Blackness Magazine

T h e N e w A f r o - C a r i b b e an

drugs and youngsters The reality that no one talks about

magazine

MAY 2019

Best TV-Shows from 2019 reviewed

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YASMINA AND LEONOR

MAY 2019

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Sharing their experiences balancing uni life and modeling Blackness . 1

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Community 30

Self Conflicted

Contents

Conflicted about being himself to please his family

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This is the time to embrace our roots

On the cover

Fashion

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42

Yasmina and Leonor

Glory Konyeha

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As an entrepreneur, student and a mother

Special Edition: A view from Inside.

Teanegers and drugs

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60

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The drug world

Top 10 TV-Shows Series of 2019

More than 15 millions Britons have taken marijuana

Beauty

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As a costumer service

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5-min Hairstyles Easy, quick and acessible

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Make up

Colourfull and pimented blackowned Make up 4 . Blackness

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58 22

Intimacy with Yasmina and Leonor

The models share their life and the obstacules of balinc with university

People do not realise the amount of information that workers obtain

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Opinion Piece The reality of a town Center

56 Culture 56

Pageant contest Miss WOB and Miss Ti Matador. Culture from Dominica to the UK

60 Top 10 Series The 10 best of 2019, just to improve the quality of your free time

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A letter from the Editor Last week while I was on my Instagram I saw a post from a guy saying something about, finally, the black women can express themselves through their hairstyles and natural hair. I confess that I did not understand at the beginning if it was an ironic post or not, for the simple reason that nowadays, getting natural is seen more as a fashion than an identity. I decided to go natural last year, I did the big shop and altering my hairstyle with box braids, it is just a different sensation of beauty.

Therefore, I opened the comments section to read what people were saying about the post and apparently, the man was not acting like a fool, but otherwise, he was congratulating the evolution of the human being.

After that I Googled it, and I found a news story on New York Times, with the headline ‘‘New York City to Ban Discrimination Based on Hair’’ dated from the beginning of this year. The story says that finally, the New York City Commission on Human Rights released a law, which protects the right of any hairstyle which black people have been discriminated from.

It is unthinkable that in 2019 the African woman still needs to deal with observations about their hair or costumes.

It is very well applied here, the saying ‘better late than never’. Most of the people think that the world is ruled by white males, so all the other ethnic groups living in the western world, need to adapt to western costumes and fashion.

As an African woman, I know how hard it was to grow up in the ’90s, be surrounded by white people and try to fit in, to try not to be different.

The process of damaging my hair to feel it flying with the wind, just not to be the centre of a joke. The constant battle with make-up products, because of the darker shade at the time, it was still very light for me. And when I finally was able to buy a proper tone, I paid more 20€ for that.

At that time, the African salon had the only purpose of chemically straightening hair, or to put hair extension, to make African woman 8 . Blackness

more blended in the society.

Finally, all of that is changing, and now there are African salons, which provide proper care of natural hair, and there is a joy knowing that the world is changing opinions on different cultures and ethnicity.

Some people did not realise that for some reason we are not all the same and society should not implicate rules that values some people and depletes another. The issue of hairstyles related to black people was something that I never understood. If we go back to slavery, we knew that at that time the wives of the owners did not allow the slaves to have their natural hair unwrap because the excuse was that it was attractive to their husbands Of course, the hair is the one to blame and not the fact that people were afraid of the difference since the unusual was interesting.

The African hair has thousands of different textures, and each has their special sparkle.

I totally understand that some professions required more care about the hairstyle, however, that is applied for all the ethnicities. An unkempt hair is not appealing despite the ethnicity of its owner.

Thus, I am quite happy about that law in New York, because as a big city tends to spread more information and hopefully change mentalities.

Hopefully it will shame everyone that still thinks that is unprofessional the use of natural hair, or locks, or box braids and so on. All of those hairstyles require care and they’re not cheap.

Still, the use of chemicals of the hair to maintain it straight, the hair extensions and the use of wigs, it is a hairstyle choice.

We just need to embrace the difference and respect it.

Enjoy the issue.

Ana Ramos @blacknessmag Blackness . 9

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BEAUTY "Embrace what makes you unique, even if it makes others uncomfortable. I didn't have to become perfect because I've learned throughout my journey that perfection is the enemy of greatness."

Janelle Monae

5 min

HAIRSTYLES

2-Around braids and the ponytail

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2-AROUND BRAIDS

T

he ideal would be getting up in bed, and not worry about styling the hair.

But the beauty of curly and frizzy hair is in adapting.

There is no such thing as a plain and no life. However, most of the days with the rush of living in the city, African Queens are looking for some

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hairstyles that could facilitate daily.

We are here to help! These amazing ideas are made with braids box and extended ponytail.

After you detangle your hair, 5 min is all that you need to get ready and slay! •

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1. Synthetic hair - £ 3,99 2. Synthetic Ponytail - £ 12

3. Pack of 30 Bobby pins - £ 3 4. Adjustable Beads- £ 1,5

photography: Ana Ramos

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THE PONYTAIL

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PAT McGrath Labs Sublime Skin Highlights Trio £ 38

Juvias's Place Afrique Eyeshadow Palette - £ 19,95

The Lip Bar Purple Rain £ 9,95

IMAN Cosmetics UK Corrective concealer £ 12,95

COLOURFUL AND PIGMENTED

I

MAKE-UP

t is time for you own your make up, full of colour that represents you.

This year the trend for Springsummer 2019 is yellow, blue, violet, green. Is not important! What is matter is a balanced makeup between colour and nude? There are a million ideas of looks among bright eyeshadows and a lip full of

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glam. The nudes are back but as well the excellent taste that was carried too in 2018. Glossy, classy, tasty, powerful, hydrateded lips are all that is possible to expect this year.

Also, in addition to that, we shared some choices of black-owned brands which will make your skin more flawless as a perfect match! •

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Foudation 50 shades available £34 Beauty Bakery Cinnamon Metallic Hazelnut Metallic £ 13

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Intimacy with Yasmina and Leonor share their experiences in a foreign country about balancing univeristy life and working as a model.

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ost of the people did not know that you got along in the past.

Do you want to talk about it?

M

I had a foundation year.

Leonor: I’m studying Psychology and Criminal Behaviour, and I’m almost over, yeahh... but after that, I still wanna do a master, so...

Yasmina: Yes, we grew up together, and it’s funny how we were inseparable until college, but after that, I think it was because of high school we end up on different paths.

But it just happened, different high schools are the cause of that.

Leonor: And it was pure coincidence that we both applied in Portugal to study at the University of Bedfordshire, and for me, I was so happy when I realise that Yasmina was here.

Yasmina: Yes hun, it was.

How was the feeling of just like that, you became known because of modelling?

Yasmina: I think that nowadays, there is a tendency for black girls to have natural hair. I’m not saying that we’re not accepting our roots but is more as a fashion style. And because of that many brands are looking for black models to represent them, darker like me (laughs) Leonor: I totally agree with Yasmina and don’t forget that we are actually good professionals, so It’s nice

grades that I can get. I got a unit that I love entirely. It’s Haematology and girl… It’s a challenge, but at the same time, it is a pleasure to learn.

So, It’s pretty much hard, but I’m getting there. And bills have to be paid.

Leonor: This year, I’m not only sleeping at the library because the security would put me outside (laughs) but basically or I’m studying or doing assessments or my dissertation at the library, or I’m on the studio, working.

And precisely as Yasmina said: “bills have to be paid.”

Are you working on any other project?

Yasmina: Impossible, I had to refuse some proposals, because I need to have »

" There is a tendency for black girls to have natural hair. I’m not saying that we’re not accepting our roots but is more as a fashion style. " Yasmina

Photography: Ana Ramos

Balancing modelling and university is not always easy, and many teenagers know how tough it is.

Yasmina and Leonor decided to share their experiences and how they are dealing with working as a model and being a university student.

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Because we weren’t mad at each other, we stop having friends in common and places..

When did you start your career as a model?

Yasmina: I started three years ago, a little before uni started and at the time my dilemma was if I could balance both, and the funny thing was when I come to the UK, I got more job offers.

Leonor: For me, It’s pretty recent. It was what... nearly a year, in the summer.

And what are you studying?

Yasmina: Biomedical Science, I’m in the second year because

to have some recognition.

And how has been to merge both?

Yasmina: Sooo, don’t tell me about it girl… I still got one year left, and I’m dying already.

I just love being a model, I love the production, the results, everything.

I’m meeting a lot of wonderful people and professionals, but… at the end of the day, I’m paying 9000 pounds to finish my degree with the best

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happen around them and would help them to control their actions and their consequences.

And when the university finish in some months for you Leonor and in a year for you Yasmina?

Leonor: This first phase of studying is

Leonor - Psychology and Criminal Behaviour. some free space to do modelling works.

On my first year, I did volunteer at uni lab during a year, and it was an outstanding experience because I could confirm that I love being at the lab and I can see myself doing that for the rest of my life. So, because of that, I got a chance to do an internship this year.

Leonor: I got the opportunity of doing a project which is an intervention to help kids that were exposed to gangs violence or they were their victims.

This intervention would be a sport and also mental. For the sport part, I choose basketball that can give those kids the opportunity of, first, having a sport and second, to follow some ethical rules, without » considering. It would take them from the street, and besides that, they could have a mental accompaniment which would help them to assimilate a lot of things that

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(laughs) Yasmina: I could manage very well this year, so I’ll kind of know what next year can be. I just need to keep the focus and be stronger than all those days that I barely could sleep.

I want to keep looking for work experience on the labs, and I truly want to discover an HIV cure and a way can be made accessible to everyone, I meant it...

"I wanna work on that area give some course to who are neglected by societyand is put on 'no future' box. " Leonor finishing, but after that, I still will do my master, and this project really made me think about the future. » There are some cities with disadvantaged young people that became negligent and more suited to violence. I wanna work on that area give some course to who are neglected by society and is put on “no future” box. And about being a model, I’ll be working till be possible

Anything that you girls like to add?

Leonor: Guys if you have an opportunity, keep your studying update, is always good to have extra knowledge, because it makes us wiser.

Even with the modelling going well, is always good to have a second plan, in case if the first fail Yasmina: .. and fight for your dreams, always. If now is hard, tomorrow you’ll value it. •

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COMMUNITY "If you want to feel proud of yourself, then do good. Take action that will make you proud. . . . And if you really want to feel proud, then do something to help someone else."

Oseola McCarty

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SELF CONFLITED

amilies have been the main conflict in LGTB community, insinuating the question about if your own family member does not accept you, why would a stranger do it.

Free platforms have been helping a lot of teenagers to combat the fear of being accepted and the guilt of being misunderstood.

“Our freedom ends, when others started”, this is one of the sentences that Cleopas Makaza likes to use when he starts his antenna time in open min.

Cleo is a 23-year-old, however as young as he may look, he’s already lived a lot in terms of bad personal experiences, but he decided that the past could not define his future.

He was born in the United Kingdom, but his parents are from Zimbabwe. “Growing up for me, it was complicated, I always was terrified about what my father could do to me, if he found out about it”.

What could his father do, if he discovered that he would 30 . Blackness

never would have a daughter in law or blooded grandsons.

Beside that situation at home, he always ignored the bullying that he suffered, with the fear that the school would call his parents.

“It was hard for me, trying to discover myself as a person, and plus being psychologically bullied at school because of my sexuality, and I avoid being around my father because I needed to hide the real me and pretend to be a heterosexual son around him.”

There was a critical time that Cleo decided that he needs to be him, he took a gap year after university and moved to London, far away

from his family. After a while he called home to announce, in a soft way, his sexuality. “I called to my mom and I spoke to her first, and the first the thing that she asked me, was if my sisters knew, because apparently she fought for me in some situation that I wasn’t there. But I never told her anything. My mother said, don’t tell your father” Cleo felt that he waited so long that he could not do it any longer. His family never was the typical family that talks about controversial subjects and hard decisions, which meant that he had no idea, what was going on with his father. “I decided to tell him anyway. He looked » Blackness . 31

happy when he started to talk with me. After I told him that I was dating someone, a boy, he stopped talking. I could just hear his breathing and I asked him to say something and he replied. » ‘I can’t’ and he hung up” Nearly a year after, his father died with lung cancer. He was told by his sister. His mother blames him, not the tobacco that he smoked from a young age.

After that entire situation, Cleo found a video from Travis Alabanza talking about his experiences and who is allowed to be the victim. Explaining how people still don’t react if a transsexual person is attacked on public transport, but if a woman is attacked everyone defends her. As a bittersweet reaction, such supporting who stand up for her, but otherwise he was the victim and no one stood

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up for him.

It was a process, but Cleo understood that it was not his fault, and he decided to talk about his experiences in open mic nights at a pub that he used to hang out in London.

He said that he is not a poet, but he is a good improviser and he talks from the heart.

Most of the African countries they still have that prejudice about having gay sons or daughters, is the way that they were taught.

Some black kids don’t always feel comfortable to talk to their parents about their sexuality until an age that they know that they can support themselves. Not everyone feels that way growing up. But possibly because people tend to assume that if you ‘do not look gay’ means that you are straight.

Jamal Etienne, comes from a family that both parents are

half-British half Jamaican and he never felt the need to tell people about his sexuality.

Close friends know it, and his cousin, who is like a brother, also knows. He said that he told his cousin when he felt that the time was right “we grew up together, he knew everything about me less that. And when I told him, his reaction was like, ‘And...’, nothing that I wasn’t waiting for.”

The only thing in common with Jamal and Cleo is the fear of their father’s reaction.

He fells that when the right time arrives, they would know it.

At the end, there are still no reasons, why people that like people from the same gender, need to tell their parents about their sexuality. But do we say, ‘Mom, Dad, I’m straight’? No one does it, no one cares. •

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THIS IS THE TIME TO EMBRACE THE ROOTS MODEL: Yasmina Barbosa Ailton D'Alcantara STYLING: Jes.K Clothing MAKE YP: Ana Ramos PHOTOGRAPHY: Ana Ramos

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Jes.k Clothing Dress £ 15 Earings £ 3 Smashbox Lipstick Heartbreaker £ 18

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Jes.k Clothing Skirt £ 15 Body £ 18 Earings £ 2,50 Kiko Lipstick Orchid Violet £ 8,99

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Glory Konyeha as an

entrepreneur student mother

Photography: Ana Ramos

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t is never late to learn as it’s never too late to follow your dreams, as Glory Konyeha decided to do at 29-years-old.

Mother of three, the Nigerian has a fashion store recently opened in Luton mall which the main aim is spreading the African culture to everyone. Currently, Glory is on second year of Fashion design balancing between her family and her professional life.

How did the passion of being a fashion designer started?

From a young age. I've always loved colours and fabrics. So it was, I grew up with fashion and love designing and stuff. And when I had my kids, I wanted to leave something for them.

And that's when the whole business idea came up. And I was like, if I started a clothing store, that's something I can actually leave for my kids, a legacy. So that's when I 42 . Blackness

branched into putting my passion and my passion, which is my kids as well and making it into one. So that's how it all started.

You do have a lovely earrings collection, you made them too or is a partnership?

Some of them, I get them from a local wholesalers and most of th+e earrings I make them, and they normally match with the African skirt.

Most of the garments in the sop is handmade by me, and the rest I buy from distinctive

wholesale that usually you can find them. Let’s say 80%-20%.

And so that's why the store is really unique.

Why African store?

African is me. I'm from Africa, I'm a Nigerian born, I grew up here and it represents me, and I wanted to do something that

represents me, my culture, where I came from. And we've got beautiful fabrics and colours. So that's why I wanted to go with Africa. It's basically me.

What type of customers do you have. Mostly African or western white also?

We have varieties because the store is not just African, has African fabrics, but with a twist of the western side to it. So, as you see this goes to the African prints, beautiful skirts and we just get different customers. And funny enough, we get a lot of English customers. They love the fabrics and they love colours. So, we get a mix in Luton, having different kinds of people that are walking in here.

You are also studying fashion design, at Bedfordshire University, right? How did you know that was the right time to balance both?

First I want it to be a teacher.

I love teaching, so that's why I went back to uni so I can get a degree in arts. So, when I came here, I looked at the city, I was like, there's a gap to make something in here, a business. And I started at the indoor market, so it wasn't something that was planned.

So, the Studies is more for you to have a certification? or do you want to progress with the teaching?

Yeah, that's something I would love to do as a part time, if I can juggle it, because I love teaching, that's a part of me and yeah, it's just having both sides of the word. I love business and I love fashion.

How long do you have the store open?

In the main mall, it's been four months, but I stayed in the market, which was six months.

The reason that I changed was because of the space, the market is a small space and here I get more visibility.

I know that you got at least a son, right?

I've got two sons and a daughter. She's, she's the last one.

And how can you balance everything, your family, your business, your education?

It’s a bit hard to balance, which I'm still learning, but it's just about the passion and the vision. Cause I know where I want to go so if I have to sacrifice and move things around and I have to, but it's hard work. I'm getting there slowly. Slowly. Yeah.

You also do some partnerships with artist, how does that work?

I do because I come from a creative background. I love music. I'm into music. When I came to Luton, I linked up with a friend of mine, her name is boss Marie and she ran Cabanas is a nightclub. So it was just more of like having connection and help each other with publicity.

Plans for the future?

Growing this business and open more stores. That's my plan for the future really. It's just put my head down and make it an empire. I was looking at Milton Keynes and Watford, there's nothing like us, or possibly London, by God's grace. •

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Special Edition

A VIEW FROM INSIDE.. .

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... The Drug World

A survey made in 2014 by a market research company shows that more than 15 million Britons, aged between 16-34-yearsold have taken illegal drugs, and 93% of that sample took Marijuana.

L

utonians have behaved like the use of B class drugs is legalised, and on top of that, it is possible to identify the early age of a user just by walking around the street.

The most popular illegal drug among youngsters is Marijuana, known too as weed.

Quickly it is possible to see people smoking on the street, there are no alleys anymore or hidden places, no one cares

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about it. People do not care about if smells, people do not care if someone is watching.

Smoking weed is just regular, like smoking a cigarette.

10-years-ago if someone was looking to buy marijuana, the path was, searching through a smoker and making that person the middle man or woman. Nowadays, it is just a swap of contacts or with good observations skills, it can be bought on the streets.

Also, some years ago, it was not possible to find any young person selling it, these days it’s common to observe young people doing that. Reasons like connexions, no jail time and other points, make kids becoming the new drug dealers.

Steve is an ex-drug dealer, and he started selling young.

At 17-years-old he was in university and Steve was not selling because he Âť Blackness . 47

" A couple of times they sent like teenagers out to pick up the stuff of me and I have never freaked out so much in a situation because, they don't even know what they are holding, yeah, it's pretty fucked up… " was financially broke, but just for self-profit. Steve calls “personal selling”. “So, say you would get, say you've got like seven grams, right? You can make seven, one-grams bag, right? Each one-gram bag costs 10 pounds, but the seven grams cost you 50. So, you've got 20-pound profit to make, or you've got two bags of weed to keep so you can choose. So, it was a more personal setting, so I didn't have to pay for weed out of my own pocket.”

The problem of being involved in this life is that with time, people tend to find more ways

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to earn. Steve found a guy in Holland, and he was sending through the post, ecstasy pills.

At the beginning it was fun, and it was raining money with no complications, but Steve felt the need to put personal rules in his game after an incident. He never had sold to people much younger than him at his current age, but he always thought that his customers should know what they were doing. One day he sold some pills to a usual customer and they were sold at a party which caused a lot of trouble. Someone almost

died. He said: “He did sell them on in a nightclub and one kid nearly died from taking the pills, and that's when I reinforced the rules. Like super hard. That scared the living crap out of me. I never wanted to be responsible for anyone's death ever.”

Things quickly start to change, instead of being a pawn he became a horse, and the game has increased. Steve was not selling marijuana, but now the heavies too, like heroin. And he still got the rules about his customers age, he did not accept having kids

as a mail. He said: “A couple of times they sent like teenagers out to pick up the stuff of me and I have never freaked out so much in a situation because, they don't even know what they are holding, yeah, it's pretty fucked up… I rang the guys and I basically told them what was going to happen if they send kids again, they aren’t getting the product.”

In the middle of his path, Steve tried to leave the game, but he said: “Once you're in you're never out”. He got raided by the police, he was made homeless with his partner and as consequence he lost his job. He could not rent a house because he was on the blacklist, because of that situation he realised that he could stay in Dublin with the possibility “to serve with a nine-grand kind of discharge, which was two years in prison”, or restart in another country and get clean with a new life.

Nowadays, Steve is 24 yearsold is a user, he does not deal anymore. He’s got a legit job and even with opportunities to go back to his previous life, he chooses not to.

It’s hard to become an exdrug dealer and to be able to erase the past completely, first because they got used to a life that is not possible to live for long. At the end of the day, the drug money gave them a dream stability. That’s the reason that many end up in jail or dead by other gangs.

The interviews conducted by Optimum research indicate that from those 15 million Britains, 3 million are aged between 16-24 years old, and they are still users, being

Marijuana with 93%, the most popular illegal drug that is still being used. 82% used it as a gateway, meaning that it is not frequently used or was the first illegal drug to be tried.

Steve affirms that it is not that hard for him to recognise a dealer in the town centre.

They used to be with one hand on the pocket and the other one outside and controlling everything that is around them. •

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... As a Customer Service

Working in customer services is challenging, people don’t understand the amount of information that we could collect if we wanted to. They do things, they say things as we were not there. For them, we are invisible.

I

t is a regular Saturday for me, the store is packed, but nothing that surprises me, it’s just another day at work. I’m trying to go through, but there is to many people that I need to repeat ‘Excuse me’ over and over again.

Since it’s Saturday and there is no security, I tend to start the shift walking around on both floors to talk to my colleagues and understand the dynamics of the store and analyse behaviours and faces.

Most of the days' nothing unusual happens, however, there are particular ones that we need to call the police force. Fortunately, those days are becoming less and less frequent.

Generally, I have a favourite spot in the lobby.

There, I can observe everything that happens around me, since the tills until the exit door.

Who gets in, and those who are already sitting.

It’s interesting that the store has a smell which 50 . Blackness

your space as your workspace. The way that they are dressed means they’re considered as future thugs as a pile of society rubbish, people think that they have a clear future, they will end up dead or in jail.

People tend to classify people through the way that they are dressed, if you have better clothes, you will have better service, if you are dressed in a hoodie and tracksuit, well... there is no consideration.

There are two types of drugs that I know that are frequently in the restaurant. Weed.

That doesn’t concern me at all, and probably cocaine. I’m no expert, but if there is white dust in the toilet, it sure is not flour.

Nearly one month ago, a colleague told me that he had found a syringe on the floor, this is not a usual thing to see since the store banned people which was suspected of doing drugs on the toilet, principally homeless people.

The restaurant is mainly frequented by families and parents allow their little kids to go alone to the toilet. If I’m near I tend to be watchful and make sure that the kids come back straight to the parents after, but what may happen inside the cubical, is not up to me to control.

If the person before left a syringe and the kid think that is a toy, that worries me. Parents trust that the restaurant is safe. I’m not saying that it is not, I’m just saying that is not 100%.

And it is a fact that bad things happen, even more in Luton.

Drugs are a serious issue in this town, however

as I said before, soft drugs don’t worry me at all.

A security guard that used to work there was fired because according to the information that I got, he was selling drugs while on shift.

He is a good person, and the truth is, he controlled what was happening inside, and we got peace.

I still remembered one year ago when a colleague got threatened by a 14 year-oldgirl, because she wanted to use part of the store that was closed already. After this event police got involved, the girl was banned, and she disappeared. I heard that she was a drug dealer. I’m not sure whether it is true or not, however, I could see that she knew a lot of people. I believe that if she were actually selling something, I would bet on weed, it’s usually what those teenagers are smoking.

I heard a lot of things while I’m working there, but I never had the curiosity to verify its accuracy. People tend to be polite until they feel their personal space is invaded. I don’t invade peoples space, I just remind them, that they are on private propriety.

People tend to confuse and think that they can do whatever they want there. It’s not always possible to control them.

As I used to say, the work is easy, the hardest thing there is the people. The education and the sympathy that is required to work, with the time is not the same and is not to everyone’s liking. I prioritise and easily distinguish to whom deserve it because I’m paid to do that. •

becomes normal, weed. If there is no one in front of the door, it doesn’t concern me.

As the mall is already closed, a small group used to gather around near the mall exit, mostly from black ethnic but sometimes there’s one white boy or girl in the middle.

One of them gets into the restaurant at a normal pace, with him I can smell the obvious.

Most of the faces I already recognise, so doesn’t bother me. Usually, they buy food or a drink, and they keep chilling between them without causing any trouble. It is a strange face for me, I just keep controlling in my favourite spot.

Despite what many people think, those teenagers don’t cause problems at least in public space and with strangers. They look like what the society considers ‘thugs’, but since I start to deal with them, I realise that you just need to be polite and they will respect you and Blackness . 51

The reality of a Town Centre

are starting; however, they have no idea what could be the choices at the end of the path.

The beginning is always from light drugs, like Marijuana. Is relatively easy to sell, and is sociable. Most of the times, the puberty is still on, but they are already users and dealers.

Once you’re in, you cannot get out. The mini dealers will think that is cool doing that, at least at the beginning, because they got in on a new family. A social relationship that grows, the easy money. It is all sparkling at the start because there is no need to put effort into selling marijuana in this city. Everyone smokes. Yes, everyone smokes, and this is not a criticism but an observation. The criticism only starts when you get your priorities twisted about how much money you spend and how much money you stay with it.

The reality shows that it is still quite easy for young drug dealers If they get caught, the police will apprehend the drugs and will give them a warning. The paperwork is an issue that the officer does not want to deal with or they do not have enough condition on the precinct to hold them. The grown-up knows that, and that is why they need the kids.

With age, contacts, knowledge and financial interest, the game may change, and they will step up on the game. Pills or cocaine, the game is higher, it is not on the clear street anymore but brings much more money to the bosses.

It is common knowledge that cocaine is a very

As a foreigner living in Luton

L

uton is a different reality, which I’m used to seeing. I was strong, and I tried, I am still trying to feel indifferent because as an immigrant I do not want to put myself in a situation where I could hear, ‘If you don’t like it here, go back to your country’.

I am not saying that in Portugal, namely in the city which I am from there are no drugs. Would be senseless if I said that, of course, there are, but is not so explicit. People there do not tend to smoke something illegal if they notice a police car nearby, just to send a message. There is a certain respect, within the community and the others.

Luton’s reality is raw and frontal, the social disparity is evident as well as the lack of values.

Not all of the kids that hang around in this 52 . Blackness

addictive drug and many people steal from their own house to have something to inject or sniff.

The end is predictable in this life, prison over and over again or worst than that, death. Only a few have the ability to escape from that life, they need to run away. Leave everything that they know, leave everyone that they care about and start all over again.

During the time I have lived in Luton, I realise that no one cares about the city. The degradation is made from those who live here and more comfortable to turn the face and keep walking than do something that may help to improve the mentality of the lutonions.

The town centre is getting more and more disgusting, not because it is a place where a thousand passes by, but because that has the quality to improve in terms of image, but again, many lutonions simply don’t care and wont help.

•

Photography: Ana Ramos

environment are bad kids, but the truth is they are suffering from the lack of parental figures present in their lives. For many reasons, if they are separate, usually someone needs to work the whole day to be able to support the kids giving them some economic stability. This allows a shortage of home education and a follow up on their kids' life. The other possibility is simple, they do not care about their kid’s life, and the kids can do literally whatever they want.

The deficit of social communities makes those kids to be lost and centre their energies on the wrong things with wrong friendships.

The complication in all of that, is to understand the clear message and the cry for help from them, and when there is nobody to hear them and ‘help’ them, it is a problem. The kids’ lives Blackness . 53

CULTURE “We are not fighting for integration, nor are we fighting for separation. We are fighting for recognition as human beings...In fact, we are actually fighting for rights that are even greater than civil rights and that is human rights.�

Malcolm X

T

Gracia Maximen, Winner

Photography: Ana Ramos

Miss WOB and Miss Ti Matador Pageant contest Last year Miss WOB and Miss Ti Matador Pageant competition took place at Ilford Sports club on 25th November of 2018.

This annual event came to celebrate the history, the heritage and the culture of

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he Miss WOB and Miss Ti Matador Pageant competition started in 2014 to also promote the tourism not only for all residents of the world but mainly to Dominican people that were born in the UK and never travel due to the financial cost.

Besides the Committee team of this project, each year they are having more young people interested in the events and helping with the organization.

Isaac Eloi, a young Dominican of 26-years-old, decided to take part in this project having heard about it through social media.

“I was looking for Dominica things that were in the UK because all my family is from Dominica and then I ended up stumbling upon it and I wanted to get involved because I'm quite passionate about the culture.

Very few people know that the Miss World pageant is a general thing that happens in Dominica. A lot of people that are in the UK, they're not really aware of it. So, I wanted to get involved in it because I knew a lot of Caribbean people through social media.”

The factor of having young people helping with organization, makes the promotion of the event a lot easier. Instagram and Twitter were two social networks bases for Isaac to share the program but predominantly the event itself, to gain more young people to join the pageant. However, besides all the work, there is still a lack

with traditional and also current Dominica culture, through music and dance.

All of the contestants represented very well the Isle, however, only one could be crowded. The winner was Gracia Maximen, who during the pageant, showed grace and confidence in her answers and poses during all the runways. This is her first

"Very few people know that the Miss World pageant is a general thing that happens in Dominica. A lot of people that are in the UK, they're not really aware of it."

Isaac Eloi of young generations involved in it.

“If there were more young people that would be good to have them in the audience, so, hopefully, that will happen this year.”

The host of the show was Sylvia Smith and she delivered with passion and a lot of humour. Talents like Shania Irish – Downes and others, brought some entertainment

pageant, however, Gracia has been modelling since leaving Dominica. One of the reasons that she participated was to give something back to "Nature Isle of the Caribbean" “It was nice for me the way that, you know, just to give back in a way. And I thought it was 40 years of independence and I wanted to do something positive. To show that it's »

Dominica by the residents from the country already living in the United Kingdom.

The aim is to pass knowledge to the young generations and make them aware of the Culture.

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my culture and it’s entrenched in my veins. I've not lost it. So that's the reason.

I was really pleased that I did it though.”

As an annual event, this year it’s scheduled to be held on October 5th 2019.

The High Commission of Dominica, based in London, urges young persons and parents, to be a part of it.

To ask for information is possible to contact them through visiting www. misswobdwiyetandtimatadoruk. com. To all 2019 contestants, do not forget that winning is not everything. •

“Don't just focus on winning this.

Winning is a bonus, as I said before, but do it in a way to give back. Do it just to represent your culture.Go there, have fun, make friends and just enjoy the experience, which is just so short. And be confident. It's all about confidence.”

Gracia Maximen, Winner of Miss WOB and Miss Ti Matador of 2018

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Blackness . 59

Top10 TV Show Series Directly for all Blackness serieholic, this is the list of Tv shows that you can't lose this year. Different genres, but with a similar

taste. Love or crime, revenge or greatness.

All of these series will definitely improve the quality of your time-outs.

At this moment, GOT is on 8th and final season and the story happens in a mythical land of Westeros where nine families fight to have control of the Seven Kingdoms.

On this battle, there Is no surrender, you win or die, literally.

The story is unpredictable and exciting, however, the only advice is, do not fall in love for no one or you will have heartbreak.

Game of Thrones is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's, a fantasy novel and is produced by David Benioff and Daniel Brett Weiss.

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HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER

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Two of the creators of Glee, Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy with Steven Canals, decided to create a remarkable tv series at the end of the 80s which shows the ball culture and all the challenges that came with it.

Several issues within the LGBT communities are represented by this groudbreaking show.

Evan Peters is part of this cast along with other talented actors that represent brightly, how to be fearless and how to fight your demons.Pose is composed of shade, reflection and rejection and a new season will be released this year on 10th of July.

4 VIKINGS

1

GAME OF THRONES

A group of motivated law students are engrossed in murder and to clean that up, they have the help of their criminal defence professor. After that, the problem is always around them and lying became part of their routine.

Protagonized by Viola Davis, along with Amirah Vann, How to get away with murder is a suspense-driven show which depicts law students and the consequences of their actions.

The creator of this show, Peter Nowalk, is also the creator of “Scandal”, where any problem can be fixed.

At this moment HTGWM finished in February the 5th Season.

3

This series is based on the real story of the Vikings, where they were exploring lands and keeping what they wanted.

Viking is a fantastic story with epic battles and a lot of strong characters which you will fall in love with.

Everything starts with Ragnar Lothbrok and the way that he envisions, fights and conquers, setting a clear path between friends and enemies Produced by Michael Hirst, this historical-fiction tv series is ongoing to the 6th season which will be released in the autumn.

Parents were prepared to have triplets, but during birth, one of them dies. At the same time, someone neglected a baby born in front of a firefighters building. The replacement was more than correct and they decided to adopt.

The adopted kid battles until adulthood because he felt different, just because, he is adopted and black. The other brother gets lost since he was a superstar at college and now he is just a confused actor.

The sister is angry about fighting her whole life with weight issues.

Produced by Dan Fogelman This is Us is one of the best emotional series, showing the struggles of a family and the love that exists.

6 STRANGERS THINGS

POSE

THIS IS US

5

The story occurs in the 80s and takes place in the fictional town of Hawkins. A monster escapes from a laboratory and abducts a boy, but his family and friends do the possible and impossible to get him back.

Strangers Things is a mix of the eighties with the future giving us some nostalgic moments but at the same time that scientificfiction with quality and uniqueness.

Created and produced by The Duffer Brothers they show brilliant skills playing with emotions within the young generation.

We are anxiously waiting for the 3rd Season, that will be released on 4th July of this year. » Blackness . 61

GOOD 7 THE PLACE

8 JANE THE VIRGIN

This tv show graples with the daily ethical and moral values of the humam psyche and how to be a good person.

The Good place is a comedy with a twist. A sinner woman dies and got a spot in the ‘the good place‘ by mistake, and when she realises that, she understands that she is not the only mistake. The story is the fight to maintain the spot at the good place.

It is expected the new 4th season will arrive in September, with plot twists promised!

As the name specifies, Jane is a catholic virgin woman that gets pregnant by a medical mistake.

This show was taken from a telenovela with outrageous plot and characters.

With a mix of Latin, Jane the Virgin tries to balance her love life, with the Catholic values that she was raised. That means that sometimes she doesn’t act for her best interest, but to please her ‘abuela’, grandmother.

Produced by Jennie Snyder Urman, this show was inspired by a Venezuelan telenovela called “Juana la virgin” from Perla Farias.

Jane the Virgin is current in the middle of it’s 5th Season.

After a high school girl committed suicide, she left 13 tapes to one of her best friends giving 13 reasons for her ending her life.

Relations in the high school can be harsh. Teenagers most of the time don’t know their limits and this series shows sharp images related to that.

13 reason why talks about a present-day subject that is acceptance and the consequences of it.

Viewers have been loving or hating, so there is no middle term for describing this show.

Produced by Brian Yorkey.

10 YOU

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13 REASONS WHY

9

A library manager falls in love with a customer and quickly that love becomes an obsession.

This creepy-psychopath series named “You”, shows us how a psychopath behaves and controls situations where the only thing that's matter is what he wants, and he will make sure that he will have it.

Protognized by Penn Badgley and produced by Warner Horizon Television, the first season was based on the book, also named “You” written by Caroline Kepnes.

The good news is, based on the second book, the producers will release a second season still to be announced. • Blackness . 63

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