Butterfly Magazine - Issue 28 - Christmas & New Year Edition

GOODBYE 2020

BLACK TV IN 2021

SMALL AXE-

A STEP FORWARD?

Vol. 1 Issue 28, 18th December 2020 – 7th January 2021

What to Watch

JIMMY

AKINGBOLA

WE ARE NOT RISKS…WE ARE OPPORTUNITIES in conjunction with

Photography: Joseph Sinclair Styling: Carlotta Constant Grooming: ADE @mrTeeBarbers

Over the Holidays

The Black

Candle Credit: asantefilmworx

By Melissa Osborne

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arrated by Maya Angelou and directed

by M.K. Asante, Jr., The Black Candle is a landmark, vibrant documentary that uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience.

A film by award-winning author and filmmaker M.K. Asante, Jr., The Black Candle is an extraordinary, inspirational story about the struggle and triumph of African-American family, community, and culture.

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Filmed across the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, The Black Candle is a timely illumination on why the seven principles of Kwanzaa (unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith) are so important to African-Americans today.

The first feature film on Kwanzaa, The Black Candle traces the holidays growth out of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s to its present-day reality as a global, pan-African holiday embraced by over 40 million celebrants.

With vivid cinematography and an all star cast that features the best and brightest from the hiphop and the civil rights generations, The Black Candle is more than a film about a holiday: its a celebration of a people!

Credit: Christafari

KwanzaA Running from the 26th December until New Years Day (1st January), Kwanzaa celebrates AfricanAmerican and Pan-African culture and society. A Swahili word ‘Kwanzaa’ means ‘first’ and relates to the start of African harvest.

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riginating in 1966, it’s creator, Dr Maulana Karenga introduced this annual festival as a way to celebrate Black heritage and culture. Each of Kwanzaa’s seven days is dedicated to what are known as The Seven Principles, or ‘Nguzo Saba’.

How do you celebrate Kwanzaa?

Activities which focus on family and community are at the heart of Kwanzaa’s festivities. Expect music, poetry, dance, narratives and a feast to feature throughout, with the last day dedicated to reaffirming commitment and a reflection on The Seven Principles. Each day a candle is lit with gifts exchanged on the final day of the holiday, and observers may also decorate their homes with some of the many symbols which feature in Kwanzaa.

What are The Seven Principles and the symbols that represent them?

We are encouraged to define, defend and develop ourselves rather than allow others to undertake this work. Ahenwa, the Akan throne, is the symbol of national identity, cultural groundedness and rightful governance, and it is this symbol that represents the principle of self-determination within Kwanzaa.

Collective Responsibility (UjIma) - to build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together.

Built on the ideal of helping one another, this principle encourages Black people to uplift each other. The corresponding symbol is the Akoma Ntoaso which signifies shared effort and obligation.

Unity (Umoja) - to strive for and maintain unity in family, community, nation and race.

This is the first of The Seven Principles and encapsulates four different aspects which promote unity; family, intergenerational, community and PanAfrican. The Dagi Knot, a symbol found in many African cultures, represents this principle of unity.

Cooperative Economics (Ujamaa) - to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

It is often said that Black people are one of the biggest consumers, but that we sell very little. This principle reminds us to invest in ourselves so that we can reap the benefits of ownership. Two interlocking circles are the symbol of this principle and represents togetherness and family.

Self-Determination (Kujichagulia) - to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and What is Kwanzaa and speak for ourselves.

Purpose (Nia) - to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Legacy and generational responsibility underpin the fifth principle. The Ancient Egyptian symbol of beauty and good represents the principle of Purpose.

how is it celebrated?

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Kwanzaa is an Africaninspired holiday

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Creativity (Kuumba) - to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

The sixth principle of Kwanzaa encourages a commitment to creativity and links to the spirit of creative restoration of Ancient Egypt and of AfricanAmerican’s in the 1960’s. The seven vibrations of divine creation represents this principle.

Faith (Imani) - to believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

The final principle encourages us to continue to have faith in each other and the work that still needs to be done. Imani’s symbol represents commitment to the Good, the Right, and the Beautiful in life, and originates from Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Primary symbols of Kwanzaa The Crops (Mazao) As Kwanzaa signifies the start of harvest, it will come as no surprise that crops are an important symbol during the festival and are a reminder of the rewards of productive and collaborative labour.

The Mat (Mkeka) This symbol relates to African history and tradition which is the foundation of our culture.

The Candle Holder (Kinara) This structure is symbolic of our roots and our parent people - the continental Africans.

The Seven Candles (Mishumaa Saba) Mishumaa Saba directly represents The Seven Principles which are the matrix and minimum set of values which African people are encouraged to live by in order to rescue and reconstruct their lives in their own image and according to their own needs.

Lighting the Kinara During Kwanzaa there is the lighting of the Kinara which holds the seven candles; one black, three red, and three green. The candles represent many things, including the people, the struggle and the future.

The Corn (Muhindi) This symbol represents children and the future they embody.

The Unity Cup (Kikombe cha Umoja) This relates to the foundational principle and practice of unity which makes everything else possible.

The Gifts (Zawadi) Like most celebrations there is an exchanging of gifts. Zawadi symbolises the labour and love of parents and the commitments made, and kept, by the children.

Who is Maulana Karenga the founder of Kwanzaa?

Born in Maryland, USA, in 1941, Maulana Karenga is a professor of Africana studies, and is a prolific writer, teacher and researcher. Karenga has dedicated his professional career to the exploration of Black history and society.

For more information on Dr Karenga go to: https://www.maulanakarenga.org Photos credit: Official Kwanzaa Website

Interview with Maulana Karenga Transform your viewing...

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Contents

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Black BritaIn on FIlm

Cover: Jimmy Akingbola Photography: Joseph Sinclair Styling: Carlotta Constant Grooming: ADE @mrTeeBarbers

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Jimmy Akingbola

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12

This Is Lover’s Rock

What’s on the screen?

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The Black candle

Kwanzaa 6

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Freedom is Mine

The Disruptor

56 Laughter

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Our Third Story Reveals Creations Mystical Connection

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Trinidad and Tobago Christmas Food

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Christmas

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Sports Arrow

ENJOY READING & WATCHING BUTTERFLY Magazine ON YOUR SMARTPHONE

Butterfly Magazine is published by The Lion and the Lamb Media House Ltd, 86-90 Paul Street, London EC2A 4NE , UK. Tel: (44) (0) 203 984 9419

iChurch

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Christmas in Africa

Editor-in-Chief Beverley Cooper-Chambers EDITORIAL TEAM Karen Ferrari Simone Scott-Sawyer Melissa Osborne Editorial Researcher Tasina J. Lewis Marketing Advisor Michael Brown — Social Media Analyst Social Media Marketing AfriBlocks Financial Strategic Advisor Nastassia Hedge-Whyte, MAAT, ACCA,ICAJ Accountants Allen, Robyn & Associates Regular Features Sports Arrow (London) Fayida Jailler (UK) Design Editor Rusdi Saleh Graphics Butterfly logo by Wayne Powell (Jamaica)

All correspondence to info@onyxtelevisionnetwork.com

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THE BUTTERFLY MAGAZINE TEAM

Goodbye 2020

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Butterfly ™ 2015 is the registered trademark of THE LION AND THE LAMB MEDIA HOUSE LIMITED ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction in whole orin part is prohibited without written permission fromthe publishers THE LION AND THE LAMB MEDIA HOUSE LIMITED. No copyright infringement is intended.

Last Word Transform your viewing...

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Credit:BFI

BLACK BRITAIN ON FILM

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THE LIBRARY

What makes you

so strong Warehouses

of Loot Transform your viewing...

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Advertorial

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or many years, money transfer exchange Founders of MoneyFex started asking themselves if it rates offered by banks and dominant was possible to offer much better rates and services? Initially shop-based remittance companies in everyone they talked to thought it was impossible! But they didn’t the West have not change significantly give up. They have carefully studied the entire money transfer with receiving currency value operation and identified many inefficiencies which they believed depreciation. It is estimated that, money could be removed and reduce costs. Armed with senders were losing approximately £20 the belief that they can provide a faster, cheaper “Why Everyone for each £100 transfer because of the and easier money transfer service to the market, is Obsessed with stagnant exchange rates. they started MoneyFex. They have had to fight MoneyFex? Because many challenges and obstacles along the way to The emergence of technology-based we offer the best remittance companies such as Azimo, bring MoneyFex to the market and they did so TransferWise and WorldRemit at the exchange rate and with determination. beginning of this decade dramatically great customer Today MoneyFex is the fastest growing improved the sending exchange service” money transfer service to Africa from the UK rates. This was largely because these and Europe helping thousands of hard-working Dr Louis Anegekuh companies offered their services expats to send money back to their loved ones CEO of MoneyFex through the internet or mobile apps. at much better exchange rates than anyone in The application of these technologies the remittance market. helped to cut the expensive overheads associated The story of MoneyFex is not just a story of good transfer with running agent shops and banks. In so doing, rates, but it is also a story of hope, ambition, innovation and they were able to offer better rates than the latter. above all determination. It’s a story that teaches us not to be By 2015 the average amount lost due to exchange afraid of established brands and giant competitors. You can rates and fees had been reduced to about £10 on a always win against established competitors if you bring better £100 transfer. However, this still meant £10 of hardvalue to the market. earned cash which would not be received by families If you would like to enjoy MoneyFex’s great exchange rate or friends of money senders. Sounds a lot? Yes, it is please visit their website at www.MoneyFex.com according to founders of MoneyFex!

What’s on the Screen?

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Misbehaviour (2020)

Movie Based on True Story of Grenadian Jennifer Hosten, Crowned Miss World 1970.

Credit: Movie coverage

Charlene White makes her Loose Women debut | Loose Women Will Smith’s Red Table Takeover: Resolving Conflict Join Will for a special Red Table Takeover when he sits down for an emotional conversation with Janet Hubert, the original Aunt Viv on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, to resolve their bitter, 30 year-long feud.

Trapped Part 1

Trapped Part 2

CREED

CREED II

Kalistus finds himself in an entanglement with a strange girl. Credit: Yawa

The son of Rocky character Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), Adonis Creed (Jordan), is all grown up and has become a boxer himself.

Credit: Warner Brothers

Queen has moved into Kalistus Apartment and she is refusing to leave. Kalistus must figure out a way to make her leave. Credit: Yawa

Credit:MGM

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Little Woods

First-time feature director Nia DaCosta, who won the Nora Ephron Award when Little Woods premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. Two siblings (Tessa Thompson, Lily James), who reunite during tough times — an unplanned pregnancy, a house foreclosure, their mother’s death — in their small North Dakota hometown.

Credit: Neon/Hulu

Love Doesn’t Have Secrets “Beautifully Insecure”

CANVAS

Too Lickrish

Credit:Netflix

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Credit: Maverick Movies

Enjoy this 4 minute clip of the Barbadian actioncomedy movie, Too Lickrish! Click on the link to watch the whole movie.

Credit: Tolga Akcayli

Sorry to Bother You

Director and writer Boots Riley. This movie is so bizarre, unique, and thought-provoking, and he’s entirely to thank for that. A Black telemarketer (Lakeith Stanfield) who uses a “white voice” (David Cross) to move up at his job only to find out that the CEO of the company (Armie Hammer) is into some extremely weird, uh, business ventures. The whole thing is no-holdsbarred commentary on the ills of American capitalism. Credit: Universal/Hulu

Night Comes On

Angel LaMere is released from juvenile detention on the eve of her 18th birthday. Haunted by her past, she embarks on a journey with her 10 yearold sister that could destroy their future.

Credit: Samuel Goldwyn Films/Indiewire

LUCE

Kelvin Harrison Jr., who stars in as the title character. The 25-year-old actor had two breakout roles in 2019 with Luce and Waves.

It’s a thriller about adopted teenager (Harrison Jr.), whose teacher (Octavia Spencer) is either out to get him after he writes a disconcerting essay, or something else more troubling is going on.

Credit: Neon/Hulu

Marry Us for Christmas A year after Marci and Blair got together at Christmas, they are ready to tie the knot, except that she has been too busy at work to plan anything, and he has been hiding that he’s running out of money.

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Uncorked

Elijah (Mamoudou Athie) must find a way to balance his dream of becoming a master sommelier with his father’s expectations for him to carry on the family’s popular Memphis barbeque joint. Starring Mamoudou Athie, Courtney B. Vance, and Niecy Nash. Written and Directed by Prentice Penny. Credit: Netflix

First Look: David Makes Man Oprah Winfrey Network. Credit:OWN

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Marry Me for Christmas

To appease her family during the holidays, a single woman pretends to be engaged to her employee in this uproarious rom-com.

Credit American Cinema International

No Regrets

After 12 years with her college sweetheart (and none before him), Nina meets a divorced man at her hotel during her 36 hour layover as air-hostess and spends time with him, his daughter and his ex. **This film is under license from Vision Films Inc. All rights reserved** Credit: Vision Films/Movie Central

How To Ruin Christmas: The Wedding What’s worse than having to spend Christmas with your entire family? Having a wedding at the same time. Credit: Netflix

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey – Everything is Possible

A musical adventure and a visual spectacle for the ages, Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is a wholly fresh and spirited family holiday event.

Set in the gloriously vibrant town of Cobbleton, the film follows legendary toymaker Jeronicus Jangle (Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker) whose fanciful inventions burst with whimsy and wonder. But when his trusted apprentice (Emmy winner Keegan-Michael Key) steals his most prized creation, it’s up to his equally bright and inventive granddaughter (newcomer Madalen Mills) — and a long-forgotten invention — to heal old wounds and reawaken the magic within.

Credit: Netflix Transform your viewing...

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The Green Grass’ - A Secret Can Be a Dangerous Thing To Keep

When money, success, and power become your platform it undoubtedly attracts an audience of onlookers; some of who will stop at nothing to get a taste of the good life. But as the plot thickens and the heat intensifies, Shawn’s credibility will most certainly be challenged. He’ll need to dig deep within himself to stop his life from spinning wildly out of control. This thrilling drama will test his limits as he struggles to find the balance between who he is and who he imagines himself to be. And in the aftermath he’ll count up the cost of The Green Grass.

Credit: Maverick Movies

LUPIN Fire and Ice

The host of a late-night talk show (Kadeem Hardison) falls in love with the daughter (Lark Voorhies) of a Georgia politician.

Credit: Reelblack 18

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As a teenager, Assane Diop’s life was turned upside down when his father died after being accused of a crime he didn’t commit. 25 years later, Assane will use “Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar” as his inspiration to avenge his father. A Netflix Original Series only on Netflix, January 8.

Credit Netflix

Steps of Faith (2014)

After moving from the comforts of the big city to follow her dream working with children in a small town, Faith struggles to discover God’s plan for her life. Credit Encourage TV

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A Heart that Forgives

Follow two foster brothers that choose separate paths. Malcolm follows his father’s footsteps and begins pastoring a small church while Silk follows a path of darkness attempting redemption at his own convenience. Credit Encourage TV

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Sally Hemings (2000) | Documentary

Sarah “Sally” Hemings (c. 1773 – 1835) was an enslaved woman of mixed race owned by President Thomas Jefferson. According to the New York Times, there is a “growing historical consensus” among scholars that, as a widower, Jefferson had a long-term relationship with Hemings, and that he was the father of her six children, born after the death of his wife Martha Jefferson, who was the half-sister of Sally Hemings. Four of Hemings’ children survived to adulthood. Hemings died in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1835. – Wikipedia. Credit:reelblack

I Am Not Your Negro

James Baldwin. It’s a documentary based on the writer’s unfinished memoir titled Remember This House. Also, director Raoul Peck, who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Documentary for the film and won the BAFTA in the same category.

What it’s about: Baldwin’s ideas about race in the United States and his memories of the Civil Rights era and leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Credit: Netflix Transform your viewing...

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Johnnie Mae Gibson: FBI (1986)

As one of the first female black FBI agents, Johnnie Gibson (Lynn Whitfield) undercover to trap a gun smuggler, Adam Prentice (Richard Lawson), but her growing emotional involvement in the case worries another undercover agent, T.C. Russell (Howard E. Rollins), in JOHNNIE MAE GIBSON: FBI. Directed by Bill Duke, this made-for-television movie was Lynn Whitfield’s first starring role.

Credit: Out of the Woods/reelblack

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Complexions - Beauty Comes in All Shades

A dark skin aspiring actress is thwarted in love and work all because the color of her skin. When caught lightening her pictures online, her supportive father and light skinned best friend struggle to help her on her journey to love herself.

Credit Maverick Movies

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WIDOWS

Viola Davis planning a heist.

It’s a thriller about four women who plan a heist in order to pay back a crime lord after some of their husbands die during their own attempted heist. Plus: plenty of twists. Credit 20 Century Fox/Amazon

If Beale Street Could Talk

Kiki Layne and Stephan James are mesmerizing in the lead roles. It’s also the follow-up to Moonlight from director Barry Jenkins.

Based on a novel by James Baldwin, the story follows a couple, Tish (Layne) and Fonny (James).

Fonny is jailed for a crime he didn’t commit; meanwhile, Tish finds out she’s pregnant. The film shows their fight to free Fonny and live together as a family.

Credit: Annapurna Pictures/Baldwin 24

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WIGS and SUITS OF ARMOUR

Regina King on the scene that won her an Oscar | IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK | Credit:TIFF 2019

The Hate U Give Amandla Stenberg gives a great performance in the lead role. And a shoutout also must be given to Angie Thomas, who wrote the book the movie is adapted from.

A teen girl (Stenberg) who witnesses the murder of her friend (Algee Smith) by police, and has to decide how react and how to speak out while simultaneously mourning him. Credit: HBO Max

Black America Since Mlk: And Still I Rise | Black Lives Matter | PBS/Apple TV

Henry Louis Gates, Jr. looks at the last 50 years of African-American history — from Stokely Carmichael to Barack Obama, James Brown to Beyoncé — charting the remarkable progress made, and raising hard questions about the obstacles that remain.

The Supa Strikas Credit: Moonbug Kids TV/ Apple TV Our famous Supa Strikas embark on a tough opponent in extreme weather conditions. It’s freezing and it starts snowing heavily, will the Supa Strikas overcome this tough hurdle?

Credit: Moonbug Kids TV/ Apple TV Transform your viewing...

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African Women of the Himba with Superhuman Abilities

Welcome to the ‘Amazing People of Africa’ series where we take a look at the many indigenous people of Africa.

Today we are looking at the Himba people. They are famously known for their color and the red paint they apply. 2nacheki which means ‘We Are Watching’ in Swahili slang.

Credit: 2nacheki

Strong Island

Director Yance Ford, who was nominated for Best Documentary Feature for his work.

The murder of Ford’s brother, William, and how his family coped with the aftermath. William was killed at age 24, by a white 19-year-old, who didn’t end up being indicted by an all-white jury after claiming it was done in self-defense.

Credit:Netflix 26

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LA92

Directors T.J. Martin and Daniel Lindsay, who won the Emmy for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking. Martin is also one of very few Black directors to win an Oscar. He won Best Documentary Feature for his Lindsay’s previous documentary, Undefeated.

What it’s about: The Los Angeles uprising that took place in 1992 following the acquittal of the police who beat Rodney King. It includes footage from the actual uprising, as well as related footage, including previous protests and statements from those in power at the time.

Credit: National Geographic

The Last Black Man in San Francisco

Jimmie Fails, who stars in the film and developed the story, which is based on his own life. The movie is directed and co-written by his long-time friend Joe Talbot. A Black man who is trying to hold on the Victorian home his grandfather built in gentrified San Francisco. Credit: Amazon

Dear…

One person’s story can change the world. From Emmy-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, this 10-part docuseries profiles game-changing icons and the people whose lives they’ve inspired. Credit: Apple TV Transform your viewing...

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Mudbound

Writer/director Dee Rees, who became the first Black woman nominated for the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film. Two families in Mississippi after World War II, one white and one Black. Each family had a member go off to war and as the two men (Garrett Hedlund, Jason Mitchell) return, they each adjust differently due to the racism of the 1940s south. Credit:Netflix

The Oprah Conversation Credit: Apple TV 28

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Black in Space Breaking the Color Barrier / Apple TV- Coming to Smithsonian Channel

The race to get to space is long over, but buried in time is the revelatory story of the world’s first black astronauts. For many Americans, the 20th-century Space Race was a Cold War competition over rocketry and technological feats, but the world’s two superpowers were also engaged in another high-stakes race – one whose impact is still being felt today. BLACK IN SPACE: BREAKING THE COLOR BARRIER examines the crucial moment when America’s history of racial prejudice became a critical vulnerability in the effort to win hearts and minds around the globe. Confronting a Soviet foe determined to show that communism was the face of the future, the U.S. would need a new generation of astronauts.

Credit: Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV

See You Yesterday Screenwriters Stefon Bristol (who also directed) and Fredrica Bailey, who had to balance sci-fi with the seriousness of someone being killed by a police officer.

The duo won the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay for their work. Two science-obsessed teens (Eden Duncan-Smith, Danté Crichlow) who create a time machine and then use it to go back in time to try and stop one of their siblings from being killed by a cop.

Credit: Netflix Transform your viewing...

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Good Man (Official Full Jamaican Movie) Credit: Richard Brown

THE PUBLIC Trailer (2020) Gabrielle Union, Alec Baldwin, Christian Slater Movie Credit:Movie Coverage 30

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IF NOT NOW, WHEN ?

Trailer (2020) Credit:Movie Coverage

Choices (new Jamaican Series) the complete season 1

Choices is about Jigga who was peer pressured in sleeping with a prostitute by his friend Kush.

This is the complete season one. Thanks for everyone who watched the episodes that was previously uploaded. Credit: GeeQueee

Shaggy drops some MAJOR life knowledge!

One of Jamaica’s MOST successful acts chronicles his journey Credit: Yendi Phillips

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Doug Unplugs

Meet Doug, the boy robot who’s taking on the world one curious question at a time. Discover new adventures with Doug Unplugs, exclusively on Apple TV+. Credit: AppleTV

East Africa’s Got Talent Season 1 Episode 1 Credit: East Africa’s Got Talent 32

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Freedom is Mine

Venezuela

BY FAYIDA JAILLER

F

rom 1501 to 1866, an estimated 4.9 million enslaved Africans were trafficked to Brazil, that’s nearly 40% of all slaves traded in the Transatlantic Slave Trade. lIn the 2011 national census less than 4% of Venezuelans self-identified as AfroVenezuelan, putting the population at just over 1,000,000. The largest Afro-Venezuelan population can be found in the region of Barlovento, 100km to the east of the Capital Caracas.

Enslaved Africans began arriving in Venezuela in significant numbers in the 1500s, as the Spanish monarchy began to expand its empire across Latin America. In total, approximately 100,000 enslaved Africans were brought to Venezuela.

Slave rebellions in Venezuela were recorded from as early as the 1530s. One of the most famous black uprisings in Venezuela took place in 1795 in Coro, led by the free man Jose Leonardo Chirino. The rebellion was suppressed, Chirino was executed and his children sold into slavery. However, Chirino has gone down in Venezuelan folklore as a symbol of slave resistance. Nowadays there is an airport named after him and the annual celebration of Afro-Venezuelan day is celebrated on May 10th to commemorate the date his insurrection began.

Afro-Venezuelans played an important role in Venezuela’s fight for independence.

The most famous Afro-Venezuelan Independence fighter was Pedro Camejo, also known as El Negro Primero, or in English ‘the black man who goes first’ because he was reportedly always the first to ride into battle. He was famously killed in action in 1821 in the second battle of Carabobo which eventually led to Venezuela’s independence.

Today Pedro Camejo is a national symbol of bravery and resistance, and there is a statue of him in Plaza Carabobo in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

In 1821, the law of the womb was passed, stating that all children born to slaves would be free. Slavery was officially abolished in Venezuela in 1854 under the Venezuelan president General José Gregorio Monagas.

There are clear African-influences still present in Venezuelan culture today. One tradition that speaks to Venezuela’s African heritage is the religious festival, the Dancing Devils of Corpus Cristi. It is celebrated across the country by eleven different sects or brotherhoods, of which the most famous are the Dancing Devils of Yare and the Dancing Devils of Chuao. It is traditional for all of these sects to dress up in devil costumes and dance.

In 2012 the National Council for the Development of Afrodescendent Communities in Venezuela was formed, also known as CONADECAFRO. The institution works to advocate political, economic and social rights for black Venezuelans and they were involved in passing the Law Against Racial Discrimination in Venezuela.

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lead Story

JIMMY

AKINGBOLA

F

resh from hosting comedy panel show Sorry, I Didn’t Know, Butterfly Magazine caught up with the ever inspiring Jimmy Akingbola for a reflection on his illustrious acting career and a discovery of his work as producer and co-creator of Triforce Creative Network.

By Melissa Osbourne

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S K S I R T O N E R A WE S E I T I N U T R O P P O WE ARE 34

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BM: Sorry, I Didn’t Know was airing on ITV every Tuesday throughout October, what has the response been like?

JA: The response has been amazing! I think it is totally clear that there’s a hunger for this show.

Everybody’s loved it. They feel like they’re being entertained - they’re learning so much important stuff about Black history! Also, it’s a change maker in terms of it’s the first to have female captains, let alone females that happen to be Black as well, and then me in the chair.

BM: A pilot of Sorry, I Didn’t Know was aired in 2016, but wasn’t picked up despite it being presented to different networks. How do you feel about being given a limited run, especially during Black History Month?

JA: I feel so happy! I feel at last! And I am so happy that ITV have supported us and commissioned the series and that they truly believe in it. They let us produce our type of comedy panel show. You don’t have to be Black to enjoy this show and have fun and learn stuff. And I think we’ve achieved that and so we are focusing on that win, and yet the bigger win is that we want to come back for a season two. We’d love 12, 16 [episodes] earlier in the year

and then my ideal scenario is that we come back in October and we do a special for Black History Month and then a single special for Christmas. We just want the show to be treated like all of the other comedy panel shows because it deserves to sit on the TV schedule in it’s own right.

BM: Along with Fraser and Minnie Ayers, you own the production company, Triforce Creative Network, whom amongst other ventures created and produced Sorry, I Didn’t Know. Tell me about what Triforce was set up to achieve and the part you play within it?

JA: Over 16/17 years ago, me and Fraser, we talked a lot about the industry. We were fortunate enough to be working quite regularly, but we could see the problems and the issues that we were talking about even more so now and we saw the issue around diversity, access and knowing the right people way before diversity and inclusion became buzzwords.

Fraser won best actor at the Edinburgh Festival and we’d go to a bar or club and for some reason we were able to bring such a mixture of people, from heads of departments to directors to the ushers, with us to these clubs and bars, and we’d have a really good time.

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What was happening was there was a mixture of fun being had, but also networking. We said wouldn’t it be great if we could create this vibe all year round in London. If you’ve been in the business 10-15 years and you’re great at what you do but you’re not getting the opportunities, there’s only so much time you can tread water, and we created Triforce Creative Network to create that boat so you can sustain your career and you can move ahead. And so over the years we’ve produced programs like MonologueSlam, which is a free actor showcase. As actors we didn’t believe in charging the talent for the opportunities, which didn’t always help our business model, but we really believed in it. We’re artists ourselves and there are too many organisations and cowboy agencies that are taking advantage of creatives and charging them crazy money. So we set up MonologueSlam - we do that across the whole of the UK. I brought it to LA as well, and then we set up WriterSlam which is about helping writers get into TV. We’ve had success stories where writers have gone from their bedrooms to working for Channel Four, ITV, Sky and the BBC. Then the other thing we do is the TriForce Short Film Festival at BAFTA and the BFI, and again that’s all about showcasing talented, emerging filmmakers from diverse backgrounds and putting them in front of gatekeepers. People that can fund their next film. So we’re gonna continue

to do the work, and it’s been a slough, but it’s really nice when you are providing tangible outcomes.

And may long it continue!

BM: You’ve worked on many wellknown British and American shows including Death in Paradise, Arrow and of course, Holby City. Do you feel as a Black British artist that the opportunities to succeed are improving, or is moving to the States the better option for new actors looking to make an impact?

JA: I think that things are very, very slowly improving.

I wouldn’t say that you have to move, but engaging with the States and having that mindset of being an international artist/actor, that is the way to move forward because, I’m very fortunate, I’m working a lot in the UK, but also the facts and the numbers don’t lie. Many of my contemporaries, a lot of the Black actors that I know, a lot of their best work has been an American show or film. I can name so many; Damson Idris, Lennie James, Marianne JeanBaptiste, Eamonn Walker, Joivan Wade - I could go on! And David Oyelowo - I’m not saying anything new. David Oyelowo didn’t want to move his whole family to the US, but after Spooks he said he had to. It is changing though and I’m very positive and optimistic because I’m in a position where I’m playing two leads on two different shows at the moment, Kate & Koji and In The Long Run. Then I’m hosting a panel show. There’s still a lot of work to do, but actually, there’s been a few commissions recently in the last two months of people that I know and I’m very excited for people and excited about the future.

Jimmy with Fraser and Minnie Ayers

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BM: Great! And so when you receive a script, do you feel pressure as a Black actor to portray characters who are a good representation for the Black community?

JA: I would say, yes, unfortunately. Because there is such a lack of characters on our screens. So for me, since the age of 16/17, I’ve always been aware of the lack of representation on screen. And then when people do get opportunities, sometimes the character is not written well, not three dimensional, not well-rounded.

For instance, when I booked the role of Mallick I was very aware of ‘Oh great, I’m playing a doctor’ and at the same time I’m playing a doctor that happens to be gay. For me it was really important to not allow this character to be talking like he was a roadman across the wards of Holby! I didn’t want to stereotype because of the colour of his skin and I didn’t want to play a stereotype because of his sexuality. I was very aware of the impact that’s going to have on my community, especially with the fact that he was gay. That made me want to do it and do it right. In terms of the things we do with Triforce Creative Network, I’m always thinking about the outwards facing thing with my characters, which is sometimes a bit unfair at times, but I can’t do work and not have that at the back of my mind.

BM: There were some great shows for Black History Month back in October, but how do we get more shows with a diverse cast made in the UK?

JA: The major stations need to continue this slight change of attitude that I feel like a lot of people are seeing. There are some great writers out there that have got some fantastic ideas and you need to stop looking at them as risks and looking at them like that’s not going to work because ‘I don’t understand it and we’ve never had it on my channel before.’ Those are the reasons you should be doing it. There’s so many other stories that we don’t get to tell from our prospective and I think it’s about the channels and the broadcasters and gatekeepers really nurturing all the diverse and inclusive talent that we have in this country and sifting through the scripts and pitches and really being aware of who the good directors and writers are because they are all out there. It’s terrible when you see those statements ‘Where are all the …’ It’s really disrespectful to someone that’s been in the industry for 10-20+ years!

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BM: And so, what advice would you give to a Black actor, of any age, who’s perhaps starting out their career and wants the career longevity that you have? Are there any tips or rules on how to move in the UK industry?

JA: Right now, because of where we are, I would say make sure you really want to do it! It’s probably at its toughest point right now to get into our industry. So I would make sure you are getting into it because you are 200% in love with it and believe in it and it’s not just a thing of ‘I want to be famous’

or ‘I just want some attention.’

Even though a lot of actors are like that! I would say go to drama school, if you can afford it and if not then you’ve got a lot of these other drama schools like Identity and other part-time evening courses. And I would say, don’t get caught up in the negativity of the business, because that can really wear you down and affect your spirit going forward. Let other people’s success and winning inspire you to say, if they can do it, I can do it! The rest is a bit of hard work and luck!

BM: Due to the very public murders of Black people in the United States, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and then the pulling down of the Edward Colston statue in Bristol, the world seems to be willing to acknowledge some of the racial inequalities that Black people suffer, do you feel society is moving in the right direction or is this just a phase which won’t last?

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JA: I don’t think this is a phase. I think now the pressure is for everyone, the accountability for all of us is let’s not take our foot off the pedal and all of us together let’s make sure this change is ongoing and not just a purple patch of 2020. Little things like the commercials - some people might not even get that. When I came to the US, you would never see Black people in commercials, but the fact that that is starting to happen in the UK - Loose Women (22nd Oct), seeing Charlene, Judi and Kelly, that was so beautiful! And I think things are slowly changing, but again, it’s that thing of ‘Will we be in this position next year?’ Support each other! And bringing it back to Sorry, I Didn’t Know, it was really nice that ITV didn’t just leave us alone. They really supported us to make the best version of our show.

I’m really proud that we have been supported by ITV and more importantly, we’ve been supported by the audiences throughout the UK and that there’s a demand for this show and they want to see more of it! So please keep hitting up ITV and tell them to give us a season!

BM: My last question Jimmy is, where can we see you next? What do you have in the pipeline?

JA: Kate & Koji season two is happening next year so I’ll be back playing Koji so I’m really excited about that. TriForce Productions are working on some exciting projects: a scripted comedy and a documentary, and we’re really excited that we’ve had some interest about Sorry I Didn’t Know in terms of other countries. And In The Long Run, we’re waiting to hear if we get a season four of that as well so there’s a lot going on, and again, I’m very grateful, and yet I’ve still got my foot on the pedal and there’s a lot of work to be done. BM

TriForce Creative Network

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et up by friends Jimmy Akingbola and Fraser Ayers, TriForce Creative Network was created to support diversity and inclusion within the media. So how can you get involved?

According to Jimmy Akingbola, ‘We set up TriForce Creative Network and we started providing opportunities for actors, writers, producers and crew through a range of initiatives - all designed to address the barriers that people are facing, whether you are from under-representated backgrounds or if you’ve been in the industry.’

MonologueSlam UK This arm of the company provides a showcase for actors. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, events, auditions and their Masterclasses have been put on hold.

Keep an eye on their social media accounts and dedicated website monologueslamuk.com to find out when their free and highly rated events return.

WriterSlam UK Aimed at budding scriptwriters, WriterSlam provides opportunities to turn ideas into fully developed productions. Work has continued this year despite Covid-19 so do check out WriterSlam | The TCN to see what’s on offer.

TriForce Short Film Festival Established in 2012, TFSFF gives novice film-makers the skills needed to succeed behind the camera.

As well as obtaining industry level experience, shortlisted applicants are introduced to movers and shakers in the industry and even have a screening of their film. Go to tfsff.com for more information.

TriForce Productions If you were one of the many people who watched, learnt and laughed through Sorry, I Didn’t Know, then you’re already familiar with the high quality work that TriForce Productions do. Designed with a focus on diversity and inclusion in front and behind the camera, Triforce are determined to create content for mainstream audiences from all backgrounds.

Further projects are in the pipeline so keep a look out and remember to support this innovative company. Check out TriForce Productions | The TCN TriForce Productions Present: Sorry, I Didn’t Know | History with a touch of colour In honour of Black History Month we wanted to share with you the full episode for the first time since it was seen on ITV! Think you knew everything about Black History? Think again!

With Jimmy Akingbola, Jo Martin, Chizzy Akudolu, Paul Chowdhry, Toby Williams, Jimmy James Jones and Judi Love.

Created by Mr and Mrs Ayres Produced by Fraser Ayres and Minnie Ayres Directed by Menhaj Huda Transform your viewing...

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Credit: BFI

SIR STEVE McQUEEN

LOVERS ROCK Q&A | BFI London Film Festival 2020

A

nother in McQueen’s Small Axe collection of vivid memories, political indictments and historical artefacts depicting Black West Indian presence in London. In this edition, it’s a Saturday sometime in the 80s, Samson preps his sound system for Blues dance while Martha shimmies down her drainpipe, and Franklin, drenched in Brut, is primed to steal a heart. Red Stripe costs a pound, sweat drips from the walls as hips lock to the rhythm of lovers’ rock, and souls are possessed by dub vibrations. McQueen’s roving camera and luminous cast spread out and fill the screen. Inviting us to remember, not so much the good times, as the spectres of racism and violence loom, but the risk and reward of letting go for a night.

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Small Axe

– A Step Forward

By Beverley Cooper-Chambers

A

mong the surprises of 2020 was the opportunity to spend five Sunday evenings at 9 pm watching the BBC air ‘Small Axe’, a five-part drama series directed by Oscarwinning Director Sir Steve McQueen. It captivated its audience because it told the Black British story through a different lens. Admittedly, it raised people’s expectations and it left some disappointed but whatever it did it moved Black drama on British mainstream television forward.

Neo- noir, experimental and social realism is how Steve McQueen’s films are described. Having sat through five episodes of Small Axe it is fair to say he has stayed true to his word.

What is Film Noir?

Film noir (/nwɑːr/; French: [film nwaʁ]) is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivation. The five attributes of a film noir are oneiric – a dream-like state, strange, erotic, ambivalent, and cruel.

Mangrove was ambivalent and cruel. It reinforced what is already known about the police and the Black community and the institutional racism that sadly is still around today.

It was cinematically excellent and portrayed the long suffering and passing of time in real time by deliberately being the opposite of the fast paced, high-octane American dramas that has become our daily diet. It was made worse by the fact that for many people it took them back to that time, that place where you can say categorically “I was there”. So it was with high expectations of fun, food, and good music that the audience that grew up to the sounds of Lover’s Rock looked forward to episode two.

Unfortunately, Lover’s Rock failed to deliver and sent the wrong message in spite of winning award from the BFI’s Sight and Sound magazine who ignored the backlash and disappointment which was tangible.

The keywords echoing through the minds of staunch Lover’s Rock participants was “It was nothing like that”.

The dream-like trance, the erotic scene with Black women kissing missed the mark, and the repetitious chanting of ‘Silly Games”, a brilliant song but was not the only one we had around. Also the lack of moral code or generational intermingling was sadly absent.

We did not see the elders in another room or keeping a watchful eye or the men reminiscing and playing dominoes, or being taken food like on a conveyor belt.

Red White Blue, the Leroy Logan story, did not raise the same expectations as the audience was still upset after their disappointment with Lover’s Rock. Nevertheless, Black people are loyal and gave it another look. Again it demonstrated the fight to survive and the racism inside the institution. It heralded the tenacity of Black men and women’s spirit.

This was reinforced in the Alex Wheatle story when abandonment sought to rob him of his future.

Nevertheless, the African saying that it takes a village to raise a child rings true. Alex’s time in prison and the encouragement of the older Rasta man who teaches him to read about his ancestors sets alight a burning fire in his mind for the truth. Jamaica’s National Hero Marcus Garvey’s words had come to pass , if you do not know your past you cannot find your future.

And finally, week five, Education, which is as true today as it was then. The Educationally Subnormal terminology has been replaced by the Pupil Referral Unit of 2020 with its targets, tests, and failure to deliver quality education for Black children. It highlights then, as now, that parents must play an integral part in their children’s lives, engage with them, listen and provide support, ask questions of authority and refuse to stop until you have received a satisfactory response and things change... True to McQueen’s style all of the films ended abruptly leaving the audience asking the question every scriptwriter works to achieve, “What happened next?” More Please!

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Credit: Loversrockthefilm

This is

Lover’s Rock The STORY OF LOVERS ROCK is a feature length documentary tells the story of an era and a music that defined a generation in the late 70s and 80s. Lovers Rock is romantic reggae that was uniquely British. It developed from a small UK scene to become a global brand through the likes of UB40 and Maxi Priest Lovers Rock was particularly influential to a new generation of black British young women and men who identified with this music that reflected their experiences. Female artists like Louisa Marks, Janet Kay, Brown Sugar, Carroll Thompson led a ‘girl power explosion in it’s early phase. The music provided a coping mechanism against a backdrop of racial tension and riots across the UK as well as being a counterpoint to the male dominated ‘roots’ scene.

The film combines live performances with some of the Kings and Queens of Lovers Rock with comedy sketches, interviews and archive material. Interviews include Denis Bovell, UB40, Levi Roots Linton Kwesi Johnson, Angie La Ma, Maxi Priest, Mykaell Riley, The comedy sketches are provided by the likes of Eddie Nestor, Robbie G, Wayne Rollins, Glenda Jaxson. Rudi Lickwood, John Simmit., Annette Fagon.

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At Jojo’s Bangkra we create the most stylish fabric tote bags and accessories for all life’s adventures … so you can ‘Sow your Passion’.

The idea for Jojo’s Bangkra was born out of a desire to see more handcrafted fabric bags in the leisure market that incorporated some of the traditional craft methods used in the past.

We are passionate about our craft and lovers of ‘fabric bags’. We love weaving and mixing different fabric colours, textures, sewing methods, painting techniques and fashioning them into wearable works of art.

Our designs are influenced by the beauty and complexity of the islands as we explore picturesque countryside and comb craggy shorelines cataloging their unique elements to then represent them in our products.

We believe in sustainable practices and support the preservation of traditional craft methods handed down through the ages. We are happy to be able to offer such a product to you our fellow ‘fabric bag’ lovers to express your passion.

Life offers endless possibilities, ‘Sow your Passion’ whatever it may be and soar!

2020 Welcome to the Disruptor

To be a disruptor in business is to create a product, service, or way of doing things which displaces the existing market leaders and eventually replaces them at the helm of the sector. [`the disruptor]

African Renaissance Monument – Wikipedia

Less Talk More Action

may have been a year of challenges, confusion, disappointment, loss, and frustration but some people, descendants of African kings and queens, warriors, and Caribbean game changers decided not to be stifled by lockdown, furlough, universal credit, redundancy, unemployment, bereavement, and loss. Instead, they stepped out in faith, put pride and pain aside, rolled up their sleeves, believed in their God-given talent, their future, and their plans to leave a legacy for generations to come and said “We can do this”- and they did!”

Below are Black-owned business that persevered through rough times and thrived…

101 Black-Owned, U.K.-Based Businesses to Support 44

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UKBOB is now owned by UK-Based BYP Network

75 Black-Owned Businesses You Can Shop Today

Gifts from Black-owned shops

Connecting Black Professionals

I Want You To Know

The Top Platform for Black Businesses

5 Black Online Businesses To Start Supporting In The UK

Discover Amazing BlackOwned Businesses

What Black product or service are you looking for?

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BLACK TV in 2021

THE HIDDEN SCIENCE OF BLACK LOVE

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THE HIDDEN SCIENCE OF BLACK HAIR

bounce tv

kweli tv

ULTRAVISION

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Our Third Story

Reveals Creations Mystical Connection An ancient Prayer of Azariah in the Apocrypha illuminates God’s creation as a mystical expression, blessing, singing, and exalting God forever:

T

he prayer reveals that the worship of God is the life of creation. God permeates existence, seen and unseen, animating every created thing to worship. For of God, and through God, and to God, are all things: to whom be glory forever.

The prayer further illuminates the unity of creation in worship, we experience, in the words of Richard Rohr, ‘radical unity with all of humanity and all of creation, and hence ...the experience of unity with God, who is the Great Includer of all...’

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Kids Praise

Yet our world has become exclusionary. How did it get here? This is the gist of our fourth story forgetting God. Indelibly imprinted on my mind is a speech ‘Men have Forgotten God’ which Alexander Solzhenitsyn, the great Russian writer, delivered in 1983, when he received the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, Solzhenitsyn in London.

He recalled as a child, old folk saying that the reason for the Russian Revolution was because people had forgotten God and that’s why the disaster had happened. He did not believe it.

en.wikipedia.org

”Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Let the earth bless the Lord; let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, mountains and hills; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all that grows in the ground; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, seas and rivers; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, you springs; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, you whales and all that swim in the waters; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all birds of the air; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

Bless the Lord, all wild animals and cattle; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.

“Bless the Lord, all people on earth; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.”

(35, 52-60)

en.wikipedia.org

So, Solzhenitsyn spent 50 years trying to understand the Russian Revolution, clearing away the rubble left by the upheaval. 50 years later, if asked to sum up concisely the main reason for the ruinous revolution that swallowed up some 60 million Russians, he said he could not put it more Descartes accurately than to repeat what he had heard as a child: people had forgotten God and that’s why the disaster had happened.

Solzhenitsyn traced the root to the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution in Europe.

It was epitomized by the French mathematician and philosopher Rene Descartes who wrote of employing science and human knowledge so that “we can... render ourselves the masters and possessors of nature.”

The belief has held sway over the last three centuries that the Earth exists to be exploited by humanity. So science and technology is utilised to overpower nature and harness it to our will.

Though Descartes’ thinking has enhanced the scientific and technological enterprise, it has also radically impoverished the world in terms of its qualitative dimensions of moral purpose and spiritual meaning. Consequently, as Solzhenitsyn judged, it led to secularism, which gave rise to atheistic Soviet tyranny and a spiritually bankrupt Western world.

Elijah McCoy

The Black inventors behind the patents

The Industrial Revolution

The spiritual bankruptcy of the West is the loss of the sacred resulting in the desecration of essential ecosystems by deforestation and despoliation of the oceans in the dumping of wastes and plastics.

The Rt. Revd. Dr. Musonda Trevor Selwyn Mwamba is a lawyer and former banker and was educated in Zambia, America, and England. He trained for the priesthood at St. Stephen’s House, Oxford.

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Guide to Christmas in the Caribbean:

Festivals, Events, Things to Do

L

If you’re planning on traveling to the Caribbean for the holidays, make sure to book your trip way in advance. Airfare and hotel rates tend to be expensive or sold out if you wait too long.

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Credit: Tripsavvy

ike Christians all over the world, Caribbean residents regard Christmas as a joyful time of faith and put their own unique spin on the celebration of Christ’s birth in December. Given that there are more than 7,000 islands across the Caribbean Sea and a variety of destinations, you can spend the holiday anywhere from an elegant popular resort to an off the beaten path locale. And every island has its own way of celebrating Christmas through traditions, music, and special foods. For a memorable holiday, swap your mittens and snow shovels for suntan lotion and palm trees and head to the islands this Christmas.

Credit: the culture trip

A Guide To

Credit: Chef Ricardo

Credit: Prips

Jamaican Christmas Dishes

Ten Commandments of

Jamaican Christmas

Jamaican

Black Fruit Cake

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faith on tv

iChurch

Credit: Transformation Church, Tulsa, USA

Angelic Songs

A Christmas Day Musical Spectacular, complete with original songs, traditional carols, compelling scenes and special effects. The story of Christ as seen through the eyes of the Angels. Airing on our YouTube and Facebook channels at 11.00am on Christmas day 2020!

Shot, Shot,

POW!

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F this Christmas

yippee tv

Okay mammy, show dem how it’s done

Jesus is a Black Man

new faith network

Jesus is My Everything Transform your viewing...

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Christmas in Africa “Each product we feature has been independently selected and reviewed by our editorial team. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn a commission.�

Christmas is often associated with North America and European countries showcasing glowing Christmas light shows, winter markets, parades, and picturesque views of snowcapped mountains. On the other hand, an Africa Christmas does not have a lot of those characteristics but is nonetheless remarkable.

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Christmas

Credit:BOA54

Fun Facts Africa/ How We Celebrate Christmas in Africa: Focus on Nigeria

Little Drummer Boy

(African Tribal Version) Alex Boye’ ft. Genesis Choir

How do you say Merry Christmas in African languages?

• Akan (Ghana): Afishapa • Zimbabwe: Merry Kisimusi • Afrikaans (South Africa): Geseënde Kersfees • isiZulu (South Africa): Sinifisela Ukhisimusi Omuhle • Swazi (Swaziland): Sinifisela Khisimusi Lomuhle • Sotho (Lesthoto): Matswalo a Morena a Mabotse • Swahili (Tanzania, Kenya): Kuwa na Krismasi njema • Amharic (Ethiopia): Melkam Yelidet Beaal • Egyptian (Egypt): Colo sana wintom tiebeen • Yoruba (Nigeria): E ku odun, e hu iye’ dun!

How many African countries celebrate Christmas?

There are 38 countries with a significant population of Christian. Since some dominant Muslim countries like Egypt and Sierra Leone do celebrate Christmas, between 38 and 41 African countries, celebrate Christmas.

Credit: alex Boye

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Relax

LAUGHTER GOOD FOR THE SOUL

Who Are You Friday Just checking

My Favourite Washing Up 56

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Not Jamaican grapes

What Sort of Life?

Nothing new under the sun

I will survive

Down ah Yard 57

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Gratitude Working from Home

Thief

Car trouble

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Visit My House

Woman is the multiplier

Bursting into song

Choices

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Trini Christmas

Is De Best

Trinidad and Tobago

Christmas Food

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Sports Arrow

e s i c r e x e a Bad Man

Credit:Disney

SAFETY

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The Rise of Black Lives Matter | VPRO documentary | 2016 Credit:vpro documentary In 2013 in Sanford, Florida, vigilante George Zimmerman was found not guilty of the murder of 17-year-old African American Trayvon Martin. As a result, the struggle against police violence flared up under the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and turned into one of the biggest grassroots movements in the United States. VPRO Backlight talked to co-founder Patrisse Cullors about the various forms of violence against black citizens, and why resistance is essential.

Paul Lawrence

Black Business Recommendation would like to pay our respects and condolences to the family and friends of one our founder members Mr Paul Lawrence A member of the 100 Black Men of London, Urban Synergy and was the CEO of Jus-Tickets, Paul Lawrence was a forthright man of vision and a powerful advocate, mentor, coach and educator in our Community.

We @ Black Business Recommendation recognise the value you placed in constructive Leadership and will continue to carry the torch in your honour.

You will be missed King R.I.E.P. 62

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IT’S BEEN A LONG YEAR-NO-ONE ESCA but EVERYONE SHOULD BE GRA

Thank God for photographs, films, TV, technolog moments and holds them in hearts As we remember those that made the big scre loved ones who played in the small scree

Credit: Litbolt Trend

g n i y gg a n SSaSyaiyin e y b e d y o b d GGoG o ooodbye

GOODBYE

GOODBYE

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APED UNSCATHED

ATEFUL

gy that captures those s forever. een we hold dear our ens of our lives.

• • • •

Kobe Bryant & his daughter Rocky Johnson, father of the Rock.

Lexii Alijai – rapper Pop Smoke – rapper

• Nikita Peral Waligwa (15) Queen of Katwe • “In Chess the small one can become the big one” • Irrfan Khan - Slumdog Millionaire • Eebow Graham – Foreign Beggars • Chynna Rogers – Rapper • Black the Ripper - Dean West – Rapper • Jimmy Cobb – Drummer • Chadwick Boseman • Tony Morris ITV Granada • Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister, Friday • Marguerite Ray, Young and Restless • Carol Sutton – Queen Sugar & Steel Magnolia • Marcus Garvey Jnr’s son

• Ben Watkins (14) Masterchef Junior • Bert Belasco Let’s Stay Together (38) I’m Dying up Here, House, NCIS: New Orleans, Key & Peele • Anthony Chisholm Putney Swope, Spike Lee’ • Johnny Nash I can see clearly now…

• Millie Small, My Boy Lollipop • Thomas Jefferson Byrd Set It Off, Brooklyn’s Finest, She’s Gotta Have it, and The Last O.G., and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom • Naya Marie Rivera The Royal Family, Glee, At the Devil’s Door • Gordon Case Actor Aggro Seizeman, Muscle beach Party, A Mother’s Journey, The Family Matters, The Public Benefits, Eastenders.

• Georgia Dobbins writer of Motown’s Please Mr. Postman for the Marvelettes.

• Jeremy Hutchins Last Night’s Late Night, The View, 106 & Park, Ice & Coco, BET and Soul Train Awards, Kadi Koated Nights and After trek, Star Trek: Discovery.

• Toots Hibbert • Music for The Harder They Come • Paul Lawrence A member of the 100 Black Men of London, Urban Synergy, CEO of Jus-Tickets, Paul Lawrence was a forthright man of vision and a powerful advocate, mentor, coach and educator in the Community.

• John Lewis – Civil Rights Leader • Charley Pride (86) • Natalie Desselle-Reid Eve , Set it off, Madea’s Big Happy Family, Cinderella, B.A.P.S. Transform your viewing...

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Last Word

TODAY YOU HAVE LIFE

By Sister Audrey

Dear Lord, Thank You for 2020 Thank You for 2021 Nuff Said.

In Jesus’s Name Amen