The Voice Newspaper: July 2025

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JULY 2025 • ISSUE NO. 1968

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A FEARLESS VOICE FOR JUSTICE Courtenay Griffiths KC 1955 - 2025

He mentored, he challenged, he led.

A courageous and principled defender of justice across divides, Courtenay Griffiths KC shattered barriers and inspired many. Since his passing, moving tributes have poured in for one of the most influential legal minds of our time, whose voice spoke powerfully for Black Britain and beyond. ›› p4-5 & 12

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‘Teach the Truth’: Ghana educators demand Britain confront its slave trade legacy

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HONOUR: Dr Beryl Gilroy

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We need more Unity: calls for tournament to be annual event

SPOILS OF EMPIRE: A museum officer adjusts returned Benin Bronzes during a Lagos ceremony marking the Netherlands’ handover of 119 looted artefacts to Nigeria (photo: Getty Images)

Return what was stolen and teach the truth

W

ALKING THROUGH the dungeons of Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, you are hit by a silence that screams. Here, in these suffocating chambers, African men, women and children were imprisoned – stripped of their freedom and humanity – before being forced onto ships bound for slavery in the Americas.

For Kojo Keelson, a tour guide who has spent nearly 15 years telling the story of this brutal place, the message is clear: “We need to learn from the past and make sure the present, the future is better and that the bad thing that happened in the past doesn’t happen again,” he tells The Voice in our feature on Ghana’s Cape Coast Castle in this edition.

But learning is impossible if truth is hidden. That is why Ghanaian educators are calling for Britain to finally teach the full extent of its role in the Transatlantic slave trade in schools.

This is not about guilt – it is about honesty. It is about confronting the reality that Britain built its wealth and empire on the backs of the enslaved.

This issue is 40 pages EDITOR Vic Motune E. vic.motune@thevoicemedia group.co.uk

CORPORATE AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS Paula Dyke E. paula@thevoicemedia group.co.uk

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Paulette Simpson E. paulette.simpson@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk

ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Joel Campbell E. joel.campbell@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk

At the same time, pressure is mounting on Western museums and governments to return the artefacts they looted from African nations during colonial rule.

These stolen treasures – royal regalia, sacred objects, cultural artefacts – are more than historical items. They are the soul of a people.

To keep them locked behind glass in London or Paris is to continue a colonial theft that began centuries ago.

The calls for restitution are growing louder, fuelled by movements to decolonise museums, redress historic injustice, and restore dignity and identity to African and Caribbean descendants.

Campaigners are right: repatriation is not a symbolic act. It is justice in action.

For too long, Britain has clung to these spoils of empire while avoiding an honest reckoning with the past.

That era is ending. The truth must be taught. The stolen must be returned.

Only then can we begin to write a new chapter – one rooted not in denial or erasure, but in respect, repair and truth.

1 2

London’s first Black head teacher, Dr Beryl Gilroy, honoured with Blue Plaque

Family appeal for help to find missing boy not seen in three months. Prince Watson is missing and is from Ealing Black British mother launches festival to help promote authentic Jamaican films

3 4 5 6 7

Rev Clive Foster named first Windrush Commissioner with the aim of delivering justice for victims New hotels now required to provide beach access to Jamaicans

The Reggae Boyz bounce back.

After shock defeat Jamaica keep their Gold Cup hopes alive UK marks Windrush Day with events nationwide. From London to Leeds, communities across the country will host celebrations

8 9 10

Marcus Fakana pleads for early release from Dubai prison Former boxing champion James Cook dies after cancer battle

Guyana is only country in the world that produces enough food to feed itself without imports

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JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 3

News Feature

PRINCE AMONG MEN

Prince Albert Jacob is a symbol of a generation that helped shape modern Britain. By Vic Motune

A

T 100 YEARS OLD, Prince Albert “Jake” Jacob has lived through two worlds – one that didn’t expect much of him, and another he helped to build.

Born in Port of Spain, Trinidad in 1925, Jake is one of the few surviving Caribbean RAF veterans from the Second World War. His life spans war and peace, injustice and persistence, and the long journey of Britain’s Windrush generation – of which he is a proud, early member.

Jake joined the Royal Air Force in 1943 at just 17 and a half, after being sent to Jamaica for selection. From there, he travelled to the United States for specialist training and then to Liverpool to begin military service in Britain during the height of the war. He was posted to RAF Kirkham in Lancashire and later

HOSTILITY: Jake and Mary Jacob on their wedding day in 1953.

The couple remained devoted to each other for more than 70 years

served at other sites including RAF Burtonwood and RAF Carlisle.

As part of the ground crew, Jake played a vital role in keeping aircraft airworthy and ensuring the flow of supplies. But like many Black servicemen, he would have to wait decades for official recognition.

“I waited and waited… then my neighbour… wrote the letter…and would you believe it? To my surprise it came,” Jake recalled in an interview with BBC News after finally receiving his War and Defence medals and veterans’ badge years later.

When the war ended, Jake returned to Trinidad hoping his RAF skills would help him find work at the airport. Instead, he was met with rejection.

In 1947, a year before the arrival of the Empire Windrush, he returned to Britain.

But the country he had served in uniform was still deeply hostile to Black people.

He returned to RAF Burtonwood to study at its technical college. It was there he met Mary, a White shorthand student from Lancashire, who was impressed by his recitation of Shakespeare.

They married in 1953 despite fierce disapproval, including from Mary’s father.

Their early years were marked by hostility. The cou-

HERO: RAF veteran Prince Albert “Jake” Jacob, at the age of 100. He is one of the last surviving Caribbean airmen who served in the Second World War; above, in his RAF uniform

ple faced racist abuse on buses, and landlords refused to rent them rooms. Jake was unable to take out a mortgage in his own name. “The first few years of her marriage were ‘hell,’” Mary said in a later interview.

Yet they stayed together and built a life in Birmingham, eventually settling in Knowle. Mary became a deputy headteacher. Jake joined the

Post Office, rising through the ranks Games in Israel, taking silver in the to become Inspector at Acocks 100m and helping the relay team to Green, supervising a team of 120. a second-place finish. After retiring Outside of work, Jake found suc- in the 1980s, Jake continued serving cess as a sprinter. In 1949, he began others, volunteering for the probacompeting in Midlands athletics, tion service and helping to superwinning several Worcestershire vise community service placements sprint titles. in local care homes.

A year later, he represented Great He has travelled extensively – to Britain at the 1950 Maccabiah Canada, Texas, Spain and back to

Trinidad – and remains a figure of quiet pride within his community.

His story is part of a wider legacy of Caribbean men and women who answered Britain’s call in its time of need, only to return to a country that did not always welcome them and Jake’s life is a reminder of their resilience.

As he marks his 100th birthday this month, Jake Jacob stands not only as a veteran of war, but as a witness to a century of change – and a symbol of a generation that helped shape modern Britain.

Sharing his thoughts on how Britain has changed, he told The Voice: “It’s great to know you’re still going, to see what’s happening in the world but instead of the world being as pleasant as I would like it everything seems to be going in the opposite direction.

“Respect and discipline seem to have gone and it seems a frightening world. Happiness seems to be going pretty fast and it’ time someone can take over and put what’s going wrong right.”

SUPERMODEL CALLS FOR MORE BLACK HERITAGE BLOOD DONORS INTERNATIONAL supermodel Jourdan Dunn gave blood at the capital’s newest blood donor centre in Brixton, south London, last month, to mark World Sickle Cell Day and raise awareness of the debilitating condition.

West Londoner Dunn, 34, has teamed up with NHS Blood and Transplant to highlight the urgent need for more Black heritage blood donors to come forward to help treat sickle cell patients.

The model has a very personal reason for championing the cause – her teenage son Riley is one of the country’s 18,000 sickle cell patients who rely on blood transfusions from Black heritage donors

to live with the condition. Sickle cell is the country’s fastest growing inherited blood disorder that disproportionately affects Black African and Black Caribbean communities. NHSBT Data suggests that in the UK around 250 babies a year are born with the condition.

The service currently needs to recruit 16,000 new Black heritage blood donors this year to meet the growing need.

Regular blood transfusions form the first line of defence against the condition, with patients responding best to donations containing the Ro blood type, that is significantly more prevalent in donors of Black heritage.

More than half (56 per cent) of donors of Black heritage are likely to have the Ro blood type, compared with just 2.4 per cent of other ethnicities.

Jourdan said: “As a mother who has seen her child battle sickle cell, I am committed to doing all I can to help him, and the thousands of other people with the condition, have the best chance to live a full and healthy life.

“That’s why I donated blood in Brixton and am asking the Black community to register to do the same. I’m incredibly thankful to the record numbers of Black donors who have given blood in Brixton and across the country, but as

numbers of sickle cell patients increase, so too does the need for more donors to come forward.

NHSBT Director of Donor Experience Mark Chambers said: “Jourdan’s support will hopefully encourage others to follow her lead and spare an hour of their time to make a lifesaving difference.”

The Brixton donor centre is inviting the public to register to become blood donors and make a donation. Currently there are 22,000 appointments available across London.

To speed up the process, potential donors can register via the NHSBT app, visit: Blood.co.uk or call: 0300 123 23 23.

BACKING: Jourdan Dunn is helping to save lives

4 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

TRIBUTES FOR COURTENAY GRIFFITHS KC

Courtenay Griffiths KC, who fought fearlessly for justice and equality, has been honoured by colleagues, friends and admirers from across the UK and around the world in the wake of his passing last month

Matthew Ryder KC

Courtenay Griffiths KC, a giant of the Criminal Bar and one of the world’s most revered trial advocates, died last month, age 69, following a period of illness.

It is almost impossible to convey the impact Courtenay had on the legal profession, particularly barristers and especially Black barristers.

I first met Courtenay when I was still at university, hoping to have a career at the Bar. His cleverness, confidence and charisma were obvious.

Despite his seniority, he was generous and welcoming.

He treated all aspiring Black lawyers as if we were his younger brothers and sisters, keen to let us know he was there for us. Dozens of legal figures – including those who are now themselves KCs or judges – still describe him as their most important role model and mentor.

Courtenay was born in Jamaica in the 1950s and followed his parents to the UK as a young child. Like many Windrush generation children who grew up in England, in conversation he slipped regularly between standard English and Jamaican patois.

His deep, rich voice unashamedly reflected both his childhood in Coventry and his proud Jamaican heritage. But

most Black barristers of Courtenay’s generation also had a “court voice” – an almost cartoonish upper class English accent they put on in court, hoping that playing that game would endear them to judges and somehow soften the racism they faced.

Courtenay didn’t play that game. He did not put on the silly accent. He was defiantly the same person in court as he was out of court and as an advocate, he was confidently himself. For younger lawyers like me, his authenticity was utterly inspiring. Courtenay succeeded on his terms. We all wanted to do the same.

Of course, he also succeeded because his advocacy was brilliant. Courtenay often spoke admiringly of another great advocate, his friend Rudy Narayan,

“There was no one like him. He is impossible to replace. He will be deeply missed”

- Matthew Ryder KC

the Guyanese / British barrister and activist, who died in 1998.

While Narayan was known for his passion and fire, Courtenay’s hallmark was the opposite: controlled, focused, authority (but always with a little added seasoning).

Courtenay was a master of his craft. He worked magic in trials and could mesmerise juries.

As his career progressed, his reputation spread across the UK and eventually across the world. Everywhere I have travelled, particularly in Africa, the Caribbean and the US, the one barrister people have heard of – from senior politicians to community activists – is Courtenay Griffiths KC. He was that good.

Like so many who Courtenay mentored, I am now holding on tightly to the incredible stories and wonderful memories I have of him.

I can still see him at his favourite court, London’s famous “Old Bailey” in his immaculate barrister’s robes or in a perfectly tailored suit.

He looked more like a 1950s jazz musician than a stuffy barrister – style, swagger and steeliness.

But I can also picture him sitting in his attic study in Lewisham listening to his beloved reggae collection, or imagine him deep in a political debate around the kitchen table – with the soft twinkle in his eyes and his gentle, calming tone that reminded everyone of their favourite uncle.

There was no one like him. He is

impossible to replace. He will be deeply missed.

Jacqueline McKenzie, Partner, Leigh Day

News of Dr Courtenay Griffiths KC’s passing is both painful and shocking, despite knowing he was ill.

That he was only 69 years old, and still a leading light of the British Bar, compounds the loss. There are a few people I owe my own career in law to. Courtenay was very much near the top of this list, such was his grace with time and advice when I approached him for his opinion on the challenges for a Black woman entering the profession after 25 years of a different career.

I last saw Courtenay in July 2019 when we were panellists at a colloquium organised by the British Foundation of the University of West Indies, at the Trinidad & Tobago High Commission, on the Windrush Scandal and Hostile Environment.

Courtenay was unwell then but masked this with his brilliance. We planned to examine the Windrush scandal further, but the pandemic arrived, and after that, we both got bogged down with our work.

Through his legal practice, Courtenay acted in major criminal and human rights cases, in the UK and overseas, and leaves an indelible mark of achievement on our profession, particularly as a champion of human rights.

Of all the things I’ve heard said

about him since his passing, the most telling was how many people of African and Caribbean heritage attributed their own career paths to him, and how many said that seeing him on the international stage when he represented Charles Taylor, a former president of Liberia, at the International Criminal Court, made them all believe they too could aspire to great heights.

Lord Simon Woolley of Woodford, Principal Homerton College Cambridge

For nearly three decades, I had the privilege of knowing and admiring Courtenay Griffiths KC – a man who stood at the intersection of brilliance, courage, and uncompromising integrity.

Since co-founding Operation Black Vote almost 30 years ago, I’ve witnessed firsthand and from afar how Courtenay became not just a leading barrister but a symbol of hope, pride, and possibility for countless Black Britons.

Courtenay wasn’t just a lawyer – he was our champion. He looked the part: sharp, confident,

and composed. He sounded the part: eloquent, persuasive, and unflinching. But most importantly, he lived the part.

Whether defending the most marginalised or challenging the structural injustices woven into British society, Courtney brought an unmatched fierceness to the courtroom and a fierce love for justice to every case he took.

When we would meet at functions, he would regale me/us with his courtroom dramas and behind-the-scenes shenanigans His rise to the top of the legal profession was nothing short of extraordinary, not least because he did so in a system that so often tried to shut the door on people who looked like him.

His achievements were not simply individual; they were deeply collective.

Every young Black student who dared to dream of wearing a wig and gown did so because Courtenay Griffiths had already walked – and commanded – that path.

Perhaps his most publicised work was his defence of Charles Taylor at The Hague – a choice that sparked debate but underscored Courtenay’s commitment to the fundamental principle that everyone deserves a fair trial.

He knew the difference between defending a cause and defending a person’s right to justice, and

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 5

Courtenay Griffiths 1955-2025

ROLE MODEL: Beyond the courtroom, Courtenay was known for his warmth, generosity, and infectious sense of humour; above, in full court dress — a trailblazer who rose to the highest ranks of the legal profession with brilliance, courage, and integrity (main photo: Getty Images)

he never wavered, even under immense scrutiny.

But beyond the global headlines, Courtenay’s legacy is deeply rooted in the UK. He broke barriers at the Bar, mentored young Black lawyers, and used his platform to speak out against institutional racism with clarity, authority, and fearlessness.

His voice, his presence, his example – they changed the narrative of what was possible for Black people in Britain. In every courtroom he entered, and every young mind he inspired, Courtenay Griffiths left his mark.

He was, and will always be, our advocate.

Rest in power, Courtenay.

Stephen Akinsanya, barrister

In the early 1990s, I was part of a group of young Black barristers just starting their careers, who would meet every Friday to share experiences and hopes for the future. The names of Rudy Narayan and Courtenay Griffiths KC, our legal heroes, gave us hope.

Courtenay Griffiths KC was more than a barrister, he was a force. He was one of the first Black men appointed Queen’s Counsel in this country and he brought to the Bar a sharp mind, a silver tongue, and above all, a deep, unyielding commitment to fairness in the face of injustice.

His courtroom presence was magnetic – commanding, eloquent, deeply principled. He spoke not just with authority, but with conscience.

“He broke barriers at the Bar, mentored young Black lawyers, and used his platform to speak out against institutional racism with clarity, authority, and fearlessness”

- Lord Simon Woolley of Woodford

From UK trials to The Hague, Courtenay championed justice for the unheard. A generous mentor and steadfast advocate, he opened doors that were long closed and inspired all who had the privilege to know him.

Many of us walk through legal corridors today because he paved the way – with brilliance, courage, and uncompromising integrity.

As we say goodbye, we remember not only his

extraordinary career, but the moral force behind it. Dr Courtenay Griffiths KC leaves behind a legacy not just in judgments and jury verdicts, but in lives changed, minds awakened, and a profession made better because he dared to be different.

Lee Jasper

In my late twenties, as a young Black radical, I met a newly qualified barrister named Courtenay Griffiths.

Already seen as the heir to Rudy Narayan, he joined forces with us at National Black Caucus (NBC), working alongside Peter Herbert and the Society of Black Lawyers to expose the systemic racism and miscarriages of justice facing our communities.

Courtenay was razor-sharp, funny, grounded – and deadly serious about justice. His presence inspired a generation.

He brought radical politics into the courtroom and made the establishment uncomfortable.

As junior counsel to Michael Mansfield KC, he played a key role in the second Mangrove trial, defending Frank Crichlow against a police conspiracy involving 143 officers – including the Commissioner. Eleven people were arrested, tried separately, and all were acquitted. The police had planted 100 per cent pure heroin and cocaine. Frank didn’t even smoke.

One of the UK’s first Black QCs, Courtenay led landmark cases with global impact – but remained devoted to mentoring young Black

lawyers and driving change across the legal profession.

He was a giant – intellectually, politically, and spiritually.

I send my heartfelt condolences to his wife Angela and his family.

Every time I think of him, I smile.

May he receive a thousand garlands from the ancestors as he ascends.

Rest well, beloved.

Christine Giscombe, Founder, Born to Excel

My dear friend Courtenay. You have finished your race, and what an incredible legacy you have left behind.

I will always remember your infectious smile. You were the great encourager; always seeing the best in others and helping us see it in ourselves.

You pushed me to believe in bigger possibilities, to take steps I wasn’t sure I could take. You told me I could shine in rooms where no one else looked like me, and because of you, I dared to try.

I remember visiting you at the Old Bailey nearly 21 years ago. I came to speak to you about a role at a leading set of chambers that I was thinking of applying for; a move I was hesitant to make.

But you, as always, believed in me. You told me I had the skills, the confidence, and the experience to not just do the role, but to thrive in the role. I took your advice, I accepted the role, and I have never looked back!

Though we didn’t see each other often, every time we did meet, it was as if no time had passed. You

would check in on me, share your brilliant stories, and remind me of what truly mattered. You lived life with humility, strength, and joy and you always made time for others.

I am here today because I stood on the shoulders of a formidable man; a friend who dared me to dream.

Courtenay, I will miss your smile, your chuckle, your wisdom, and your unforgettable tales of life at the Bar. Your presence lit up every room, and your belief in others changed many lives including mine.

Sleep well, my dear friend.

Though you may be gone, your legacy lives on, not only in me, but in the countless lives you touched.”

Claudia Webbe Former UK Member of Parliament for Leicester East (2019-2024)

“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Courtenay Griffiths KC. I knew him from a young age as I navigated my early role as a community and political organiser and activist.

Dr Courtenay Griffiths KC was not only a towering figure in the legal world but also a cherished friend whose warmth and generosity touched everyone fortunate enough to know him.

His distinguished career as King’s Counsel was marked by a

fierce dedication to justice and a deep commitment to the highest standards of his profession.

Courtenay was a beacon of excellence, courage, and integrity in the legal profession.

Watching him command the courtroom with eloquence and conviction, I saw not just a barrister, but a leader whose unwavering commitment to truth inspired.

His oratory, knowledge and wisdom was sharp. Yet, beyond the courtroom, it was his compassion, humour, and unwavering support that defined him – always ready with a listening ear, wise counsel, or a word of encouragement when it was needed most.

When I gave my maiden speech in Parliament, he was one of the first to extend his congratulations, clearly expressing his admiration and love for my presentation. As a fierce critic and one of the most skilled orators, his praise felt like a massive reward.

From humble beginnings to the top of the Bar, Courtenay’s life embodied resilience and justice. His spirit and legacy will continue to inspire and comfort those who knew him.

My condolences to his family and loved ones. continued on page 12

6 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

News Feature

‘EVERYONE NEEDS TO LEARN ABOUT SLAVERY’

HAUNTING: Tourism professional Felix Nguah in front of the Door of No Return at Elmina Castle (photo: Leslie Latchman)

L

EADING EDUCATORS in Ghana are calling for Britain to teach the truth about its brutal role in the transatlantic slave trade.

Ghanaian history experts say it’s time for slavery to be mandatory on the national curriculum and taught in UK schools, so there is no longer a denial about the role Britain played in enslaving millions of African people from west Africa.

Kojo Keelson is a leading tour guide of the Cape Coast Castle – one of the largest former slave castles used to imprison and dehumanise African people before they were enslaved and trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean.

Speaking to The Voice, during a tour of the former slave dungeons in the Cape Coast Castle, he said: “It is good this is still standing because this is empirical evidence of what happened.

“Everybody needs to learn irrespective of race, religion

EXCLUSIVE: Former slave castles in Ghana offer a stark reminder of the horrors inflicted on thousands of innocent Africans. By Sinai Fleary or whatever, we need to learn about slavery.”

He added: “We need to learn from the past and make sure the present, the future is better, and the bad thing that happened in the past doesn’t happen again.

“It’s sad, but I believe that we all have to know the history so we can learn from it.”

Cape Coast Castle is one of the few remaining slave castles in Ghana, once the final stop for millions of Africans before being forced onto transatlantic slave ships.

Built by the Portuguese in 1555 and later expanded, it saw up to 1.5 million Africans trafficked through its walls – many from neighbouring

countries like Benin and Togo.

Only about half survived the journey. Rising sea levels and climate change have destroyed many similar sites.

Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the castle serves as both a stark reminder of Europe’s brutal role in slavery and a place of reflection for visitors and locals alike. According to the Ghanaian tour expert, the slave dungeons initially started off as a “very small slave fort”, but it was Britain who was responsible for developing the dungeons into the massive castle-like structures which still stand facing the ocean.

“Everything you see here was built by the British,” Keelson added, while speaking to The

TRIBUTE: Cape Coast Castle tour guide Kojo Keelson explains why a shrine has now been placed in one of the slave dungeons (photo: Leslie Latchman) Voice, in a male slave dungeon in the Cape Coast Castle. “It took the British more than 100 years to build this and they did use the enslaved Africans to build a structure.

“For close to 200 years, many Africans were trafficked from here to the Americas, the Caribbean and enslaved on the plantation farms there.”

The castle had a 24-hour communication room to alert enslavers of arriving ships and potential threats.

A 70-metre underground tunnel connected the slave chambers to the sea, designed to prevent escape.

This system supported the brutal operation that stripped millions of Africans of their

culture, identity, and humanity.

He added: “They were using the tunnel as a passage. Whenever the slave ships came to the beach, the men in the dungeon, were not moved or taken out through the main entrance, to walk in the courtyard.

“Rather the soldiers moved or walked the male captives through the underground tunnel still in the shackles, all the way to the beach, where they were forced into the ships before they were taken away to the Americas and the Caribbean.”

Felix Nguah is an awardwinning tourism professional in Ghana, who provides tours of Elmina Castle, another major former slave castle on the coast of Ghana.

Speaking to The Voice, at Elmina Castle, he said: “When the slave trade was abolished, the British used the castle to trade the West African Frontier continued on page 8

JULY 2025

THE VOICE | 7

Photo News

Winners Circle celebrates Event marked the beginning of a powerful new platform dedicated to Black men

History making: Attendees at the celebration event

O

N FRIDAY 27th June, the Community, Corporate & Culture Group (the team behind the CCC awards) proudly hosted the first-ever Winners Circle event at The Lighthouse in Kings Cross,

London.

The event marked the beginning of a powerful new platform dedicated to celebrating Black men, fostering meaningful connections, and dismantling the gatekeeper mentality that often stifles collective growth.

The Winners Circle is designed to be a safe, uplifting space where men can inspire, support, and create opportunities for one another, moving away from competition towards collaboration. It stands as a bold statement about the importance of building community-led

networks that enable all to prosper.

Speaking on the event’s purpose, co-founders Mahari Hay and Mexy Thomas said: “This space is needed for men to connect, inspire and work together to eliminate the gatekeeper mentality and create opportunities for us to all prosper.”

The evening brought together a distinguished group of leaders and change-makers, including Dean Forbes (high-profile entrepreneur and CEO), Darren Lewis (renowned journalist), Troy Townsend MBE (anti-racism campaigner and football equality advocate), and Andrew Isama (Master of Economics at Eton College). Their presence highlighted the cross-generational importance of this initiative and the power of representation at

every level.

The event was not just about networking — it was a moment of authentic dialogue, empowerment, and actionable takeaways, with a clear focus on legacy-building and breaking down barriers that often limit access for Black men in various industries.

Following the success of the inaugural gathering, Mahari and Mexy plan to continue The Winners Circle as a regular series of events, creating ongoing spaces where men can grow, support each other, and celebrate Black excellence.

Contact: info@thecccawards.com for more information

8 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

News Feature continued from page 6 Force (WAFF) who went to India to fight on the side of the British. Then after the Second World War the castle was used as a police training school.”

Nguah is also a co-author of Shackles in Darkness: A Handhook on the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade along with Ribert Kofi Kugbey.

Nguah added: “Sugar was a very expensive product and it was only the aristocrats who could afford it.

“Possessing sugar was associated with power and at the time sugar was used for food preservation, for sweeter and food decoration.”

He explained that sugar which was being consumed by Europeans was initially being produced in Turkey and Egypt in the 7th and 9th centuries.

“Europeans did not come into sugar production until the 12th Century, when they came on their crusades.”

Meanwhile, Keelson has been a tour guide for almost 15 years and holds a degree in African studies.

He wants important details to be known by the public and diaspora and believes history should not be whitewashed, but used as a powerful educational tool.

The Cape Coast Castle dungeons once held up to 1,000 enslaved Africans in dark, airless conditions for months.

During The Voice’s visit, a pungent stench – decomposed sweat, blood, and waste – still lingered, a haunting reminder of the horrors endured there.

Describing life inside the dungeon, he said: “They were told to urinate down on the floor, they stayed in the waste.

“We see a small drain, it was created in the first chamber, it was created for the urine of the captives to run through all of the chambers.

“The captives were given food twice a day, in the morning and the evening, the food was put in their palms.

“The British were holding the captives in the dungeons for between two weeks to three months while waiting for the slave ships to come.

“There were lots of captives dying in here; when one dies the body is taken out and thrown into the sea.

“The original floor in the slave dungeons would have been bricks, but all that we are standing on is decomposed human waste.

“So the faeces, the food waste, the vomit of the captives held here with time, it has covered over the bricks and this is what has decayed into this.”

Keelson told The Voice, that a traditional shrine – which is overlooked by a priest – has been placed in one of the former slave dungeons as locals were prevented by Europeans

from having access to the sacred land where the castle now sits. He explained: “After independence, the people wanted the land back and for that to happen the Ghanaian government would have had to demolish the slave dungeons.

“But the government was like ‘no they cannot demolish this for history’s sake’ they would rather give a space for the people to build a shrine.”

When entering the dungeon with the shrine, the tour guide says “Agoo” three times, which is a call for attention commonly used by the Akan people of Ghana. Keelson insists wherever there is a shrine, you must “knock” or “seek permission” from the ancestors before you enter.

“The Agoo was me knocking out of respect for the tradition of the people,” he added.

Within Cape Coast Castle, enslaved Africans who resisted were subjected to brutal punishment. “The males… rebelled and fought for their freedom,” said Keelson. “These freedom fighters were taken out of the dungeon quickly and beaten… then put in [the punishment cell] almost half dead.”

Locked behind three doors with “no food, no water, no air,” captives were left to die.

“A maximum of five men” were held at a time “to put fear in the others,” Keelson explained. “They make them see the dead body… to tell them ‘if you are to try escape… this will happen to you’.”

The conditions were so horrendous in the punishment cell that within a week the captive would die, according to Keelson. Women who attempted to fight for their freedom or resist rape from the enslavers, were placed in an equally harrowing female punishment cells for women – where up to ten women were locked inside at a time.

He added: “A woman could be in for a week, they starved the woman, the intention was not to kill.

“They valued the woman more than the male, the woman could carry a child, give birth, because it would simply mean more people to enslave.

“The idea was to starve the woman, to break her, but for the men, they kill him in order to break the others.”

REFLECTING: Isaac Kokou Aziawo, Intrepid Tour leader, says slavery brutally interrupted Africa’s development and progress; far right, Cape Coast Castle’s coastline was once a central point for slavery, but it is now a bustling fishing area (photos: Leslie Latchman)

HAUNTING: Cape Coast Castle where up to 1.5 million African people were held and enslaved before being trafficked across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the Americas; below, inside the slave dungeon which would hold hundreds of people inside for up to three months; the “Door of No Return” symbolises the trauma of slavery – family separation, lost freedom – but also the enduring strength and resilience of those who survived (photos: Leslie Latchman)

Women and children Keelson told The Voice, when women and children died in the slave dungeons, before boarding ships, their bodies were taken out and thrown carelessly into the ocean also.

He said: “Some women were brought in pregnant and they gave birth in here. When the ship came, the woman is taken with the baby, if the baby survives, he or she grows up enslaved. On the slave ship there were mothers with their oneweek, one-month old babies.”

Sexual assaults African women were subjected to vile sexual assaults during slavery and often were cruelly separated from their babies.

Keelson said: “There was also the case of women who got pregnant through rape.

“If the pregnancy is seen before the ship arrives, it is likely the woman might be taken out, she stays and she gives birth.”

After giving birth, women were sometimes allowed to

breastfeed and care for their baby until they reach one year old, but in many cases the woman would be taken and the child would stay.

He explained: “The mixedrace kids were raised in the slave dungeons. Western education was introduced for the mixed-race kids, they opened the schools for them.

“They grew up in these slave dungeons and some married in nearby towns and started families. In Ghana, the towns around these slave dungeons you find families with European surnames, Some of these families were started by those mixed-race kids of women who got pregnant through rape.”

However, for many mixedrace babies they grew up enslaved along with their African mothers.

He added: “For many of these women, the pregnancies were even discovered while on the ships and there was no way the ship was going to turn back. So if the women gave birth over

there (the Caribbean or Americas), the baby is mixed race, but he or she grows up enslaved.”

Isaac Kokou Aziawo, a trip leader for Intrepid Travel, told The Voice that Africa’s development was severely disrupted by slavery. “We would have come out with our own science… our own technology… but because of the slave trade it delayed everything,” he said. He believes sugar consumption played a major role: “What triggered slavery was the consumption of sugar… they needed to produce more sugar cane… [but] that is not a reason to capture human beings for your profit.”

Cape Coast Castle’s “Door of No Return” marks the final exit point for millions of enslaved Africans. Keelson explained: “The name is symbolic, no one came here willingly… they were trafficked to the Americas and the Caribbean… and they never returned home.”

Today, the beach beyond the door is filled with local fishermen, and a new sign on

the other side of the door reads “Door of Return” – a moving reminder to the diaspora of ancestral loss and the power of coming back.

As the tour of the castle comes to an end, Keelson tells The Voice: “This door is now a symbolic gateway for Africa for all our brothers and sisters in the diaspora or the descendants of the enslaved Africans.

“All we are saying to them is Akwaaba (which simply means “welcome” in Fante), we are welcoming them home to the motherland.” l You can visit the Cape Coast

Castle on Intrepid’s special Benin, Togo & Ghana Adventure, an insightful 15-day trip led by knowledgeable local guides through the three neighbouring west African countries.

The adventure includes accommodation, guides, some meals, activities and transportation.

Voice reporter Sinai Fleary travelled to Ghana as a guest of Intrepid Travel

JULY 2025

ADVERTORIAL

THE VOICE | 9

Special Feature

Planning to settle in the UK for good?

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ILR gives you the right to live and work in the UK permanently, access healthcare and benefits (if eligible), and enjoy a more secure immigration status. If you’re married to a British citizen, you can usually apply for citizenship straight after getting ILR. Otherwise, you’ll typically need to wait 12 months. British citizenship brings even more benefits. You can vote in all UK elections, apply for a British passport, and sponsor family members to come to the UK more easily. Most importantly, while ILR can be lost if you spend two years outside the UK, British citizenship is permanent, no matter how long you spend abroad.

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10 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Tribute

SIR GEOFF PALMER: A GIANT OF JUSTICE AND INTELLECT

Trailblazing scientist who exposed Scotland’s colonial past leaves behind an ‘inspirational’ legacy. By Vic Motune

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HROUGHOUT HIS career, Sir Geoff Palmer, who passed away last month at the age of 85, earned a reputation as both a trailblazing scientist and a fearless advocate for racial justice.

From his pioneering work in brewing science to his unwavering commitment to exposing Scotland’s colonial past, he changed institutions – and lives.

He leaves behind a legacy described as “inspirational,” “transformative,” and “unforgettable.”

Professor Richard A Williams, principal and vice-chancellor of Heriot-Watt University – where Sir Geoff spent much of his professional life – said that his passing marked “a sad day for this university and for everyone who knew Sir Geoff. He was an inspiration not just to me, but to colleagues past and present, and countless students around the world.”

Sir Geoff ’s story is one of resilience and brilliance.

Born in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, in 1940 he arrived in the UK in 1955 as part of the Windrush generation, joining his mother in London at a time when Black people faced deep hostility in Britain. He spoke candidly of the

FAMILY MAN: Professor Palmer with his youngest granddaughter next to James Watt’s statue on the HeriotWatt University’s campus in Edinburgh

GIFTED: Born in Jamaica in 1940, Sir Geoff Palmer made history by becoming Scotland’s first Black professor (photo: PA Images)

racism he encountered while trying to rent a room in Edinburgh in the early 1960s where he arrived as a research student — experiences that sharpened his resolve to challenge injustice and push open doors for others.

Sir Geoff would go on to become Scotland’s first Black professor, an internationally renowned academic, and a courageous public voice in the campaign for racial equality.

POTENTIAL After leaving school, the young Geoff Palmer who showed a keen interest in science, secured a position as a junior laboratory technician at Queen Elizabeth College in Kensington.

He worked under Professor Garth Chapman, who recognised his potential and encouraged him to improve his qualifications and apply for university.

He became a student at the University of Leicester in 1961, graduating with a degree in Botany in 1964.

Sir Geoff later completed a PhD in grain science and technology jointly with Heriot-Watt College and the University of Edinburgh.

His breakthrough invention, the barley abrasion process,

transformed the malting industry and earned him the American Society of Brewing Chemists Award of Distinction – considered the “Nobel Prize” of brewing.

In 1989, he made history by becoming Scotland’s first Black professor. Sir Geoff was made an OBE in the 2003 Birthday Honours list. In 2021, he was appointed chancellor of HeriotWatt University.

His work helped establish the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling, making the university a world leader in the field.

But it was Sir Geoff ’s work beyond the laboratory that cemented his place in the public’s heart.

He became a passionate campaigner for racial justice and historical truth.

In 2020, amid the global reckoning sparked by the Black Lives Matter movement, he was invited by the City of Edinburgh Council to chair a review into the city’s legacy of slavery and colonialism.

His group made ten landmark recommendations, including a formal apology and educational reforms to acknowledge Edinburgh’s links to the slave trade.

“I believe that if you remove

the evidence, you remove the deed,” Sir Geoff once said, opposing calls to take down controversial monuments.

Instead, he advocated for contextual plaques and public education – a position that helped shape the city’s response to its colonial past.

He also successfully campaigned for a plaque at the Court of Session commemorating the landmark 1778 Knight v Wedderburn ruling, which declared slavery unsupported by Scots law.

At the time, he said the plaque meant a “tremendous amount” to him.

“Sir Geoff made a vital contribution to recognising and profiling Edinburgh’s links with slavery and colonialism in the public realm”

IMPACT In 2014, he was knighted for services to science, human rights and charity. He later became Jamaica’s first honorary consul in Scotland and was awarded the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) by the Jamaican government. Just last year, he received Scotland’s highest royal honour, the Order of the Thistle.

The tributes since his death reflect the immense impact he had on individuals, institutions and national life.

Scottish Labour MSP Foysol

Choudhury, who regarded Sir Geoff as a mentor and “father figure”, said: “He was not only a distinguished scientist and academic, but also a courageous voice for justice and equality… Geoff wasn’t just my dad’s best friend, he took me under his wing as a teen and continued to inspire me his entire life.”

First Minister John Swinney described Sir Geoff as “a pioneer and an outstanding intellectual” who “had a hugely positive

impact on Scotland and will be sorely missed.”

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Robert Aldridge, said: “Sir Geoff made a vital contribution to recognising and profiling the capital’s links with slavery and colonialism in the public realm.

His legacy in academia and activism will live on for years to come.”

Community justice charity Sacro, where Sir Geoff served on the board for seven years, credited him with making the organisation “the diverse and inclusive organisation it is today.”

In a statement, the charity said: “Sir Geoff was a gifted scientist and academic, but we will always remember how passionately he taught us the importance of equality, fairness and justice.”

Sir Geoff is survived by his wife Margaret, their three children and grandchildren. His family have asked for privacy at this difficult time.

From scientific halls to public forums, Sir Geoff Palmer broke barriers and built bridges. As a pioneer, professor, and principled voice of the Windrush generation, his impact will continue to shape Scotland – and beyond – for many years to come.

JULY 2025

THE VOICE | 11

Special Feature

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Picture: Equal Justice Initiative

Even with the knowledge of the crime my penfriend was convicted of, I see no ethical dilemma in upholding his humanity.

Bryan Stevenson (left) and Anthony Ray Hinton (right)

N

oah Mayo has been writing to his penfriend, Lee, on death row in the United States for two years after joining the UK registered charity, LifeLines.

A law student from Chicago, Noah heard about the charity while studying in Oxford on an international exchange.

Established in 1988, LifeLines supports and befriends people on death row in the United States through letter writing and email. Founder Jan Arriens was inspired by watching the 1987 BBC documentary Fourteen Days in May. The programme followed a young black man, Edward Earl Johnson, in the days before his execution and the attempts of Clive Stafford Smith to save his life (Stafford Smith is now a renowned human rights lawyer and LifeLines’s patron).

Moved by the humanity he and the other men interviewed showed, Arriens wrote to them, and LifeLines was born. Today it has nearly 1,000 members, mostly UKbased but with an international contingent.

Now back in the US studying law, Noah explains he joined LifeLines because he

H

Noah Mayo

saw writing to someone on death row as, “a great opportunity to have an important and immediate impact in the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in our society.”

While LifeLines does not take a position on the death penalty, members have their own views. For Noah, his opposition to the death penalty is a key driver for writing to Lee, as their relationship ensures he doesn’t forget why change is needed.

He also reflects that policy change “cannot be done in a single day. Yet today we can exchange a childhood memory with a penfriend and realize it does not differ all that much, or we can learn his favorite poems, or remind him of his dignity.”

Noah, like many LifeLines members, makes clear it’s not just Lee who benefits from their correspondence. At 61-yearsold to Noah’s 23-years, Lee is old enough to be Noah’s grandfather. “It has been wonderful to hear his advice and to listen to what he would have done differently at various stages of his life”, Noah reflects.

“He also reminds me to focus on what will remain important over the long term. …

This has been quite an important lesson.”

Noah preparing to make a rug at a tufting art shop, inspired by Lee who started attending an art class in prison

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adly, the state where Lee is imprisoned recently began carrying out executions again.

“There was a heavy tension and much stress for many upon learning the news”, Noah says Lee told him.

While he was encouraged to learn that Lee believes “his appeals will likely outlast his life”, anyone joining LifeLines needs to be prepared for the possibility their penfriend could be executed.

For support with this and other difficulties members might encounter, LifeLines provides a caring community, access to volunteer counsellors and a dedicated coordinator for each state.

Members also have the chance to hear from inspiring speakers at twice yearly conferences. Like Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent nearly 30 years on Alabama’s death row before being exonerated, and Equal Justice Initiative director and public interest lawyer Bryan Stevenson, who fought for Hinton’s freedom.

UK registered charity: 1168273

inton is one of nearly 200 people released from death row for crimes they didn’t commit and, like many of them, racial bias was a significant factor in his case.

This bias is a thread that runs throughout the death penalty and can be seen in the fact that 40% of people on death row across the US are black, despite black people making up only 13.7% of the US population.

Given everything that people on death row face, it is not hard to imagine why letters or emails from the outside world are so treasured, as Noah knows they are for Lee. “It has been a pleasure getting to know Lee over the past two years and I will keep writing him because he has shared with me how much our relationship means to his life, and I know what it means to mine.”

If you too want to make a difference through developing powerful connections with others, then LifeLines is for you. Become a member and bring light to someone in the darkest of places.

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12 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Courtenay Griffiths 1955-2025 continued from page 5

Cordella BartStewart OBE, solicitor

The number of tributes that I have seen on LinkedIn following the passing of Dr Courtenay Griffiths KC is unprecedented and testament to the vast number of people whose lives he touched from all walks of life and all ethnicities; a giant dominating courtrooms across the world with his forensic arguments and cross examination but with a friendly and courteous touch outside the courtroom.

I first met Courtenay in the 80s before I qualified as a solicitor.

He had just returned from the US where he had been a lecturer.

Even then, keeping up with him in argument was difficult.

Courtenay’s sharp intellect, wit and passion for social justice defined his remarkable career.

Whether prosecuting Charles Taylor or defending young Black men at the Old Bailey, he brought the same dedication, skill and storytelling brilliance to every case he took on.

He was always a determined fighter for justice, continuing to work despite suffering numerous bouts of debilitating illness in later years.

Others have spoken of his support and mentorships for aspiring lawyers despite his heavy work schedule and commitments. He took part in training and spoke at many events.

We both arrived in the UK as “Windrush children”. My late father arrived in the UK from Jamaica by ship via Genoa but could never give me, to my mind, an acceptable explanation for how he got from Italy to the UK without speaking the language and with no map!

INSPIRED A GENERATION: Race equality activist Lee Jasper (centre) at an event with Courtenay Griffiths (right)

Courtenay and I took part in a Black History Month event at the Government Legal Department Race Network in 2016 where he mentioned that he arrived via Genoa.

From child migrant to one of the UK’s most formidable KCs, Courtenay’s remarkable journey is a testament to a generation whose stories remain largely untold. He will be greatly missed.

Grace Brown, barrister As joint head of Garden Court Chambers, I walk in the shadow of a giant.

I have at least two things in common with Courtenay: one, he too was a joint head of Garden Court Chambers (between 1999 and 2012) and two, we both are of Jamaican heritage.

Courtenay was a member of Garden Court for some 30 years.

He was supervisor to many pupils, many of whom remain in Chambers and are long-standing members.

A number of these have remarked that, were it not for Courtenay, they wouldn’t have had the career they now have at the Bar. Courtenay inspired generations – not only young barristers, but teenagers in schools who doubted they belonged at the Bar. One such student went on to build a 30year legal career. His influence on countless legal professionals was profound, making him a towering figure in shaping the future of the profession Not only that but he was instrumental in helping to establish the careers of many. A person would be hard-pressed to find anyone that did not feel honoured and privileged to have worked with and alongside him.

He has been described as having a massive court presence

A COMMANDING PRESENCE: The towering barrister spoke truth to power, and always challenged injustice wherever he found it (photo: Getty Images)

with his smooth baritone voice.

In cross-examination, he could be devastating.

He understood the political and personal importance, particularly for Black advocates, of being yourself when in court, and authoritatively insisted on doing so.

He could convey important

ideas about politics and society in an approachable and understandable language.

He faced racism and injustice head-on and without fear almost on a daily basis, campaigning to protect the rights of Black people and disadvantage groups and individuals in the context of, for example, the ever-increasing cuts to legal aid.

Courtenay is well-remembered for his advocacy as a criminal practitioner and in many high profile and important cases, but he was also effective in civil law.

In the early 1990s, for example, Courtenay was one of the counsel in the case of Burke vs Metropolitan Police, which resulted in one of the largest compensation awards made for claimants at that time, £50K. At that time, damages were rarely higher than 10K. His advocacy and excellence was not limited to the UK but experienced in other countries around the world appearing in, for example, the International Criminal Court in the Hague in the Charles Taylor case.

In addition to being kind, generous, lovely human being and great company, Courtenay is described by those that knew him as a trailblazer, a giant, a titan, a powerhouse, a living legend, a

formidable silk, a brilliant advocate and one of the true greats.

Courtenay was deeply respected across the Bar and judiciary. His passing is a great loss, but those who worked with him feel privileged to have witnessed his brilliance, shared in his journey, and seen such a rare and special talent shine.

May he rest in eternal power and peace.

“He leaves a legacy that will be an inspiration for every young Black advocate to follow both in the diaspora, the Caribbean and Africa”

- Judge Peter Herbert OBE (retired)

Judge Peter Herbert OBE (retired)

I was honoured to have known Courtenay Griffiths KC. He was a lion for justice in Court but was always available to support pupils, trainees and lawyers of African, Caribbean and Asian descent. He supported the Society of Black Lawyers when his practice allow`ed.

There are very few advocates who are prepared to be an advocate for social justice both in the courtroom and outside of it.

As Rudy Narayan once said, we have one foot in the dock and another at the Bar. Courtenay was the epitome of that struggle but had a great sense of humour, and drama that resonated with all who saw him in action.

He represented former Liberian President Charles Taylor with skill and some superb advocacy. He appeared for me before the Judicial Disciplinary panel I faced as I sued the Ministry of Justice. He leaves a legacy that will be an inspiration for every young Black advocate to follow both in the diaspora, the Caribbean and Africa.

Rest in peace my brother

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 13

News

COULD YOU SAVE SAHARA?

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Family of 13-year-old girl issues urgent appeal for stem cell donors. By Vic Motune

SPECIAL: Creative and full of life – Sahara before her diagnosis

pital in Tooting and St Mary’s in Paddington. Her mother, Satisha, said the diagnosis has turned their lives upside down.

“I can only describe the last two months as two things: an alternate universe and hell on earth. To say it’s been a challenge is putting it mildly. Now we’re potentially going down a road we were not prepared for but don’t have a choice for either.”

Sahara is of Black Caribbean heritage – her grandparents are from Grenada – which complicates her chances of finding a donor.

Black patients often have rarer

HE FAMILY of a Wandsworth schoolgirl is urgently appealing for more people, especially those with Black Caribbean heritage, to join the Anthony Nolan stem cell register after she was diagnosed with a rare and life-threatening blood disorder.

Sahara, a gifted 13-year-old artist and musician, collapsed just three days after her birthday in April. Emergency tests revealed she had severe aplastic anaemia, a condition where bone marrow fails to produce enough new blood cells and platelets.

Since then, Sahara has had multiple blood and platelet transfusions and is being treated at St George’s Hos-

tissue types, making it harder to find a match. Satisha added: “I was told not to worry because there were two donors who were 10/10 matches. So, we were ecstatic.”

But both matches later fell through. With no sibling to serve as a donor, Satisha describes the search for a new match as “trying to find a needle in a haystack.”

In the absence of a match, Sahara will now begin anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG) treatment to suppress her immune system.

Sahara is a bright and creative Doctors hope this will allow her teenager who dreams of studying bone marrow to recover and begin producing healthy blood cells, but at the BRIT School. “At the age of 10, she had one of her pieces in it’s not a permanent solution.

Parliament and she has also seen “Sahara needs a transplant as her artwork displayed on a billboard soon as possible,” Satisha said.

“There’s a 60 to 70 per cent chance for the NSPCC all around London,” Satisha said. “She writes stories, she ATG will work, but that’s just to manage the severe aplastic anae- writes poetry, she plays guitar and mia. The stem cell transplant is the violin. She’s an all-round creative.”

Satisha has given up her work as only way to cure her.”

WAITING GAME: Sahara is currently undergoing treatment while her family searches for a lifesaving stem cell match

a clinic manager to care for Sahara and is now working with Anthony Nolan to raise awareness of the urgent need for more stem cell donors from Black communities.

Elana McIntyre, senior engagement manager at Anthony Nolan, said: “For Black patients, like Sahara, the sad reality is that finding a match can be more difficult because they are more likely to

have rare tissue types. Equity is an important focus of our work. Every single person that signs up to the Anthony Nolan register could give a patient like Sahara a second chance at life.”

Anthony Nolan partners with the African Caribbean Leukaemia Trust (ACLT), a charity dedicated to increasing donor numbers within Black and ethnically diverse communities.

Melissa Harvey, donor recruitment development officer at ACLT, said: “Sahara’s story is devastating, but it is not unique. Every day, Black patients face the terrifying reality of searching for a donor who may never appear. This is not due to fate, it’s because not enough people from ethnic minority backgrounds are on the register.

“If you’re Black and in good health, you could be her match.

You could be her cure. Step up, so Sahara can step in to her future.” l People aged 16–30 and in good health can join the register by visiting anthonynolan.org/SaveSahara.

Signing up is quick, free, and simple – a swab kit is sent in the post and returned via freepost to determine eligibility

14 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Special Feature

The Importance of Black Women’s Health

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lack women’s health is a vital and urgent issue that deserves focused attention, care, and advocacy.

Our experiences range from navigating the complexities of menopause, pregnancy, and childbirth to managing skincare, chronic conditions, and mental health. Each of these stages and challenges are shaped by our unique cultural, social, and historical perspectives.

Despite our strength and resilience, the data continues to paint a stark picture, with black women suffering from preventable health conditions, yet being less likely to be listened to in medical settings and often face delayed diagnoses and inadequate treatment.

Beyond the numbers are the lived experiences of women whose stories reflect a reality of being dismissed, overlooked, or forced to advocate fiercely just to receive basic care. But they also reveal courage, knowledge, and commitment to change.

TRADITIONS Our health should be celebrated in harmony with our heritage, our traditions, and our communities. Wellness for Black women is not just about access to services; it’s about feeling safe, seen, and valued in every part of the healthcare system, from the clinic to the policy table.

There is a huge need to centre Black women’s health not just during awareness campaigns or crises, but in everyday practice, in education, and in the design of systems that serve us.

However, more importantly as a community we also need to value our health by embracing the traditions that have served us.

For centuries we have proactively utilised herbal remedies, movement, prayer, storytelling, rest, dance, and sisterhood. Theses have been powerful tools that we all have access to, which provide us with a holistic view of wellness.

Bidii brings valuable information to our community through thoughtful articles, compelling interviews, and real conversations to educate, inspire and support your wellness.

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JUNE 2025

THE VOICE |15

16 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Dr Julie Hammond Health Matters

Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion

ENOUGH SILENCE: FIBROIDS, AND THE FIGHT FOR MORE AWARENESS Too many women are suffering in silence when the problems can be addressed by early diagnoses

PAINFUL: Fibroids affect over 80 per cent of Black women by the age of 50 — yet many continue to suffer in silence due to misdiagnosis, stigma and lack of effective treatment (photo: Getty Images)

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ULY IS Fibroid Awareness Month, and this is a crucial opportunity to spotlight the impact fibroids have on millions of women and to challenge the silence that still surrounds this condition, which is often underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and dismissed.

In May, I attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Black Health led by the Caribbean and African Health Network, where the focus of the session was uterine fibroids and reproductive health. The conversation was urgent, overdue, and deeply moving, and not a single seat was empty.

The hidden impact of fibroids Fibroids are incredibly common and can have a profound impact on women’s quality of life.

By the age of 50, up to 70 per cent of women will develop fibroids. For Black women, that figure rises to over 80 per cent. We are also more likely to develop them earlier, experience more severe symptoms, and be diagnosed later.

Fibroids do not just affect the womb.

They can affect mental health, fertility, and increase the risk of preterm labour.

The blood loss they cause may lead to severe anaemia, which in extreme cases can result in heart failure or even heart attacks due to reduced oxygen and blood supply to the heart. This is not just a “women’s health issue”. The complications of fibroids can affect every organ in the body.

What stayed with me most were the powerful stories shared by women in the room.

One that particularly moved me was from Dr Loretta Ogboro-Okor, a senior and highly respected consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist. Despite her medical expertise, she faced repeated delays across healthcare providers, nearly losing her life as a result. By the time she received treatment, her fibroid had grown to the size of a 30-week pregnancy. She developed pulmonary embolisms, and due to further complications, eventually required neurosurgery.

Her medical complications may be rare, but increasingly, I am meeting women requiring emergency hospital admissions due to fibroid-related complications. Too many of these

emergencies are preventable, but only if we challenge the way fibroids are managed from the outset.

A treatment landscape in crisis What concerns me most is the current treatment landscape. Women are often initially prescribed medication to reduce bleeding or manage pain, but when it comes to treating the fibroids themselves, there are really only two main options: l Surgery, including hysterectomy – even for women of childbearing age l Hormonal therapies that induce chemical menopause

Fibroids do not just affect the womb. They can affect mental health, fertility, and increase the risk of preterm labour. They can affect every organ in the body’

These options are devastating, unacceptable, and reactive. They do not speak to prevention. They do not reflect choice.

What we can control While fibroids can have a genetic component, there are modifiable risk factors that we can control.

From the limited research available, here are some steps women may wish to consider: l Start taking a daily vitamin D supplement: low vitamin D levels have been linked to fibroid growth. l Avoid chemical hair relaxers: Many contain hormone-disrupting chemicals such as phthalates that may mimic oestrogen. l Be mindful of oestrogen-mimicking foods: Limit excessive intake of phytoestrogens such as soy-based products, groundnuts (peanuts), and flaxseeds. l Manage stress: Chronic stress may have a physiological role in fibroid development. l Maintain a healthy weight: Fat tissue produces oestrogen, which may fuel fibroid growth.

Fibroids are not just a “normal part of womanhood”. Every woman deserves

to be believed, to be heard, and to be offered more than last-resort treatments.

We need earlier conversations and screening, more research, better treatment options, and greater awareness of preventative measures.

Know the signs and symptoms Fibroids present in many different ways, and their symptoms can range from mild to severe.

Common symptoms include: l Heavy or prolonged periods l Pelvic pain or pressure l Bloating or abdominal swelling l Pain during sex l Frequent urination or difficulty emptying the bladder l Constipation l Fatigue or dizziness from anaemia These symptoms are often normalised or dismissed, leaving women to suffer in silence for far too long. If you are experiencing heavy or painful periods, please book an appointment with your GP today and request: l A blood test (to check your full blood count, iron levels, and vitamin D level) l An ultrasound (to rule out fibroids or other underlying gynaecological conditions)

Moving from awareness to action We cannot fix what we continue to ignore. Fibroid awareness must extend beyond mere recognition of the problem to lead to meaningful action and investment.

We need more research into the causes of fibroids, how to prevent them, and effective treatments that do not compromise fertility or quality of life. This is about offering women real options, not just crisis management.

Action must be rooted in equity, informed by lived experience, and driven by the belief that no woman should suffer in silence or be denied access to safe, timely, and compassionate care.

Have you or a loved one experienced fibroids or reproductive disease?

CAHN wants to hear your story. The APPG is calling for evidence to help shape future research and policy. Share your experience: appg@cahn.org.uk l Dr Julie Hammond is a

multi award-winning GP, health advocate and innovator. She is the founder of the mamAR app: www.mamarhealth.com and is also writing a book on The Fourth Trimester due to be released in 2026

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 17

Lyndon Mukasa Eye on the Diaspora

Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion

GAZA TODAY BUT COULD IT BE THE DRC OR NIGERIA TOMORROW? The West supports Israel’s existence because of their imperialist interests in the Middle East

T

HE ISRAELI war in Gaza has been ongoing for over 20 months at the time of the publication of this article.

Since then it has been abundantly clear for over 18 months, that a mass atrocity that is backed, armed and supported by the West has been underway despite persistent denials from Western politicians and the mainstream media.

Official reports state that over 55,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli army, but estimates suggest that the death toll could be over 100,000 people.

A total of 90 per cent of the population of Gaza has been displaced, and in recent months aid has been blocked, starving the population, while many Israeli politicians emboldened by the West’s support and inaction to prevent the slaughter of Palestinians have openly talked about forcibly expelling the surviving population in Gaza.

Varying opinions While it is hard to gauge the full extent of opinions across the Black community in Britain and across the diaspora, generally what has been expressed openly has consisted of horror at the unfolding tragedy.

However, underneath this is an undercurrent of fear and caution over how far Black people can and should go in condemning Israel and its Western allies.

HOW MANY MORE?: People carry the body of a Palestinian who was killed in Israeli fire while seeking food aid. It’s estimated that over 100,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began 20 months ago (photo: Getty Images) This is understandable given that Black communities lack the adequate power to fully shape public opinion and force Western governments to act.

Moreover, significant criticisms against the Israeli state and the claims of genocide and ethnic cleansing have been met with unchallenged, false accusations of antisemitism by Israeli lobby groups, Zionists and sections of the media hound and bully people into silence as jobs and livelihoods are threatened. Black people are particularly vulnerable as there are few protections for them against this.

For other sections of the community there is indifference, largely due to

unresolved grievances over historical antiBlackness that is still present to varying degrees across the Middle East.

There are some in the Black community who have chosen to disengage entirely from the war, citing the distinct histories of anti-Black racism associated with both Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews — from the Arab slave trade to the forced sterilisation of African immigrants by Israeli medical personnel.

However, I believe that there is a crucial reason why Black communities everywhere should care about Palestinian liberation, and it concerns the context of what the conflict is all about.

Israel is a settler colonial state that seized territory from the existing population of Palestinians in 1948.

This process was the product of decades of terrorism, political campaigning and prior Palestinian expulsions fermented under the nationalist movement of Why Palestine should matter Zionism that sought an ethnostate. to Black communities This pattern of expulsion and The concerns raised all have legitimacy colonialism should sound familiar as within the context of specific arguments. Zionists (who emerged in Europe) were

repeating a pattern that had already been established by European and Western powers as they colonised the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific.

It is within this framework that we should look at the ongoing events in Israel as a modern continuation of White supremacy and colonialism in action.

Perhaps most troubling is that the overwhelming support that Western countries such as Britain and the United States has given the Israeli regime over the Occupied Palestinian Territories has demonstrated that these powers have not fundamentally changed since the 19th century.

They support Israel’s existence because of their imperialist interests in the Middle East.

Even with the recent superficial criticisms from British politicians such as David Lammy, it was merely window dressing as the British Government is still selling weapons to Israel to assist in its genocide.

If colonisation and concerns over genocide can be justified, rationalised or downplayed by Western leaders, then what can stop them from eventually creating the rationale to invade, occupy, seize land and exterminate people in other countries across the Global South, particularly in Africa or the Caribbean?

Therefore, opposing imperialism and White supremacy wherever it manifests is not just a moral cause, but essential for our own long-term survival against an ideology that believes it is entitled to land and resources, and the lives of people that they belong to don’t matter, especially if they happen to be non-Christian, nonWhite and non-Western.

Today that imperial logic affects Gaza, but tomorrow it could be the DRC, Nigeria or Guyana.

WHY A US MINERALS DEAL COULD SPELL DISASTER FOR THE CONGO THE DEMOCRATIC Republic of the Congo (DRC) is teetering on the edge of a dangerous bargain.

Facing an escalating conflict in its eastern provinces, President Felix Tshisekedi is offering the United States and European Union access to its vast mineral wealth in exchange for military assistance against the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels.

This move mirrors Ukraine’s 2022 offer of minerals to the US for security guarantees and reflects Tshisekedi’s desperation to restore order.

The stakes are high. The DRC is one of the most mineral-rich nations on Earth, with over $24 trillion in

MINERAL WEALTH: A young man looks for copper standing in a pit in Ruashi in the DRC (photo: Getty Images) resources. It controls more than 70 per cent of the world’s cobalt — critical for green technologies like electric vehicles — and holds

vast reserves of coltan, copper, lithium, and diamonds. Yet despite this wealth, the country remains plagued by insecurity. In 2025, M23 rebels captured key territory in the east, including Goma, displacing hundreds of thousands and reportedly killing thousands.

Tshisekedi’s proposal, which he believes would appeal to the promining Trump administration, offers strategic mineral access in return for protection.

A deal was reportedly set for completion in June, with US officials showing serious interest, driven in part by a desire to outflank China in the race for global mineral dominance. However, critics argue

this arrangement is a dangerous echo of the DRC’s colonial past.

Under Belgian rule, Congo’s resources were brutally extracted with no benefit to its people.

After independence, the US allegedly played a role in the assassination of Patrice Lumumba, the country’s first prime minister, who had sought to reclaim control of Congo’s wealth. His successor, Mobutu Sese Seko, allowed Western nations to exploit Congo’s resources with little domestic return.

Further complicating the picture is the fact that the US and EU already hold trade deals with Rwanda — a country widely accused of plundering Congolese

minerals via M23 rebels and the Ugandan military. Tshisekedi’s deal could therefore legitimise Rwanda’s access to Congo’s resources under the guise of peace negotiations.

This deal risks repeating old patterns of exploitation and undermines Congo’s sovereignty.

It also raises critical questions: where is the African Union, and why are other African nations silent?

If finalised, this could weaken not just the DRC, but the autonomy of Africa as a whole in the 21st century. l Lyndon Mukasa is a writer

and researcher. He studied International Development at the London School of Economics

18 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Dotun Adebayo

Join the debate online voice-online.co.uk/opinion

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WHAT DID SENEGAL’S WIN MEAN FOR YOU? England’s first-ever footballing defeat to an African nation left some of us feeling absolutely gutted... but did it really?

W

ho do you support when the England football team plays against an African side and loses?

I know it’s the silly season for newspapers, but let’s all pretend that we’re gutted... “ABSOLUTELY GUTTED” that Senegal beat England 3-1 the other week.

The first time an African side has ever defeated England in the national sport. You can see how gutted I am about that. Really, I’m all gutted out.

We didn’t even know that England had never lost to an African team. None of us knew.

None of us even thought of it.

And the football commentators didn’t seem to have considered it either... until Senegal looked like scoring more than England. And now that we know, I’m even more gutted. Imagine the indignity of it.

The mighty England losing to a team from somewhere in Africa.

I’m so gutted I feel like a fish who has had his insides ripped out and like a crocodile bawling his eyes out. And I can see from that smile on your face that you are gutted.

I mean, what do you expect?

We’re English through and through and through and through.

So there weren’t any carnivals in Moss Side or Croydon. Far from it, we were in mourning.

Bwoy, you lot must have been PROPER gutted because there weren’t any ‘jump-up, jumpup’ festivals in the ‘bad bwoy’ GUNNER BE DISAPPOINTED: Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka was one of several England players left visibly dismayed after the loss to Senegal (photo: Getty Images)

LIONS ROAR IN NOTTINGHAM: Cheikh Sabaly of Senegal is lifted into the air by his teammates as they celebrate their victory in the international friendly between England and Senegal at City Ground (photo: Getty Images)

back streets of the Black streets of Chapeltown or Bedford or Handsworth or Birchfield or Liverpool 8 neither. Like there is nothing to celebrate when an African team beats England.

I guess if you’re going to pretend that you’re gutted, not celebrating is not a bad way of pretending.

Maybe it’s a generational thing.

Because it never used to be like that. Quite the opposite.

Back in the sixties and seventies, the empire struck back with a bat and a ball, and we all celebrated like we had won the war.

Because a victory by the West Indies in those days meant so much more than six sixes by Gary Sobers or six wickets by Curtly Ambrose or six lashes by Brian Lara (Lash them, Lara, lash them).

Beating England in sport helped soothe 400 years of hurt. If only temporarily.

THE BIG PRETENCE So back then we all pretended to be ‘West Indian’ so that we could all claim the victory not just for ourselves and our sense of well-being, but for the ancestors and anybody else who had suffered under the yoke of enslavement and colonialism.

And the fact that we were beating ‘ol’ massa’ at his own game with little more than a sling and a stone made it all the more enjoyable. Back then, every Black team that played against England was representing us whether it

was the Harlem Globetrotters or it was Pele and the Brazilian football team beating England in the heat of Mexico in the 1970 World Cup. And those players knew what it meant for all of us. Look at the way they celebrated putting one over England.

The West Indies cricket team in particular made us proud to be Black as Arsenal Fan TV’s much slimmed down Robbie Lyle was fond of saying when he was mere Crucial Robbie. Remember, this was back in the day when all around us was telling us we had nothing to be proud of.

And then comes the Tebbitt cricket test. The Conservative government minister Norman Tebbitt goes, “Go on, tell us, who do you support when England plays the West Indies? That will tell us just how British you are.”

That was when we started pretending. April 1990. I can’t remember the week day, but I do remember that from that month on we started pretending. All of us. We had to. Particularly when

I felt most sorry for the England players. Especially those of African descent. You could see it in their eyes.

They really were gutted that Senegal had beaten them England beat an African team in the World Cup. We were pretending to be more English through and through than the English. Apart from a handful of radical Black Power militants, we started walking English and talking English to prove our credentials. And, arguably, we ain’t stopped pretending yet.

Arguably, nowadays, how English you are is defined by how gutted you are for England. Or the other way round. How African/ Caribbean you still are is defined

by how gutted you are. Cos even though we’re English through and through and through, when an African side beats England for the first time ever, you know whose side of history you are on.

That’s not to say I don’t support England. I have to support them.

Because the likes of Eberechi Eze, Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham represent us. Not just my daughters’ generation in this country, but us. All of us.

Pretence or no pretence, how I feel when England get beaten by an African team is how I feel when one of England’s Black players scores. So I’m conflicted.

It was the England players that I felt most sorry for. Especially those of African descent. Because they weren’t pretending. You could see it in their eyes. They really were gutted that Senegal had beaten them so comprehensively that they couldn’t keep it in.

How gutted they were. On prime time telly an’ all. Bellingham looked like he was about to cry.

Saka looked like he was done up like a kipper to be gutted.

And as for Ivan Toney, well, he couldn’t even pretend he wasn’t vexed.

If looks could kill there would be a dead German coach in the England dressing room right now. Cos Toney only got a touch of the ball in the two minutes he was allowed to join in the British humiliation as a substitute.

But if killing with a vexed look on your face was a crime, you know how many of us would be looking through prison bars with that particular look on our face.

Maybe it’s a good job that we’ve done a great job of wearing the mask that grins and lies.... l Dotun Adebayo, Britain’s

most celebrated Black broadcaster, is known as the King of the Nighttime Airwaves. All views here are his own. Listen to him overnight on BBC 5 Live from 1-5am Saturday mornings - Monday mornings & 1am 4am on BBC Radio London (Wednesday to Friday mornings). Follow him on X: @radiodotun

JULY 2025

MOTORSPORTS SPECIAL

THE VOICE | 19

Summer of Sport

British Grand Prix July 6, 2025

M T RSPORTS SPECIAL • Sir Lewis Hamilton: The King of Silverstone • Young, gifted and black: Ashley Haase • Driven by Us landmark

20 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Summer of Sport

MOTORSPORTS SPECIAL

SIR LEWIS HAMILTON: THE KING OF SILVERSTONE

By Damian Hall

S

IR LEWIS HAMILTON has won the British Grand Prix more times than any driver in Formula One history.

A staggering nine victories at Silverstone have cemented his legacy as the king of the old airfield, a place that seems to answer his call no matter the weather or the car beneath him.

From the pouring rain of 2008 to the emotional roar of the crowd in 2024, Silverstone and the seventime world champion have shared a bond unlike anything else in motorsport.

RETURN His first win came just one year into his Formula 1 career. In treacherously wet conditions, the young Brit drove his McLaren to victory in 2008, finishing over a minute ahead of the competition.

It wouldn’t be until 2014 that he would return to the top step at Silverstone, this time wearing the number 44 and driving for Mercedes. But when he did, the floodgates opened.

From 2014 through 2017, he was untouchable at home. In 2018, he finished second. He bounced back to win again in 2019 and 2020. The latter season hosted two Grands Prix at Silverstone, the second being the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix, where he finished second.

That same year, a piece of the circuit was renamed in his honour.

The pit straight would forever be

known as the Hamilton Straight.

In 2021, he returned to victory.

In 2022 and 2023, he claimed back-to-back podiums with thirdplace finishes. Then came 2024, where despite a difficult start to the season with Mercedes, the Brit reminded the world what Silverstone means to him and what he means to Silverstone by taking an emotional and spectacular win.

There is a kind of magic in this place, a synchronicity between

wearing red. For the first time in his career, the 40 year old will contest his home Grand Prix with Ferrari, only the third team he has raced for in Formula One. While the iconic Italian marque holds a special place in F1 history, it has not been the smoothest start.

Ferrari last won at Silverstone in 2022 with Carlos Sainz, the very driver the Stevenage-born racer replaced. Since then, the team has struggled with strategy blunders and reliability issues.

Still, past form is no predictor of what he can do at Silverstone.

In 2024, he overcame a troubled Mercedes car to win at home.

DECADE What could be different now is the lack of deep-rooted familiarity with his new engineer, Riccardo Adami. The rapport he once had with Peter Bonnington at Mercedes, built over a decade, is something that only time can develop. But if the connection

feature film starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, released on June 27, just days before the British Grand Prix. Promised to be the most authentic depiction of the sport ever brought to the big screen, the Warner Bros. production is already generating major buzz across the motorsport world and beyond.

The Briton is also a passionate advocate for change. His foundation, Mission 44, continues to create meaningful

“There is a kind of magic in this place”

driver and circuit that seems immune to circumstance. No matter how the season has gone before, Silverstone has always had his back, and he has always delivered for the tens of thousands who flock to see him race at home.

Now, in 2025, it is a new season in more ways than one. He is

After the Spanish Grand Prix, he pointed to underlying problems within the team, saying there were issues “the team don’t really want us to talk about.” Over team radio, his frustration was clear. “This is the worst it’s ever been,” he said after managing only a sixth-place finish.

between driver and team continues to grow, there is every chance the home crowd will witness another masterclass come race day.

Whatever the outcome, his influence continues far beyond the track. He is one of the producers of the Formula 1

impact by expanding access and opportunities for underrepresented young people It is the kind of work that defines him just as much as his racing.

A competitor, a creator, and a changemaker, his legacy is about far more than championships.

Now, as the clock ticks toward Sunday, July 6th and the start of the 2025 British Grand Prix, the energy is rising Sir Lewis Hamilton, we give you your flowers and more right now.

YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK

TALENTED Ashley Haase has (pictured, below) dreams of one day becoming a Formula One champion, and his father Oliver is supporting him every step of the way.

At the age of 13, Ashley has a bright future ahead of him in the world of motorsports. The teenager has been racing since the age of six, and his passion and love for motorsport all started at the fairground with his father.

“When I was younger, I used to go on the bumper cars with my dad, which I really enjoyed,” Ashley said.

“I started karting in rentals, and when I was nine my dad bought me my first go kart, and we started competing around the UK in different championships.”

It didn’t take long for Oliver to realise that his son had a natural ability behind the wheel. “When we used to go on those bumper cars, I used to set him the challenge to avoid getting hit,” Oliver recalled.

“When he was able to do that so well at the age of four or five, I knew there was something there. As soon as he started go karting, he just took to it and continued improving.”

Oliver has provided his son with his full backing, not just financially, but also as his mechanic, coach and mentor, and Ashley couldn’t be more grateful.

JOURNEY “It means a lot to work with my dad, having someone there who supports my dreams and wants to help me achieve my goals is everything.”

For Oliver, while helping Ashley realise his dream is a priority, this journey is about so much more than just the long-term vision. “I love it, particularly the bonding.”

Since the beginning of 2024, Ashley has been representing Jamaica at all his race events, which fills Oliver with immense pride and satisfaction.

Throughout 2024, Ashley was dominating the British Prokart Championship and was poised to come out on top.

However, financial constraints meant Ashley would miss out on the final race, which saw him slip to 6th.

JULY 2025

MOTORSPORTS SPECIAL

THE VOICE | 21

Summer of Sport

DRIVEN BY US ACCELERATING CHANGE

By Damian Hall

TOGETHER AS ONE: Attendees at the celebration event

M

Photos: Jordan Chapman

OTORSPORT is evolving, and Driven By Us is helping lead that change. At a celebration hosted at F1 Arcade in central London, I had the privilege of attending an event marking two years of this incredible organisation’s work championing inclusion, belonging, and diversity in motorsport. It was a truly inspirational event, reflecting how far the movement has come and how far it’s still going.

The event was held in a relaxed and welcoming setting within a private section of the F1 Arcade, complete with a private bar area, food for guests, and racing simulators that added to the atmosphere. But beyond the setting, it brought together a powerful mix of individuals, including those already working in motorsport and those still looking for their way in.

Guests came from across Formula 1, Formula E, and Extreme E, representing a wide range of disciplines such as engineering, media, operations, data, logistics, and partnerships. What made the evening truly special was not just the calibre of talent, but the openness, support, and encouragement that filled the room.

After a round of light mingling at the start of the event, a panel discussion began which brought together several influential voices who have carved out impactful careers across different parts of the industry. Among them was James Dornor, Founder and CEO of Driven By Us. Under his leadership, the organisation achieved a major milestone by launching Motorsport UK’s first ethnic minority-led club.

The panel was guided by Cayana Freeman, a multilingual presenter who skilfully hosted the evening’s conversation, posing thoughtful and engaging questions that allowed each speaker to open up about their journey. Among those sharing their insights was Ariana Bravo, an F1 presenter, who spoke about the importance of representation and the responsibility to help others gain access to the industry.

their journeys, the challenges they faced, and what they’ve learned along the way. The discussion was honest and impactful, offering real-world insights for anyone hoping to build a career in motorsport.

Ariana reinforced the importance of both representation and access. “I think especially for younger people it’s hugely important to see people that resemble them and come from similar backgrounds.”

DIVERSITY She continued: “It’s okay to have people like ourselves who are in the space, but there also needs to be opportunities for other people to get into the space. It’s not the case that you have a few people who are visible and the job’s done, like, well done.

No, like, I want to be able to bring my friends along as well.”

Her words echoed the shared mission of the night: that diversity in motorsport must move beyond visibility and become embedded in opportunity, structure, and access.

The true highlight came during the networking session that followed the panel discussion. It was a rare and valuable opportunity to speak directly with professionals at every stage of their careers and to make connections that could shape futures.

All of the speakers on the panel, and many others who weren’t present, have lent their time, insight, and expertise to Driven By Us in ALL SMILES: Voice sports editor, Rodney Hinds with Driven one way or another over the

By Us CEO James Dornor (centre) and Voice motorsports years. To me, Driven By Us correspondent, Damian Hall (right) is the village that raises the child. It creates a community around those who might otherwise feel alone in a space that wasn’t built with The panel also featured Stephanie Alexander, them in mind.

And we need that now more than a Senior Safety Calibration Engineer at Bosch and a Chief Marshal, who brought both technical ever.

Whether you are already working in motorsport, insight and on-the-ground race experience; and Callum Nicholas, author of Life in the Pitlane and former Senior Power Unit Assembly Technician with Red Bull Racing, now serving as a Red Bull Racing Ambassador, who spoke not only about the professional demands of the sport but also the personal challenges, such as long periods away from loved ones.

Each of the speakers, though on different paths, shared the same lived reality. They had broken into a space where they didn’t often see people who looked like them. They spoke with candour about

“There was a powerful mix of individuals”

just breaking in, or simply someone who cares about creating space for others, there is a role for you to play. Representation is not just about who is seen. It is about who is supported, mentored, and given the chance to grow. If you have ever felt overlooked or out of place, Driven By Us is proof that there is room for you and people who will stand beside you.

Driven By Us is a community-led group run by people who understand what it’s like to feel left out

of motorsport. They help others find their confidence, build careers, and get connected through mentoring, events, and real-life advice.

Whether you’re into STEM, media, or just love motorsport, they’re here to show you there’s a place for you. They also team up with schools to run fun, hands-on workshops and share all the different ways you can be part of the motorsport world.

group specialists

Providing quality service for nearly 50 years Tel: 01484 428591 Email: sales@ashbrow.co.uk Visit us: Ashbrow Road (Jnc. With Bradford Rd A641) Huddersfield, Yorkshire, HD2 1DU

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Summer of Sport

MOTORSPORTS SPECIAL

JUNE 2024

THE VOICE | 29

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 23

News

BRINGING BLACK RIVER OUT OF THE SHADOWS

British mum’s dream comes true after staging grassroots Jamaican film festival. By Sinai Fleary

A

BLACK British mother is celebrating the success of a grassroots film festival she launched in Jamaica to spotlight the island’s rich storytelling tradition.

Ava Brown, a Croydon-based mum-of-two originally from St Elizabeth, Jamaica, is the founder of the Black River Film Festival (BRFF), which took place in June.

The event was created to promote authentic Jamaican stories and connect local talent with global opportunities.

Speaking to The Voice, Brown said she was proud of how the festival has grown.

“We are all doing our part here on the island to lift Jamaican films and stories to go over the pond,” she said. “We have too many stories, and it’s time to change the narrative.”

Held in her hometown, the festival is named after Black River in rural St Elizabeth – a region she says is too often overlooked. “Jamaica has been the space and place for many movies, however Black River with its rich history has been underused,” she said.

Brown’s decision to host the event outside of Jamaica’s usual cultural hubs was deliberate.

“The purpose of the BRFF is to highlight Jamaican stories, but bring it to rural Jamaica where such experiences are rare,” she explained. “We want to ignite an emboldened rural Jamaica to start thinking of other career choices.”

The festival has two components – a Youth Festival and the main public event.

The youth strand was held earlier in the year to avoid clashing with school exams and featured workshops on storytelling and character building. “We had over 16 schools from across the island in attendance,” Brown said.

Last month, attendees flocked to Black River for screenings, casting calls, expert panel discussions and live performances. This year’s lineup included reggae stars Duane Stephenson and Bugle, as well as

legendary dub poet Mutabaruka, who performed a DJ set.

“We wanted to bring together experts because we have great stories in Jamaica,” Brown said.

“What we need is the additional bolstering of some external experts to sharpen what we already have.”

The festival attracted guests from as far as Ghana, Paris, the US, UK and Canada – and included attendance by a Netflix producer. It also featured a focus on co-production and distribution, which Brown says is vital if Jamaican films are to reach wider audiences.

“Our content is not being distributed outside of Jamaica enough. We need to co-produce in order to get our stories across the pond,” she explained.

“We need more collaboration, funding and distribution.”

RESOURCES Brown welcomed recent announcements by Jamaican prime minister Andrew Holness, who revealed that over 250 filmmakers are set to benefit from the government’s $1 billion Jamaica Screen Development Initiative, but added: “We don’t have a lot of original films that are owned by us that leave the island enough. The biggest thing we lack is resources and funding.”

Brown’s own passion for Jamaican film was inspired by classics like The Harder They Come and Dancehall Queen, but she says today’s filmmakers need more platforms to showcase their work. That’s why she started the BRFF in 2024, after she and a friend – both executive producers on a film – couldn’t find a space to screen it.

“I said, why don’t you show it in Jamaica? Let’s have a film festival in St Elizabeth,” she recalled.

The BRFF 2025 programme also included screenings of three UK films, which were eligible for awards. Brown hopes more creatives from the Jamaican diaspora will get involved in future editions. “Good things are happening,” she said. “The festival gives access to experts you just wouldn’t meet in the street.”

FESTIVAL TIME: Ava Brown is the founder of the Black River Film Festival

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24 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Midlands News TOP TEAM: Left to right, Our Community Foundation apprentice Haider Bashir, youth worker Tiana Barnes, Mayor Richard Parker, founder and chief executive Basharat Dad, youth mentor Teyaba Kauser and youth development officer Zain Khan

MAYOR’S FUNDING BOOSTS JOBS, SKILLS AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES

F

IGURES RELEASED by Mayor Richard Parker have revealed how the lives of 800,000 residents across the West Midlands have been improved thanks to funding for more than 400 community-led projects.

The projects shared £13 million from the Inclusive Communities Fund and the Community Environment Fund to host hundreds of events that brought communities together. The funding was also used to run thousands of hours of free activities to get people more active and improve their health and wellbeing.

Local facilities like community centres, sports pitches and performing arts centres have also been upgraded and modernised,

800,000 residents to benefit across the West Midlands as £13 million is awarded to more than 400 grassroots groups

and nature sites created or enhanced. The grants of between £500 and £300,000 have helped create hundreds of jobs and train thousands of people, giving them new skills to get a job or volunteering role.

An evaluation, published recently, has highlighted the far-reaching benefits of the two funds. These include: l 635,000 people taking part in thousands of hours of free arts, sports or nature-based events

and activities or benefiting from better facilities where they live l 700 jobs created l 4,000 people gaining a new qualification or learning new job skills including sustainability, and climate literacy and advocacy courses l 2,000 new volunteers recruited l 2,300 tree saplings planted l 160,000 more people now living within a 15-minute walk of an improved nature site

The Mayor visited Our Community Foundation in Alum Rock in Birmingham to find out how it is supporting his plans to tackle youth unemployment using £75,000 from the Inclusive Communities Fund to run more sports and mentoring programmes.

The Mayor said: “We’ve put £13 million into 400 grassroots groups. That’s an astonishing 800,000 lives improved with better physical and mental wellbeing, new skills, improved job prospects, and brighter futures.

“I saw for myself how Our Community Foundation is tapping into the unique ability of sport to bring young people together in East Birmingham and set them on exciting new paths

in life. My Growth for Everyone plan is about making sure no one is left behind, and that’s why we are breaking down barriers to create real opportunities, better life chances, and healthier, more sustainable

I saw how Our Community Foundation is tapping into the ability of sport to bring young people together – West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker

communities for generations to come.”

The Inclusive Communities Fund and the Community Environment Fund were part of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) Commonwealth Games Legacy Enhancement Fund with money from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The legacy fund was set up to pay for projects that ensured the positive and long-lasting legacy from the Birmingham 2022 Games would be felt right across the region. l Read more at www.wmca.org.

uk/what-we-do/commonwealthgames-legacy-enhancement-fund/

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 25

By Maxine Huie

FEELING THE LOVE THROUGH THE POWER OF CULTURE

Community music and arts group striving for everyone to be happy, regardless of circumstances WHAT BEGAN as a response to personal struggle, has grown into a powerful community movement championing creativity, inclusion, and mental wellbeing.

One Love Community Music and Arts CIC, a Black-led organisation founded in 2017, is making waves in Bloxwich with its unique approach to community care through arts and culture.

Founded by three individuals with lived experience of depression and personal adversity, One Love was born out of a shared frustration.

Experiencing the lack of welcoming, meaningful spaces for adults to connect beyond the usual social settings of pubs and parks, their answer was to create something different – a coffee shop that doubles as a creative hub, offering daily activities in music, art, and social connection.

Inclusivity and diversity have been central to the initiative from the start. Positioned as a supportive and safe space for people, One Love has established itself as a trusted cultural anchor.

The One Love coffee shop, now a cornerstone of the Bloxwich community, offers more than hot drinks – it provides a sense of purpose and solidarity for those dealing with mental health challenges or simply seeking human connection.

The organisation’s activities

REAPING THE REWARDS: We Are Jamming and African Caribbean Men’s Group are two of the local groups that meet at One Love Community Music and Arts ranges from Arts & Crafts, Pilates, to music jams, yoga and a variety of community events, each designed to foster resilience, friendship and a sense of belonging.

The journey has not been without challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person gatherings, yet the organisation has remained committed to its identity as a Black-led initiative, ensuring that its core values and mission remain intact.

Through resilience and adaptability, One Love has secured funding from various sources, including Awards for All, the National Lottery’s Reaching Communities Fund, and Power to Change-Umbel Initiative.

Further to this in 2024, the organisation secured National Lottery Heritage funding to support its work in Bloxwich, where it relocated after the pandemic. Additional grants, such as the Inclusive Community funding from the Heart of

England and support from Walsall Council, have allowed One Love to expand and address community needs effectively.

With a dedicated team that shares its values and ethos, One Love Community Music and Arts CIC continues to champion its mission: that everyone deserves happiness and a meaningful life, regardless of circumstances.

At the helm is Founder and Director of Operations Richard Clarke, a seasoned social entrepreneur

with decades of community service under his belt. He has been instrumental in establishing community projects across Wolverhampton and Walsall since the 1990s Richard began his career as a youth worker at the African Caribbean Community Centre in Wolverhampton, where he helped create the first Youth Movement there. This involved launching one of the first talent shows which was covered by The Voice newspaper in 1987. He

later spent 15 years with NACRO, engaging young offenders in alternative provision, before founding the Multimedia Arts Project for alternative education.

As One Love continues to grow, its mission remains unchanged: to empower people through culture, care, and community.

In an era where safe, inclusive spaces are more important than ever, One Love stands as a beacon of what’s possible when lived experience meets grassroots leadership and community love.

From the streets to the stage: how faith and theatre transformed the life of Dion Farrell RAISED IN the Midlands by his grandmother, Dion Farrell grew up in tough circumstances that mirrored the challenges many in our community know all too well.

Church played a role in his early life, but like many teenagers, he found himself drifting away, unable to fully connect to church life.

“I always believed in God,” he says, “but I found myself more attracted to life outside church.”

It wasn’t until he turned 21 that everything changed. A new desire for the Lord led him to become a born-again Christian – and with it, he discovered a gift that would impact the lives of thousands.

A calling to write That gift was writing. What began as a way to support local churches through fundraising plays, soon became something far bigger. “I realised every time I put on plays, they were well attended and people would give their lives to the Lord at each show,” he reflects.

Dion realised at that point that this was bigger than he had ever imagined, and his shows were reaching others with a positive message of hope and transformation. His passion gave birth to Farrell Productions, a company that now produces Christian plays and comedy shows across theatres

and venues in the Midlands. By using local talent such as singers, musicians, actors, set designers and more, his productions have become a platform for both ministry and creative expression in the community.

Breaking barriers Despite theatre once being frowned upon in some Christian circles, his shows have consistently drawn large crowds.

“We have been told by many that our productions were the first theatre experience they’d ever had,” he said.

Today, his shows regularly

attract around 1,000 attendees — many of whom don’t attend church but find connection, inspiration, and even salvation through the performances.

Next up: ‘Samson’ – one day only The next production, Samson, will bring the powerful story of the biblical strongman to life on stage at the Bethel Convention Centre on Saturday, 16 August 2025.

Tickets are available now at www.samsonplay.uk. The message from Farrell Productions is clear: whether you’re a Christian or just curious, you are welcome!

INSPIRING: Dion Farrell

26 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

News

‘TIME FOR ACTION IS NOW’

C

OMMONWEALTH Secretary-General, the Hon Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, used her first official reception in London to lay out an ambitious agenda for the 56-nation organisation, calling for urgent action on climate, trade, and inclusive development amid rising global instability.

Speaking at Lancaster House, Botchwey told a high-level audience of diplomats, government ministers and cultural leaders that the Commonwealth must become “a space for solutions” in what she described as an “age of insecurity.”

“The Commonwealth is a living promise – of unity, of cooperation, of progress and sustainability,” she said. “The Commonwealth is proof that we can overcome our past; that we can take the good, while calling out the bad; that we can find unity in purpose, not identity; that we don’t have to look East or West, South or North, just forward.”

The reception, sponsored by the GUBA Foundation, was attended by the UK’s Foreign Secretary, the Rt Hon David Lammy, who said: “A thriving Commonwealth is a matter close to my heart. My

“Especially in this moment, smart and high-impact co-operation is essential,” she said.

She added: “The Commonwealth is a living promise – of unity, of co-operation, of progress and sustainability. The Commonwealth is proof that we can overcome our past; that we can take the good, while calling out the bad; that forced to borrow at punitive rates we can find unity in purpose, not just to survive,” she said. identity.”

“This is the climate-debt trap…

The reception came a few days and it is why we must work before the Secretary-General attogether to unlock new metrics, tended the Commonwealth Trade design better support, and lead a Ministers Meeting in Namibia – global push for fairer rules.” the first to be held outside London – alongside the inaugural ComRESILIENCE monwealth Business Summit.

She described her vision as one GUBA Foundation President centred on “trade, investment Lady Dentaa Amoateng MBE, who and economic resilience,” adding: co-hosted the event, said it gave “Trade among Commonwealth her “immense pride” as a Ghanaian countries is 21 per cent cheaper… to support the Commonwealth’s but we must do more than renewed mission. measure our advantage – we must Closing her speech, Botchwey harness it.” struck a note of resolve: “The chalBotchwey argued that intralenges are real – but so is our power Commonwealth investment to meet them. This is our moment should empower developing states, to lead when others hesitate. To support youth and women entrebuild when others retreat. To act HISTORY MAKER: Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey is the first preneurs, and strengthen digital multilaterally – not because it is African woman to lead the Commonwealth of Nations industries. easy, but because it is essential.”

New Commonwealth Secretary-General sets out bold vision at Lancaster House reception. By Vic Motune heritage, spanning the UK and the Caribbean, Africa and India, gives me a powerful sense of belonging in this family of nations.”

Also present were Commonwealth High Commissioners, development partners, business leaders, and representatives of sister organisations. The event was both a welcome for the SecretaryGeneral and an opportunity to forge alliances around a renewed Commonwealth agenda.

Botchwey, the first African woman to lead the organisation, said the world stood at “a true fork in the road.”

“Our small island states are trapped in a vicious cycle: battered by climate impacts they did not cause, denied access to affordable finance because they are judged ‘too rich’ to be vulnerable, and then

THE VOICE |27

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26 | THE VOICE OCTOBER 2020

ADVERTORIAL HAVIN G THE The way ArsenaLAST LAUGH: l’s Bukayo Saka has stepped up after his Euro final penalty miss earned him has widespread praise

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By Rodney speakers, performances, & justice and globrelevance to the meaning Hinds and the moderated al social justice scholar, “Black Britishness”, to best and panel take many expect sessions featuring stock of its achievements public intellectual and RSENAL central to interhim to be STARLET an Arsenal visiting professor of generational the Europea and challenges. The kayo Saka Bu- so doing, resurgence. leading sosymn Champio has regularly Saka became In it would experts. posium will inspire partic- cial justice at Newcasshown his Participants est player the youngbe the making nships that ing ability on in Premier reception. will have the opporI have seen ipants, provoke thought, tle University; Ms Sheryl of him, and field of play, the to both League history nothing this score and displaying but he is lost for words The youngster tunity to celebrate change my and catalyse progress, Nwosu, a public speaknow his mental was to assist in season to as he saw mind. a north have to receive resilience toughness. letters of support er, senior barrister a wall of blackness and being creating a forum that and “The ovation at the hateful hurtful message from fans ini- a returned to given to Saka The 20-yearand leading defence when Black in Britain now tiates and facilitates Arsenal’ he s that me, after 87 training old, who con- barristers and Jadon s of three Marcus and beyond these have received versations across ground after London Colney 25 Bedford players subjecte was one Black Row, “I knew instantly his internatio . line racist exertions times, to identify and and an advocate communities locally, during the abuse followingd to onnal that the kind of re- on summer. ability to score I was about articulate their shared issues of race at the their inhate gionally, nationally to receive in England and Bar; is a sad shootout and that ’s penalty and disparate chal- Secretary Lonnie Bunch. and Mr Andy Mundyreality that internationally. defeat your platforms has bounced to Italy at Euro 2020, Castle, a documentary lenges, and to determine “This symposium makes “Oh my are not doing powerful a gosh,” was stop these major contribution by touted to play back in style and enough to future-facing strategies filmmaker, producer action before his initial messages. illuis London and in minating rederby – a Gunners returna massive role as “There is he started a setting designed how expanding through the record previous the held by no place “We believe that change director, Managing Directo ulreading hate messages for racism Cesc Fabrega our knowledge about Saka, who to former glories. ly minutes timately strengthen of any kind of support.

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28 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Darell J. Philip

Join the debate online: voice-online. co.uk/opinion

AWAKENING THE GENIUS IN YOU: GIVING LIFE TO LEARNING LOVING LIFE: Michael Clarke, with pupils and teachers during a recent Awaken Genius initiative at Ferry Lane Primary School in north London

Inspirational Michael Clarke is determined for those in Black communities to be able to heal, grow and thrive

M

ICHAEL CLARKE, CEO of Awaken Genius, lives and breathes education.

Born and raised in north London where he still lives, Clarke has worked in education for over 14 years, supporting Key Stage 3 students and their families in a pastoral leadership role.

From various traumatic experiences, he has been purposedriven in building safe and nurturing communities, both in and outside of schools.

This drive has led him to become a school governor, local food bank volunteer, and now founder of Awaken Genius – a therapeutic education movement particularly committed to helping those from Black and disadvantaged communities (children and their families) to heal, grow and thrive.

The catalyst for Clarke’s hands-on involvement in the education of those from Black and disadvantaged communities stemmed from the tragic death of one of his students from a local school in Haringey, murdered in 2011.

Out of this tragedy was born a Saturday programme Clarke created in 2015 called Rites of Passage Enterprise (ROPE), which delivered maths, English and African martial arts through a collective of local mentors and teachers.

This then evolved to Awaken Genius in 2020 – so named because Clarke believes that there is Genius (unique talents and gifts) in every child.

“Awaken Genius was born from both personal and professional experiences,” Clarke told The Voice. “Working in mainstream schools and a Pupil Referral Unit, I have witnessed first-hand how many children, especially Black boys and increasingly Black girls, were misunderstood

and traumatised by learning approaches that were not conducive to supporting their emotional needs.

“The student of mine, tragically murdered in 2011, was the younger brother of a close friend. It deeply affected my mental health.

Coupled with further adverse experiences, it reaffirmed my belief that we needed communityled solutions that heal and not harm.”

STRATEGY As CEO of Awaken Genius, Clarke’s day-to-day role involves managing strategy, forming school partnerships, training educators in traumainformed practice, and collaboratively leading the incredible community of therapists, educators, and leaders who have joined the cause in redefining what education can a n d INSPIRING: Michael Clarke, CEO of Awaken Genius

should be. Clarke shared with The Voice some of the successes achieved through Awaken Genius.

“One of our successes has been our collaboration with Ferry Lane Primary School and neighbouring schools (these schools are based in Tottenham, north London), to gain access to vulnerable children.

“Through our therapeutic summer programme, we have seen children become more emotionally aware, cooperative and confident.

We’ve also empowered parents and children through immersive Family Wellbeing Days, which create stronger parent-child bonds and family-to-family connections which, in turn, foster more resilient children and communities.”

While there have been successes, Clarke also highlighted ongoing challenges – especially those faced

by Black boys within the current mainstream education system.

“Black boys face a myriad of systemic barriers, from racial stereotyping to disproportionate exclusion and a lack of cultural representation in the curriculum,” Clarke said: “Many have experienced Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) such as racism, poverty, or unpredictable parenting. Despite our society becoming more trauma-informed, traditional schools fail to make provision for trauma that manifests in their bodies and behaviours.

“To address these issues, we must embed traumainformed, culturally sensitive and relationship-based provision into the fabric of education. Children don’t need more discipline, they need adults that understand how trauma shapes relationships, and they need healing and connection.”

Looking back to his own childhood, Clarke recognises some of the same challenges he experienced as those being faced

by Black children today, as well as some which are new.

“As a Black boy growing up in London, I experienced many of the same issues children still face today: low expectations, lack of cultural belonging and racial stereotyping, such as being told by my primary school headteacher that ‘I will grow up to become a

criminal.’ However, the difference now is that children are dealing with even greater pressures – social media, rising youth violence, and worsening mental health – often without the support systems they need.”

CHALLENGES Clarke suggested several key actions the Department for Education could take in addressing the challenges faced

by Black and disadvantaged communities in the education system. He said: “The Department for Education could take several key actions, which are: l Mandate trauma-informed training for all educators. l Integrate African history as part of world history, not as a side note or separate ‘Black Curriculum’. l Fund therapeutic, artsbased early interventions that are proven to reduce exclusions and improve outcomes. l Review and reform exclusion practices that disproportionately affect Black boys. l Most of all, they must listen to students, parents, community leaders, and grassroots organisations that understand the lived reality.

As another academic year draws near to an end, Clarke

and his team are excited to be launching the Awaken Genius Summer School, beginning on July 28.

Running for four weeks, the summer school – a therapeutic and creative programme for children aged 8-12 – incorporates literacy and numeracy with drama, capoeira (AfricanBrazilian martial arts) movement, and entrepreneurship to engage the mind and body in healing and learning.

“At Awaken Genius, our promise is simple but profound: we give life to learning,” says Clarke. “For many children in the Black community, the current system has stripped learning of its joy, relevance, and humanity. We are here to bring it back to life – through love, creativity, and healing.

“Our work at Ferry Lane is only the beginning. We envision a national cultural movement where empathy, cooperation, and inclusivity are at the heart of education, and where every child is empowered to become the genius they truly are.” l For more information on Awaken Genius visit: https://www.awakengenius.org/ l Darell J. Philip is a teaching

assistant, academic mentor and award-winning journalist

Lifestyle

TAKE A STEP INTO TEMI’S WORLD 31

30

Karena Johnson is doing things slightly differently at the Barbican

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Black Unity Bike Ride have not one, but two major events this year

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Tate put Nigerian Modernism under the spotlight in exhibition

30 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Arts

Lifestyle

THE REBEL WITH A CAUSE

POWER OF SOUND: The Rebel Radio ‘listening hub’ is the ideal place to learn about the history of pirate radio (photo: Jesse

Joel Campbell discovers the radical influence of pirate radio through a programme of events at the Barbican

I

F YOU missed out on the chance to experience any aspects of ‘Rebel Radio’ season in June, the Barbican has greenlit an extension on the special ‘listening hub’ which features at its centre.

Rebel Radio, a month-long programme of broadcasts, talks, workshops, late night parties and screenings, put pirate radio under the spotlight last month.

Pulled together by Karena Johnson, Barbican Centre’s Head of Creative Collaboration & Learning, and her team, the season formed part of a wider exhibition going on at the venue entitled Frequencies, a programme exploring the power of sound and sonic experience.

Rebel Radio raises questions about cultural legitimacy.

“We have this space in the foyer which we’re calling the listening hub, which is an opportunity

to listen back to anything that’s happened during the season,” Johnson told Lifestyle.

She said that providing people with the option to catch up on the season’s unique content for free was a big part of keeping the hub. She’s also big on podcasts too.

She explained: “For me, a podcast is like community radio in lots of ways, because it’s what people want to say without kind of having to be filtered through other businesses or editors.

“You can kind of put your things out there.”

Describing the six-part podcast series created by DJ Tayo Popoola, which makes up part of the season, as ‘a love letter to pirate radio’, Johnson said: “It’s all about the history of it (Pirate Radio), which is just really nice to hear.

“All of the old heads talking about their crazy adventures up

Olu Ogunbanjo

on tower blocks and running from the DTI. And how they made it work, and the inner isms and schisms of it, and what they were trying to achieve.”

With over two decades of expertise producing impactful work and leading change as artistic director in arts institutions (including Hoxton

Music, Jerk ‘n Tings

Hall and The Broadway, Barking), Johnson is fully embracing the opportunity to influence concerted change in her current role.

She enthused: “To be asked to come in and to challenge the organisation to think about broader audiences and bring the real kind of civic engagement of a

big arts institution like this, that’s kind of my bread and butter, really.”

She added: “It’s been what I have been doing all my career.

So it didn’t feel like a radical departure for me. It just felt like, actually, this is an interesting context to do it in.

“How do you make changes in

an organisation that has had different challenges over the past and is really in a place where it wants to embrace doing something different?

“That’s why I’m in. And so Rebel Radio felt to me like an opportunity to do that in a really consolidated way.”

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 31

Lifestyle

Animation

How a young creator’s dream became a reality and how he is now thinking big with his educational inspiration.

By Joel Campbell

N

ATHAN WILKES featured in the pages of this newspaper when he was just a young teenager with a dream to make it in the animation world. He returns to tell his story of how he created Temi’s World, a brand-new animated preschool channel.

A series featuring Temi, a loud, curious, and imaginative Jamaican-British fiveyear-old whose playful energy drives the show, through animated adventures, silly challenges, and lively learning moments, Temi’s World helps young children build confidence, communication skills, and a love of discovery – all in a format that’s as fun and chaotic as it is educational.

Wilkes didn’t do it alone, helped by early years specialist Toni Matthews, the show is designed to help every child feel seen, celebrated, and inspired to learn through joyful play.

Lifestyle caught up with Wilkes, in what represented a full circle moment for the Lead Creative Producer at Blue Zoo Animation.

Since we covered his story 15 years ago, he has been busy career building, cutting his teeth at the likes of Disney, where he’s worked on “massive films”.

However, Temi, represents a foray into the world as an independent creator, having become “tired of waiting for studios to catch up”.

Speaking on what it meant to bring Temi to life in this format, and what it meant to feature in The Voice again, he enthused: “Honestly, it’s surreal.”

He added: “I remember being featured in The Voice as a kid, I must have been around 12 or 13 and the article was all about this little boy who dreamt of becoming an animator one day.

“That boy grew up, and now here we are. I’m making a show for children, and not just any show, one that I truly believe can change lives.

“Bringing Temi’s World to life has been the most personal, joyful, and meaningful thing I’ve ever done.

CREATOR: Nathan Wilkes is the brains behind Temi’s World

BUBBLY: Temi is voiced by Toni CatoMatthews, Nathan’s creative partner

KIDS SHOULD TUNE INTO TEMI’S WORLD “Temi represents a part of me, of my family, of the world I wish I’d seen on screen growing up. She’s loud, curious, full of energy, and proudly JamaicanBritish and she’s here to help kids learn, laugh, and feel seen. It’s a full-circle moment in every way, not just for me, but for every kid who’s ever dared to dream big.”

Pulling this out the bag no matter how talented you are is no small feat.

Talking about the process of taking it from concept to actual creation, Wilkes explained what was involved.

“You’re right! It’s a lot,” he exclaimed.

“Temi’s World is made using a clever bit of tech called Adobe Character Animator. To put that in real-world terms: imagine putting on a digital costume and stepping into your character’s shoes — literally.

“I perform the movements, Toni (his creative partner) brings the voice, and the software watches our faces, hands, and body movements in real time and maps all of that directly onto Temi.

“It’s like digital puppetry meets motion capture, but from your desk.

“What that means is we can record episodes where Temi reacts like a real child: she can shrug, smile, giggle, or wave, all naturally, because it’s coming from us performing her live. It’s fast, expressive, and tons of fun to just be jumping around all the time.

“Every episode is animated with

real emotion behind it, which makes the experience feel authentic and alive for the kids watching.”

Wilkes is very much the front man, but he points out that none of this would be possible without the valuable input of his team.

Speaking on how essential they were in creating the final product, he said: “Temi’s World wouldn’t be what it is without Toni Cato-Matthews – my creative partner, the voice of Temi, and a real-life early years practitioner.

“Her knowledge of early childhood education brings so much depth to the show. We’re a tiny team of two, but between us we’ve got the passion, experience, and heart of something far bigger.

“I’ve learned so much over the years working in the animation and pre-school space, and Temi’s World is where all of that comes together.

“Stories, design, performance, education, production are all channelled into this one little character who has a lot to say.”

From counting and language to emotional learning and social development, Temi’s World blends high-energy entertainment with real educational value.

Every episode is crafted to feel like fun, not homework.

Speaking on what he would like people to take from the series and what would constitute success, Wilkes enthused: “I want Temi’s World to feel like it’s for

Bringing Temi’s World to life has been the most personal, joyful, and meaningful thing that I’ve ever done

everyone – especially for families who may not always feel seen or catered to in children’s media. Education shouldn’t be locked behind paywalls or pricey platforms.

“That’s why everything we make is 100 per cent free on YouTube – no sign-up, no subscription, just click and go. If even one parent finds Temi’s World and thinks, ‘This is exactly what my child needed’, that’s a win for me. But long term? I want Temi to become a household name.

“I want her face on books and educational toys, I want her messages of kindness and curiosity to stick with kids as they grow.

“And one day, and I know this sounds bold, I would love to do an episode with Michelle Obama.

“That would be our ‘we’ve made it’

moment. She’s done incredible things for children’s health and education, and she’s no stranger to kids’ media either.

“Having her involved in Temi’s World would be an absolute dream.”

As well as the series, Wilkes and Matthews have launched a website with completely free printable activity sheets for kids – colouring, counting, phonics, all designed to complement the show and help parents keep learning going beyond the screen.

“We also support a charity called Books Away From Home,” Wilkes said, “which provides books to refugee children in their own language.

“We sponsor 10 books a month, because we believe every child deserves to feel represented and supported, no matter where they are in the world.”

From aspiring animator to making a real life difference, Wilkes has done very well. It’s the type of success story that will have all the big studios looking at what comes next.

So, what is next? Are there other projects in the pipeline?

“Right now, Temi has my full attention, but yes, there are definitely ideas waiting in the wings,” Wilkes confirmed.

He added: “I’ve always got stories bubbling away in my head, and I’d love to bring more characters and worlds to life over time.

“But for now, it’s all about giving Temi’s World the launch it deserves and setting a foundation that can grow and grow.”

32 | THE VOICE JUNE 2025

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Now, BCA is entering a bold new era. With a refreshed strategy focused on sustainability, impact, and resilience, we’re seeking an exceptional Managing Director to shape our next chapter.

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Black Cultural Archives 1 Windrush Sq. Brixton, SW2 1EF blackculturalarchives.org info@bcaheritage.org.uk Registered charity no. 1051087 · Limited company no. 03113148

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 33

Lifestyle

Carnival on bikes

BLACK CYCLISTS SADDLE UP FOR CITY EXPANSION Community movement to launch new event in Manchester while a third ride is planned for 2026. By Joel Campbell

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HE BLACK Unity Bike Ride (BUBR), the UK’s carnival on bikes, has announced a new fiveyear partnership with London Marathon Events (LME) that will see the event expand to two new UK cities – Manchester in 2025 and a third ride will be coming to a major UK city in 2026.

Founded as a community-led movement in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd in the US, BUBR attracts more than 1,800 participants annually in a ride across London that is suitable for all and celebrates Black joy, empowerment and unity.

LME has lent its event organisation expertise to BUBR since 2021, working in partnership to help inspire thousands of people onto the bike.

Now a new five-year agreement has strengthened this partnership further and helped BUBR plan to create a national movement by expanding into two new cities.

VIBRANT The first phase of expansion will see Manchester host its first ever Black Unity Bike Ride on August 17 (Marcus Garvey’s birthday), which will start and finish in Alexander Park in Moss Side and feature a 12-mile ride through the city.

It will mirror the success of London’s inaugural BUBR by creating a vibrant, festival feel with music throughout, ride leaders and a food and vendor village in Alexander Park which will celebrate the Black community.

The ride in Manchester will come two weeks after the next edition of London’s Black Unity Bike Ride, on August 2.

The 17-mile route will again start in Leyton Sports Ground and finish in Dulwich Park. There will be music throughout, pitstops on route and the BUBR Fest will greet riders at the finish, with more than 13 food vendors, offering a range of different cuisines, as well as an entertainment and a recovery zone for participants.

Entry to BUBR Fest is free.

BUBR founder Tokunbo AjasaOluwa said: “What began as a

bold idea on London’s streets has grown into a national movement.

We are very excited to bring the event to Manchester, it has been an aspiration for a few years so we can’t wait until August 17.”

He added: “BUBR has valued London Marathon Events support since 2021 and we are very proud to extend this relationship with a new five-year commitment.

“The partnership is a true statement of intent when it comes to community, inclusion and inspiring active lives.”

The BUBR welcomes people of all abilities and ages to take part. In 2024, 47 per cent of participants were first-timers, and more than 70 per cent of those ranked themselves as either beginner or intermediate level riders. In addition, just under half of participants were inspired to join a cycling club after riding in 2024, with 77 per cent cycling more as a result.

LME’s partnership with BUBR will include support from across the business including marketing, communications, logistics, finance, data and operational support. LME’s mission is to inspire activity for all with a focus on supporting and providing access to participation for people in underserved communities.

At last year’s London BUBR, 71 per cent of participants identified as being a beginner or intermediate cyclist while 41 per cent of riders were female.

Hamid Vaghefian, LME’s Communities and DEI Director, said: “We are delighted to have

ALL AGES WELCOME: The Black Unity Bike Ride attracts more than 1,800 participants annually in a ride across London

We are very excited to bring the event to Manchester, it has been an aspiration for a few years formalised our partnership with the Black Unity Bike Ride.

“We have proudly supported this incredible, empowering event since 2021 and seen the impact it has made in getting more people from the Black community

cycling and enjoying activity. It is an exciting prospect to be able to support this movement further and to help bring what really is a carnival on bikes to other cities in the UK, starting with Manchester on August 17.”

The London Marathon Foundation (one of the major charitable funders of sport and physical activity in London, and the parent charity of London Marathon Events) has also supported the growth of BUBR’s work to promote inclusivity and diversity in cycling.

In 2023, the Foundation awarded £50,000 to deliver a series of BUBR cycling workshops at the Lea Valley VeloPark, so more people from Black communities could participate in cycling.

In 2024, the growth of the movement saw BUBR registered FESTIVAL FEEL: The next edition of London’s Black Unity Bike Ride takes place on August 2, with the 17-mile route again starting in Leyton Sports Ground and finishing in Dulwich Park

as an independent UK charity, which is managed by a small team of passionate volunteers and freelancers.

Alongside the annual ride event itself, the BUBR Africa has delivered social impact projects in Ghana 2023, Rwanda 2024 and South Africa 2025. All three trips have empowered grassroots initiatives that use cycling for good within their communities.

The two upcoming rides are all set to provide another fantastic occasion for positive community engagement. Let’s just hope FOUNDER: the weather plays its part.

Tokunbo l Register for the Ajasa-Oluwa Manchester event at https:// www.blackunitybikeride. com/tickets/manchester

34 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

IT’S DELISH...

BUT DON’T JUST TAKE MY WORD FOR IT

Joel Campbell says a vegan Caribbean restaurant in north London is delivering on all its promises

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HEN LIFESTYLE reported on the opening of Jam Delish in 2022, co-owner Jordan Johnson said “we’re taking Caribbean food to the next level. It’s not fine dining, but it’s also not casual in terms of how the food is plated and the ingredients we’re using.”

Fast forward three years and the London entrepreneur has very much delivered on his promise.

When the media are invited to be fed and watered in circumstances that don’t reflect the experience of a normal customer, you expect things to be good and my recent visit didn’t disappoint.

But I already knew the modern Caribbean restaurant and cocktail bar, which is redefining plant-based cuisine, was hitting the mark because word has been spreading.

Based in Angel, north London, for the first year or so, locals and those in the know would have been forgiven for feeling like this was their spot, their little secret.

How wrong they were.

The reviews, and there have been plenty, (they have a 4.6-star rating on Google, based on over 1,200 reviews), highlight just how popular and sought after cuisine of this ilk is.

Served up by head chef Nathan Collymore, whose culinary journey began with Jamie Oliver’s renowned Fifteen programme, which empowers underprivileged youth through food, those who are yet to dine at Jam Delish can expect vegan versions of their favourite Caribbean meals.

Collymore brings with him years of experience in some of London’s most respected

SOURCE OF INSPIRATION: Nathan doing what he does best

kitchens, elevating traditional Caribbean flavours with modern techniques and presentation.

The proudly Black-owned and family-run establishment is the creation of siblings Jordan and Chyna Johnson, who launched the concept in 2020 with no outside investors, PR firm, or marketing agency — just

Across the table all I could hear was a knife and fork hitting the plate, silence and then mmmmm

determination, creativity, and a passion for food.

The entirely plant-based menu reflects the founders’ Caribbean heritage and personal upbringing, offering dishes that are rich in flavour, innovation, and soul.

In a very competitive industry Jam Delish has garnered critical acclaim, earning multiple five-star reviews across all media.

As a misunderstood fussy eater, who has never eaten meat in his life, who does not eat mushrooms, I have to say I was pleasantly impressed with what I tasted.

Before I get into the food though, let’s talk about the cocktails, or cocktail, as I only tasted my one, a sorrell margarita made up of sorrell, tequila, agave syrup, lime juice, orange juice, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.

Now, whether you do it mocktail or cocktail, make sure you do it.

It’s a near 10. I say near 10 because I want it to be bigger (but then I would). Even if it was bigger I’d still devour multiple. It’s that nice.

My partner enjoyed a bramble mocktail consisting of seedlip, sugar cane, lemon juice and blackberry syrup. If you like it sweet, this one’s for you.

Scene set and well and truly hungry, for our starters we opted for the Island Trio and Grilled Roti and a Jamaican Oxtail Coco Bread.

Both were a hit. The grilled dhal puri roti was flaky, nice and the accompaniments, burnt spring onion and chilli butter, coconut and green tahini and sweet jerk butter were all beautifully

WINNING FORMULA: Jam Delish co-owner Jordan Johnson with head chef Nathan Collymore

complementary. I heard nothing but a knife and fork hitting the plate, silence and then mmmmm, from the other side of the table where my partner was getting stuck into the Jamaican Oxtail Coco Bread.

Again, I don’t eat mushrooms, but the little piece (I stress little) she let me taste was very good.

A soft coco bread filled with wild mushrooms and roasted jackfruit “oxtail”, sweet pickled red onions, plantain ketchup, spring onion aioli and Jamaican gravy, she said it was unlike anything she’d ever eaten before.

I have to say, my partner has been following Jam Delish since they were a pop-up.

She loves food, vegan variations and was literally detailing individual ingredients to me as they hit her palate.

We both rated our starters a solid eight out of ten. Now for the mains... Caribbean Fried Chicken and Jamaican Gravy, Curry Goat, Caribbean Slaw and Island Fries.

My brother had attended Jam Delish with his partner

a few months ago and was complimentary of the Curry Goat, pictured below, so I thought I’d go with that.

It comes with rice and peas, Jamaican sweet potato, Caribbean fried cabbage, fried ripe plantain

with the curry goat made up of brown lentils and wheat protein.

I must confess, it didn’t work for me. Remember, I’ve never eaten meat, so I don’t know what curry goat tastes like, but this wasn’t a texture I get on with.

Luckily, it came in a separate

bowl, which meant I could devour the rest, add my island chips and slaw and I was nice.

Over on the other side of the table, all I could hear was a knife and fork hitting the plate, silence and then mmmmm.

Fried jerk oyster mushroom “chicken”, garlic mashed potatoes, stew peas, confit hispi cabbage and Jamaican gravy, as a former meat eater, she said the meal was flavoursome and close to the real thing.

Johnson says it’s the most popular dish ordered and the little (I stress little) bit I tasted left me in no doubt it will be what I order when I visit next.

I didn’t order any dessert this time around but I have my eye on the Chocolate Pimento Festivals, mini festivals, chocolate pimento sauce, coconut and Guinness punch reduction.

I didn’t have the space this time around but looking at that and a host of other dishes on offer, I’ll probably be back a few times.

It’s Jam Delish. Check out their summer 2025 menu and tell them The Voice sent you!

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 35

Arts

Lifestyle

NIGERIAN ART ON SHOW Tate Modern to stage exhibition of works combining European and African traditions. By Joel Campbell

WESTERN-TRAINED: Sculptor and artist Ben Enwonwu at work in an art studio in 1957 (photo: Getty Images)

HIS AUTUMN, Tate Modern will stage the first UK exhibition to trace the development of modern art in Nigeria.

Spanning a period from indirect colonial rule to national independence and beyond, Nigerian Modernism celebrates an international network of artists who combined African and European traditions, creating a vibrant artistic legacy.

The exhibition will present the work of over 50 artists across 50 years, from Ben Enwonwu to El Anatsui.

They each responded to Nigeria’s evolving political and social landscape by challenging assumptions and imagining new futures, reclaiming Indigenous traditions to create a new African vision of Modernism.

Featuring more than 250 works, including paintings, sculptures,

Okeke, Demas Nwoko, Yusuf Grillo, Bruce Onobrakpeya and Jimo Akolo.

Encouraged by teachers like Clara Etso Ugbodaga-Ngu, they developed independent creative styles centred around a concept of ‘Natural Synthesis’, merging Indigenous forms with modern expression.

In the 1960s amid an economic boom, Lagos became a dynamic cultural hub, inspiring tropical modernist architecture, public art commissions and nightclubs filled with Highlife music.

Spanning a wide variety of artists and significant periods in between, the exhibition will end with a spotlight on Uzo Egonu, exploring how artists towards the end of the 20th century began to respond to global Nigerian identities. l Nigerian Modernism, Tate Modern, October 9, 2025 to May 11, 2026

T

textiles, ceramics and works on paper from institutions and private collections across Africa, Europe and the US, it offers a rare opportunity to encounter the creative forces who revolutionised modern art in Nigeria.

The exhibition will begin in the 1940s amid calls for decolonisation across Africa and its diaspora.

With the Nigerian education system under British governance, many artists trained in Britain, adopting European techniques and seeing Western modernism’s fixation on African art.

The balance between Nigeria’s indigenous traditions, colonial realities and calls for independence was evident in the practices of artists, many of whom became involved in arts education and reform.

Aina Onabolu pioneered new figurative portraits of Lagos

society figures, while Akinola Lasekan depicted scenes from Yoruba legends and history.

Globally celebrated artists of the period, Enwonwu and Ladi Kwali, combined their Western training with Nigerian visual art traditions.

Drawing upon his knowledge of Igbo sculpture, Enwonwu

adapted his Slade School education to celebrate the beauty of Black and African culture.

Meanwhile, Kwali who trained under British potter Michael Cardew, at Pottery Training Centre in Abuja, developed a new style of ceramic art that synthesised traditional Gwarri

techniques and European studio pottery. National independence on October 1, 1960, inspired a sense of optimism throughout the country, with artistic groups creating art for a new nation.

The exhibition will look at the legacy of The Zaria Arts Society whose members included Uche

Bring all the family for a fun day out at Music, Jerk ‘n Tings on Saturday 16 August

P

opular family festival Music, Jerk ‘n’ Tings returns to south east London at the Horniman Museum and Gardens on 16 August, 1-6pm.

Dance along to a packed line-up of musical talent on the Bandstand, and savour island flavours with a delicious selection of jerk, vegan and vegetarian dishes cooked up by top chefs. Bring all the family, young and elders, to enjoy a fantastic music line-up featuring Alex Charles, singer, saxophonist and former member of Heatwave, Brixton’s Lara Lee aka FLOetic, harmony queens The Divettes and Reggae Reminisce Band.

DJ Teachers Crew will get you dancing with calypso, reggae and dancehall sounds and you can enjoy a performance from the acclaimed The Delphina James Steel Ensemble. You can also enjoy traditional games and check out the arts and crafts market of independent and local producers.

During the festival, explore the beautiful Horniman Gardens, take a stroll in the free Animal Walk which includes resident alpacas, rabbits and goats, be immersed amongst free-flying butterflies at the Butterfly House and have fun at a themed mini golf course.

•

Tickets to Music, Jerk ‘n Tings are: child £10, adult £17, over-60s £12, under 2s and access companions are free.

Book tickets at: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/event/music-jerk-n-tings/ Some activities carry an additional charge including the Butterfly House and mini golf course.

Please check horniman.ac.uk for more information.

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is at: 100 London Road, Forest Hill SE23 3PQ. There is no on-site parking except for Blue Badge holders on a first come basis. Public transport is recommended. The nearest Overground station is Forest Hill.

Buses 176, 185, 197, 356, P4 stop outside the Horniman, buses 122, 363 and P13 stop nearby.

This event is in partnership with Fairweather Productions.

36 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Lifestyle

Books

SALUTING PIONEERS OF BLACK BRITISH THEATRE

DETERMINED: Ida Shepley with, left to right, James Clarke, Paul Robeson, Ulric Cross and Edric Connor in 1949

Stephen Bourne celebrates the work of playwright Una Marson and British-born actresses, Ida Shepley and Cleo Laine

I

T ISN’T often a writer is given the opportunity to revise one of their books. Therefore I was thrilled when my publisher The History Press informed me that they were going ahead with a paperback version of my Black British theatre book.

In response, I asked them if I could add three new chapters about Black women who didn’t make it into the first edition.

They readily agreed. Trailblazers of Black British Theatre now includes the playwright Una Marson, and two British-born actresses, Ida Shepley and Dame Cleo Laine.

Trailblazers celebrates the pioneers of Black British theatre.

It begins in the Victorian era when Ira Aldridge made history as the first Black actor to play a range of Shakesperean roles (Othello, King Lear, Shylock).

It ends in 1975 with the breakthrough of this country’s first Black-led theatre company.

Along the way, readers will find out about the groundbreaking work of playwrights at the Royal Court (including Jamaica’s Barry Reckord and Trinidad’s Errol John); the first Black drama school students (including Jamaica’s Louise ‘Miss Lou’ Bennett who was a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the 1940s); and three influential dramatists of the 1970s: Mustapha Matura, Michel Abbensetts and Alfred Fagon.

My chapter about Cleo Laine explores her theatre acting career which, since the 1950s, has been overshadowed by her accomplishments as a jazz singer.

STAGE: Dame Cleo Laine Cleo’s Jamaican father, Alexander Campbell, had served in the British Army during the First World War. His story is told in one of my

BREAKTHROUGH: Una Marson holding a script with, left to right, Amy Barbour James, Desmond Buckle and Stephen Thomas in 1933

earlier books, Black Poppies. Cleo, born in London in 1927, was an accomplished jazz singer before successfully auditioning for her first stage role in 1958 as the lead in Flesh to a Tiger at the Royal Court.

This was one of the first plays to be produced in this country by a Black dramatist, the Jamaican Barry Reckord. Cleo was critically acclaimed and a photo from the play, in which she can be seen with the Trinidadian Pearl Prescod, is featured on the cover of the paperback.

Following this success, Cleo alternated her jazz singing with leading roles in a variety of stage productions including musicals (Valmouth, Show Boat); opera

(The Seven Deadly Sins); a Greek tragedy (The Trojan Women); Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler.

Cleo once said: “I’d really like to have a go at Mother Courage and then there’s Lady Macbeth but it’s been singing that’s been my glory.

When I’m on stage singing it’s joyful and I’m happy. That’s where I come alive.”

FOCUS Much has been written about the Jamaican feminist, activist and BBC broadcast Una Marson, including two biographies, but in Trailblazers I focus on her theatre career.

In 1933, Una was likely the first

Black woman to have a play staged in Britain. This was the London production of At What A Price which was first seen in Kingston, Jamaica.

Una arrived in London in 1932 with a copy of her play, and the following year it was produced at the Young Women’s Christian Association in Bloomsbury.

Twenty-five years would pass before another Black woman dramatist had a play staged in London when Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun opened at the Adelphi Theatre.

Less well known (and not mentioned in her two biographies) is an acting role Una played in 1934, but you will have to read Trailblazers to discover more information.

Throughout her career, Ida Shepley often promoted herself as a Trinidadian but in truth she was born in Crewe, Cheshire.

Ida was a singer who had ambitions to become an actress, but serious acting roles for Black Britons were scarce in the 1940s and 1950s. After taking voice lessons from the daughter of Ira Aldridge, Ida made a successful transition to ‘straight’ actress, alternating plays such as Deep Are the Roots with musicals like Love from Judy.

Ida never stopped working and in 1960 she was seen in London’s West End in Flower Drum Song,

the penultimate Rodgers and Hammerstein musical. Ida was cast as a Chinese character which contrasted with her role as a feisty Jamaican mother in Barry Reckord’s play You in Your Small Corner the following year.

In 1968, Ida made her final appearance in the West End as the mother of Sammy Davis Jr in the musical Golden Boy. SUCCESS Ida enjoyed success in a variety of productions and she made it possible for a British-born woman of colour to make a breakthrough in the challenging world of theatre, even if she did occasionally pass herself off as a “Trinidadian”.

Ida loved to sing and act, and she did so with remarkable determination and success.

Sadly, her point of view cannot be heard. Interviews with her are almost impossible to find. However, positive reviews by theatre critics of her performances are a testament to her many gifts. Ida died in 1975.

One year later a notice was published in a newspaper in the “In Memoriam” section describing her as “A gentle, friendly star”. l Trailblazers of Black British Theatre by Stephen Bourne is published by The History Press (£14.99) and is available from all good bookshops and online www.thehistorypress.co.uk

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 37

Lifestyle

THE PROS AND CONS OF BEING ONLINE

Books

Nathanael Lessore’s latest offering balances humour with a sensitive topic. By Joel Campbell

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HAT HAPPENS ONLINE is all about figuring out who you are online and offline.

It provides positive discussion on topics impacting teens today, including peer pressure, online culture, mental health and bullying.

In Nathanael Lessore’s true style, he balances humour with these more sensitive topics, being an expert teen comedy writer, particularly for engaging reluctant teen boys, which is needed more than ever.

This book is clearly highlighting the difference between what can quickly occur between life online and in real life, and Lifestyle wanted to understand a little more about what motivated Lessore to explore this dynamic.

He said: “The idea came from school visits. I’ve done probably a hundred visits now, and a common thread among teens are their online habits.

“So many times, teenagers will quote songs, or clips, or video games that they consume, which I find interesting (and entertaining).

“I know of the detrimental effects that being online has, the links to depression in teenagers, the online bullying, and the unrealistic expectations in the real world, but I did not want this to be a preachy book.

“The motivation is to open discussion, to think about the pros and cons of what happens online.”

In the book, online Fred goes by Existor@stmarks.

His alter ego is the best gamer around – constantly on a winning streak, with tonnes of followers, and the confidence to go with it.

But offline, Fred’s life is miserable.

His dad’s always working, his

mum’s struggling, and at school, everyone looks straight through him. Until Existor’s notoriety spreads to his school, and Fred sees an opportunity: everyone listens to what Existor has to say, so why not use that?

Soon, Fred is coming up with outlandish rumours about his classmates, and everyone’s lapping it up.

His bullies are shunned, and people are finally taking notice of him. But it’s a slippery slope and Fred struggles to keep track of all the stuff he’s posted as his lies start to wreak unexpected havoc.

Fred will have to answer for his crimes against reality, but will he ever find someone to like him for who he really is?

Sharing his thoughts on the dynamic which sees technology allowing for us to be the most connected we have ever been as human beings but yet, the increasing number of people that feel disconnected from others, ignored, irrelevant, unseen and unheard, Lessore said contemporary modes of communication definitely had huge pros and cons.

“I have clearly benefited from the easy, instantaneous communication. But I’m also very saddened by the lack of third spaces that young people don’t get as much.

“I sound old, saying that “in my day” we had youth clubs, we were kicking ball in the cage most days, we were always in and out of each others’ houses. Being with friends face to face, seeing people, these are the things that made my childhood (and teenagehood) happy.

“I think back to every happy moment I had as a teenager, and none of them were on a screen.

“They were with people. Being present with people is the perfect way to not feel isolated, unseen or unheard. Social life and social media are two different things.”

On what he hoped readers will take away from Fred’s journey – particularly about identity, honesty, and self-worth, Lessore enthused: “I hope Fred’s journey to self acceptance is one that resonates with the reader.

“I hope anyone who relates to Fred early on, when his self worth is very low, can be led on a journey to their own journey to self-worth, self love includes one’s inevitable imperfections.

“Also, I hope they can see that tying their identity to whoever they are online, is not a great idea.

Identity can be found in many places, family, friends, hobbies, culture, etc, but the fictional world of social media is not a good place to start looking.

“Fred has definitely reminded me to live in the moment, keep seeing people, keep watering the relationships I have with people (in person where possible), and I hope readers might have a similar takeaway.”

POSITIVE: Nathanael Lessore did not want What Happens Online to be a ‘preachy book’

38 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK/SPORT

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JULY 2025 | THE VOICE

WE NEED MORE UNITY!

The 2025 tournament has shown that football’s Unity Cup has to become an annual event. By Rodney Hinds

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HE UNITY Cup now has to be an annual event; simple as that.

The just-concluded tournament proved once and for all that Black people are happy to attend football matches.

There has been a notion for far too long that the African-Caribbean communities were reluctant to attend games at cathedrals such as Anfield, The Emirates, Old Trafford et al.

Well, the tournament was staged at Brentford’s welcoming Gtech Community Stadium and featured Nigeria, Jamaica, Ghana and Trinidad & Tobago to demonstrate that we love the Beautiful Game as much as anyone.

However, there was one vital difference. We were among our own people embracing the cuisine, music and general revelry generated by steel bands, sounds systems and performers. And, of course, there were the football bragging rights, which were taken by Nigeria after beating Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz in a thrilling penalty shoot-out to lift the Unity Cup again.

The last Unity Cup was staged over two decades ago and this time around no one truly knew what to expect.

What they got in the end was three days that could be likened to Notting Hill Carnival and music festivals such as the popular City Splash. There was a very special vibe. The Unity Cup was family-

friendly and women turned out in their droves in order take in the unique spectacle too. This was all about the culture and community with flags, whistles and fun uppermost in people’s minds.

There was no need for segregation as everyone came together as one for a very special occasion. What helped, I think, was no talk of offside decisions, VAR or lewd chanting which is often associated with football. The Unity Cup was just clean fun, and that’s what’s required by most of the attendees that took it in.

Sport in general and football in particular are very powerful tools and that was proven again at Brentford’s quaint Gtech Community Stadium deep in west London. To Brentford’s top brass, props are due for welcoming communities that are far too often when it comes to football.

Afrosports, the Unity Cup organisers, should be applauded for their vision. No doubt their debrief will include the good, the bad and the ugly as major events of this kind will always throw up.

What is clear is that the organisers have stirred the community.

Football was the unifying force but it was just one piece of the Unity Cup jigsaw.

FAN-TASTIC: The Unity Cup proved a real winner; Nigeria won the tournament (photos: Ernest Simons)

Already I have heard of those who want to know how they can get tickets for next year. There was also a feeling that those that did not attend this time round,

missed out in some way such was the feelgood factor. We cannot wait another 20 years for an event of this kind. The Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has long since been treated as a second class by some. The hope has to be that the Unity

Cup avoids that stigma. I know behind the scenes, things were not easy for the organisers on many levels, but they should be encouraged.

The Unity Cup has to be an annual event. Let’s see what happens next.

YOUNG BRIT WILLIAMS GETS DREAM MOVE TO THE CELTICS

By Rodney Hinds

FORMER Elite Academy Basketball League athlete Amari Williams was selected in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, heading to Boston Celtics.

Held across June 25-26, the former Myerscough College, Mansfield Giants, Nottinghamshire Nova and Hucknall Juniors product heard his name called as the 46th pick, heading to the league’s most successful franchise, 18-time NBA title winners Boston Celtics, following a trade of draft rights with Orlando Magic.

Williams was a Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) athlete between 2018 and 2020 and made stops at various points in the Basketball England talent

SLAM DUNK: Amari Williams is now heading to Boston Celtics pathway, including Regional Development Tournaments (now Aspire All Stars), Great Britain and England youth teams, plus the England Development Programme (EDP).

He also played in the NBL for Myerscough before his move

to America and an NCAA D1 scholarship with Drexel in 2020.

Speaking about the development, Neal Hopkins, director of basketball at Myerscough College and Basketball England’s regional talent manager for the North, said: “I am beyond proud of Amari.

Hearing his name get called is a moment so many people have worked towards, I know everyone who has played a part will be feeling incredible, I am so thankful that I had a small part to play.

“If anyone ever wants an illustration of ‘trusting the process’ look no further, Amari has been patient, managed setbacks, built resilience, and has done this all whilst keeping his feet firmly on the floor – he is humble beyond measure and is a complete role

model. He is a true product of British basketball. I hope this can be a point of inspiration.”

Basketball England’s head of talent and performance, Steve Bucknall, added: “As a great advert for the Talent Pathway, Amari has taken all the steps necessary for a young player and has benefitted from doing so.”

Williams, who plays as a centre, is from Nottingham and spent the 2024/25 season with NCAA programme Kentucky Wildcats During his final season with the Wildcats, Williams averaged 10.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, shooting 56.1 per cent from the field. He started all 36 games, leading the team in both rebounds and field goal percentage, and tied for a teamhigh in assists. He is also only

the second player in SEC history to record at least 375 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists, 40 blocks, and 20 steals in a single season.

Prior to his stint with Kentucky, Williams was a standout at Drexel, where he was named as a threetime Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time First-Team All-CAA pick.

Across 141 games that spanned a five-year collegiate career, Williams totalled 1,472 points and 1,038 rebounds along with 286 assists, 230 blocks and 106 steals.

He enjoyed 98 straight starts over his final three seasons.

Williams becomes the 143rd draft selection in Kentucky’s history, following in the footsteps of John Wall, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns.

JULY 2025 THE VOICE | 39

Sport

KING ARTHUR CROWNED!

The impact of Ashe’s Wimbledon triumph on Black sport will never be underestimated. By Joel Campbell

L

ISTENING TO distinguished journalist, tennis aficionado and historian Richard Evans speak of the impact and importance of Arthur Ashe’s Wimbledon win 50 years ago at the 2025 Tennis Black List (TBL), you could hear a pin drop.

The whole audience fully engaged, I think I speak for everyone present when I say it was an education and an utter privilege to hear.

Amidst the pearls of wisdom, Evans, who has helped tell the story of the sport for more than 60 years, recalled how Ashe hatched his winning game plan the day before the big 1975 final against the intensely competitive Jimmy Connors.

“Wimbledon was it. If you didn’t win Wimbledon you weren’t quite at the top of tennis, and Arthur certainly deserved to be there,” Evans explained at the recent TBL. “It was fascinating that a man of intellect should win an intellectual final at Wimbledon, because it was an extraordinary performance.

“Those of you who play competitive sport will know how difficult it would be to change your entire playing style in the most important match that you will ever play in your life. And that’s what he did.

“Jimmy Connors had to feast off his opposition’s power, because he was a small guy, he needed to generate his power off of his opponent.

“So, at an evening at the Playboy Club, the night before, because that’s where they all went, Charlie Pasarell and Donald Dell

WORDS OF WISDOM: Richard Evans hailed the great Arthur Ashe

sat down and worked out tactics, and they decided to deprive Jimmy Connors of that power.

“And so we saw Arthur, those of us who watched him play all of his life, blink because he softballed Connors, he droppedshotted him, he pushed the ball over the net and he denied Connors the power he needed to win.

“It was an extraordinary performance that will go down in history, and who else deserves it more than Arthur?”

In a VT from Evans, preceding his address at this year’s Tennis Black List which took place at The Queen’s Club, the broadcaster summed up the significance of Ashe’s contribution.

He said: “Having been able to say Arthur Ashe, Wimbledon champion, I mean, Arthur would have been loved any way, he’d have been great, he’d have achieved things in life, but winning the Wimbledon title was huge for him and for Black players everywhere.

“Arthur would have been loved any way. But winning the Wimbledon title was huge for him and for Black players everywhere”

HISTORIC: Arthur Ashe holds up his trophy after winning the men’s singles at Wimbledon in 1975 (photo: Getty Images)

“For African-Americans, for every Black sports woman or man in the world, having a Black male Wimbledon champion to join Althea Gibson as a Black female Wimbledon champion was just a wonderful boost for Black sport.”

Asked how he felt Ashe would have viewed the game today, how it had advanced where the issue of greater diversity among the sport was concerned, Evans enthused: “He’d have been very happy that we are now finally getting more Black players coming through because, although Althea and he set a huge standard, they were alone up there for a long time.”

He added: “We’d got Zina Garrison coming through, and then there were other players. Nduka Odizor was about the only one from outside the United States who made an impression.

“And then, we were on a tour of Africa. Arthur Ashe, Charlie Pasarell and I happen to be invited to dinner at the Yallambie Tennis Club and on a side court an 11-year-old was playing under yellow lights against his uncle and Arthur stopped and said, let’s have a look at this chap. We looked, and he was called Yannick Noah.

“If we’d have taken a different path you might not have heard of Yannick Noah.

“So Black players came through and he’d be thrilled about that because he discovered one of the greatest ones.” l Wimbledon will mark the

50th anniversary of Arthur Ashe’s Wimbledon win with a series of events and activations during this year’s tournament

40 | THE VOICE JULY 2025

Sport

JAMES READY TO ROAR AGAIN FOR LIONESSES

A

FTER missing months through injury, Lauren James is back in the England squad and ready to help the Lionesses chase history at Euro 2025.

James’ place at the Euros looked in doubt after a frustrating injury kept the Chelsea forward sidelined since March. Now, the 23-year-old is back – named in Sarina Wiegman’s 23-woman squad for the tournament in Switzerland which kicked off on July 2.

James admits missing the end of the season was tough. She told the Voice of Sport: “Obviously the Euros was in the back of my mind, but I knew I had to take it day by day. My main focus was just to get right.”

Widely seen as one of the brightest stars in women’s football, James stayed focused and determined. She put the work in on the training pitch, trusted her body to respond, and kept her belief intact.

Smiling, she said she “never doubted” that she would make the squad.

She made her senior England debut in 2022, and at the 2023

Chelsea star ‘never doubted’ she would make England squad for Euro 2025 in Switzerland after injury scare. By Sam French

World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, she scored three goals and assisted three more before receiving a red card in the last-16 against Nigeria.

Football runs in the family for James – her brother, Reece, plays for Chelsea and England.

Expressing her pride in

“Obviously the Euros was in the back of my mind, but I knew I had to take it day by day. My main focus was just to get right”

representing her country, she added: “Anyone would want to be part of the Euros. The preparation feels good and I’m excited.”

England have been drawn in Group D alongside France, the Netherlands and Wales, with the top two teams advancing to the knockouts. It’s a competitive group – but Wiegman’s side are the defending champions.

Since lifting the Euro 2022 trophy at Wembley, England have evolved – adapting to injuries, retirements, and the narrow 1-0 defeat in the World Cup final.

James’ experienced club team mate, Lucy Bronze, says that Wiegman “has changed a lot over time, with the flexibility of her tactics”.

No England senior side – men or women – has ever won a major tournament on foreign soil. With James fit and firing again, there’s a sense of belief and excitement.

KEY ROLE: Lauren James is one of the brightest stars in women’s football; below left, James is a key member of England manager Sarina Wiegman’s squad