The Voice Newspaper: February 2024

FEBRUARY, 2024 • ISSUE NO. 1951

WWW.VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK

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Bob Marley

One Love hits cinemas on Valentine’s Day

› p35

‘STARMER DON’T CARE ABOUT US’ EXCLUSIVE Black MPs and activists tell The Voice that Labour is letting down loyal Black voters by seemingly backtracking on a manifesto promise of a new Race Equality Act › p6-7

Professor Kehinde Andrews accuses Labour leader of shunning Black voters

Sir Keir Starmer pledged a new Race Equality Act in 2020

The Power of TV Enables Black-owned Businesses

to Flourish

See inside pages 14,15,16 & 17

Inside THIS MONTH

Right for all UK campaign backs Jamaicans’ fight for beach access p4-5

ROUNDUP NEWSPAPER

News, views, stories & videos TOP 10 ONLINE STORIES JANUARY 2024

1. Officer charged with assault over bus fare evasion arrest PC Perry Lathwood, 49, will appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court

2. Young Black men ‘suicidal after gang violence’ Study examines the mental health impact of young men who have been affected by gang violence

Grenada at 50: should it now become a republic? p8 & 33

3. Dancehall star to appeal murder conviction in the UK Vybz Kartel’s trial was the longestrunning case in Jamaica’s history

Lessons on the web Black parents turn to online tutors for academic success p11 & 21

4. Policing is institutionally racist says police chief

Gavin Stephens says policing policies not designed with Black people in mind

5. Martin Luther King to be honoured with blue plaque

First time permission has been granted for a blue plaque to be installed on an ecclesiastical building in the UK

6. Women charged with murder of father of seven

Brutal history Why it’s time to depose the N-word p24

The family of Deavon Harrison said they were “shocked” by his death

7. Warship’s arrival sparks further tensions with Venezuela

Back in fashion Dancehall juggling is set for big things in 2024 p45 Ceremony returns Role models to be honoured at Tennis Black List awards p46

HMS Trent is expected to take part in joint exercises with Guyana

8. Stab victim named as two men charged with murder Carlton McCloud, 47, was attacked on Old Kent Road, south London

9. Celebrities launch justice for Windrush campaign

Compensation payments must be sped up say campaigners

10. Camila Batmanghelidjh The charismatic charity boss died ‘peacefully in her sleep’

This issue is 48 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

The Voice says Why closing the pay gap is crucial to tackling racism IN THE United Kingdom, the stark reality of the ethnicity pay gap persists, revealing a deeply rooted inequality that demands urgent attention.

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the wage divide between Black, African, Caribbean, or Black British employees and their White counterparts has remained glaring over the ten-year period between 2012 and 2022.

UK-born Black employees earn 5.6 per cent less, and non-UK-born Black employees taking home a staggering 12 per cent less than their UK-born White colleagues. This discrepancy is not merely a statistic; it is a damning reflection of systemic discrimination that affects hiring decisions, promotion opportunities, and pay rates for Black workers, who are disproportionately placed in insecure and low-paid jobs.

The ongoing cost-of-living crisis exacerbates the hardships faced by those in precarious employment, hitting Black workers the hardest.

The dual barriers of structural racism and gender inequality compound the struggle, with Black women particularly vulnerable to low pay.

That’s why the ethnicity pay gap is not just an economic issue; it is a racial justice issue.

Amidst a growing mental health crisis among diverse workers grappling with these inequalities, frustration and anger are mounting. It is a moral imperative to rectify these injustices and create an equal playing field for all.

Action

Despite a July 2023 consultation report from the Department for Business and Trade, which fell short of making ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory, equality campaigners remain steadfast.

The government’s reluctance to take decisive action on this issue is in direct contrast to its stance on gender pay gap reporting, implemented in 2017.

The government’s refusal to address racial disparities perpetuates a cycle of discrimination, leaving Black workers to suffer the consequences of unequal pay.

Ministers must recognise that inaction only deepens the wounds of racial inequality. The time for change is now.

The barriers of structural racism and inequality must be dismantled. Our country cannot claim it is a fair and equal one for people of all backgrounds until every employee is afforded fair wages and equal opportunities, irrespective of their ethnic background.

Got a story? email us at yourviews@thevoicemediagroup.co.uk SPORTS EDITOR Rodney Hinds E. rodney.hinds@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk ADVERTISING AND SALES E. advertising@thevoicemedia group.co.uk

NEWS DESK E. newsdesk@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk

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FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

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News Feature

Summit aims to unite the global Black community Dubai event will focus on celebrating the achievements of Black individuals around the world. By Vic Motune

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LACK LEADERS have historically been instrumental in ushering in key social reforms and advancing human rights.

Civil rights campaigners such as Nelson Mandela, Rosa Parks, Desmond Tutu and Martin Luther King Jr, bravely fought against racism, inequality, and discrimination and their efforts have left an enduring legacy.

Today one can point to a number of Black men and women who are making a global impact through their success in various fields and their stand against injustice and inequality.

From sports stars such as Lewis Hamilton, right, and Serena Williams to technology leaders like NASA computer technician Dorothy Vaughan and IT executive Lisa Gelobter, their achievements are helping shape the political and cultural landscape.

However, many more Black men and women deserve recognition for their leadership skills and the far-reaching impact they have.

We often only hear about and celebrate their work during Black History Month, but equality campaigners have long pointed out the need to create a broader recognition of Black

achievement that can provide role models to people from all backgrounds.

Later this month, celebrities, professionals from a range of fields, chief diversity officers from major corporate companies and entrepreneurs will gather for a major event that aims to play a part in celebrating Black leaders beyond Black History Month.

The Global Black Impact Summit (GBIS) will take place in Dubai. The prestigious event, organised by Energy Capital & Power, Africa’s leading investment platform for the energy sector, will centre around the theme of Black Excellence: Unleashing the Unexplored Potential for Global Unity.

GBIS, which is in its third edition, will not only celebrate the achievements of Black individuals across various fields, from sports and technology to finance and the arts, but will explore how the impact they have made can help promote social change.

The event will feature several influential speakers, panel discussions and networking opportunities that will focus on celebrating the achievements of Black individuals from around the world and providing commu-

MAKING AN IMPACT: Serena Williams is one of many individuals whose achievements are helping shape the world’s cultural landscape (photo: Getty Images)

VISION: Former international footballer Clarence Seedorf, now Chairman of the Black Impact Foundation (photo: Getty Images)

nities with the tools and resources necessary for success. There will also be a focus on helping aspiring business owners lay the foundations for future growth.

Organisers say they hope that attendees will leave with a range of concrete strategies and ideas that will help make a positive impact on the goals they may be pursuing and in their com communities.

Speaking about the event, former international football star Clarence Seedorf, Chairman of the Black Impact Foundation bewhich organises the summit, be lieves the event can also shine a spotlight on the social impact that Black people across the world can have.

“The name indicates already what our focus point is,” he said during an interview with the GBIS You Tube channel. in“Even though we are very in clusive and looking at the bigbig ger picture, we are also looking at how the Black community can play a positive role in so-

We are focusing on pillars that represent particular sectors such as energy, education and fashion ciety. We haven’t really taken a seat at a table yet in the way we should. So our mission is to unite the global Black community and anybody who believes the Black community deserves to be united, because a lot of efforts have been made to keep us separate and divided.”

He went on: “I think it’s time for us to take things into our own hands, it’s happening in various sectors, but it’s happening still in a segregated way so what we really want to do is to bring the people together. That’s why we started the summit.”

Since the first summit was held virtually in 2021, a hybrid

approach has been observed, with individuals from different continents and communities engaging in conversations, business collaborations, and support.

“It’s about sharing knowledge about giving opportunities. And that has been an ongoing process. We have been very picky with the people who want to get on board, because the mission is very clear,” said Seedorf.

“Our summit this year is about Black excellence. And the thing is, we don’t see always all the people of excellence from different sectors have access (to opportunities), or people kept a little bit aside from the plat-

forms they actually deserve. So instead of waiting for others to give us a platform, we are creating it ourselves, celebrating those people.”

Seedorf expressed his hopes the event would also act as a catalyst to motivate and inspire young people across the diaspora.

“We have a particular vision which is focused on developing and connecting with the youth and the next generation.

We are focusing on pillars that represent particular sectors such as energy, education, business, politics or fashion.

“Each pillar will provide a very clear ecosystem from funding and scholarship programmes to mentorship and having experts that can help grow people in that pillar. That’s why we believe we need to get the best people so that they can add value as mentors, be an inspiration for the younger generation, and connect everything back to Africa.”

4 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

News Feature STOP THE BLOCK: The UK petition is part of a growing movement advocating for improved beach access.

Beach access for all!

L

EADING CAMPAIGNERS in Jamaica have welcomed a petition launched by a group of Black Britons who are demanding Jamaicans are not denied access to beaches on the island.

The British group, called Jamaicans and Friends of Jamaica of the Diaspora in the United Kingdom, launched the petition and say ordinary locals should not be shut out from accessing the country’s stunning beaches.

The UK petition is now being backed by Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JABBEM), Jamaica’s leading advocacy group on beach access issues.

Dr Devon Taylor, JABBEM’s president, pictured right, said he is happy to have the support from the Jamaican diaspora in the UK. Speaking to The Voice, he said: “JABBEM is very pleased with the involvement of the diaspora in advocating for beach access rights.

“This shows that the impact is not only affecting residents on the island, but also the larger international family and residents whose childhood beaches are now resorts.”

The UK petition is part of a growing movement calling for better protections for locals to ensure they are not blocked from accessing beaches due to the rapid expansion of privately-

Black British group launches petition to demand access for everyone to Jamaica’s golden sands. By Sinai Fleary owned luxury resorts and hotels in Jamaica. The group is made up of members from Manchester, Oldham, Liverpool, Huddersfield and other cities in the north of England.

Last year, they also wrote an open letter to Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness urging him to ensure that Jamaicans can access the estimated 70 beaches in the country.

The group is urging Black Britons to sign the petition to help preserve access to the country’s natural resources for the next generation.

In a statement on the petition site, the group say they are particularly concerned for “native Jamaicans” and “fisher folk”.

The petition reads: “We feel that Jamaican beaches should be access free to all Jamaicans, as occurs with our neighbours Barbados and The Bahamas.

“While Jamaica is dependent on all-inclusive hotels and tourism, which is vital to Jamaica’s GDP, native Jamaicans should

not be denied access to our beaches. Native Jamaicans have earned the right of access to rivers and beaches unhindered, their (our) ancestors were not compensated after slavery was abolished, with all Jamaica being Crown Land.

“Now we are an independent nation and are considering becoming a Republic, we feel that the Jamaican Government should not proceed with the Coloniser’s dirty work of denying freed slaves any property.”

This view has also been echoed by JABBEM, who last year told The Voice, that this issue stems from the racist and discriminatory colonial-era Beach Control Act 1956, which regulates Jamaicans’ right to access all beaches.

Dr Taylor told The Voice that his group is one of several that is currently involved in four high-profile court cases to secure beach access for locals at popular beaches and tourist resorts.

One of those upcoming cases is for Little Dunn’s River in St Ann, which is situated near to the popular tourist resort Dunn’s River Falls in Ocho Rios.

He said “JABBEM in partnership with several communities currently have four prescriptive rights cases in courts, where we are legally asking the court to recognise the public’s long -standing and legal rights to use those beaches.

“The communities are asking to write on the land titles if the property owner has a conservation easement that will allow the public to cross over land to access the beach and use the sea having done so without permission for more than 20 years.”

The group’s president said he would encourage the public to continue supporting the advocacy and help with the legal costs to “fight against

beach access discrimination.”

He added: “In 2024, JABBEM will continue to press the Jamaican government to enact legislative changes that will guarantee Jamaicans unfettered and general rights of access to all our beaches and rivers.”

He also said that denial of beach access is an injustice and looks forward to collaborating and working closely with the UK-based group in the future to bring about a change to the law.

Last year, JABBEM’s campaign gained momentum after it was publicly backed by three of Bob Marley’s children, Ziggy, Cedella and Stephen Marley.

DEPRIVE

Writing on Instagram in March last year, Ziggy, who is the eldest son of reggae legend Bob Marley, said: “When I was younger we freely had access to most of our local off-the-beaten path beaches and rivers including Bull Bay and Cane River.

“Now there is a pressure campaign to privatise more of these local beaches and rivers and deprive Jamaicans and in particular Jamaicans who cannot afford to pay for a day of well-needed stress relief and rejuvenation of these natural resources.

“Jamaica is one of the only islands in the Caribbean that does not guarantee its people general rights of access to its beaches.

There is no general right to

bathe, fish, or walk along the beach.

“We always enjoy and encourage visitors to our island and ask them to join us in making sure that Jamaican people today can freely enjoy Jamaican waters like many of us did before.”

At the time, his sister Cedella said: “Jamaican people should be able to freely enjoy Jamaican waters like many of us did before.”

Stephen Marley, who is the second eldest son of the reggae legend, also backed the campaign and paused his performance at a concert in Jamaica last year and urged the public to ensure their voices are heard on the issue of beach access.

Addressing the crowd, the five-time Grammy winner said: “Now, Jamaica, it seems like they want to stop us from going to the beach.

“We can’t make them things happen, you know, because that is the sea shore, that now.

“So the movement, seen, JABBEM, seen, catch up with that movement and make our voices be heard, seen, Rastafari.”

A video of Stephen’s comments was also later shared on the Instagram page of JABBEM and his elder brother Ziggy.

On the ground in Jamaica, local news outlets are also covering the controversial issue.

In February 2023, TVJ News

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

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News Feature reported that 50 residents in the Discovery Heights Development in St Ann were considering taking legal action following a beach ownership dispute.

The residents claimed they were being blocked from using a beach within walking distance from their homes.

Peter Roberts told the news channel: “We’ll keep a lock on this gate that we can access and if he takes the lock off, we will put a new one on and we will just keep it going like that.

“If necessary, we will disable the gates, then he won’t be able to stop coming, let alone us.”

In 2022, Holness said that while development on the island was necessary, it should not mean Jamaicans are deprived of using the country’s natural assets.

“We never escape our history, and our history has not always been kind to the generations,” he said.

“But as the generations progress and we emerge as new leaders, we must ensure that we don’t make the mistakes of the past, that we don’t dispossess our people of their natural assets, and that as we pursue economic development which we oftentimes conceptualise in buildings and roads, that we do not deprive the people of the use of their natural assets.”

LOUD VOICES: High-profile individuals such as Jamaican PM Andrew Holness, left, and Ziggy Marley are leading the beach-access cries With the excitement surrounding Jamaica’s future transition to a republic and the ongoing constitutional reform process, campaigners say now would be the perfect time to ensure the beach access rights of

Jamaicans is enshrined in law.

The Jamaicans and Friends of Jamaica of the Diaspora in The United Kingdom petition adds: “With the upcoming pending Constitutional (Reforms) Amendments, we implore you

to enshrine in law the rights of access to our rivers and beaches for all Jamaicans.”

So far this year, the boom in private property development in the Caribbean country has once again raised concerns for those

in the diaspora, with many expressing the fear they will soon be priced out of owning a piece of their homeland.

At the end of January, an announcement that four new 28-storey residential blocks

in Montego Bay were under construction was heavily criticised online, with many saying it will not be affordable for citizens.

According to reports, the completion of The Pinnacle — which will be located beside the sea and lagoon — will be the tallest buildings in the Caribbean.

The announcement was criticised by social media users who said the development is deliberately being marketed to foreign investors and tourists.

Writing on X, @TayXLamar said: “It won’t be for Jamaicans though. Only foreigners, particularly tourists and white British foreigners.”

One person wrote: “We will become the tourists when these are completed.” Another said: “I have a sneaky suspicion this will do nothing to advance the average Jamaican.”

With the four court cases scheduled to take place over the next three months, the issue of beach access will continue to be a talking point for Jamaicans at home and abroad.

The petition launched by Jamaicans and Friends of Jamaica of the Diaspora in the United Kingdom, is called ‘Petition of 2023 to Save Our Beaches’ and is available on change.org

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| THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

News Feature

‘Starmer doesn’t care about Black people’

Campaigners and MPs tell Richard Sudan that uncertainty surrounding the Labour party’s pledge to introduce a Race Equality Act raises serious questions about its commitment to its loyal Black voter base

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EADING BLACK MPs and race equality campaigners have criticised the Labour Party over failing to deliver on previous promises to include policy measures that will address issues faced by the Black community in its forthcoming election manifesto.

In recent years, a number of commentators and party activists have claimed that the Labour, historically reliant on the unwavering support of Black voters, is under scrutiny for taking this support for granted, with concerns raised about its commitment to addressing the specific concerns of the Black community In 2020, party leader Sir Keir Starmer first announced plans for a new ‘Race Equality Act’.

Ignoring ethnic minority voters at the next election could cost the party Three years later, in February 2023, The Voice revealed news of a taskforce chaired by Baroness Doreen Lawrence set up to thrash out details of the Race Equality Act. Among the measures included in the draft legislation were plans to fine firms who fail to tackle racism, tackling school exclusion rates, giving Black-led firms more opportunities to get a slice of government contracts through ‘procurement’, and making companies implement action plans to tackle the ethnicity pay gap.

By June of the same year Shadow Secretary for Women and Equalities, Anneliese Dodds

MP, part of the group, told The Voice plans were finally being worked out and would form a “core part” of Labour’s plan.

However, The Voice has now learned that, four years after party leader Starmer’s announcement of plans for a Race Equality Act, Black communities remain in the dark.

No concrete manifesto pledges have been confirmed and no draft White Paper, the policy documents produced by the government that set out their proposals for future legislation, have been seen by anyone.

With a General Election just months away, many doubt that the points talked up by Labour will make the manifesto and some have questioned if any real plan exists.

Among them is Hackney and Stoke Newington MP Diane Abbott. She remains ousted from the party after having the whip removed from her last year in what many view as a deliberate attempt to prevent her standing for the party at the forthcoming General Election.

She said it was critical that the party provide some substance on plans for race equality legislation.

“I haven’t actually seen the draft Race Equality Act and no one has” she told The Voice. “I think we need to do something about policing and stop and search. The disproportionate level of stop and search of people of colour remains as high as it was when I first entered politics.

And we should also be talking about education. Black children, particularly African Caribbean boys, are being failed in school and they are underachieving in school. Currently nothing is being done about it. The manifesto should at least acknowledge that there is this issue with Black boys.”

BROKEN PROMISES: Labour party leader Keir Starmer is facing criticism from party members and race equality activists; below, Birmingham City University Professor and author Kehinde Andrews says Keir Starmer ‘doesn’t care about Black people’ (photos: Getty Images/ Birmingham City University)

When pressed on why, Abbott echoed what other race equality campaigners think about what has shifted in the party’s priorities.

“I think they are focused on Red Wall voters, and they think those voters are all White which is not the case. I think there’s a danger that ignoring ethnic

minority voters at the next election could cost the party.”

Abbott also pointed to the hierarchy of racism within the party and the fact many are angry at a lack of action following damning findings of the Forde report, a report commissioned by Starmer to examine allegations of bullying, racism and sexism within the Labour Party.

Professor and author Kehinde Andrews is more forthright about what the uncertainty surrounding the

promised race equality legislation says about how important the Black community is to the party.

“Keir Starmer doesn’t care about Black people” he said.

“Labour just say what they need to say.

“Post George Floyd, they came out and said let’s do equalities. But when it comes to the election, it is all about the Red Wall and the culture wars. But that’s the problem with Labour.

Rather than trying to change the debate, or set the debate, they just follow this Tory narrative, which is, ‘let’s not talk about race’.”

Andrews lives in an area in Birmingham which is a safe Labour seat. But like many, he feels Black voters are being neglected.

“They take us for granted,” he said. “It’s pretty obvious

that Keir Starmer doesn’t care about Black people. Look at how they deal with Diane Abbott. They’ve shown their cards really internally and externally, policy wise.”

The treatment of Diane Abbott, alluded to by Professor Andrews, resonates deeply with the Black community. A poll conducted by The Voice in October last year, suggested that 80 per cent of Black voters could switch how they vote if Abbott is prevented from standing for Labour.

Many familiar with the report’s findings remain angry at what they see as a deliberate purge by the party of progressive candidates.

Maurice Mcleod, a popular Labour councillor in Battersea Park ward, Wandsworth, south London, was blocked from standing as an MP in Camber-

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News Feature WARNING: Veteran MP and campaigner Diane Abbott said Labour could pay a heavy price if it ignored ethnic minority voters at the next election; below left, Maurice Mcleod, a Labour councillor in Wandsworth, south London, says Britain desperately needs a new Race Equality Act; below, Labour has historically been reliant on the unwavering support of Black voters at polling stations (photo: Getty Images)

well and Peckham, a seat with a large Black population in 2022.

Mcleod fears that Labour’s lack of action on race could cost them dearly at the ballot box and is already damaging the credibility of the party.

“Britain desperately needs a new Race Equality Act and so, despite my reservations, when Labour announced that they would be working on one, I was optimistic. Since then, we have seen the general fight against racism apparently fall down Labour’s list of priorities.”

VISION

The Labour councillor says that the lack of movement regarding the Race Equality Act after four years, would inevitably mean that “any race equality work that is now produced is likely to be rushed, or lacking in the needed vision”.

“What is more likely is that we will get a general wish list of aims and nothing concrete. This is a terrible missed opportunity for the party.

“While individual Labour politicians might being doing some good work, the issue of race equality does not seem like one the national party is interested in engaging with.”

One Black Labour MP, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Voice that the issue of race equality seemed to be a

much lower priority for a party now than when the pledge was made to create a Race Equality Act in 2020. “I don’t have much expectation that we’ll be getting much from this administration in waiting,” the MP said.

“What’s required for race relations in this country is transformative change which just isn’t on the agenda for Starmer.

We are one of the most unequal societies in the world”.

The MP added that while a new Race Equality was really needed, “we need far more than equality legislation. What would really help Black people, who disproportionately work in the

public sector, rely on the public sector, who have worse health outcomes and live in poorer housing — and all the rest — would be a wealth tax.

“When all the boats rise, through fiscal policy, social policy, investing in the NHS and social housing, investing in mental health services, paying civil service workers more, people in low paid cleaning jobs, and also enhancing trade union rights —these are areas which disproportionately impact Black people if we want real change.”

Although the election is expected to be called later this

year, some pundits think it could be even sooner. What is clear is that if Labour is to fulfil its promise of the Race Equality Act, fears are mounting that time is running out. What’s likely is that further delays could continue to erode the confidence of Black voters who so far have remained loyal to Labour, but who are also watching events closely.

Other Labour activists The Voice spoke to agree it is crucial that the party upholds its promise to deliver a Race Equality Act. However, one leading member of the party’s Race Equality Act working group,

immigration lawyer Jacqueline McKenzie, remains cautiously optimistic. “The group’s work was near completion but we’ve not met in a while, or heard the final outcome” she told The Voice.

“The working group brought together experts from across law, education, business, the economy, criminal justice and health, to examine the need for legislation to combat inequalities across these themes.

“This was a bold and important step by Labour. It’s important politicians of all parties take these issues seriously, as good legislation is one way of

addressing some of society’s inequalities.”

McKenzie added she’d been “assured” by Labour that plans to address racism and discrimination were soon to be revealed.

The Voice approached the Labour Party for a comment in response to criticisms about the lack of detail concerning the proposed Race Equality Act and the fact that it did not appear to be a key part of its forthcoming election manifesto.

A spokesperson said: “At present we don’t yet have anything new to say”.

This remained the case at the time of going to press.

8 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

News Feature

Grenada at 50 As the Caribbean island celebrates 50 years of independence from Britain, Sinai Fleary speaks to three Black Britons of Grenadian heritage about growing calls for the country to become a republic and what the country means to them

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LACK BRITONS of Grenadian heritage are calling for the Caribbean country to become a republic, and for the removal of King Charles as its head of state.

The calls from Grenada’s UKbased diaspora come as it celebrates 50 years of independence from Britain on February 7 this year.

Many Grenadians who The Voice spoke to believe now could be the perfect time to cut ties with Britain and for the island to “stand on its own two feet”.

Award-winning academic and author Professor Gus John, who was born in Grenada and came to the UK in August 1964 as a19-year-old, told The Voice he fully supports the idea of Grenada becoming a republic.

“We have our national anthem, our beautiful flags. But when you dig deeper, what has that meant for the society?” he said. “How economically independent are we and how much have we divested ourselves of colonialism?”

Situated in the eastern Caribbean Sea, and the southernmost of the Windward islands, Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, and two smaller islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique.

Legacy of slavery

Prof John says marking independence should also include acknowledging that the legacy of slavery is sadly still rife in his homeland.

“The problem is there is a lot of religion being taught in schools and the Roman Catholic Church still has too much of an influence over what goes on in schools.

“We have got to insist upon a distinction between religion and spirituality and go back to our roots and understand the importance of our ancestors and our ancestral traditions.”

The respected activist and ac-

ademic is urging the Grenadian diaspora to “engage in self-repair” to dismantle the damaging influence of colonialism.

“I still hear many Grenadians talking about not wanting to be called African, and there are still tropes around the place about who is Black and who is too Black,” he said “We have to understand that we have been impacted by racism and colonialism. We have got to engage in self-repair and it has to start at many levels, within the schooling system, within the home, within popular culture and all the areas that influence our lives.”

John also welcomes the growing drive for reparations and reparatory justice for the horrors of the Transatlantic slave trade. However, he added that Grenada must also confront another painful part of its history, the aftermath of its historic revolution.

In 1979, Grenada’s then controversial Prime Minister Eric Gairy was ousted in a coup or ‘revolution’ organised by the New Jewel Movement (NJM) led by Maurice Bishop.

Bishop and his party sought to prioritise education, Black liberation and socioeconomic development on the Caribbean island.

Under Bishop’s leadership between 1979 and 1983, Grenada thrived with new schools

FLYING THE FLAG: A reveller at ondon s otting Hill arnival holds a renada ag below left, a renadian woman wears the three colours of the renadian ag during recent ndependence ay celebrations in arriacou, renada photos etty mages built, a growth in agricultural development and women’s rights, as well as a nationwide literacy campaign to improve the lives of its citizens.

However, on October 19, 1983, Bishop and several members of his cabinet were executed by firing-squad.

Forty years on, the location of his remains is still unknown, despite searches by forensic anthropologists.

John, author of the 2010 book

Time to Tell: The Grenada Massacre and After wants Grenada to mark its landmark year of independence by demanding a full inquiry as well as teaching the next generation about the world’s first revolution in the English-speaking Caribbean.

“It remains an open sore in the country,” he said. “The people of Grenada have as much need for closure when it comes to what happened to those people who perished on October 19, 1983. It is a scandal that nobody seems to know, but somebody must know.”

Preserving Grenada’s culture

Pearl Modeste-Quashie, right, is a teacher from Park Royal, west London, and was just seven months old when Grenada gained independence from Britain in 1974.

She told The Voice she had several fond memories of growing up on the island.

Stating that while she would like to see Grenada become a republic in her lifetime, she is not sure if the country is ready.

“Honestly, I do not see how Grenada is benefitting from the British Monarchy being our head of state,” she said.

“The biggest challenge (to becoming a republic) would be to get the majority of the population to come together to agree on the transition, as currently there is

a huge political divide based on the two main political parties — the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New National Party (NNP).”

The popular teacher says she plans to marks Grenada’s 50th year of independence doing what she does best, teaching her students at The Eden SDA School in west London about their African and Caribbean roots and showing them there is more to their identity than what Britain has to offer.

“It is important because there has been a break-down in holding onto our culture, our communication, languages and dialects. Even the Patois language in Grenada, it used to be an integral part of our society and now it is a very small percentage that actually speaks it and they are mainly the older folks.”

She added: “The only time they associate themselves with being from the Caribbean is in the Notting Hill Carnival. Everybody wants to put a flag up, for some of them that is the extent of how cultural they are, and that is not the substance of our

being. Our culture and heritage is much richer than that. Some of us need to revisit our culture and learn so we can teach it to our children so it is not lost forever.”

Representing Grenada

Euon Brown, a former professional footballer who represented Grenada at both youth and senior level, is now the Director of Pro Sports Cybernetics, a youth football coaching company.

Brown was born in London and has Grena Grenadian heritage through both his mother and father — who was born in Carriacou.

The football coach told The Voice he would support Grenada becoming a republic if there was the right preparation for it once the excitement of becoming a re republic disappeared.

“It’s time for us to stand on our own two feet, but there needs to be sustainable plan,” he said. “There needs to be a solid manifesto that the people are on board with, that we can see positive progress and positive change for the people.”

Brown recalled how representing the country of his heritage was one of the proudest moments in his life.

Continued on page 33

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE | 9

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ADVERTORIAL

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SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY THIS WINTER Print

Smart tips to help you reduce your energy consumption this winter.

W

inter is coming, and when we start heating our homes, our energy bills can go up. If you want to save money this winter, there are affordable things you can do at home to use less energy while staying warm and safe. Even small changes can help lower your energy costs.

It all adds up

Prepare to cut your winter energy bills and save money. There are simple steps that we can all take to reduce our energy usage and the associated energy costs. We have outlined these below, anything you can do will have an impact however implementing these together can make a great difference.

Six tips for success!

• Reduce your boiler flow temperature to 60 degrees to save up to £70 per year.

• Release air from your radiators by ‘bleeding’ them using a radiator key.

• Arrange for your boiler to be serviced by a qualified boiler technician.

• Keep the rooms you’re using warm, perhaps by keeping doors closed and lower radiator settings in unused rooms to potentially save around £50 annually.

• Add an energy-efficient showerhead in your

Q. Any advice on how you keep your rooms warm?

A. I simply follow the advice and make sure that the door to the room I am in is closed, if it’s in the evening I also close the curtains as I find that this also helps to keep the heat in and the room at a nice steady temperature.

Stephen Daley shower to save about £40 each year.

• Lower your washing machine’s temperature setting from 40 degrees C to 30 degrees C to save around £20 annually.

Q. How often do you get your boiler serviced?

A. My boiler is serviced annually as part of a service plan with my energy provider, this normally happens during the summertime.

This ensures that my heating system is working well and is ready to go when the winter switch-on happens later in the year.

The Voice spoke to Stephen Daley, from London who is aware of this money-saving advice and uses a couple of the suggestions on a regular basis.

Enhance your system’s heati g efficie c f r energy savings.

Q. What is the process for bleeding radiators, and do you find that it helps?

A. The process is quite straightforward, I use a standard radiator key which is readily available from most DIY shops, I simply open the air valve which is normally located at the top right-hand side of the radiator. I gently open it until I can hear the air escaping, at some point, a trickle of water will appear, and that is the time to close the valve. My radiators are really hot and effective after this.

For more energy-saving tips, visit: GOV.UK/SaveEnergy

If you use a Combi boiler, you can improve its efficiency by setting the ‘flow temperature’ to 60 degrees. Lowering the flow temperature won’t noticeably decrease your home’s temperature, although it might take a bit longer to warm up. If you’re 65 or older or have pre-existing health conditions, consider setting a slightly higher flow temperature of 65°C for quicker home heating.

• Reduce your boiler flow temperature to 60 degrees to save up to £70 per year.

• Bleed your radiators for a warmer home and lower bills

• Get your boiler serviced to keep it running efficiently and avoid repairs

• Heat the rooms you’re in and turn down the radiators in unused rooms to save up to £50 per year.

• Install an energy-efficient showerhead and save up to £40 per year

• Reduce your washing machine temperature to save up to £20 per year.

10 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

News Feature

UK’s ethnicity pay gap shows no sign of closing Campaigners say government’s efforts to tackle the issue are ‘going nowhere’. By Leah Mahon

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HE UK workforce’s ethnicity pay gap is continuing to widen inequalities between ethnic minority employees and the rest of the UK workforce, say equality campaigners.

According to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), employees from Black, African, Caribbean, or Black British backgrounds were consistently earning less than their White counterparts between 2012-2022.

UK-born Black employees earn 5.6 per cent less and nonborn UK Black employees took home 12 per cent less than their UK-born white colleagues — the biggest disparity among the ethnic groups.

Diane Greyson, founder of the Ethnicity Pay Gap Campaign, said she is “angered” by the government’s ill-fated approach to closing racial inequalities, adding that it is going “nowhere” in its attempts to create an equal playing field for Black employees.

“I believe the government just doesn’t want to address this issue. Their challenge, considering the current climate, is dealing with an issue that is this specif-

STRUGGLE: Diane Greyson, founder of the Ethnicity Pay Gap Campaign

ic”, she told The Voice. “I think they will keep putting it in a box every time until it seems like the right time for them to engage with it. It’s about them, it’s not about us. All sectors have an ethnicity pay gap, regardless if they think so or not, it’s just the nature of the beast.”

In July 2023, the Department for Business and Trade published a consultation report explaining why it was not moving forward with plans to make ethnicity pay gap reporting mandatory.

It outlined the government’s commitment to address “unjust ethnic disparities” in the workplace. However, it concluded that not all inequalities are due to discrimination, adding that it would not introduce legal measures to prevent Black and minority ethnic workers being paid less than their White colleagues.

The government has faced a backlash from equality campaigners who point out that it decided to make reporting on the gender pay gap mandatory in 2017, but have not introduced a similar measure for ethnicity.

According to the ONS, place of birth, occupation, qualifica- how much an employee is paid. tions, geography, age and sex But figures show that the pay are all contributing factors to gap for Black and ethnic minority workers remains considerably larger in comparison. In par particular, Black Caribbean women earn 18 per cent less than men, according to ONS data analysed

by Labour. This analysis also womshowed that Black African wom en earned 26 per cent less than their male counterparts.

As a result, Greyson says that employees from diverse backgrounds are experiencing “mental health struggles” as a result of these inequalities espe especially amidst the cost-of-living squeeze.

“There’s been frustration, there’s been anger. A lot of peo peounderple have said they can’t under stand why they are in a situation where they’re being paid less than their White colleagues,” she said.

“Although this is not spoken about, people have evidence that they are being paid less than their colleagues who are doing exactly the same job. I remember one lady saying to me it was so

WORSENING INEQUALITY: Campaigners have expressed concern that the ethnicity pay gap in the UK is widening (photo: Getty Images)

will be holding the Ethnicity

There’s been frustration, Pay Gap Summit 2024 in collaboration with Spktral anger. People can’t understand and ShareAction after Greyson realised how important it was to bring experts and organisawhy they’re being paid less tions together to talk about the serious impact that the pay gap than their White colleagues has for employees and their distressing it was causing problems with her home life.”

Greyson went on to urge businesses to remember that there are “people behind the numbers” when ethnicity pay gap figures are published “who live with the real consequences of being underpaid in a difficult economic climate”.

Although the primary goal is to make reporting on the ethnicity pay gap mandatory, she said attention must be given to how this can be achieved.

“People often say, ‘Yes, I’ve reported on it’ but what tangible actions have you taken?

I believe this conveys a clear message about the need for action planning to ensure effective measures. The gender pay

gap may have persisted because there was a significant focus on mandatory reporting, but not enough emphasis on taking concrete actions to address and close the gap.”

Since Greyson’s Ethnicity Pay Gap Campaign launched in 2018, it has galvanised more support to create equal pay across the public and private sector with backing from organisations such as the Black Equity Organisation and trade unions.

She also regularly leads talks and webinars for organisations and leading corporates that are now “more willing” to have a conversation about how ethnicity pay gap shows up in their businesses.

This month, the campaign

families.

Ethnicity Pay Gap Day took place last month on January 8, and Greyson says her efforts this year will be geared towards getting a “real conversation” going.

She said: “One significant memory for me when I began was someone mentioning that, inspired by that particular day, she decided to initiate ethnicity pay gap reporting for her organisation. I am eager to hear more stories like this, as they serve as encouragement for people. It’s crucial to ensure that we are actively contributing to the journey of making positive changes.”

The Voice approached the Department of Business and Trade for a comment.

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE | 11

Education Families say they can no longer risk their children’s future by relying on mainstream schooling.

By Sinai Fleary

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LACK British parents have told The Voice they are increasingly turning to private online tutors to help their children through the education system.

They say they can no longer afford to risk their children’s future by relying solely on mainstream education which is continuing to fail Black children.

In an emerging trend, they are expressing a growing willingness to seek assistance from private online tutors to help navigate their children through an education system they feel often discriminates against Black pupils.

This follows the landmark Black British Voices Project (BBVP), published in October last year by The Voice,, Cambridge University and the consultancy i-cubed which found a staggering 94 per cent of participants felt that Black children suffer from lower educational attainment expectations from educators compared to their White peers.

According to views shared with The Voice,, these parents are opting for personally tailored, digital learning experiences to supplement their children’s education. The trend reflects a proactive approach to leveraging

A staggering

94%

of participants felt Black children suffer from lower educational attainment expectations from educators compared to their White peers the convenience and accessibility of online platforms to address the unique challenges Black schoolchildren face.

Talyena Brown, from Luton, Bedfordshire, has three children and decided to find an online tutor for her 16-year-old-son, after a series of poor experiences with her son’s schools.

Speaking to The Voice, she said: “We felt like not only were they not catering to him as a student but also not catering to him as a Black boy. That was evident not just from a communication perspective, but also the way he was treated within schools and

BLACK BRITISH PARENTS TURNING TO ONLINE TUTORS TO HELP CHILDREN THROUGH EDUCATION

the way he was spoken to. For us to trust in them to educate our son was a bit of a myth to begin with.

“We did feel as though he was being marked down and we had to educate him on the system.

We had to reassure him that his grades from teachers in school were not reflective of his ability nor his potential.”

She continued: “Sadly, some students will look at their predicted grades from teachers and say ‘this is as good as I’m going to get’ and they stop working hard and then their grades end up reflecting the negativity they have been told. It becomes a selffulfilling prophecy.”

Her son, Björn BradshawBrown, is due to take his GCSEs this summer, and receives online tuition in English, maths and science.

Brown, a train driver, said her son’s tutor has a proactive approach to learning which has helped her son to thrive at school, so much so that his experience at school has turned around.

“I have noticed that the teachers have started to push him more, his abilities have started to shine through. Perhaps he was written off a little bit at first.”

She said that her son had also benefited from the fact that his tutor is a Black male.

“You have a very strong, educated Black man representing education and standards.

“He is articulate, he is welleducated and he genuinely cares about our children. When my son was bullied at school his tutor, Marlon Hamilton, reached out just to check that Björn was okay. That is something that has been absent for my son, outside of our home.”

She added: “Marlon has made himself available and every child’s success is his your priority. He is an amazing influence. He has taught my son more than just the curriculum and I thank him for his dedication and making learning fun.”

The mother-of-three is encouraging other Black parents to look into online tutoring if they are not happy with how their children are being taught at school and not view it as an “upper class thing”.

She emphasised it is Talyena Brown, and her 16-year-old son Björn Bradshaw-Brown

affordable with group sessions starting from as little as £11 per hour.

“The group sessions are with other children all over the country and it “encourages the normality” of working hard.

During the 1960s and 70s, hundreds of Black Caribbean children were labelled as “educationally subnormal” and were sent to special schools, which negatively affected their exam results and future.

The experience sparked a long tradition of Black community activism

in the education sector. Saturday schools, which trace their origins back to the anger over the educationally subnormal label 1960s, were founded by parents as a reaction to the racism and low expectations from teachers they saw their children experience.

“When my son was bullied at school his tutor reached out just to check that Björn was okay. That is something that has been absent for my son, outside of our home.”

–Talyena Brown

Campaigners say the activism that saw the birth of the Saturday school movement is needed now more than ever.

According to a 2021 analysis of Department for Education figures

by The Guardian, Black Caribbean pupils are being excluded from schools in England six times more often than their White peers.

However, the shift to digital learning platforms highlights how technology is playing a key role in shaping the way that supplementary education aimed at students from diverse backgrounds is evolving.

Daniel Akinleye, a GCSE and A-level maths tutor from Southwark, south London, says that during the recent COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, he observed a “massive pick up” in the number of people who require his services.

After lockdown ended demand continued to increase.

Akinleye teaches approximately 100 UK-based students a week and offers both group and one-toone sessions through his business Maths With Dan. He says its mission is to make quality maths education Continued on page 21

12 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

News Feature

From rural Kentucky to international activist When it comes to highlighting cases of racial injustice at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement, then Shaun King is your man. By Richard Sudan

S

HAUN KING is a father and husband first and foremost, he tells me.

He shares five kids with wife Rai, and they’ve been parents since they were teenagers.

He’s an internationally known civil rights activist and journalist hailing from a small town in rural Kentucky who now calls New York his home.

King is known for utilising social media to highlight cases of racial injustice at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement.

He’s also helped raise money for families who have lost loved ones to police brutality and who have suffered at the hands of the state.

The activist knows a thing or two about politics as well, and has campaigned for and worked closely with Bernie Sanders during the Democratic party senator’s presidential run.

Educated at the historic Morehouse College, King has been extra busy recently, highlighting the plight of the Palestinian people, who remain militarily occupied in their own country. At the time of writing, more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel.

There are many links between the United States and the United Kingdom – too many to discuss in one article – but not least our shared history, and the role both nations played in the slave trade.

One of the standout comparisons is both nations’ brand of politics and the power that Black voters have to shape it.

Several studies have highlighted the fact that these voters in swing states in the US, and those in marginally held constituencies in the UK with sizeable Black communities can make the difference in deciding election outcomes.

Both countries will hold elections this year, and the stakes have arguably never been higher, for Black communities in particular. When, in 2020, US President Joe Biden won a narrow victory over Donald Trump Black voters played a significant role. Subsequently, in his victory speech, Biden promised to have the backs of Black Americans.

And they have not forgotten. But while many still support the Democrats, others are disappointed. Black people and Muslims especially are growing wary. And that’s probably putting it lightly.

“I think Biden should be judged by his failure to prom live up to that promise” King tells The Voice.

“Biden won because of Black voters in Georgia and South Carolina who propelled him Demo to the Democratic nomination. life “I’ve been a lifelong critic of Joe Biden going back decades. My work on police brutality and mass incarceration goes back to the late 1990s. Even back then, Biden was seen as one of the forefathers of modern-day mass incarceration. He was always seen as someone who helped build the modern prison industrial complex.

“So I was always sceptical that Joe Biden the politician would deliver on promises to Black voters because he just didn’t have a history of doing that.”

The facts speak for themselves. President Biden authored what is commonly known as the 94 Crime Bill, a piece of controversial legislation, which has since been acknowledged as causing decades of mass incarceration, disproportionately impacting Black Americans.

The US currently has close to two million prisoners, includ-

GETTING A MESSAGE ACROSS: Shaun King takes the stage in Brooklyn in support of Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 campaign to win the Democratic presidential nomination ahead of current US president Joe Biden (photo: Getty Images) ing state and federal prisons accounting for almost 25 per cent of the world’s total prisoner population. While Black Americans make up 13 per cent of the US’ population, they make up almost 40 per cent of prisoners.

In the UK, Black people form approximately three per cent of the population, but make up roughly 13 per cent of people in prison.

But King argues there is another reason why Black voters turned out for Biden in 2020.

“He really only got support from Black voters because he was Vice-President to Barack Obama,” says King without missing a beat.

“As President, Joe Biden has been the Joe Biden we’ve always known. He has not delivered on his most important promises to Black voters. I could start with police brutality. He just hasn’t fought on this. When it comes to something he wants, he fights like hell, whether it’s money for Ukraine or money for Israel.”

Many also argue that Biden dropped any pretence of supporting reparations, once he was in office.

If Biden has failed to deliver for Black people, the threat of Donald Trump could once again be a big factor King’s point could be reflected in the polling. While Biden still enjoys support among Black voters, current data shows that he is also slowly losing it particularly among younger voters and Muslims. Even the more centrist and left-leaning analysts acknowledge this.

The question, is come election time, will dissatisfied voters circle back and vote Democrat?

If Biden has failed to deliver for Black people, the threat of the return of Donald Trump, and what he represents, could once again be a big factor in November at the polls.

Many observers have argued that he emboldened an already existing problem. White supremacy didn’t start and end on Jan 6th 2021, the day when a mob of Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol

Building in Washington. It has never been a left or right issue. It’s always been a staple of American life.

Just as is the case in the UK, FBI director Christopher Wray acknowledged White supremacy is the fastest growing form of terrorism and the greatest threat to American security.

UNDERSTAND

King argues that all administrations, including the current one, have failed to fully understand the reality of the threat it poses.

He cites the shocking case of Payton Gendron, who shot and killed 10 Black people in Buffalo, New York, in 2022 in an act of White supremacist domestic terrorism.

“Gendron had been openly stating White supremacist stuff online,” King says. “He had a

manifesto. But because the United States devoted so little effort, budget, resources, staff, (to tackling this issue] we will see these attacks happen again and again, and the United States government will act shocked by it.

“If this is the single biggest threat to the country, show us your budget and show us your plan. And when are you going to release a plan? What we’ve come to realise is, in essence, there is no plan.

He continued: “Even though White supremacy is the biggest threat to the country, that threat is not being taken seriously, at least not in any substantive way.

“We see other attacks stopped before they’re ever allowed to happen, but you’ll see White supremacist attacks planned openly on the internet. Filmed on Twitch and Facebook with Go Pro cameras. What you realise is, they were never being tracked.”

King has personal experience with this. In 2020, members of a law enforcement group on Facebook were openly plotting to kill him. The story made national news.

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

|

13

News Feature SPEAKING UP: The Black Lives Matter marches of 2020, left, attracted many critics but Shaun King says oppressed communities can either stay silent or respond and organise.

Right: the activist delivers a speech during the 2018 Urban One Honours in Washington. He has won several plaudits for his campaigning work (photos: Getty Images)

Although the FBI reached out to King for details, no one was ever held accountable. When Biden took office the case was again presented to the FBI by King, who provided them with evidence and a case number.

Yet again, the FBI said they would not further investigate the threats.

Black race equality activists in the UK say it’s a familiar tale.

On May 25 2020, George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

The shocking video of the incident went viral and helped spark huge global Black Lives Matter protests. The energy of those protests reinvigorated debates around police brutality, racism, accountability and reparations.

According to King, however, the reality is this energy can’t simply be replicated again because of the unique conditions that produced it.

“People are way more responsive to injustice than they are in being proactive in combating it,” he said.

“Sadly, we kind of organise from tragedy to tragedy and crisis to crisis. What I’ve found over the years is that when there’s a period without injustice, oppressed people just want to live and smile and take a breath.

“What we can do is say, when injustice happens again – and it will – here is how we’re going to respond in a way that we’ve never responded before.”

Online, the Black Lives Matter protests attracted hordes of criticism. But as King points out, using the situation facing people in Palestine as an example, oppressed people have two choices – to remain humiliated in relative peace, and accept things as they are, or respond and organise.

As we talk, the topic comes up of Professor Kehinde Andrews’ planned pan-African conference, scheduled for 2025. It will be held to coincide with Malcolm X’s 100th birthday.

King argues that these events are crucial in building global unity to solve global problems.

“Malcolm felt like if he could position the struggle for justice in the United States alongside other global struggles, it would make everybody better.

“Dr Martin Luther King was

thinking the same thing. I can point to so many moments of Black Panthers saying the same thing. When you take any struggle, that struggle only gets better when you strengthen those international relationships.

“The beauty is, 50 or 60 years ago, you had to travel around the world to build those relationships.

“Now, people thousands of miles apart can speak face to face because of technology.”

This is surely a positive framework to build on. Unity is important. Division has always been a tactic to break anti-racism struggles, and King has a strong concluding message.

“It is true that there are things unique to the United States, and those that are unique to the United Kingdom. But there are commonalities and lessons, best practices and encouragement that you can offer one another.

It is short-sighted to try and do all of these battles in isolation.

When you take any struggle, it only gets better when you strengthen international relationships “I’m sympathetic to people’s scepticism because nobody wants their movement hijacked.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. There’s way more good to come out of strengthening our relationships in the diaspora, if we give it a chance. We can build a better world.”

King’s rallying cry of action and unity will resonate with many and for good reason. The world is hurting right now, with Black people often at the steeper end of injustice.

But the power of Black activism is a unique force, as history demonstrates. It has, and can once again, shape events that are critical, not just to Black communities but to a better future for people of all backgrounds.

14 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Black In Business

ADVERTORIAL

The Power of TV Enables Blackowned Businesses to Flourish

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esigned by Channel 4 in partnership with Lloyds Bank, the Black In Business initiative launched in May 2023 to help Black-owned businesses prosper.

With £500,000 worth of TV advertising on offer across five beneficiaries, the creation of their own commercials and a sixmonth tailored marketing and mentorship package powered by DOES, competition was fierce.

The support though doesn’t end there. An additional five shortlisted businesses were chosen from over 1,000 applications and will receive the Rising Stars Grant and support provided by Jamii, worth £3,000.

These shortlisted businesses will also get a tailored one-to-one consultation session to help boost their growth.

Finally, all applicants have been offered access to a series of Black In Business live masterclasses, the Lloyds Bank Black Entrepreneurs programme and the DOES Black Business Community. The masterclasses cover a range of essential topics including finance, supply chain resilience and exporting, sustainable growth principles and how to create a community-driven brand.

Striving for a level playing field

The 2022 Black. British. In Business and Proud report from the Black Business Network and Lloyds Bank helped bring many of the challenges facing Black entrepreneurs to the fore, including: • 84% of Black business owners have been negatively discriminated against in their past entrepreneurial efforts • Only 3 in 10 Black business owners will approach banks for finance • 49% of Black entrepreneurs say they need PR and marketing support Elyn Corfield, CEO, Business and Commercial Banking, Lloyds Bank, said: “We passionately believe that all businesses should have the same opportunities to succeed as each other, but we recognise through what Black business communities are telling us that there’s still much work to do to create an equitable landscape.”

Channel 4’s Black In Business initiative is just one of several ongoing programmes and partnerships Lloyds Bank

is spearheading to provide new opportunities for Black entrepreneurs. But why are these so important?

Bringing ambition to life

A further study from Channel 4 and Clear Channel reveals how Black and Multi-ethnic entrepreneurs have a strong and robust entrepreneurial spirit despite the challenges they face, such as those outlined above.

For example, out of the 500-plus business owners surveyed, almost half (46%) felt they could always run a successful business vs just 29% of White entrepreneurs.

There was also a significant difference in the number of people who always wanted to be their own boss – 71% vs. 54% of White respondents. And it’s a desire that’s prevalent in the younger population with almost two-thirds (62%) of Black and Multi-ethnic entrepreneurs starting their businesses under the age of 30. In addition, the level of those who were teenage founders was 1 in 8, more than twice that of White business owners.

Lydia Amoah is CEO at BACKLIGHT, a cultural change agency that partnered on the report, and is keen to see more Black entrepreneurs given the opportunity to prosper. “We are immensely ambitious, resourceful, resilient, innovative, and creative, already helping our economy thrive. Our research demonstrates that we can contribute billions to the UK economy and beyond when given equal opportunities and openings,” she said.

While the final decision has been made in regard to the beneficiaries, it’s only the beginning of a longer process for them and all the other applicants. With more Black business role models to aspire to, it’s hoped this initiative will have a lasting impact on individuals and communities all across the country.

Myers-Lamptey, choosing the five main beneficiaries.

Channel 4’s AV Manager Maria St Louis commented: “We were looking for businesses who are aligned with Channel 4’s vision of creating change, disrupting an industry, being community focused and having a purpose bigger than the product, and our beneficiaries definitely live up to these principles. The initiative has been a truly inspiring, meaningful and impactful journey! As the brains behind this Channel 4 initiative and the Chair of Judges for the final stage, I’ve been blown away by the level of Black British Business talent that exists within the UK, am super proud of the five beneficiaries and look forward to supporting many more Blackowned businesses embark upon their TV advertising journey .”

THESE QUALITIES, AND MORE WERE EVIDENT IN THE FIVE BUSINESSES:

• Dalgety Teas • The Gym Kitchen • LØCI • TreasureTress • The Turmeric Co. Black In Business is also supported by Jamii, an online marketplace for Black-owned businesses. Browse the Jamii marketplace, for more brilliant Black businesses: lovejamii.com For more information about the Channel 4 initiative visit: channel4.com/blackinbusiness For more information on how Lloyds Bank are supporting Black-owned businesses, visit: lloydsbank.com/blackbusinesses

Introducing the inspirational beneficiaries

Over 1,000 applicants were whittled down to a shortlist of 10 businesses by a rigorous review process. The final stage involved a judging panel including representatives from Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank, and prominent Black entrepreneurs Claudine Reid MBE and Dino

Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.

FEBRUARY 2024

THE VOICE | 15

Black In Business

ADVERTORIAL

LØCI is Scaling New Heights in Purpose-Driven Footwear

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Channel 4 in partnership with Lloyds Bank

ØCI is a flourishing vegan footwear brand with A-list celebrity customers. The company, co-founded by CEO Emmanuel Eribo, is a beneficiary of the Channel 4 Black In Business initiative in partnership with Lloyds Bank.

Read his thoughts on combining style with purpose, and the journey so far.

After working as an investment banker, Emmanuel was driven to sell something tangible where profit wasn’t the main motivation. His first foray into footwear was as co-founder and CEO of a global brand aimed at women. However, he realised there was a disconnect on several levels and he wanted to establish and grow a business with

going into landfill each year, LØCI is swimming valiantly against the tide. Each pair of trainers features 20 recycled plastic bottles as well as recycled bamboo, foam and rubber. All materials are ethically sourced, and they have an ondemand production system at their manufacturing site in Portugal to manage environmental impact, resulting in no unwanted footwear being discarded in landfill.

more to offer. Joy, purpose and a passion for doing things differently resulted in LØCI coming to market in May 2021. The name comes from the Latin for ‘place’ and everyone involved wanted to bring to life a clear vision that made them feel at home.

Using certified recycled materials, LØCI’s ethical approach to men’s and women’s footwear combines fashion, functionality and the feel-good factor. The business also donates 10% of its online profits to wildlife and conservation charities - Re:Wild, SEE Turtles, Mission Blue and Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Emmanuel Eribo, Co-Founder/CEO, LOCI

and committed to doing things in an unconventional way. Emmanuel firmly believes in using a high-energy approach and selfbelief to create great products and a unique story. This philosophy has seen them take great strides in a short space of time.

Building a business While it’s an incredible story, in public Everyone in the business is proud Emmanuel considers the publicity to be a bit daunting.

carefully and credibly. Emmanuel is well aware they’re only at the beginning of their journey. They’re open and honest about what they do, and know there are always improvements that can be made along the way.

Producing and shipping footwear worldwide will never be a completely sustainable business, but LØCI is determined

“I grew up watching Channel 4, and this is an amazing chance to tell our story” “When you first start and a lot of people hear about what you’re doing, they tend to write off your chances. Being an underdog is a great place to come from and to prove people wrong. As you do better and better, you start building the business more in public, so it’s nerve-racking, and there’s added pressure,” he says.

Sustainability is never ending Communicating LØCI’s sustainability progress is something else which needs to be done

to keep challenging themselves and finding new ways to be even better.

Striving to be more sustainable is one of many challenges for Emmanuel and his team. His philosophy is to expect every day to be tough but have fun finding ways to solve problems across every aspect of the business. While he’s not one to celebrate milestones, Emmanuel was delighted when they won the 2022 PETA Award for Best Vegan Shoes, particularly as they didn’t submit an entry.

With 22 billion pairs of shoes

Footwear is just the first ste Vegan footwear is the foundation to build a bigger brand in the future. The next phase is to gain a deeper understanding of their audience and community to see what new products they’ll be receptive to.

For Emmanuel, it’s not about bringing out lots of lines purely to increase LØCI’s bottom line.

The questions he’s asking around new product development are more focused on how they can inspire more people through the brand’s story so far and make as much positive change in the world as possible.

Taking LØCI’s story to a larger audience As one of five chosen beneficiaries from over 1,000 applicants, the Channel 4 initiative in partnership with Lloyds Bank will open new doors for LØCI in the UK. While it’s making waves worldwide, Emmanuel feels excited about being given £100,000 worth of TV advertising.

“We’re proud and blessed to have this opportunity with Channel 4. To have help growing in our home market is so important, and we’re super grateful. We’re going to enter so many homes via one of the most exciting and diverse channels in the UK. I grew up watching Channel 4, and this is an amazing chance to tell our story,” he states.

Beneficiaries also get a sixmonth mentoring programme

powered by DOES - a social enterprise that works with corporate partners to deliver business help to underprivileged communities. Despite building two successful footwear brands, Emmanuel knows there’s always more to take on board and is relishing the opportunity.

“We try to stay humble. The most important thing is learning because we’re generalists. I’m looking forward to hearing from experts in marketing and TV to enrich my knowledge in these areas,” he concludes.

Black In Business is also supported by Jamii, an online marketplace for Black-owned businesses.

Browse the Jamii marketplace, for more brilliant Black businesses: www.lovejamii.com For more information about the Channel 4 initiative visit: www.channel4.com/ blackinbusiness For more information on how Lloyds Bank are supporting Black-owned businesses, visit: www.lloydsbank.com/ blackbusinesses

Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.

16 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Black In Business

ADVERTORIAL

TreasureTress:

Making Waves in the Hair and Beauty Sector Channel 4 in partnership with Lloyds Bank

T

reasureTress is one of the five beneficiaries of the Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank Black In Business initiative.

Learn how the seeds of success were planted while founder and CEO, Jamelia Donaldson was working in Beijing, and how far she’s taken her lifelong passion for haircare and beauty.

With a bespoke TV advert, £100,000 worth of TV advertising and a six-month mentoring programme up for grabs, there were over 1,000 applications for the Channel 4 and Lloyds Bank Black In Business initiative. One of only five final beneficiaries is TreasureTress - one of Europe’s first natural hair and beauty product subscription box businesses, on a mission to solve a longstanding problem for those with naturally textured hair..

A business idea born overseas Having run out of product and losing her hair brush whilst on an internship in Beijing, Jamelia had to resort to buying and using a shoe brush as the only comparable tool for use on textured hair. It was clear the availability of specialist products for people with curly hair was non-existent.

But it wasn’t until progressing in her second internship in New York she discovered the subscription-based model being used for all kinds of goods. At that point, she promised herself that if something like that wasn’t available on her return to the UK, she’d create it. Hence, the idea for TreasureTress was born.

Jamelia worked tirelessly over lunch breaks, on evenings and weekends to build the business, as well as having a full-time job in finance back in London. Within eight months of growing mostly organically, she was then able to leave her position to focus on TreasureTress full-time and has never looked back.

she wants to solve. “I am committed to resolving the diversity and accessibility issue within the beauty industry. The fact it’s unresolved is my ammunition to be relentless. I feel as though I have a responsibility to the community I’ve built,” she says.

One challenge is the lack of A driving force for change What drives Jamelia is her sense products available specifically of commitment to the problem for curly hair. It massively differs

Jamelia Donaldson, Founder/CEO, TreasureTress, when compared to the US, such that 35% of African-American women shop in supermarkets for their hair products. Whereas in the UK, this figure drops to only 1% despite Black British women making up 10% of the country’s total beauty spend. Additionally, almost half of women with textured hair (47%) said in a survey commissioned by TreasureTress

that none of the top 10 high street haircare brands cater to their hair type, so we know there is lots more work that needs to be done.

Bootstrapped from the beginning TreasureTress has been bootstrapped since its inception and

Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.

FEBRUARY 2024

THE VOICE | 17

Black In Business

ADVERTORIAL has mostly grown organically.

The main reason for this is the absence of external funding.

Jamelia admits her initial lack of knowledge around the role banks can play in the growth of businesses like TreasureTress was a barrier, so the majority of the business spend was selffunded. When the time came to talk to potential investors, they couldn’t align with the problem she was trying to solve, and didn’t think it was a big enough opportunity because no similar businesses were already doing it.

The findings of the Black. British. In Business & Proud Report 2022 showed only 3 in 10 Black business owners approach banks for finance. This is borne out in Jamelia’s case as she didn’t con-

sider talking to a bank for support with growing TreasureTress.

However, support for each of the beneficiaries also includes a six-month mentoring and sponsorship package powered by DOES - a social enterprise that works with corporate partners to deliver business help to underprivileged communities.

As part of this, TreasureTress will have access to a Lloyds Bank sponsor. Jamelia is keen to use this opportunity to understand more about the range of support available to small businesses.

Other positives Jamelia hopes to gain from the programme include data insights they can leverage, advice on their marketing blind spots and how to maximise new opportunities. There’s mas-

sive potential to grow the business overseas and make natural hair and beauty products available to people of other ethnicities with curly hair who mainstream brands and outlets don’t serve.

Creating a global community Building an engaged following both online and offline has been critical to the success of TreasureTress. Jamelia has gone from braiding her high school friends’ hair to building a team that sends subscription boxes to 42 countries worldwide, but she’s not stopping there.

Jamelia has created opportunities to really get to know her target audience through

face-to-face events for mums and daughters with curly hair, as well as pop-up shops giving people a chance to browse the products. This allows her to gather feedback on products, taglines, suppliers’ brand stories and ethical ingredients to shape future subscription boxes.

Jamelia’s realisation of her vision hit home in the autumn of 2023. “My niece came to the pop-up shop and was completely blown away. She was the reason I started the brand. I wanted her to grow up thinking curly hair’s normal, my hair’s normal, and I can look beautiful the way I am,” she reflects.

A brush with small screen stardom “Appearing on TV is going to be great for our representation.

With the community we serve, it’s so important our voice is amplified, and people will certainly see us on TV. It will also help mainstream haircare brands understand the massive opportunity they’re missing out on,” she states.

Jamelia hopes the increased brand awareness will inspire other female founders to pursue their business dreams. Being named one of the beneficiaries from over 1,000 applications has also given her team recognition and a huge morale boost.

She’s anticipating a significant rise in growth and subscription numbers due to mainstream exposure and the opportunity to cross over into mass markets. Jamelia has long admired Beyonce’s professionalism, perfectionism and strategic outlook as a businesswoman. With an amplified voice thanks to TV advertising, TreasureTress is sure to hit the right note with more people worldwide.

Black In Business is also supported by Jamii, an online marketplace for Black-owned businesses. Browse the Jamii marketplace, for more brilliant Black businesses: www.lovejamii.com For more information about the Channel 4 initiative visit: www.channel4.com/ blackinbusiness For more information on how Lloyds Bank are supporting Black-owned businesses, visit: www.lloydsbank.com/ blackbusinesses

Lloyds Bank is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority under Registration Number 119278.

18 | THE VOICE

FEBRUARY 2024

Dotun Adebayo

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

Rate him or hate him - you can’t ignore him!

This is for men’s eyes only If you really want to reach deep within your woman’s heart this Valentine’s Day, then you need to start thinking like they would do

L

ADIES, I’M afraid this month’s column is FOR MEN’S EYES ONLY. It is Valentine’s after all and I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise your other half has got lined up for you on ‘the day of love’ after he’s read my lessons in love (FOR MEN’S EYES ONLY) below.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against Valentine’s Day but sometimes it takes certain men a minute or two to get romantic. Most times it takes us years.

In my case, it’s coming up to half a century, but now I get it.

I really do. I get that roses are not just for February 14 and that violets are blue and that however sweet the honey is, it’s not as sweet as my missus. I get all that.

Most of all, I get that romance is not all about the hugs, the kisses, and the lovemaking (as nice as that all is).

Yes, I know, it’s been a long time coming, but I finally get that. But most importantly what I now get about romance is you have to see it from a woman’s point of view.

How was I to know? I was born in Africa. When I left at the age of six I had never heard of Valentine’s Day, and somehow it had passed me by in this country until one morning at my boys school, it was February 14.

I remember it well because I realised I was the only one in the class who didn’t make a show of pulling out a pink envelope from my school briefcase containing a pink card inscribed with the legendary words: Roses are red Violets are blue Sugar is sweet And so are you From guess who Or something similar.

You see, I was at school with a load of Casanovas, Don Juans and various other sweetboys.

Every February 14, they saw the world from a woman’s point of view. They called it Valen-

tine’s. But I didn’t get it. They got all the girls. I didn’t know how.

All I knew was that St Valentine’s Day was the day girls told boys that they fancied them. Not the other way around.

I didn’t know anything about love let alone romance. I hadn’t even been kissed for the very first time. But somehow I knew that romance was a girl thing and boys just went along to the local Wimpy with them every February 14.

Of course, I blame Marvin Gaye, wouldn’t you?

Because 13-year-olds didn’t know nothing about nothing to do with nothing. Back then, a blue movie was something that was somewhere over the rainbow like all the other colours of the spectrum, not something that every teenager could watch on their mobile phones.

We didn’t even know nothing about nothing about chirpsing until we heard Marvin’s chat-up lines and started using them in our Valentine’s cards. The one I used on this girl at Hornsey High was: Roses are red, violets are blue I’ve been really tryin’, baby Tryin’ to hold back this feeling for so long And if you feel like I feel, baby Then, c’mon, oh, c’mon, whoa … Let’s get it on Ah, baby, let’s get it on Let’s love, baby Let’s get it on, sugar Let’s get it on, woo hoo I didn’t even know what it meant, but I knew that ‘making love’ was a boy thing: And giving yourself to me can never be wrong...

So c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, c’mon, baby Stop beating round the bush...

It’s only now, after 20 years of marriage to the queen of lovers rock (Carroll Thompson), that I realise how wrong I’ve been all these years. Only now after all these years have I started seeing things the way my missus sees it, the way women see things. The

HAPPY VALENTINE’S: Romance is thinking about each other; below, when you see romance from a woman’s point of view, Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On suddenly becomes ‘let’s get married and have kids’ rather than ‘let’s talk about sex’, says Dotun

romantic way. Only now I realise that romance is not all about me.

It’s not my woman’s way of being ‘hopelessly in love’ with me.

It’s the other way around.

It’s funny how romantic you become when you start seeing Valentine’s Day from your woman’s point of view. Suddenly all those lessons in love songs that comprise the soundtrack of your Valentine’s Past, Valentine’s Present and Valentine’s Future suddenly take on a whole different meaning:

Marvin Gaye’s Let’s Get It On suddenly becomes ‘let’s get married and have kids’ rather than ‘let’s talk about sex.’

Smokey Robinson’s You Really Got A Hold On Me becomes a song about how enchanting your woman is rather than a ‘please release me, let me go, my woman is a ball and chain and an albatross around my neck and she has used black magic on me to ensure than I never leave her’ kind of song.

Love Is Contagious by Taja

Sevelle took a severe knock to its romantic credentials during the pandemic. But now when I look at it through my wife’s eyes, all I am thinking is, if people see how much I am lovingly devoted to her and all the romantic moods I have planned for her this Valentine’s, it’s bound to catch on.

And if you see how much love I will get back from my missus you will have to agree that love spreads faster than coronavirus and, thankfully, doesn’t kill you (usually).

Come Into My Life by the late great Joyce Sims is always on my Valentine’s playlist every year. And this February 14 is no different. It’s just that now I know that Joyce isn’t playing the role of my missus singing Come into my life, I’ve got so much love to show you. It’s the other way around. That’s what fellas are supposed to say to a woman. At least that’s the woman’s point of view.

Other love songs on my Valentine’s playlist that men ought to listen to from a woman’s point of view:

Why Do Fools Fall In Love

by Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.

I now know from a woman’s point of view that it is not so nice for your missus to hear you suggesting that you were a fool to fall in love with her.

Hallelujah I Love Her So by Ray Charles I now realise that this is not something you sing in church.

Brown Sugar by D’Angelo has nothing to do with how a loving spoonful of the stuff makes the medicine go down. From a woman’s point of view, when you ask her for some of her brown sugar you should realise that what she has to offer is the very lifeblood of civilisation.

Hopelessly in Love by Carroll Thompson Now, I get it. When a woman tells you she’s hopelessly in love with you and she offers you the keys to her Ferrari, she really means it. I get it now.

Happy Valentine’s and, remember, always see it from her point of view.

That’s true romance.

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 FIVE NIGHTS A WEEK MONDAY MORNINGS TO FRIDAY MORNINGS 1AM - 5AM, AND ON BBC RADIO LONDON EVERY SUNDAY 7PM - 10PM. FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER: @dotunadebayo

FEBRUARY 2024

THE VOICE | 19

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20

| THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

News Feature

LGBTI Africans facing ‘relentless’ oppression

Amnesty International reports surge in draconian laws across the continent. By Vic Motune

L

GBTI PEOPLE across Africa are facing a significant rollback on their human rights following the introduction of harsh discriminatory legislation in several of the continent’s countries, according to a leading human rights organisation.

Amnesty International has published a briefing which documents what it says is a ‘concerning’ rise in draconian legislation being used to systematically target and persecute LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex) individuals over the course of 2023.

In Africa, 31 countries still criminalise consensual samesex relationships, despite the contradiction with established African Union and international human rights standards.

However, over the past year, Amnesty has witnessed what it describes as a concerning crackdown on LGBTI rights, as authorities reinforce existing antiLGBTI laws and introduce new legislation to further erode the rights of LGBTI individuals.

THREATS

The briefing examines 12 African countries. Among them was Uganda, where consensual same-sex activity was already illegal. LGBTI people are now facing further threats to their rights and safety following the draconian Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023.

In Kenya, the Family Protection Bill was proposed in 2023. The Bill aims to prohibit consensual same-sex relations and same-sex marriage, which would have significant implications for the human rights of LGBTI people in the country.

In Ghana, which has a record of human rights abuses against LGBTI people, the situation could be set to worsen if Parliament proceeds with the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill 2021 — one of the most stringent anti-LGBTI Bills on the continent.

In Malawi, LGBTI people face a growing hostile environment, with discriminatory legislation

and ongoing human rights violations leading to an atmosphere of fear and oppression. It’s a view that is corroborated by Human Rights Watch (HRW) who say that they are vulnerable to harassment and daily discrimination. A recent report stated that members of the country’s LGBTI community routinely face violence and intimidation in almost all aspects of their daily lives. They are often physically assaulted by police officers, arbitrarily arrested and detained without due process or a legal basis, at other times punished for exercising their rights, such as seeking treatment in health institutions.

And in Burundi, a country where LGBTI people already face social ostracism and jail terms of up to two years if convicted of same-sex offences, President Evariste Ndayishimiye last month called on citizens to stone gay people.

“If you want to attract a curse to the country, accept homosexuality,” Ndayishimiye said during a question and answer session with journalists and the public in December. “I think that these people, if we find them in Burundi, it is better to lead them to a stadium and stone them.

And that cannot be a sin,” he said, describing homosexuality as imported from the West.

Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, said: “Africa is facing a deepening crisis of homophobic lawfare. LGBTI people across Africa are finding themselves contending with a disturbing regression of progress, facing relentless obstacles to their legal and social rights.

“Arbitrary arrests and detentions have become all too common, with authorities treating the mere act of being an LGBTI person as a criminal offence. In some places, the death penalty looms as a brutally unjust punishment for LGBTI people simply being who they are.”

Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s Director for West and Central Africa, said: “The challenges faced by LGBTI people in Africa extend beyond the realm of legality and the abuse

DEEPENING CRISIS: Protesters campaign against Uganda’s anti-homosexuality Bill which planned to criminalise same-sex relationships in April 2023.

The Bill was eventually passed into law; far left, Steven Kabuye was the victim of a near-fatal attack near Kampala; left, Burundi President Evariste Ndayishimiye has called on citizens to stone gay people (main photo: Getty Images) of law has undoubtedly heightened their vulnerability and underlines the urgent need for coordinated regional and international intervention.

“We must advocate for their rights, and work towards a world where justice and equality prevail, regardless of one’s sexual orientation or gender identity.”

Amnesty is calling on African states and governments to urgently repeal or refrain from efforts to criminalise LGBTI people, and to protect the human rights of all people equally and without discrimination.

The Amnesty report follows the recent case of a high-profile Ugandan LGBTI activist who survived a murder attempt by

unknown assailants on a motorbike as he was on his way to work.

Steven Kabuye, who works with the Colored Voices Media Foundation that campaigns for LGBTI youth, suffered knife wounds and was left for dead in the assault on the outskirts of the capital Kampala before being found by local residents. Police said the passenger on the motorcycle jumped off and tried to stab him in the neck, slashing his arm and chasing him, before stabbing him in the stomach.

As he lay wounded, the 25-year-old recorded video on his phone that shows him lying in pain on the ground, his arm sliced open and a knife em-

bedded in his stomach, as well as him on a blood-soaked hospital bed following emergency surgery.

The graphic video footage was shared on Kabuye’s X/Twitter account.

VIOLENCE

According to a statement issued by police spokesman Patrick Onyango, Kabuye told detectives investigating the incident that he had been receiving death threats since March 2023.

So far no-one has been arrested for the attack.

Campaigners took to social media to condemn violence.

Samuel Mijo, a sexual wellness expert and LGBTI equality

campaigner tweeted: “The violence & attempted murder (given the nature of the violence) of @SteveKabuye5 left me utterly shocked & drained. Thanks to those who responded quickly to save his life. Anti-Homosexuality Act, 2014, is turning people into savage and barbarism, Say No to #Hate.”

Andrea Gillespie from the Human Rights Campaign, a US-based LGBTQ+ civil rights organisation wrote: “Politicians who are using the LGBTQ+ community as a scapegoat to move people away from what is really happening in the country.

Sending strength to Steven after this violent attack — and to advocates challenging Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act.”

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE | 21

Education Continued from page 11 accessible to all, regardless of race or socioeconomic background.

“A lot of them, but not all, say ‘my child is behind’ and some of them just want to reinforce what they doing in school,” he said. “A lot of the parents that book me are Black, and they are recommending me all the time to other parents which has helped my business grow over the last four years.”

The maths tutor, born in London and of Nigerian heritage, says he wants his students to do well because he was once in a similar position while studying.

Akinleye went to sixth-form college in Lewisham and was studying maths at A-level, but admits he wasn’t taking his studies seriously and ended up getting an E grade. He re-took his exams after a year “knuckling down” as he put it because he knew he was capable of passing and eventually got an impressive A*.

“That academic year just sparked my passion,” he recalled.

Akinleye went on to study maths at the University of Leicester for three years and was working as a tutor part-time at the weekends.

In 2018, he graduated with a first-class honours degree and was encouraged to start his tutoring business by his sister Cherish.

Akinleye said: “Cherish being a qualified maths and physics teacher who has worked in Malaysia, Spain and is currently based in Saudi Arabia, saw that there was a gap for online tutoring and knew this is something I would thrive in.”

Akinleye said he wanted to get into tutoring because of his own personal experience and knows “there are a lot of students out there that are just lacking the motivation to just really knuckle down but they do have it in them to do well”.

The entrepreneur said sadly he is aware that some teachers “write off ” students before they have reached their full potential and that needs to change.

Akinleye believes there needs to be a drastic change within the mainstream education system to ensure Black children no longer underachieve.

“Many of those I teach feel there is not a lot of individual tutoring for them. This is something that Black students would benefit from,” he said.

Akinleye is presently developing an online learning platform – to reach a broader audience, enhancing accessibility to his educational materials – which is scheduled for launch later this year.

Additionally, it will offer his current students access to a wider variety of content, such as videos, past papers, and practice assessments, thereby creating enriched learning opportunities not just for his UK-based students but those he teaches in countries like Saudi Arabia, Greece, Italy and Luxembourg.

Julian Hall, Founder and CEO of Ultra Education

“Many of those I teach feel there is not a lot of individual tutoring for them. This is something that Black students would benefit from” – Daniel Akinleye, GCSE and A-level maths tutor With the fast development of technology, the internet and social media, it has never been easier for children and young people to start their own business.

For many Black parents, entrepreneurship education has now become an essential part of learning and they are seeking out platforms and services that provide it.

Julian Hall is the Founder and CEO of Ultra Education CIC and YoBuDi.com, which is a platform that sells products made by child entrepreneurs.

Speaking to The Voice, he said these parents are aware “that school is not working out” and are looking for other ways to ensure their children are successful.

“Many know they cannot rely on a school to provide their children with the necessary tools to be successful and happy in the future,” he said.

“I think parents have already realised that, so they look for other interventions, programmes, to take back control of their children’s education and their children’s development.”

Hall’s business Ultra Education provides children and young people regardless of their social background access to essential entrepreneurial education.

“Historically, Black parents have not had access to entrepreneurial education,” he said.

Hall believes this type of education is more important than ever as he sees many young people graduating from university and unable to find a job or work experience.

“Our response to this is, if you

can’t do a job doing something you love, then you should be able to create your own job and that is our philosophy,” he says.

The serial entrepreneur says Ultra Education aims to provide a viable solution to high youth unemployment rates in the Black community.

With over 25 years’ experience as a successful businessman, he regularly puts on educational events for young people interested in going into business for themselves.

Hall said the children who go

through his programmes have “lifechanging” and “transformational” experiences.

“They build confidence, selfesteem, win awards and are featured in local and national news outlets which have a positive ripple effect on them not just now but in the future” he said.

The founder said many parents are now seeing “entrepreneurship as a primary consideration”.

“Whilst in the state schools we are fighting over traditional academic achievement, in the private and boarding schools,

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Daniel Akinleye

they have realised that is not enough. They have put in so many other forms of enrichment and so many other extra-curricular activities because they have realised academic achievement is not enough to be productive and successful in today’s job market.”

Hall said children and young people can gain valuable work experience and learn many transferable skills through entrepreneurship like the “ability to problem solve, the ability to work as a team and the ability to think critically.”

22 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

News Feature

Star’s plea over knife crime CAMPAIGN: Idris Elba poses in front of an installation of over 200 bundles of clothing representing the lives lost to knife crime in the UK, besides Parliament Square. The actor is urging the government to ban the sale of ‘zombie’ knives (photo: Getty Images)

Idris Elba joined the Don’t Stop Your Future campaign outside Parliament. By Vic Motune

A

CTOR IDRIS Elba is urging the government to introduce a ban on “zombie” knives and machetes as part of a campaign to curb the rising youth violence.

The Wire and Luther star made the plea as he joined activists from the Don’t Stop Your Future campaign as they stood outside Parliament posing next to symbolic clothing and footwear representing victims of knife crime in an effort to highlight its impact on young people and their families as MPs returned from the Christmas break.

Elba said: “I can’t stay silent as more young lives are lost to these brutal and heartless crimes. Too many families have suffered the unbearable loss of a young person they cherish, and as schools resume, the absence of too many classmates is a stark reality.”

He accused politicians of not giving the issue “the focus it deserves” and said that in order to find solutions to youth violence it was crucial for lawmakers, the police and specialists to work with grieving families.

Elba said he was working on plans to establish a cross-party working group that brings together stakeholders such as bereaved relatives, youth workers, community leaders, and young people with insight on the issue which would help support police

officers in re-evaluating their interactions with diverse communities.

While acknowledging more than an outright ban on zombie knives and similar weapons was needed, he said it would represent an important symbolic act.

Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, he said: “I am a member of this society, I am a member of our country and I am a parent and I really think that our country is at a boiling point.

“We are sensitive to this topic, we all feel the pain when we see it on the news but there is very little done that reverberates into action.

“So for me there needs to be a consistent voice or a fixed point where we can point the finger and say, ‘let’s do something together’. From my perspective it really is as a parent.

“I got the chance to sit down with some of the parents of the victims, some of the high profile victims that we have seen. I sat in a room in a boxing club with a lot of the families and it was really, really clear that while the rest of the country can mourn very quickly, what we see, like poor Harry Pitman on New Year’s Eve, his family will live with this forever.”

He added: “One thing I got from the meeting with those families is that they are applying critical thinking all the time and

the one that kept coming back up is the youth services being cut, which is a massive contribution to the rise of certain violence in certain areas.

“There’s a study that the national youth agency put out a year ago and there’s some real hard facts that where the cuts that we’ve seen to the youth ser-

vices, there is a rise in crime. So I think the government would be good to look at this really carefully.”

While the UK has strict guncontrol laws, about four in 10 homicides involve a knife or sharp instrument.

The latest police figures for England and Wales from

July 2022 to June 2023 show that around 247 people lost their lives due to knife crime.

Those numbers do not include teenagers such as Alfie Lewis, 15, who was fatally stabbed in Leeds in November, or Harry Pitman, 16, who was killed on New Year’s Eve. They will be included in the next set of figures

to be published. As part of his work with the Don’t Stop Your Future campaign, Elba is releasing a single called Knives Down which expresses his frustration with government inaction on knife crime and is part of his commitment to addressing the issue through advocacy and music.

Leadership group launched in Wales to tackle racism

A NEW race equality group aimed at harnessing the voices and perspectives of Black people in Wales to tackle racism has been launched.

The Black Leadership Group ales ales , the first national arm of the UK-wide Black Leadership Group (BLG), brings together professionals and academics in response to continuing discrimination and racial disparities nationwide.

BLG Wales is now preparing for a national conference to be held on March 21, the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The event will bring together campaigners and groups from across the UK to discuss strategies to tackle racism across a range of sectors.

BLG Wales Co-Chair Yusuf Ibrahim, Assistant Principal at Coleg

VOICES FOR ALL: Members of the Black Leadership Group at its recent launch (l-r) Vaughan Gething MS, Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, Yusuf Ibrahim, Chantelle Haughton, and Stella Mbubaegbu CBE

Caerdydd a’r Fro (Cardiff and Vale College), said: “The launch of Black Leadership Group Wales is a landmark moment for our nation.

“Ours is a nation that is leading the world in its commitment to becoming Anti-Racist by 2030. BLG Wales is both a recognition of the impact that Wales is having on the anti-racism agenda and a catalyst to turn anti-racist moments into

sustained momentum for change.

He continued: “As a sub-group with BLG UK, BLG Wales aims to capture the voices of our Black communities, particularly those who are engaged in professions across Wales. The racial disparities in Wales are evidently clear with increasing evidence from reports across a range of sectors highlighting the additional barriers that face Black Welsh citizens.

“This group will provide a safe space to celebrate our Black identity, a space that brings together our collective professional voices to ensure that stakeholders and allies from far and wide can become informed and empowered to be active in their anti-racism.”

Ibrahim will co-chair BLG Wales with Professor Emmanuel Ogbonna, Vice-Chair of Race Council Wales, and Chantelle Haughton, director and founder of DARPL (Diversity and Anti-Racism Professional Learning).

“Becoming anti-racist isn’t easy; it is however the right thing to do,” he said. “I look forward to working with colleagues from far and wide in moving us forward to an antiracist future.”

The launch took place at The Tramshed, Cardiff, with a symposium entitled An Anti-racist Wales:

are words turning into action?, with a panel including Vaughan Gething MS, Welsh government minister for economy.

BLG co-founder and director Stella Mbubaegbu CBE said: “The launch of Black Leadership Group Wales is momentous for our growing UK-wide organisation and also in recognition of the distinctive characteristics of the Welsh nation, environment and ambitions to become an anti-racist nation by 2030.

“Achieving ethnic equity has to be about action. In Wales, we’re seeing ground-breaking efforts to eradicate racism at a national level and are proud to be playing an active part. The BLG Wales community will provide a network of support and dialogue for our members who live and work in Wales as well as contribute to the drive towards an anti-racist Wales.”

Produced in association with HM Government

FEBRUARY 2024

THE VOICE | 23

Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

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T

aking care of our mental health and wellbeing isn’t just for when we’re feeling down. It’s something we can all gradually work on and create positive habits much like we do with our physical health.

Looking after and paying attention to your mental well-being should be a priority at whatever stage of your life. This is certainly the case with Mike Adams, who works as a consultant in London, and regularly plays walking football , which helps him deal with day-to-day stress.

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Mike Adams

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It has long been recognised that doing a little something each day for your mental health can really help the way you feel. Let’s

take a look at the top tips from the NHS Every Mind Matters to find simple things you can do every day to boost your mental well-being.

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Every Mind Matters provides free, CBT-inspired self-help strategies to tackle concerns and enhance mental health by altering thought processes and problem-solving. nhs.uk/every-mind-matters Open up about it Sharing our feelings with a

trusted person helps to prevent loneliness. It also helps loved ones better understand our experiences, and, collectively, we can seek solutions.

Get the best sleep Sleeping well makes a big difference to how we feel, both mentally and physically. When you can’t sleep, your mind can get busy with thoughts and worries about the next day, making it even harder to relax. Instead, get up and do something simple, like listening to calming music or reading, until you feel tired again. Every Mind Matters has more tips for better sleep and an email programme to help you establish good bedtime habits.

Connect with nature Being in natural surroundings, like parks or gardens, can brighten your spirits and make you feel calmer. You can also invite nature into your life by taking care of plants on a windowsill or balcony. Growing herbs, fruits or vegetables can also improve your diet.

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To access these services, you can refer yourself by visiting nhs.uk/talk to locate your local NHS Talking Therapies service and complete an online form, or contact them via email or phone. Eligibility only requires registration with a GP.

24 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Opinion

Why it’s never OK to use the N-word

Recent years have seen the N-word, a highly offensive term to many Black people, transform itself into a popular expression of endearment.

But in her new book, writer Daniella Maison argues the word carries a brutal history and can never be appropriated

T

HE N-WORD was one of the sharpened barbs that Stephen Lawrence was targeted with by five white youths who ran towards him one bleak night, and tattled ‘what, what, N****r’ before stabbing him on an Eltham street.

There is no redemption to be found in this venomous word. It is a single word so powerful that people have lost their lives due to the beliefs that are encapsulated within it.

I wrote my book, The N Word, to pay tribute to the humanity that has been denied to Black people for centuries.

To honour the ancestors who suffered dehumanisation while striving to be more than chattel, possessions, subhuman, ‘n****rs’. I wrote it to assert to those who say that the word has been rebranded, reappropriated and revamped, that it cannot be.

Hosea Easton, a 19th century African Methodist minister, abolitionist activist, wrote in 1837: ‘It is an opprobrious term, employed to impose contempt upon [Blacks] as an inferior race. It flows from the fountain of purpose to injure.’

When the issue of saying the N-word came up in the 1995 murder trial of OJ Simpson, prosecutor Christopher Darden said: “It’s the filthiest, dirtiest, nastiest word in the English language.”

And over two decades later Judge Steven Reinhardt described the word as “the most noxious racial epithet in the con-

temporary American lexicon”. Yet today, we are still privy to liberal dosages of The N-word in comedy, music and cinema, absorbed by a young generation of keen consumers. No amount of statement abnegation, gainsaying or reprieve makes it condonable.

No amount of protests, marches, hashtags or ‘wokeness’ have successfully obliterated the word from our purview or lexicon.

The power of a word lies in its history, which is imperative to its existence. Just as a foundation is imperative to a building, foundations are the first part of any construction and they are vital to the longevity of the building.

The gruesome history cannot be removed from the N-word

ADDITIONAL SCRUTINY: Prior to her resignation from Harvard recently, Dr Claudine Gay received death threats and was called the N-word several times (photo: Getty Images)

The N-word was a big stick shaped specifically during the era of slavery to ensure that African Americans were constantly reminded of their subhuman status anymore than a foundation can be removed from a building.

For as long as we have had the spoken word, it has been the most effective tool to oppress others with. When we say ‘it’s just a word’, we are undermining the vast power of words, which cannot exist without context

and etymology. Without words, propaganda cannot be formulated. Oppression based on race, gender, ability, sexuality, class, religion… all began as expressions of hatred, using words.

Over the past couple of weeks, the headlines have been filled with the furore of Dr Claudine

VENOMOUS WORD: The gruesome history cannot be removed from the N-word anymore than a foundation can be removed from a building, says Daniella Maison; left, her new book, The N Word

Gay’s Harvard resignation. Her Salem-witch-trial-esque roasting (which they called a congressional hearing) has triggered a rife global discussion about the additional scrutiny that Black women face when we attempt to ascend the proverbial ladder.

Dr Gay said she received death threats and was called the N-word countless times prior to resigning. Every week, there are examples of the N-Word being used as a weapon of choice in instances where people are maligned, injured and murdered.

Last week, Idris Elba stood on Parliament Square and put his weight behind a campaign named ‘Don’t Stop Your Future’. The campaign aims to ban machetes and zombie knives following an alarming number of teenage murders in 2023. We are living in a time where a generation readily define themselves and each other with the word n***a. They are unpreckilling each other at an unprec edented rate. They need, among other things, to know that they are Kings, not n****z.

The N-word is not a word that can be used lightly or without gravitas. It is an assault weapon; it has to be loaded, lined up, aligned with the target, and shot to make a mark. It doesn’t ‘come from nowhere’.

When I hear the N-word I shudder. I think of myself as a small girl being told to leave a holiday resort swimming pool because my brown skin would dirty the water. Hearing an adult hurl the words, “Get out, you [Nword]!” as I heaved my young

body out of the water, heavy with hurt and humiliation.

As I write in my book, the N-word was a big stick shaped specifically during the swashbuckling era of slavery to ensure that African Americans were constantly reminded of their subhuman status. The word is inextricably spliced and tethered to centuries of brutality on Black psyches and calumnies cast on Black bodies. It cannot be scrubbed away, sun-bleached, washed-out, or purged.

In 1963, Dr Martin Luther King Jnr stood up in Washington DC and proclaimed that he had a dream. I can wager that his dream did not include the possibility that some 60 years later, the N-word would still be so full of vim and vigour. It’s our community responsibility to bolster education and awareness about the offensiveness of the word across racial and generational lines.

It’s 2024. If Black Lives Matter, why is it necessary to perpetrate a word that boasts such a long reign of terror? I say, it’s time to depose the N-word. It’s long overdue.

Activist and author Daniella Maison is best known for her viral article series Black women & Hip Hop which exposed R. Kelly in 2009. She is a columnist for Black Wall St Media. Her new book, The N Word, published by Austin Macaulay, features a foreword by the late Benjamin Zephaniah who described her as ‘one of the brightest minds of our time’

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| THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Midlands News

By Veron Graham

City’s ‘sorely missed’ Reggae Fever returns Coventry to host Caribbean festival after receiving support from Games legacy funding

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HILE THE voluntary sector across the Midlands awaits the fallout from its local authorities’ reported financial issues, good news is on the horizon for the backers of a popular celebration of Caribbean culture.

Reggae Fever is set to return to Coventry in the summer after a decade-long hiatus.

Co-organised by the Caribbean Association, ArawaK Community Trust and Conflux Events, and held annually, Reggae Fever became something of a flagship event in the Midlands before reported financial issues brought the party to an abrupt halt in 2014. Having debuted in 2007, it helped sooth the ire of those mourning the continued absence and supposed death of the Birmingham Carnival, which was last held in its recognised format in 1999.

Reggae Fever is one of nine regional cultural and sporting events set to take place using a share of some £3 million donated from the Commonwealth Games legacy funding. Alongside Dudley’s Black Country Festival (July 1-31, 2024), Coventry-based Godiva Festival (July 5-7, 2024), Birmingham Weekender Festival (August 2225, 2024) and West Midlands Urban Sports tournament, set for Wolverhampton in September — they will bring a much needed boost to the regional economy: a projected £11.5 million.

“We are part of the fabric of the city,” an Association spokesperson told the media. “Reggae Fever is something that the city has sorely missed. We just hope to fill the city with colour, excitement and a bit of Caribbean flavour.”

Reggae Fever’s impending return comes courtesy of a £250,000 injection from the Commonwealth Games Legacy Fund, and was announced with the support of Midlands soul singer Beverley Knight, alongside support offered to several cultural and sporting events taking place across the region in the next 12 months.

Sports Minister Stuart An-

drew said: “The record-breaking Commonwealth Games in Birmingham was a great success, bringing in millions of pounds to the local economy, and £870 million gross value added to the wider UK economy. This Government’s aim is to make sure Birmingham’s legacy is felt in the region for years to come.”

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, added: “We saw during the 2022 Commonwealth Games — where record numbers of visitors and businesses came to the West Midlands — the hugely important role culture and sport play in our regional economy.

“The Commonwealth Games legacy funding is designed to enable the region to carry on that momentum. We received a healthy interest in the fund from applicants across the West Midlands and have selected an exciting calendar of inclusive and sustainable events set to engage our diverse communities and continue driving tourism and investment into the region over the coming years.”

News of this cash injection into the voluntary sector comes in the wake of damning financial projections from the region’s local authorities including Nottingham, Herefordshire and notably Birmingham, whose recent report sets out the council’s latest financial position and savings targets for the next two financial years, 2024/25 and 2025/26.

It sets out a forecast budget

BOOST: Beverley Knight with Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, at last year’s Black Country Festival, which this year will be supported by Commonwealth Games Legacy Funding events, organised principally in the third sector, which have done much to build community spirit post-COVID, the Council remains tight-lipped on this point.

“We need to be absolutely

We are part of the fabric of the city. We just hope to fill the city with colour and a bit of Caribbean flavour gap for future financial years of £164.8m in the next financial year, which jumps to £177.1m in 2025/26 — requiring the Council to make savings of £200m over the next two financial years. Amid local concern about whether the hammer will fall on the type of social and cultural

transparent about the situation the council is in,” said Cllr John Cotton, leader of Birmingham City Council. “This report confirms the figures we have already made public in terms of the budget shortfall we face after a decade of cuts and recent rampant inflation.

The cabinet and leadership team are focussed on working with commissioners to meet these challenges and get the council on a road to improvement.

“We know it will not be easy and we will have to make very difficult decisions about where money is spent and invested – and what we can no longer afford to do. We will continue to be open about the position we are in, however difficult those conversations will be, and what it means for the city.”

Nonetheless, the third and private sectors have been given further reasons to be cheerful: following discussions between the West Midlands’ Mayor and central government, the remaining £70 million from the Fund will also be invested into the region.

Staff honour caring Zhinga A BLACK Country-based carer has been honoured for her devotion to supporting the elderly with a sector award after being nominated by her colleagues.

Zhinga Grant-Wilson, 33, who is originally from the Grenadines in the Caribbean, received an award from the West Midlands Care Association for her work at Portway House in Oldbury over the past three years.

Nominated for her dedication to providing high standards of care and having a positive mental attitude,

even during difficult times, Zhinga attributes her approach to the values instilled in her from her grandparents who raised her. She said: “I love my job and helping others to live the best lives they can, so I just do what I do to the very best of my ability.”

Amrit Sumal, director of Superior Care (Midlands), which owns Portway House, said: “Zhinga is an asset and a true inspiration to our team. We are thrilled she has been recognised for her hard work and commitment.”

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Midlands News FRUITS OF THEIR LABOUR: Keen apple grower Rhys Davies, centre, with bmJV site operative Graham Breakspear, left, and Assistant raffic Manager Phil Whittaker

Apple grower Rhys’ request proves a fruitful experience

THE team behind National Highway’s safety enhancements on the M42 near Birmingham are the apple of one particular commuter’s eye after completing a rather unusual request.

Rhys Davies, an amateur apple grower from Solihull, emailed the project team to ask about fruit he saw growing on the roadside verge near the M42/M40 interchange during his commute to Malvern.

He was curious to find out the species and asked if anyone could take a cutting for him. His request was investigated by bmJV, the team delivering the scheme, which sent site operatives into the verge to collect some apples and take cuttings.

Rhys, who has been growing apples on his patio for a couple of years, was then invited to the site compound to collect them. He said: “I was driving through the works at the M40/M42 interchange each day and seeing the apple tree in the verge continued to pique my curiosity so late one evening I sent an email to National Highways.

I knew they were working on the central reservation, so I thought I’d ask if one of the guys there would

reach across to the verge and take a cutting for me. I got an email back to say they would look into it then heard back from bmJV’s customer manager to say the on-site team had been out and got some fruit and cuttings for me.

“I was staggered and when I got to the compound, I was really surprised at how thorough they’d been. I was expecting a few little cuttings, but they gave me so much! I’m delighted!”

Rhys has put some of the cuttings with others on his patio and will try to graft some onto existing growths when the weather picks up.

National Highways Project Sponsor Nick Wells said: “Customer service is at the very core of our business – quite literally in this case. I’m delighted our project team at bmJV were able to help Rhys and that his approach to us proved fruitful.”

The M40/M42 safety enhancement scheme was completed in December 2023 and involved replacing five-and-a-half miles of steel central reservation barrier with concrete, installing new drainage and replacing lighting.

Tranai inspiring youth through power of sport

A

NOTTINGHAMBASED COMMUNITY Interest Company which delivers sportbased intervention, mentoring and progression programmes for youth is looking forward to building on the success it achieved last year.

This despite it “bringing an unprecedented combination of societal, political and economic pressures, resulting in adversity for many children, young people and families,” in the eyes of Tranai Todd, Chief Executive Officer of Support Through Sport (STS) CIC. Founded in 2021 by the then17-year-old Todd, STS serves young people across the East Midlands counties of Derbyshire

Nottingham-based group set for another successful year and Nottinghamshire, empowering them to develop pro-social behaviours and providing a lasting positive impact within underserved communities.

Last year, the CIC’s team of 27 staff and volunteers engaged with nearly 2,900 young people — over half of which are from Global Majority backgrounds: racked up 964 hours of 1-2-1 mentoring support, organised 57 community events and delivered 887 sessions, leading a reported 100 per cent of young people engaged with to achieve “positive outcomes.”

Speaking on the release of STS’ annual report, Todd said: “Since establishing this organisation at the age of 17, wrestling with many of the challenges faced by our young people today, my motivation and passion for changing young people’s lives through the power of sport, has only grown stronger.

“It’s in times like these where driving forward positive change in our most vulnerable communities is increasingly difficult, but more imperative than ever.

At Support Through Sport, it’s been a year of perseverance,

BOLD AMBITIONS: ranai odd, hief Support Through Sport continuous development and, most importantly, a year of immense impact for the thousands of young people we’ve support-

ecutive

fficer of

ed. Reflecting on our impactful year, I’m filled with excitement and motivation to drive forward bold ambitions, striving for

greater impact and further reach, as we venture into 2024. Our resilience in such challenging times demonstrates a collective sense of passion and purpose with an immense motivation to reach our full potential. I’m filled with hope for a prosperous year ahead and continued success.”

Todd, who is also a Community Ambassador for Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commission’s Violence Reduction Unit, concluded: “As ever, I’m extremely proud of what our team have achieved and especially grateful to all of our partners and funders, enabling us to create safer communities and build brighter futures, through the power of sport and youth work combined.”

If you have a story for the East or West Midlands, call/text Veron Graham on 07954 572 988, email veronpgraham@gmail.com, or find him on Facebook, LinkedIn and X

28 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Muyiwa Olarewaju

Nothing But Truth and Light

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

Sowing the seeds of success Embracing consistency can help you reap big dividends

LEGEND: Tony Dungy gets inducted into the Ring of Honour during a 2018 NFL game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Pittsburgh Steelers (photo: Getty Images)

I

N THE intricate fabric of life, triumph is often perceived as a culmination of monumental, transformative moments.

However, the essence of enduring success is often found in the steady, intentional journey of consistent efforts.

Drawing insights from books such as Quiet Strength by legendary NFL coach Tony Dungy, poet Benjamin Zephaniah’s The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, and veteran MP and campaigner Diane Abbott’s Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography, we embark on a journey that aims to inspire and encourage.

Let us weave together the wisdom of these narratives with timeless biblical principles to kindle the flame of positive change in our lives.

Quiet Strength by Dungy echoes the idea that lasting success is shaped by intentional, incremental choices made consistently over time. Dungy’s narrative underscores the transformative power of steady, positive actions, emphasising that the journey itself holds the key to meaningful accomplishments.

Zephaniah’s life story, as shared in The Life and Rhymes, teaches us that enduring success is often shaped by consistent, intentional choices made over

time. His journey underscores the transformative power of steady, positive actions, stressing that significant achievement is a result of the path you follow.

Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography provides valuable insights into intentional living and the choices that shape the trajectory of our lives. The lessons from Abbott’s life story align with biblical principles, emphasising the enduring impact of consistent effort and the resilience required to overcome challenges.

Genesis 8:22 aligns seamlessly with this perspective, offering a parallel between the seasons of life and the concept of intentional sowing. It resonates with the understanding that our consistent efforts, akin to the planting of seeds, may not yield immediate results, but they contribute to the enduring cycle of growth and harvest.

Galatians 6:7 reinforces the significance of mindful living, emphasising that our choices bear consequences. This aligns with the wisdom shared in all of the above books reminding us that intentional living shapes the trajectory of our lives. The choices we make today are the seeds for the future we are cultivating.

In Galatians 6:9, we find an good, for at the proper time we will encouraging call to persist in our reap a harvest if we do not give up. journey of consistency. It says: This verse resonates with Let us not become weary in doing Dungy’s emphasis on resilience and echoes the narratives found in the autobiographies, illustratillustrat ing that sustained effort, even in the face of challenges, leads to the realisation of our goals.

These narratives teach us that the accumulation of intentional, positive actions shapes the momo mentum of our lives. Each daily choice contributes to the momo mentum that propels us towards our desired destination. The compound effect of these choices is not merely a result; it is a re reflection of the consistent comcom mitment to purposeful living.

Much like the cyclical nature of seasons, our lives experience times of planting and harvesting, cold and heat. The insights from MUST READS: Timeless wisdom from The Life and all the books mentioned align Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, Diane Abbott: The with the understanding that Authorised Biography and Tony Dungy’s book Quiet these cycles, though not always Strength reveal the essence of enduring success visible, contribute to the overall

Each choice made with your values contributes to the masterpiece of your life, unveiling the transformative power of consistency growth and transformation of our journeys.

The universal law of cause and effect, as expressed in Galatians 6:7, echoes the lessons from the autobiographies. Every action has a consequence, and intentional living is an acknowledgment of our responsibility in shaping the outcomes of our lives. It is a realisation that our daily choices are powerful seeds, capable of producing a bountiful harvest.

In the face of weariness or challenges, Galatians 6:9 becomes a rallying cry to resilience,

mirroring what these authors say.

The journey may be arduous, but the eventual harvest is worth the sustained effort. It is in the unwavering commitment to our purpose that we find the strength to persevere.

As we navigate the intricate tapestry of life, let us embrace the wisdom from Quiet Strength, The Life and Rhymes, and Diane Abbott: The Authorised Biography.

Consider the impact of the small, intentional actions you can integrate into your daily existence.

Each choice made in alignment

Muyiwa Olarewaju OBE is Station Director at Premier Gospel Radio, a TV & Radio Broadcaster, and Principal of gospel group Muyiwa & Riversongz

with your values and purpose contributes to the masterpiece of your life, unveiling the transformative power of consistency.

Imagine life as a canvas waiting to be painted, with each brushstroke representing a choice made consistently over time.

The masterpiece that emerges is not the result of sporadic bold strokes but the cumulative effect of countless intentional actions.

It is the quiet strength in action, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

In the grand symphony of life, these narratives are the melodies that play softly in the background, orchestrating the harmony of success. Let us sow the seeds of positive change, recognising that the harvest awaits.

The small steps taken today are the building blocks of the future we envision. Consistency, in light of the above, is not just a choice; it is a commitment to the life you deserve.

Sadé Thomas The Gospel Truth

Black Christians looking for love

Blagapé is a dating company able to pull at all the right heart strings

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HEN THINKING of the human experience, it is impossible to forget about love. Whether it be the parental love of a mother or a father, the love that you receive from a supportive friend, or the love that can be shared between romantic partners, the truth is that love is essential to the human experience.

For Christians, this is a definite truth, with the Scriptures reminding us time and time again that love is the greatest attribute that we could ever possess, offer, or receive.

One Christian in particular who sees the value of love is the founder of ‘Blagapé, a Black Christian dating company focusing on bringing Black Christians together. I recently spoke to the founder (who wishes to remain anonymous) about how Blagapé is changing the dating scene, helping Christians find love and creating a community built on Godly principles.

Sadé: For those who don’t know much about Blagapé, what would you say is at the heart of it?

Blagapé Founder (BF): I’d say my initial desire to set up Blagapé was born out of the desire to help Black Christian women. Many moons ago, I used to write for different Christian blogs (including my own, ThePromisciousPen) and magazines. I was also the love and relationships editor for a digital magazine called Valour, which celebrated the millennial Christian woman. Writing these articles meant that I had to be in constant communication with Christian women, constantly engaging them on topics pertaining to relationships. One recurring theme

was “Where are all the Black Christian men?” Their frustrations drove me to think about how best to meet this pain point, and the idea behind Blagapé was born.

Sadé: Considering the challenges, how has Blagapé helped to support those desiring love?

BF: With Blagapé, I thought I could make the journey to love easier by filling a room with Black Christians, increasing their proximity to potential candidates, and thus helping them find love.

Sadé: Speaking of events, tell us more about your upcoming event taking place on February 18 BF: Our next event is “So you Think You Are Ready to Settle Down?” And in an effort to not sound cliché, we’re calling it an anti-Valentine event.

The crux of the event is to give audience members an opportunity to delve into marriage and see it through the lens of three very different married couples: a newly married couple, a midseasoned couple, and lastly, a very well-seasoned couple.

Each couple will take you on their journey, but you will also be put in the hot seat. It’s important to encourage this level of detail and dialogue when it pertains to settling down or marriage.

Sadé: How can readers stay connected?

BF: The best way to keep up to date with our events is through our mailing list, www.blagape.co.uk/home, and by following us on Instagram and Twitter.

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

JANUARY 202

LOVE IS ESSENTIAL: Attendees pictured at a recent Blagapé event. The company has grown in popularity over the past few years

30 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Cynthia V Davis

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

The secret bias in job ads Why not revealing a salary proves harmful for ethnic minorities, women and the disabled – and also does little to help a potential employer

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T’S 2024, but why are we still seeing the words “competitive salary” on job adverts?

It’s not just inconvenient, it’s actually harmful for ethnic minorities, women, and disabled job seekers.

It might seem like a minor detail, but displaying or obscuring the salary can have a huge impact on both diversity AND business outcomes.

If you come across a job opportunity you’re interested in, but it doesn’t have a salary, what do you do? Do you apply anyway, and risk wasting time on a job that might not be suitable for you? Or do you keep scrolling for the next job opportunity? The research shows some interesting results.

Gender pay gap

November 22 was the date last year when, because of the gender pay gap, women overall in the UK were no longer paid comparable salaries to men.

Women are still provided with less progression opportunities, given less training and development, and lower salaries. Why? Because the big bosses can get away with it.

When I began working in recruitment over 20 years ago, I was never compensated as well as my male colleagues. We were doing the same job, but I was deemed to be less experienced due to my lack of access to previous opportunities – a privilege passed down from parents that secure their kids’ work experience, which is perpetuated by employers.

Or I “didn’t embrace the culture,” which meant pints at the pub after work and participating in offensive “banter.” In 2024, it’s disheartening to see we haven’t moved much further from this!

Salary negotiations were a minefield dependent on how forcefully I was able to advocate for myself on that one day, and

whether my interviewer deemed me less capable for being a woman and Black.

Salary Negotiations

Consciously or unconsciously, stereotypes and biases creep into salary talk, meaning women are offered lower salaries than men, and we are more likely to accept a salary beneath us.

This is because, due to a long history of being undervalued and overlooked, women are less likely to advocate for themselves when talking money.

We are told to be grateful for what we’re given, to not appear greedy or arrogant – we’re lucky to even be there, we’re told.

Whereas men, consistently overvalued in our patriarchal society, will fight for the higher compensation they think they deserve, and often get it.

Research of 100,000 academics who posted their salaries transparently, over 20 years, saw a 50 per cent reduction in the gender pay gap. Knowledge is power, and secrecy over salaries throughout history has only served the needs of men, and hampered women. If we are ever to close the gender pay gap, this is the biggest contributing factor we need to address.

WHAT IS THERE TO HIDE?: Wage disparity, which disproportionately affects women and people from minority communities, is made worse by a lack of salary transparency argues Cynthia V Davis (photo: Getty Images)

misguided belief, but it is one plying for the job. Obscuring the Consciously or that feeds into lower salaries be- salary on your job advert not offered to women, people of only wastes everyone’s time but unconsciously, stereotypes and ing Ethnicity pay gap colour, and disabled people. feeds the very discrimination People of colour face similar Hiring from the widest range you’re posing to reject with your barriers, particularly women of biases creep into salary talk, of our society means widening diversity statement. colour. We see this clearly when Salary transparency saves the gate, not lowering standards. we consider research from the meaning women are offered time (and therefore money), it US. When several states banned improves your brand percepHypocrisy of hidden asking for a candidate’s salary lower salaries than men tion, puts words into actions, salaries

history, this inadvertently resulted in more companies publishing salaries on their job ads. This increased the salaries of people of colour and women, compared to states without the ban.

The ethnicity pay gap is very real, and only exacerbated by hidden salaries that put people of colour at a disadvantage from the get-go. Here in the UK, there has been a big push to make Ethnicity Pay Gap report-

ing mandatory. It was debated in Parliament in 2021, but voted down despite increasing popular support.

Disability pay gap

Another study found a similar outcome for candidates with disabilities. They were reported to negotiate lower salaries due to historical discrimination,

and hiring managers would offer lower salaries due to stereotypes. Salary transparency supports reducing these pay gaps.

With the bigger focus on diverse hiring these days, I encounter a false assumption time and time again. The assumption is: hiring more diverse people means a lower standard of candidates. This is a dangerously

When I look at all this research, and my own struggles as a woman of colour and diversity advocate today, the message is clear. Not including the salary perpetuates existing privileges and puts minorities at a disadvantage. It’s an overhang from a less enlightened time that we must leave behind us for good.

Let’s face it — we all need money to survive and thrive, that’s probably why we’re ap-

and widens your candidate pool considerably. Research shows that jobs listed with salaries get around twice the number of applications.

I asked my own diverse networks the same question. If you don’t see the salary listed on a job ad, what do you do? An overwhelming 75 per cent said they would not bother applying.

This speaks volumes to the talent you’re missing out on.

Cynthia V Davis CBE is a Black British entrepreneur, employment expert and diversity advocate. She is CEO and Founder of Diversifying Group, a D&I services organisation, and co-Founder of Diversifying Jobs, a job boards for social change.

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE | 31

Produced in association with HM Government

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32 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Lyndon Mukasa Eye on the Diaspora

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

Why are African countries taking in asylum seekers?

M

IGRATION IS one of those fiery political issues that never seems to go away.

In the UK, the government has battled with itself over migration (legal and illegal) for decades with the resulting lack of nuance and context often paving the way for xenophobia and racism to assist in crafting immigration policy with horrendous results such as the ongoing Home Office/Windrush Scandal of the last decade.

The UK government’s latest immigration plans include sending migrants who have arrived by unlawful means (particularly through unsafe and illegal routes), to Rwanda.

Much has been said about the controversial Rwanda plan in the media, but what has often been left out of the debate is the following question — why did the Rwandan government agree to accept Britain’s asylum cases to begin with?

Interestingly, Rwanda is not the only country in Africa that has established itself as a destination for Western countries to outsource its asylum seekers.

African countries for a long time have been used as a destination point for Europe and the West’s asylum seekers with EU policy specifically seeking to extend border patrol and processing into the continent.

Africa already hosts 26 per cent of the world’s refugee population (although most are from neighbouring African countries) compared to Europe’s

SMART MOVE: Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has used his nation’s settlement policies to his advantage (photo: Getty Images

The deals being struck with the West have the potential to be eneficial for all concerned 15 per cent. Countries such as Uganda, Sudan and the unrecognised state of Somaliland have welcomed millions of refugees from as far away as Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria. Western countries including the US, the UK and now allegedly Israel have noticed this and are looking to African nations to accommodate their asylum seekers.

MOTIVATED

Why then have some African countries positioned themselves as hosts for refugees and asylum seekers? What has motivated the governments of these countries, and what are the implications of such policies?

The motives guiding the continent’s leaders and policy makers to take in migrants from Europe in particular, is a complex mixture guided by financial incentives, but you would be mistaken if this was the only motivation.

There might also be some personal reasons among some African leaders for their country’s generosity. It has been speculated that Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has been significantly shaped by his own experience of being a refugee in his early years.

Kagame grew up in a refugee camp in Uganda and has

experienced the displacement of his Tutsi ethnic group through ethnic cleansing, war and genocide. Some observers have suggested he may be trying to pursue a political project in Rwanda that is inclusive of the world’s dispossessed.

However, what cannot be ignored is the scale of the financial incentives fuelling and supporting African openness towards taking more asylum seekers. Western countries are prepared to pay significant amounts of money to incentivise African governments for this undertaking.

Uganda receives more financial assistance for its generous refugee policies than its neighbours which are among the most generous and humane refugee policies in the world.

Opposition leaders in Rwanda argue that the recent Rwanda UK asylum deal is all about money.

It might be considering that the UK government has already paid Rwanda £140 million and will add a further £50 million later in the year. At the time of The Voice going to press, all of this has been agreed and paid before any UK asylum seeker has yet to set foot in Rwanda.

Moreover, this money is being paid to the Rwandan government to hold just a few hundred individuals in the first year since the country’s capacity to take in more is not set to increase for many years to come. As such it is quite apparent from the perspective of some African governments that hosting asylum seekers is a great way to cash in on European xenophobic hysteria with Western leaders prepared to throw away huge sums of money in order to appease voters, appease sections of the media or boost their personal approval ratings.

Political leverage on the international stage is something that is almost never considered within

BIG DEAL: President of Rwanda Paul Kagame meets Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at 10 Downing Street, during a UK visit in May last year to discuss their agreement (photo: Getty Images) the African context, because the perception in the West is: what Africans want, doesn’t matter.

But it does matter. In an increasingly multipolar world, it is becoming harder to ignore and dismiss. Western countries want to keep the poorest and most desperate people out, but there is nowhere for them to go. Some African leaders have recognised this and are using their position to frustrate Western efforts to impose their influence.

For example, Kagame threatening (prior to the Rwanda deal) to deport refugees if Western leaders continued to criticise and challenge his domestic policies, particularly regarding security and human rights. This has proven effective as the UK in particular has rushed to consolidate its relations with Rwanda in light of the asylum deal.

Another example is Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni. He has used his country’s generous refugee settlement policies to cushion himself against international scrutiny and criticism.

For the most part it has worked despite the US State Department imposing visa sanctions following the alleged but widely discredited 2020 elections. However, Uganda

Lyndon Mukasa is a writer and researcher. He studied International Development at the London School of Economics.

Hosting asylum seekers is a great way to cash in on European xenophobic hysteria remains an important and strategic ally of the United States in East Africa. Museveni and his government are aware the West will bring him back into the fold in the very near future, as they have done repeatedly over his near 38-year-long presidency.

For as long as Uganda is essential in areas such as counterterrorism operations, and can make itself even more useful as a client state to Western interests by positioning itself as an important country in migration management, then Uganda’s government will continue to increase its power and influence domestically and

internationally. For the government of Somaliland there is a far more ambitious and long-term geopolitical strategy it seeks through hosting asylum seekers and refugees.

The calculation made by Somaliland officials and policymakers is that in order to achieve recognition as an independent state it needs to outperform other countries in statehood.

This, along with other economic and political measures, is a way for Somalilanders to build a case on the international stage for statehood, succession and independence from Somalia. As a result, Somaliland has accepted a few hundred refugees from Afghanistan proving that it can offer greater security and stability in the Horn of Africa.

The motivations for accepting asylum seekers and refugees among African countries are complex and multifaceted and are very much tied to the economic and political ambitions of each African state.

How long this will last will depend on a number of economic and political factors among African leaders and how much the West is prepared to pay to outsource its migration policy.

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

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33

News Feature

‘Make Grenada a republic’ Continued from page 8

“As soon as I knew Grenada was interested it was a nobrainer for me because of the heritage and I’m so glad that I did,” he said.

As a 14-year-old, he travelled to Grenada on holiday to find out more about his father’s side of the family. Whilst there he played football in a local tournament which led to him being scouted to play professionally for the national team.

Looking back, he said: “I didn’t ever think I would be playing football out there as it was just a holiday to find out more about my family. I was given size 12 boots to wear and I’m a size 10, but that didn’t stop me from being top goal scorer in that tournament.”

Unbeknown to Brown, Grenada’s national football team manager at the time was watching him play match and approached him afterwards. He asked the young player if he

was Grenadian to which Brown replied “Yes, I think so.”

From then on, he regularly travelled back to the country to train and was part of the national youth squad.

Brown was one of the first British players to go through all the youth ranks and be selected for Grenada’s senior team.

Sadly a series of injuries and a diagnosis of sciatica brought his promising international football career to an end.

He says he would like to see more talented young British athletes of Grenadian heritage represent the country, something that would help increase international awareness of the country.

“I couldn’t be more proud to be Grenadian especially now, because people are starting to hear about Grenada a little bit more. Ten years ago people thought you were from Spain when you said ‘I’m from Grenada’. They always thought you were talking about Granada.”

PROUD MOMENT: Euon Brown, a former professional footballer who represented Grenada at both youth and senior level

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FEBRUARY 2024

Darell J. Philip

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

Learning important lessons Effective change leading to racial equality in society begins with the building of an anti-racist classroom, and children ideally positioned to become the anti-racist leaders of tomorrow

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AUNCHED IN March 2020, the Black British Voices Project (BBVP) brought together a committed team from The Voice, the i-cubed consultancy and researchers from the University of Cambridge to deliver a wideranging, detailed and up-todate portrait of the issues that concern Black Britons today.

More than 10,000 people took part in the survey, which included categories such as Identity, Building a Life, Challenges, Wellbeing, Wealth and Representation.

The report was launched at the House of Commons in September last year with Labour MP and Shadow Minister for Mental Health, Abeyna Oppong-Asare speaking at the event.

Of the 16 categories included in the BBVP report, the findings on Education make for some stark reading: • 94 per cent of BBVP participants believe Black students suffer from lower educational attainment expectations from educators compared to nonblack students.

• Ten times as many respondents (41 per cent) perceive racial discrimination to ‘definitely’ be the ‘biggest barrier’ to young Black people’s academic attainment as those who think this is ‘definitely not’ the case (four per cent).

• 95 per cent of participants perceive the British national curriculum to inadequately accommodate Black historyrelated subjects.

• Fewer than two per cent of survey respondents believe that the British educational institutions are taking the issue of racial difference seriously.

• The sense that more Black teachers and more focus on Black lives and histories would help is offset by a deep distrust in British educational insti-

tutions to serve the needs of Black British children.

While there are no quick-fix solutions to any of the abovementioned challenges, there are some actions that can be taken to change the narrative of negative experiences faced by Black students in British educational institutions.

In her recently published book, How to Build Your Antiracist Classroom (2023), Orlene Badu, a Leadership and Education Consultant and racial literacy advocate, candidly points out a number of measures that teachers can adopt to help ensure that our classrooms and the children we teach are given the tools to become the antiracist leaders of tomorrow.

Badu advocates for the development of a diverse curriculum that would accommodate Black and Global Majority historyrelated subjects. Her book also addresses the need to build the right anti-racist culture in the classroom and building (positive) relationships as a behavior management system.

Other areas in the book I found particularly interesting and useful were those that pointed out

CONCERNING: Nearly 95 per cent of people who took part in the Black British Voices Project felt that Black students suffer from lower educational attainment expectations from teachers compared to non-Black students (photo: Getty Images)

the need for teachers to take personal responsibility for their racial literacy, while also challenging their unconscious bias.

One of the interesting observations Badu notes is a comment commonly made by nonBlack teachers that they do not see race but rather the human

A ‘MUST READ’: Orlene Badu, author of How to Build Your Antiracist Classroom, offers a great deal of food for thought

Darell J. Philip is a teaching assistant, academic mentor and award-winning journalist.

race where everyone is the same.

Though well-intentioned, Badu points out such a comment is problematic because to not see race is to not see the Black and Global Majority children in our classrooms. This ultimately leads to a denial of the existence of the racism they and their families face in society.

The author, who has delivered training on challenging unconscious bias to many schools across the UK including my own, also highlights some of the traps some teachers can fall into when it comes to praising children.

A recent case study conducted in an inner London school that examined interactions between teachers and boys in Year 10 and 11 (aged 15 to 16) revealed that the teachers praised the Black pupils for routine tasks saying things such as: ‘Well done for sitting nicely,’ ‘Well done for not talking,’ or ‘Well done for staying focused for 10 minutes.’

Black students suffer from lower expectations from their teachers In comparison, they recognised a big difference in the praise given to their non-black peers: ‘Well done for using an authorial voice,’ ‘Well done for sustaining a lengthy piece of writing,’ or ‘Excellent use of expanded noun phrases.’

Such admissions reveal the difference in expectations some teachers have of Black children in comparison to their non-Black peers. This emphasises the findings of the BBVP report which found that Black students suffer from lower expectations from their teachers.

Badu calls for teachers to move from the comfortable position of a non-racist educator to the often uncomfortable and more radical position of an antiracist educator. An antiracist educator, Badu says, is one who embraces discomfort; is aware of and fights bias; fights for justice in the taught and untaught curriculum, actively seeks to dismantle biased systems in schools; speaks up and disrupts the status quo and is part of the solution which works completely differently in the case of the non-racist educator who takes a more passive role in the classroom.

A must read book for all educators, Badu’s How to Build Your Antiracist Classroom will not only challenge your perceptions, biases and methods of teaching but will also provide the necessary tools you need in equipping all our children, irrespective of race, to become the antiracist leaders of tomorrow, thereby creating a fairer and equitable society for us all.

Lifestyle Jeffrey Wright stars in American Fiction p40

St Kitts this summer?

Yes, please… p42

ONE LOVE Bob Marley p38

Dr Sobande has been watching. Find out who p44

36 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Lifestyle

Finance

The celebration of love and financial harmony Money is not the root of all evil. In fact, it can be the complete opposite, says Tynah Matembe

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ELLO LOVEBIRDS, it’s the month of love already, yay! So this month I wanted to share some re ections on the grand ballroom of life, love and money, which has been myself and my husband’s journey. e have discovered that the beautiful dance between love and money is li e a continuous walt , where finding the right rhythm is an ongoing journey.

Here is a personal guide that has ept us in sync and ensured that our love and money tango is just right.

Set the right beat: Is money the root of all evil?

Hell, NO! It’s not about loving or despising money; it’s about finding the right groove Instead of seeing money as the ultimate evil, we see it for the possibilities it brings – security, opportunity and the ability to ma e a positive impact This shared mindset has set the stage for a dance that has lasted quite well.

As a financial educator, know that attitudes to money affect people s relationships with money and with others. So the lens I like to look through is “Is the glass half full or half empty?”

Applying this to money, our approach as a couple has been that money is a tool that can either build or destroy, depending on how we use it.

So instead of adopting the view that money is the utmost evil, we see it for what it can be the security, the opportunity and the ability to positively impact our lives and the lives of others.

Our dance routine – communication: Our relationship is like a dance routine literally! Money is one of the steps. Open, honest communication is our

secret sauce e share our financial goals, fears, and dreams.

Practicing active listening and ma ing decisions together has ept our dance oor harmonious. It has also built trust and creativity because we are always thinking about what move can improve the ow e discuss the seemingly silliest details and have done so from the beginning, which has set the pace for how we will continue o we tal about practically everything nothing is off the table.

Just a reminder: It’s not about having the same financial bac ground or income level it s about respectfully finding common ground and aligning your financial visions Our unique tempo: eing a couple of colour has meant that our dance has had quite unique rhythms. From international in uences to cultural shoc s ma ing a new country our home , societal e pectations and personal

A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE: Tynah, below, knows love and money can be a winning partnership photo etty mages

aspirations have all had to blend into our routine. We have had to rely on each other to get our jive right. Creating a shared financial vision was a lifesaver for us. We started ma ing every decision through the lens of that vision and goal setting, lifestyle choices and so on became so much easier to navigate. If you have a unique dynamic, it helps to discuss your ancestral financial history, explore avenues for building wealth and ac nowledge any inherited challenges This will strengthen your bond as a couple and create a united front against financial obstacles Choreograph financial knowledge: inancial literacy has become our superpower. When we first moved to the UK, we were astonished to discover research showing disparities in wealth and access to financial

@thevoicenewspaper

“Understanding your money is your passport to freedom” education, particularly in lac communities his struc a chord with us and we became very intentional about seeking out financial education and investment advice, eventually setting up MoneyMatiX to address this issue. Make it your mission to educate yourself and find the support you need, individually and as a couple, to brea this cycle inancial literacy is your passport to freedom; it allows you to dance on your terms Tynah Matembe family waltz: children and money Having children added new steps to our rhythm. We now had other people who were completely dependent on our moves. We learned that providing a secure financial foundation for our family was an act of

@thevoicenews

love in itself rom my financial literacy obsessed point of view, it is the most important gift I can give my children eaching children about money, instilling the values of financial responsibility and engaging them in age-appropriate financial discussions will help your family from day one and guide them to a healthy relationship with money later in life hec out the outh Money Camps as a starting point for your child s financial education rain up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”

Proverb 22:6 Date nights with our money: Just as our relationship needs care, so does our money inancial self-care means understanding our goals, creating a budget and trac ing our spending habits. It’s about prioritising financial well-being as an act of self-love Planning for the future is the tune that will last through any financial season n our case, we have a money date night

voicenews

each wee that we have come to thoroughly en oy At first thought it was overkill, but looking bac on our early meetings, it is testament to how far we have come and how much we have achieved ive it a try and let me know what you think.

Overcoming challenges together: inancial challenges are part of every story; in a relationship, they will test the strength of your connection acing challenges as a team will strengthen your bond. Remember to see professional advice when needed and maintain open communication to guide you through a ma or financial storm This Valentine’s month: mbrace your uni ue rhythms, cultural nuances and shared financial goals to ma e your relationship even more special Ma e it a celebration of love and financial harmony Here s to dancing through life s financial tango with the one you love. May your love and money dance be as memorable as ours! #LoveAndMoney

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2024

THE VOICE | 37

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| THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Lifestyle

‘This was an opportunity to do something different’ Director Reinaldo Marcus Green reflects on the challenges of shooting the new Bob Marley film. By Joel Campbell

D

IRECTOR OF the Bob Marley: One Love film, einaldo Marcus reen, told ifestyle there was no easy way to deliver one of the most awaited movies in history All of it was hard reen said, however, as big a tas as it was, ta ing on the pro ect of a lifetime was a nobrainer, for, if not him, then who rom the first meeting had, Ziggy Marley was on the call, so new that had the support of the family new had his offspring saying we want you to direct this movie, and that was a big vote of confidence for me He added also new that wasn t a biopic genre guy, musical biopics were not the thing that was setting out to ma e And so this felt li e an opportunity to do something different and about somebody thought was a superhero loved ob didn t want to mess with ob on t mess with ob basically ut then thought, well, if don t do it, then who else

AUTHENTIC

tarring ingsley en-Adir as ob and ashana ynch as ita Marley, Bob Marley: One Love celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations he responsibility to deliver this in an authentic a way as possible, was huge new that they had tried to ma e the movie for - years, so, for whatever reason, the

universe said, now s the time, says reen when re ecting on him being chosen to direct it He says there were a multitude of elements that had to be right ne of the most significant for him, however, was language thin the language is super important, he e plained didn t want to ma e Cool unnings, as much as love that film hen you see ob, he spea s in a certain way, he has a very specific way of tal ing new was ma ing a studio movie, so was thin ing we may have to subtitle it, but that s the route we are going to go because you can t water that down ou can t ma e every word be understood because even when watch ob, don t understand everything but understand everything o if you could do it cinematically, if you could do it with emotion, then you don t care about the words that you miss o the template was, if you understand every third word, then you get it f you understand every fourth word, then you re lost And we lived in that for a while until we hit the sweet spot here was a sweet spot of language in this film because it s lyrical, it s poetic and you can t force that en-Adir told ifestyle it was a real moment when it was confirmed he would be playing

PROJECT OF A LIFETIME: einaldo Marcus reen attends the premiere in ingston, Jamaica photo etty mages

the role of the Jamaican icon and legend hrowing himself into the deep-end in order to ensure he e ecuted correctly, he admitted the ourney revealed there was so much about ob people didn t now here was so much people never, ever saw guess the surreal moment was when got the call saying the family has seen the tape and they want you to y over because they want to tal to you, said en-Adir hat was the moment when went oooof, what ut after that, as soon as touched down with Ziggy, it was wor He needed to get to unnow me and needed to un derstand what their intention was e needed to come to some sort of agreement and the agreement from the beginning with Ziggy and the family was the way ob tal s, that s how we re going to do it e had to ma e sure that the authenticity of that was not tampered with, so once new we were all on that page, it really ust became all about the wor and how much time we have and what can realistically do to try and represent this properly here will be no shortage of people that have their view on this movie, ob was HA art-

JOURNEY: ingsley en-Adir threw himself into the deep end as ob Marley in Bob Marley: One Love left, ashana ynch plays ita Marley in the film photos Paramount Pictures

ist He belonged to everyone t s what made the telling of this narrative, which focuses on and captures a snapshot of a pivotal time in history, so challenging

MESSAGE

As well as staying true to ob s life mission to convey his spiritual message through the music, reen says the process of getting the film right went beyond ust highlighting ob s message of love, unity and astafari People needed to see the consummate, driven professional he was

ob demanded e cellence, reen enthused n every department hether we were shooting an insert of a person crowd scene, it was all ta en with that high level of intensity hat was what this movie was t ust demanded it t was challenging in that way He added thin everybody met, whether it was the drivers or the rip ruc , people were li e, ob, that s our guy e li e ing ichard but come on, this is different here was always that feeling don t mess about thin we all felt it he cast felt it, everybody felt it ut e ually,

everyone wanted to support the film to ma e it successful o, never felt li e didn t have support and didn t have to loo too far, the family was there every step of the way, which was ama ing and made everything richer in that way felt li e had ob on set in a lot of ways hey wal ed the same, the cadence, you can see those little details when they came out Produced in partnership with the Marley family, Bob Marley: One Love is in cinemas ebruary Check the Voice Online for more Bob Marley interviews

FEBRUARY 2024

THE VOICE | 39

40 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Lifestyle

Films

WRITING WRONGS: Issa Rae stars as author Sintara Golden and Nicole Kempskie as Sintara’s moderator in writer/director Cord Jefferson’s American Fiction (photo: Orion Pictures)

Having the last laugh

American Fiction follows a professor who writes a stereotypical “Black” book as satire. By Joel Campbell

F

ORMER JOURNALIST Cord Jefferson says he made American Fiction ‘for everyone tired of these lazy, monotonous stories’. For the record, he’s done a good job.

The Emmy award-winning writer and story editor’s directorial debut is a refreshingly told narrative about Thelonious “Monk” Ellison, a respected professor of English literature and a novelist who is frustrated with how the establishment profits from lac entertainment based on tired and offensive tropes.

To prove his point, “Monk”, played by Tony, Emmy, AFI, and Golden Globe award-winning actor Jeffery Wright, writes his

‘NECESSARY CONVERSATION’:

Erika Alexander stars as Coraline and Jeffrey Wright as Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (photo: Claire Folger)

own outlandish lac boo under a pen name, propelling him into the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.

Not to downplay the real-life effects felt by those who have been unfortunately diagnosed with the condition, but few films manage to capture the almost dissociative identity disorder that is a regular and normal thing among lac people who are just trying to get on in their everyday lives.

Dumbing down at work to get ahead, is an inherent part of the journey, no matter how talented you are.

Added to that brilliantly highlighted facet in American Fiction, is the unique set of familial complexities that are often the

unspoken burden shouldered by any individual, irrespective of race.

The movie is well fused with wit, humour and sugarcoated truth.

Standout performers starring alongside Wright include creator of the Peabody-awardwinning H series, Insecure, Issa Raye who plays the role of author Sintara Golden, Tracee Ellis Ross stars as Monk’s sister, Lisa Ellison, and Sterling K. rown is the younger brother, Cliff Ellison.

The story is based on American author and distinguished Professor of English Literature at the University of California, Percival Everett’s novel Erasure, which was written two decades ago.

Jefferson says having been inspired by ‘the book’s many overlaps’ with his life, he felt compelled to adapt it. was “Erasure published more than 20 years ago, yet the questions it asks remain painfully relevant: Why is American culture fascinated with lac trauma hy aren t lac professors depicted in boo s and films as fre uently as lac drug addicts, or

“Why is American culture fascinated with Black trauma?” lac rappers, or lac slaves Jefferson says.

He adds: “Why is it that White people with the power to green light films, boo s, and shows have such a limited view of what lac lives should loo li e “I’ve asked myself these questions many times before when I hear yet another slave movie is going into production, or when I see that another talented lac actor has been hired to portray a drug dealer, pimp or single mother who needs to overcome her unenviable lot in life. his reductive view of lac ness makes me angry. And I’ve funnelled that anger into American Fiction.”

That ugly blueprint on how lac people, lac talent, lac ness, has been portrayed over and over which Jefferson alludes to, transcends the borders of America, which is what makes this movie a relatable one.

Many lac people will see themselves on a similar journey

to characters Monk, Lisa and Cliff Ellison or Sintara.

In the movie, Monk’s latest novel fails to attract publishers who claim the author’s work isn t lac enough He travels to his hometown of oston to participate in a literary festival where all eyes are on the first-time author of a bestseller titled We’s Lives In Da Ghetto, a book Monk dismisses as pandering to readers seeking stereotypical stories of lac misery.

In addition to his professional turmoil, Monk’s family experiences tragedy and his ailing mother requires a level of care neither he nor his complicated and self-proclaimed black sheep of a brother can afford. ne night, in a fit of spite, Monk concocts a pseudonymous novel, My Pafology, embodying every lac clich he can imagine.

His agent submits it to a major publisher who immediately offers the biggest advance Monk’s ever seen.

As the novel is rushed to the printers and Hollywood comes courting, Monk must reckon with an identity of his own making.

Speaking with Lifestyle on the standout elements that resonated immediately with him when he received the script, Wright said: “I had not read the book prior but I started reading the script and really, the first scene

was the hook in the mouth for me. I thought that it was a conversation that I wanted to have publicly and that it was sharply drawn and speaking to this absence of uency in race language and absence of understanding how to contextualise race language.

“I thought it was a necessary conversation for the times, particularly as it relates to younger generations and their attempts to wrestle with issues that we have been wrestling with since the beginning.”

He added: “As I read further, while I really appreciated the social commentary and the satire, what I was really drawn into in an emotional way was the family dynamic and the portrait of a man who finds himself in an instance at the centre of his family crisis.

“That was something that was very personal for me.

“And in some ways as we ve made the film and as we re presenting the film, in spite of the other social-political elements of the film, that family think is the most radical aspect of our film and the most subversive because it’s a family that we don’t often see in cinema.

“And it’s extraordinary for that reason in its ordinariness in its simple humanity.”

Watch the full interview with Wright and Jefferson on the Voice website

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

| 41

Lifestyle

Arts

Creating a place of calm contemplation

einab aleh s new wor s are the latest in ate Britain s rt ow series of free e hibitions. By Joel Campbell

T

ATE BRITAIN unveiled a new series of delicate and intimate paintings and drawings from Kenyan-born, London-based artist Zeinab Saleh last month. uggesting both eeting movement and suspended time, these works, on display until June, draw on everyday experiences, personal encounters and the dreamlike quality of memory.

Saleh’s new body of work for Tate Britain has been made using acrylic paint, charcoal and soft pastels.

Through her materials and colour palette, the viewer is invited into a place of calm contemplation. Her paintings and drawings are ambiguous in subject and setting. Layers of time and meaning are projected onto the works through recurring patterns and silhouettes, alluding to narratives that are rarely fully revealed.

Saleh is a multidisciplinary artist whose unique visual language sees the use of acrylic, charcoal and chalk swept across the can-

vas, revealing depths of texture.

Shade and colour are presented in tender, pale hues.

Within her work, she aims to provide ‘spaces for the viewer’s imagination to continue the painting’, encouraging prolonged and active looking.

These light, delicate spaces are occupied by forms which appear to oat, only becoming temporarily grounded as the viewer’s gaze is drawn to heavier areas of acrylic paint.

Saleh describes this effect as a ‘temporal shift’ move between movement and still stillness. The re recurring motifs which populate her works act similarly, slip slipping between representation and abstraction.

The power of these ethereal paintings and drawings is held in their ability to both invite and escape immediate interpretation.

This is the latest in Tate Britain’s ongoing Art Now series of free exhibitions showcasing emerging talent and highlighting the latest developments in contemporary British art.

Best of all, it’s free to view.

DEPTHS OF TEXTURE: Zeinab Saleh’s new body of work has been made using acrylic paint, charcoal and soft pastels

ate Mo ern hosts eye catching art THIS ONE is also free folks, so if you’re planning the half-term activities, don’t rule it out.

One of the most distinctive artists working today, El Anatsui is best known for his cascading metallic sculptures constructed of thousands of recycled bottletops and copper wire.

Repurposing found materials into dazzling works of abstract art, Anatsui’s Behind The Red Moon exhibit explores themes including the environment, consumption and trade.

Since Tate Modern opened in 2000, the Turbine Hall has hosted some of the world’s most memorable and ac-

DISTINCTIVE: El Anatsui’s work is on show at the Tate Modern

claimed works of contemporary art, reaching an audience of millions each year. The annual Hyundai Commission gives artists an opportunity to

create new work for this unique context.

Read more about El Anatsui on our website

esti al ret rns for emerging filmma ers THE BFI Future Film Festival 2024 returns this month with a hybrid format that maintains a tradition of live and in-person screenings and events at BFI Southbank alongside a globally accessible online programme, supported by sponsor et i The UK’s largest festival for young, emerging filmma ers will give those who attend a chance to engage with special guests who will be offering their insight and advice. he first-ever -wide programme for the BFI Future Film Festival will feature events at Broadway Cinema Nottingham, HOME Manchester, Showroom inema heffield, erve entre

Derry-Londonderry, Glasgow Film Theatre, Fabrica Brighton, Watershed Bristol and Chapter Cardiff.

Highlights of the online programme, accessible worldwide, will include a session on the proven filmma er training ground of UK soap operas, a beginners masterclass on the art of screenwriting for TV, and

practical advice on the skills needed for in-demand below the line roles presented by BFI Film Academy. This year’s BFI Future Film Festival will include four days filled with masterclasses, workshops, screenings, and networking opportunities, with events programmed across three strands: Storytelling, Business of Film and Career Ladder.

With a host of industry experts and screen creatives leading the sessions, both online and in-person, the BFI Future Film Festival is a fantastic way for filmma ers aged to , across the UK and beyond, to break into the screen industries.

42 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Lifestyle

Travel

There’s no place like St Kitts!

NATURAL BEAUTY:

ith views li e this, it s no wonder eco-friendly St Kitts is attracting so much positive attention

Joel Campbell explains why this spectacular award-winning Caribbean island has it all

Y

ES, WE get it, when the subject of which island is the hottest of hot spots right now comes up, Barbados is making the most noise where the Caribbean is concerned, Jamaica is always a firm favourite, but what do you know about St Kitts?

The home of the biggest dancehall artist of 2023, Byron Messia, St Kitts, the larger of two islands that make up the Federation of t itts and evis, is based in the eastern Caribbean.

It can be easily reached from the via twice-wee ly ights from London Gatwick with British Airways and might just be the place for you to check out in 2024. his ournalist last ventured to the region in 2006, for the inaugural One-Day International cricket match between the West Indies and India at the then newly refurbished Warner Park Stadium, and it’s fair to say a lot has changed since then. espite being a go-to vacation for visitors ever since visited, maintaining the beauty of the island for the long-term has always been a steadfast focus for the people living there As such, there has been no big push to over-e ert the pursuit of attracting more and more travellers, with sustainability being at the forefront of that caution. It’s no surprise then to see that as well as being identified as one of the most e citing places to visit in award-winning travel media brand AFAR’s Where to Go in

2024, St Kitts was also awarded the prestigious ravel Weekly Magellan Gold Accolade for Caribbean Eco-Friendly Sustainable Destination.

The award recognised St Kitts as the Caribbean’s ecotourism gem. With its commitment to sustainable living, thriving rainforests, and breathtaking natural beauty, St Kitts is a haven for eco-conscious travellers see ing unforgettable e periences in harmony with the environment

LUXURY

And if you are part of the growing army of conscious travellers who actively loo to minimise your carbon footprint when venturing abroad, then the lu ury boutique resort, Sunset Reef, which scooped the 2024 Caribbean ravel Awards ustainable Hotel of the Year award, might just be for you.

It’s the type of place where plastic bottled water is neither

provided nor accepted hether it s conserving clean water through a reverse osmosis system which ensures an e ceptional water quality’, or using ‘stored geothermal energy’ to warm their infinity edge pool and Intelligent Cooling Systems which provide optimal comfort while minimising environmental impact in their dedicated air circulation units in each room, the destination is indeed ‘making strides toward an increasingly sustainable e perience The last time I was on the island nothing was bigger than the beachfront St Kitts Marriott Resort. Last year saw the reopening of the venue s merald Mist Spa, following a two-year renovation pro ect he e tensive upgrade saw the , s uare foot spa receive a complete structural and design overhaul, which was fully completed last month.

Situated on the Atlantic side of the island, St Kitts Marriott

Monkey Bar, Frigate Bay

Resort is fringed by a well-kept e panse of beach, with a protected swimming area and is perfectly located for visiting the bars and restaurants of Frigate Bay. Another option could be the Timothy Beach Resort, which is positioned on a golden sand beach in the heart of Frigate Bay. he intimate, -room imothy Beach Resort offers a private freshwater swimming pool with views of the aribbean ea and is located a stone’s throw from St Kitts’ best beach bars and restaurants, where the locals like to dine and “lime”.

If you like what you hear so far and you are travelling later this year, there s a very good chance you might get to be one of the first visitors to the ew Rooftop Vista. he lively pice Mill restaurant, with its prime position on Cockleshell Beach, one of the island’s best beaches, will unveil a dramatic, new roof terrace in the first half of he

St Kitts Marriott Resort

additional , s uare feet of rooftop space will comprise a grass thatched roof area with a cocktail bar at one end, and an open-air terrace at the other.

Diners will be able to soak up breathta ing views of neighbouring evis, accessible from every table, while sipping coc tails at sunset. The new space will host live music and local DJs Thursday to Sunday.

POPULAR

As with most Caribbean destinations, island tours, yacht tours, water sports, marine fishing and zip lining are among the popular activities available For ardent swimmers looking for a new challenge, every March sees the annual evis to St Kitts Cross Channel Swim. efinitely for the professionals, the event isn t ust a race and, in keeping with the islands’ focus on sustainability, the swim is held in order to raise awareness of turtle conservation

Spice Mill, Cockleshell Beach

ther significant dates for your diary should include the t itts and evis estaurant Week, which takes place towards the end of July. For foodies, it’s an opportunity to enjoy the best of culinary and artisanal life in t itts and evis One of the major attractions is always the annual St Kitts Music estival, which showcases a mi of oul, oca, Ja , , Reggae, and more. Last year’s th anniversary of the event saw international star Burna Boy garner global headlines for his performance. Other artists that featured over the three-day festival included the li es of offee, hroni , ee ay, ailah lac man, mall A e and, icardo rue, e ta aps and many more household names.

Whether you want to chill on the beach or conquer St Kitts’ tallest peak by hiking up Mount iamuiga or e perience a ride on a lu urious catamaran, it s all doable in St Kitts. f your summer vacation for 2024 has already been decided and you’re not heading to St Kitts, don’t rule out going later in the year. ‘Sugar Mas’ takes place during the whole of December. If you follow UK artist Lady Leshurr on social media, you would have seen how much fun she had in the lead up to the start of 2024. The celebrations are all about parties, pageants and street parades.

What more is there to say? It’s not Barbados or Jamaica, it’s St Kitts. Go see for yourself.

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

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43

Lifestyle

Arts

Exploring diversity through art C ERTAIN BLACKS are back with Soul on Ice. Taking place in March across three London venues, the festival explores diversity, identity and improvisation through music, dance, cabaret and live art.

Soul on Ice opens at the Place on March 1, with the latest work from choreographer Jamaal Burkmar and his company Extended Play.

The festival also features a cabaret from The Cocoa Butter Club, circus theatre from Hannah Finn ‘Contortion Girl’, an afternoon of live art commissions from Bold Mellon Collective and The Psyber Giantess, and Anna Mudeka’s music theatre show, Mama Afrika, celebrating the life and music of Miriam Makeba.

Rounding off the festival, Social Convention hosts a multiartform event and closing party on March 23.

The festival continues its mission to bring diverse artists from the margins into the mainstream.

The festival aims to challenge perceptions and provide space for the new, while celebrating

The ever popular Soul on Ice festival brings diverse artists from the margins into the mainstream. By Joel Campbell

the musical mavericks who gave Certain Blacks their name.

Taking place on March 14 at Rich Mix, The Katalyst Conversation with Vincent Davis, Ari Brown, Ed Wilkerson and introducing Preyas Roy, will see free flowing music and conversation from three greats of the international jazz scene and a next generation virtuoso, respectively.

Speaking to Lifestyle, Kevin Beauchamp of Katalyst Entertainment enthused: “We are excited to bring The Katalyst Conversation to London.

“We have spent the last two years developing this concept, and this is the first opportunity to present it outside of the record store.”

The Katalyst Conversation began in October 2021 with ‘Mondays in October’, a series

of concerts featuring Davis and Brown at The Katalyst Coffee Lounge and Music Gallery in Chicago.

These events marked the opening of the coffee shop/ record store, an extension of Katalyst Entertainment, an independent label dedicated to preserving the creative music rooted in the AACM tradition of ‘Great Black Music – Ancient to the Future’.

Proprietor and impresario Beauchamp conceptualised the idea of pairing Davis with Brown for this duet series, offering a direct exchange of musical ideas.

Building on the success of ‘Mondays in October’, The Katalyst continued with ‘Mondays in May’, which soon transformed into ‘The Conversation’.

Simultaneously, emerging vi-

JAZZ LEGEND: Ari Brown (photo: Darren Williams) braphonist and marimba virtuoso Roy began hosting Monday jam sessions at The Katalyst, attracting talented musicians from across the city.

This vibrant collaboration harkened back to the spirit of

The Velvet Lounge. ‘The Conversation’ returned in March 2023, featuring Davis, Brown, Roy, Micah Collier, and other members of the music community.

With the concept of ‘The Conversation’ firmly established, Da-

vis reached out to Ed Wilkerson to further expand its horizons.

The result was ‘The Conversation Continues’, a captivating performance in June 2023. This powerhouse trio of internationally acclaimed musicians, joined by the exceptional talent of Roy, represents a wondrous occasion to celebrate ‘Great Black Music – Ancient to the Future.’

Beauchamp said: “For those somewhat familiar with ‘Great Black Music – Ancient to the Future’, this event continues a rich tradition of musical expression through the unique approach of creative improvisation cultivated in Chicago by the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians.

“For those unfamiliar with this tradition, The Katalyst Conversation will be an introduction to that language and serve as a conduit to provoke thought and inspiration.”

Soul On Ice: March 1-23, 2024 at The Place, Rich Mix & Social Convention

44 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

Lifestyle

Books

Creating brand awareness Dr Francesca Sobande, a senior lecturer in Digital Media Studies, has been busy watching big brands an fin ing o t why they watch s. By Joel Campbell

D

R FRANCESCA Sobande has been busy watching everyone. Well, not quite everyone but she’s been watching big brands and the way they watch us.

Dr Sobande, based in the School of Journalism, Media and Culture at Cardiff University, is the author of Big Brands Are Watching You: Marketing Social Justice and Digital Culture.

The new book brings together her analysis of media, interviews, survey responses, and materials from the history of advertising as well as exhibitions in London, brand stores in Amsterdam, a music festival in Las Vegas, and archives in Washington DC, to illuminate the world of branding.

Big Brands Are Watching

You: Marketing Social Justice and Digital Culture investigates corporate culture, from the branding of companies and nations to television portrayals of big business and the workplace.

Outlining the concepts of “single-use social justice” and “disposable duties”, Dr Sobande contends with when, why, and how brands comment on certain issues of injustice and disregard others.

SOCIETY

ritically uestioning in uencer culture’s role in social and political activism, such work examines a wide range of examples of advertising, digital campaigns, celebrity, and popular culture. From studying the significance of the television series Succession to music festivals such as When We Were Young, Sobande tackles thorny dy dynamics between brands, digital culture, and society.

Dr Sobande, said: “I’ve been researching the different ways that Big Brands are watching people, are watching collectives, and are watching communities. But people are also watching brands.

“People are

IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS: Dr Francesca Sobande’s new book, inset, involved more than seven years of research

critically communicating in ways that make clear to brands their understanding of ever-present forms of online monitoring, datafication, surveillance, and targeting.

“People continue to call out the contradictory claims of companies and point out the problem with perceiving brands as activists.

“In the process of speaking critically about brands online, is more ‘data’ produced that might benefit them How has the notion of ‘culture wars’ been leveraged by brands Who stands to gain from brands (not) commenting on issues of oppression hen is ambiguity invoked to avoid explicitly addressing structural racism

RESEARCH

“What does ‘social justice’ mean today and how is morality moulded by geocultural power relations Although allegedly valuesbased consumerism is continuing to expand, so too is criticism of the concept that brands, and capitalism, can ever be ‘caring’.”

Dr Sobande’s new book is a continuation of more than seven years of research on the power and politics of media and the marketplace, including contradictions at the core of consumer culture.

“By analysing material accessed at the Library of Congress and Smithsonian

Institution Archives, Big Brands Are Watching You illuminates the entwined history and cultural memory of branding in the UK and US. Dr Sobande added: “In a future that may continue to be referred to as a time of ‘permac-

risis’, brands may end up vying to be regarded as a vanguard in their sector or industry by heavily nodding to nostalgia for supposedly comforting times before now.

How do nostalgic notions of the past mask the reality of his-

tory and stymy potential change and action in the present “These are some of the questions that I consider, such as when discussing the business of antagonism and the monetisation of messages about morality.”

mmerse yo rself in some great tales this winter Book title: Smoke Kings Author: Jahmal ayfi ld Nate Evers, a young Black political activist, struggles with rage as his people are still being killed in the streets 62 years after Emmett Till.

When his little cousin is murdered, Nate shuns the graffiti murals, candlelight vigils, and Twitter hashtags that have become commonplace after these senseless deaths.

Instead, he leads three grief-stricken friends on a mission of retribution, kidnapping the descendants of long-ago perpetrators of hate crimes,

and forcing them to pay reparations to a community fund.

Not all targets go quietly into the night, though, and Nate and his friends’ world spirals out of control when they confront the wrong man. Now the leader of a White supremacist group is hot on their trail, as is a jaded lawman with some disturbingly racist views of his own.

And as the four vigilantes fight to thwart their ruthless pursuers, they’re forced to accept an age-old truth: before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.

Book title: The Boy In The Smoke Author: Rachel Faturoti Isaiah always has an easy smile and smart answer for his teachers.

He s good at fi ing things and making people happy. But ever since Mum left and Dad got ill, it’s been getting harder to keep all that up. To not let his friends know they’re struggling.

To keep believing things will get better... Then Isaiah meets the boy in the smoke, a boy he connects with through a forgotten fireplace in his tower block. A boy from the past with a mystery to solve, who desperately needs Isaiah’s help.

Can Isaiah change Jacob’s life for the better And in doing so, maybe can he change his own Book title: Losing the Plot Author: Derek Owusu Driven by a deep-seated desire to understand his mother’s life before he was born, Derek Owusu offers a powerful imagining of her journey. As she moves from Ghana to the UK and navigates parenthood in a strange and often lonely environment, the effects of her displacement are felt

across generations.

Told through the eyes of both mother and son, Losing the Plot is at once emotionally raw and playful as Owusu experiments with form to piece together the immigrant experience and explore how the stories we share and tell ourselves are just as vital as the ones we don’t.

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

This is Brukout!

by Seani B

Dancehall juggling set for return he ri

O

TURNING THE TABLES: Dancehall juggling is making a return thanks to artists like Ras Kwame and Rvssian, pictured below

im is finally bac after falling o t of fa o r with artists an pro

NE OF the things I highlighted in last month’s column would be the rise of dancehall juggling in 2024.

What is a dancehall juggling (or riddim as it’s sometimes known)?

It’s one instrumental/beat with all your favourite artists recording individual songs.

No other music form has this unique culture attached to it. ou would never find a beat produced by Dr Dre with Eminem, 50 Cents, Snoop Dogg all having individual recordings that would be played back-to-back (juggling) by a DJ. This uniqueness that was created from the days of Coxsone Dodd’s Studio one, has each instrumental named like a member of your family and it’s created some epic moments in the music.

If I was to mention the Answer riddim, Showtime, Diwali or Anger management – all from different eras, but you have your favourite songs on each riddim that instantly spring to mind. m a firm believer that uggling was the A&R in reggae and dancehall.

The producer creates a hot beat, the artists create the songs and we, Joe Public, chose which

song we prefer. Let’s start in 1985 with the first ever digital dancehall riddim Sleng Teng produced by King Jammys.

There have been hundreds of recordings on that riddim with notable moments by Wayne Smith’s title track Sleng Teng, but we all have our favourites from the likes of Tenor Saw, Bounty Killer and Johnny Osbourne During the mid 1990s and 2000s is when we saw the boom for “Jugglings” and the rest of the world looking at Jamaican music with admiration. However, over the last few years we have seen a decline in artists engaging with producers to record on a juggling, but more focusing on singles.

What was the reason for turning their backs on something that has been part of the industry for over 50 years?

As a producer who has made riddim jugglings, I can tell you the business side of riddims was very difficult to get right ho owned the song? The producer or the artist?

Then there was the question of getting clearance if an artist was signed to a label.

At the time of recording, the artist doesn’t care about the legals, because he just heard

a boom riddim and he wants a piece of it.

Shabba said it in the 90s hit Ting A Ling a Ling. “DJ ears cock up when they hear boom riddim!”

Not the case for the new generation of artists, although the producer, Notnice, tells me otherwise.

Notnice, just like producer Rvssian, has brought his classic “Street Vybz” riddim back to life in 2024. He joked that many artists wanted him to revisit the riddim,

| 45

but then they found it difficult to hear pass the 2011 hits on the riddim from Vybz Kartel and Popcaan.

But as soon as they heard the new recording of Chronic Laws’ Weekend song, all of a sudden everyone wanted to record.

“Presently I have over 20 cuts the riddim,” he tells me.

This excites me and many others like Kingston-based dancehall selector Boom Boom.

He tells me: “The success of

the Big Bunx Riddim last year opened up a lot of producers’ eyes, because we had six songs that we can juggle and that’s what the streets did miss.

“The authentic style of dancehall is what we have been missing.”

He continues: “Now that Rvssian has continued the trend in 2024 with Dutty Money aka Go Go riddim, it’s made our work as DJs easy and the people are holding good vibes.”

cers

The UK’s Ras Kwame from Capital Xtra is in agreement with Boom Boom. “Hallelujah and happy days for the return,” he jokes elfishly, that s what came up on and that’s what I know dancehall to be about.

“I think that the talents will benefit from the competitive spirit as it’s a good way of testing your skills against other talents on a level playing field One of the points Ras made was being a young artist on a big riddim and then catching the wave unexpectedly. This has been the route for many young artists when they out-do the “Bigman” on the riddim This may not work for everyone, especially if you are not built like some of the columns that have held up dancehall for decades, but artists like IWaata are excited about the return to the foundation.

“I was born in 1992 inna the heights of dancehall so I believe inna dancehall.

“Mi eat, sleep, drink dancehall.

Sleng Teng riddim is one of the baddest dancehall riddim and you can’t fall off dem dancehall riddim. These riddim teach you how to DJ proper too, that’s why dancehall caan stall up to today.”

46 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2024

TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK/SPORT

OF SPORT NEWSPAPER

Awards ceremony returns CELEBRATION: Mekaya Gittens won in the coaching and performance category last year; inset, last year’s winners photos hane Anthony Sinclair/ Getty Images for LTA)

Role models from the Black community will once again be honoured this year at the Tennis Black List awards. By Rodney Hinds

T

HE TENNIS Black List will return for a second year on June 27 to once again celebrate tennis role models from the Black community, it has been confirmed As well as continuing the categories from 2023, this year for the first time the public will be able to vote for two of the awards – Game Changer in the ommunity and coaching performance – ensuring the awards are even richer and more collaborative The date for the next event, which will once again be held at the National Tennis Centre in oehampton, has been confirmed following the success of

the inaugural Tennis Black List awards last June ounded by Anne-Marie Batson and Richard ac ey Addo, and supported by the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA), the Tennis Black List awards too place in the run up to he hampionships at imbledon This was also the month that saw the Windrush 75th anniversary marked across the country recognising the broader and hugely significant contribution the Black community has made to ritish culture and society Players, coaches and a wide variety of members of the tennis community gathered at a pac ed ceremony at the National Tennis Centre

to honour tennis role models from the Black community, recognising the contribution of individuals and organisations from grassroots level up to the professional game in ritain and internationally The winners were handed their awards on the night by a variety of presenters including LTA Chief Executive Scott Lloyd; Marsha De Cordova, Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary roup for ennis and MP for Battersea; Sanjay Bhandari, Kick it Out Chair and Garnet Mac inder, port ngland Head of uality The Tennis Black List follows the e ample set by the successful and respected ootball lac List, created by Leon Mann MBE and Rodney Hinds, and Rugby Black List which have demonstrated the power that celebrating Black excellence can achieve in sport Categories for 2024 will include: Icon, Game Changer in the Community, Media, Rising Star, Coaching and PerforPerfor mance, Players, International Trailblazer, Administration Batson said: “We’re delighted to continue building a platform recognising outstanding achievements in the tennis community “The Tennis Black List is also a chance to inspire the ne t generation to dream big and

accomplish remar able things We look forward to welcoming everyone to the event and celebrating the tennis community’s achievements Sackey-Addo added: “After a fantastic inaugural event in June we re thrilled to confirm the date of the ennis lac ist he response and feedbac we’ve received from different parts of the world has been overwhelmingly positive and we’re grateful to everyone who has supported what we re trying to achieve n the lead up to the 2024 Tennis Black List we

look forward to continuing to grow our network and showcasing some more amazing role models doing brilliant work in our sport as well as highlighting the different opportunities and career pathways that are available in tennis Scott Lloyd, LTA Chief Executive, added: “We’re delighted to be continuing to support the Tennis Black List, including once again hosting the event at the ational ennis entre ast year s very first ennis lac ist was a significant milestone in both raising

awareness and celebrating the achievements of tennis role models from across the Black community “We are working hard to ensure Black communities are more fully represented in our sport, and we now that recognising leaders helps encourage people such as players, coaches or volunteers to get involved As we continue to wor with partners such as the Tennis Black List, I look forward to building on that ongoing work with another inspirational event this year

West Indies eye T20 success after victories over England

By Neil-Monticelli Harley-Rudd THE West Indies, fresh from back-to-back white-ball format series triumphs over ngland, should feel confident ahead of the orld up hey have been drawn in roup alongside ever-improving Afghanistan, giants ew Zealand, Papua ew uinea and first-time ualifiers ganda Their mouth-watering clash with New Zealand is set to ta e place at the rian ara ric et Academy in rinidad obago on June oth the aribbean and nited tates will play co-host, with nations divided into four

DATE FOR THE DIARY: ensington

val in arbados will host the final on June

groups of five he top two teams from each group will progress to the uper Eights before the knockout stages of the semi-finals efending champions ngland face Aus-

tralia, amibia, man and cotland in roup hile anada, ndia, reland, Pa istan and the face each other in roup A roup comprises angladesh, epal, etherlands, outh Africa and ri an a

he grand opening match is an all- orth American contest, when the will tac le Canada at the Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in allas on June The following day the Windies start their campaign, when they play Papua ew uinea inside the uyana ational tadium he uper ight group matches are scheduled to be contested on the Caribbean islands of Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, St Lucia and t incent and the renadines hose two top teams from each uper ight group will progress to the semi-finals, to be held in Guyana (June 26) and Trinidad obago June , with the final set for the ensington val in arbados on June

FEBRUARY 2024 THE VOICE

| 47

port

MISSION: he lac

wimming Association s research findings were presented at a global roundtable at o

owning treet last July in commemoration of

orld rowning Prevention ay

Going against the tide

I

N OUR society, swimming and water-based activities have long been cherished for their physical and mental health benefits However, the unfortunate reality is that not everyone has equal access to these opportunities Historical social and economic inequalities, coupled with institutional bias, have resulted in a significant lac of representation from African, Caribbean, and Asian communities across all levels of aquatic engagement, participation and careers from grassroots to boardroom n , the lac wimming Association A made its mar in the world he mar was relatively small at the time and not everyone new it was there – while some couldn’t see it, others chose not to A non-profit organisation, it had a mission to act as a bridge between the aquatics sector and marginalised communities of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage in the o small feat, but a body that we believed was

In the first of a new series with the Black wimming ssociation we look at how the organisation is contributing towards a future with ethnic diversity in a uatics in the essential ow in our fourth year, the A has grown and evolved into a national award-winning charity, recognised by thin tan s, national governing bodies and the aquatics sector for its wor in water safety, drowning prevention and driving equitable participation in water-based activities and sports for the most marginalised in the In that time, the charity has gained strategic partnerships, funding and commissioned pioneering research across seven cities in the hrough advocacy, research, education and support our wor is contributing towards a future with ethnic diversity in aquatics in the hether it s wor ing with government agencies such as M , f , H local government authorities, leisure

centre providers and national governing bodies to create inclusive policy or conducting test-and-learn water safety initiatives for adults and young people, the A is growing in its purpose to save lives by ma ing water safety and participation in water sports equitably accessible for all regardless of gender, culture, bac ground or heritage But it wasn’t always that way, as the stats, below left, show ater safety, swimming and aquatic activity are not merely recreational pursuits they are essential life s ills that everyone should have access to Unfortunately, the underrepresentation of African, Caribbean, and Asian communities in aquatics is a pressing issue that demands attention he A recognised the

urgent need for change y amplifying the voices and experiences of African, Caribbean and Asian communities in the UK, we aim to challenge the status quo and dismantle the barriers that prevent individuals from fully participating in and benefiting from a uatics #OurSwimStory ur mission at the A is to wor towards a future with ethnic diversity in a uatics ur wim tory is one of our pioneering research projects launched in t investigated the social, cultural, and psychological barriers which prevent people of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage in the UK from fully engaging with, participating in and benefitting from water-based activities, water

sports and careers ncovering these barriers provided unique insights and understanding of the lived experiences, perceptions, and needs that must be addressed to develop targeted strategies and collaborative solutions to promote vital water safety education, equip and empower marginalised communities to engage in waterbased activities and sports with confidence ur wim tory research findings were presented at a global roundtable at No 10 owning treet last July in commemoration of orld rowning prevention ay his year will see the A embar on two further industry pioneering projects also aimed at understanding and removing significant barriers to a uatics

for people of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage hese pro ects are loat and Hair loat will finally address the “big bone theory” in people of Afro Caribbean heritage as it relates to our ability or inability to swim and or oat in water And Hair loo s at the effect of water and chemical damage to our hair and hair styles – another significant barrier to participation e ll delve into these, and the impact of some of our innovative water-based safety, orientation and familiarisation programmes in our ne t article h

i a non

rofi

organisation, set up to diversify the world of aquatics through

consultancy, advocacy, research, education and support to ensure

that people of African, Caribbean and Asian heritage have

equitable, safe access to vital water safety. It works with

government agencies, charities,

institutions and more to promote

diversity and inclusion in aquatics.

MAKING A SPLASH: presenter Jason Mohammad presents the A with the 2022 National Lottery UK Pro ect of the Year award

TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK/SPORT

OF SPORT NEWSPAPER

FEBRUARY 2024 | THE VOICE

BOXING ICON: Natasha Jonas in front of the mural celebrating her achievements in Toxteth

Making a big impression Mural in Liverpool pays tribute to local hero and boxing star Natasha Jonas. By Rodney Hinds

A

MURAL CELEBRATING the achievements of boxing icon and two-weight world champion Natasha Jonas has been unveiled in Toxteth, Liverpool.

The incredible artwork depicting Jonas with her world championship belts will be a permanent addition to Toxteth’s Elway Road, just streets away from Jonas’ childhood home.

The mural, painted by British Street Art Collective MurWalls, has already proved popular with local residents and will provide a fitting tribute to o teth s own trail-blazing athlete.

Jonas made history as the first female bo er on eam and the first woman to represent Great Britain in boxing when she entered the ring at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

The 39-year-old has continued her barrier-breaking tradition in the professional ran s he became the first woman to win the prestigious British

PACKING A PUNCH: Natasha Jonas recently defended her IBF world welterweight title in her home city Liverpool

Boxer of the Year award from the British Boxing Board of Control in 2022, following the likes of Lennox Lewis, Naseem Hamed and other British boxing legends.

Having previously unified the , WBO and IBF world super-welterweight titles, Jonas became a two-weight world champion when defeating Kandi

Wyatt for the IBF world welterweight crown in July last year.

Jonas recently retained her IBF world welterweight title with a split-decision win over Mikaela Mayer on ‘home soil’ at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool.

“It’s an honour to be recognised with this mural,” said Natasha. “The streets of Toxteth made me. I’m proud to be

“The streets of Toxteth made me.

I’m proud to be from these streets” from these streets. I’m proud to be from Liverpool.

“Growing up there were a lot of stereotypes about Toxteth and what you could be if you were from there. ve spent my whole life fighting those stereotypes.

“I was just a little girl from these streets chasing my dreams. There’s been a lot of hard work and ups and downs along the way, but I’ve made those dreams come true.

“Without these streets and without the support of the community, I would never have grown into the person I am now.

“I hope this mural can help inspire more people like me and show that no matter where you’re from, what your circumstances are or what people say, you can achieve your dreams. Don’t let anyone tell you who you can become, that’s on you!”

Promoter Ben Shalom said: “This is a fitting tribute for atasha who is not only an amazing athlete but a real inspiration and role model. I’ve seen the incredible work Natasha does for her community so it’s fantastic to see her honoured in such a way. It shows the people of Liverpool are behind her.”