He looked at me and said 'I don't date black women'

How Sienna's search for love left her feeling frustrated and excluded

-  RAMAZANI MWAMBA

SITTING across from a man at a singles event, Sienna Reid was mortified. As he sat down, the first words that came out of his mouth were 'I don't date black women! Dating as a black, Muslim woman has always been hard for Sienna, but this latest setback made her feel particularly unwanted.

The 33-year-old has been looking to find a partner to marry for seven years. After reverting to Islam, Sienna has had to contend with a lack of representation and ignorance of her Caribbean roots.

"As a Jamaican person the question I would get is 'how are you Muslim?' Sienna said. "I was met with a lot of misunderstanding and stereotypes in the community." From Jamaica, Sienna became a Muslim at the age of eight, when her mother reverted to Islam. But her mother soon left the religion after finding 'a lack of diversity' in the community.

Growing up and living in Leeds, she found it hard to find representation within the community - with very few black Muslims around her.