school. He is currently a student at a private university in Hong Kong. He works as a part-time model and as an intern in an African cultural centre. Despite his dark skin, he considers himself a Hong Konger. But people around him do not think the same. He said sometimes on the MTR, people would walk away from him. He understands that there are certain preconceptions about people with dark skin, but he wanted to stress that Africans are not necessarily "refugees” or “impoverished”. Everyone has their own story, and he wants to be a bridge.

Eli Zaelo came to Hong Kong from South Africa a few years ago to pursue her music dream. She wants to become a singer of Chinese songs. Her cover version of Teresa Teng’s “Sweet As Honey” (Tian Mi Mi) was a hit on the Internet. She loves the dynamics of the city and the way of life of the people. Although she wants to integrate into the place, learning the language is a huge challenge. She finds motivation from a quote of the late former South African president Nelson Mandela: “If you talk to [a man] in his language, that goes to his heart.” As a black person, she hopes other people notice her not because of her skin colour. She wishes Hong Kong people can see her and know more about their African neighbours. She understands that there will always be people who do not like her, perhaps because she is "black". She has also been treated impolitely - someone touched her hair or photographed her without her consent. Apart from singing in Hong Kong, she also has a mission: to reshape the image of "black".

In this episode, Kelvin and Eli will share their stories with the presenter, Omme.