Botswana-nd
The Switzerla of Africa Page 21
Vol. 1 Issue 24 2nd october 2020
y r o t s i H k Blac, Hilarious & Fun
Factual In collaboration with
Botswana’s 54
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A United Kingdom The Amazing Life of Seretse Khama, the Man Who Transformed Botswana
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The first president of post-colonial Botswana is credited with transforming the country’s fortunes without falling victim to war or corruption.
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10 Things
You Did Not Know About Botswana
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Independence Botswana’s Okavango Delta -
Heaven on Earth
Credit: Beautiful Destinations
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Timeline
Botswana Transform your viewing...
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food
British People trying Nigerian Food Z’s Taste Jollof Wars Credit: Taste Tales Ghana
Foreigners compare Nigerian and Ghanaian Jollof
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news
Discover these awesome Facts about n
Guadeloupe
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The Story Behind France’s Butterfly Island
DEATH IN PARADISE Locations
Honore Police Station
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THE BUTTERFLY MAAG TEAM
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Fashion
Editor-in-Chief Beverley Cooper-Chambers EDITORIAL TEAM Karen Ferrari Simone Scott-Sawyer Melissa Osborne Editorial Researcher Tasina J. Lewis
Contents Cover: Black History Factual, Hilarious & Fun Credit: Contributed
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Botswana’s 54 Independence
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Food
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iChurch: Black Theology
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Freedom is Mine with Fayida
Belize
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40
Laughter
What’s on the Screen?
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Ask Valerie
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Sports Arrow
Chasing Us
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The Library 6
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The Disruptor
Black History Factual, Hilarious & Fun
Financial Strategic Advisor Nastassia Hedge-Whyte, MAAT, ACCA,ICAJ Regular Features Rhea Delaney (London) Joshua Grant aka Sports Arrow (London) Fayida Jailler (UK) Bakita Kasadha (UK & Uganda) Chi-Chi Osemwegie (London) Design Editor Rusdi Saleh Graphics Butterfly logo by Wayne Powell (Jamaica)
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Guadeloupe
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Marketing Team Marvin Osemwegie — Marketing Director Michael Brown — Social Media Analyst
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Last Word
Ad copy should be submitted Friday for the following week’s publication. Butterfly Magazine published weekly on Fridays.
Butterfly magazine is published weekly by BUTTERFLY MAGAZINE LIMITED, 86-90 Paul Street, London, EC2A 4NE, UK. Tel: (44) (0) 203 984 9419 Butterfly ™ 2015 is the registered trademark of THE LION AND THE LAMB MEDIA HOUSE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without written permission from the publishers BUTTERFLY MAGAZINE LIMITED. Advertising enquiries: communications@butterflymaag.com Address all correspondence to: communications@butterflymaag.com No copyright infringement is intended
CHASING US
We tweet, we like, and we share— but what are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? As digital platforms increasingly become a lifeline to stay connected, Silicon Valley insiders reveal how social media is reprogramming civilization by exposing what’s hiding on the other side of your screen.
Credit: Star Pictures Trailers
Credit: Netflix
The Social Dilemma
Screened Out
Disconnect
Credit: Dark Star Pictures Trailers
A hard-working lawyer, attached to his cell phone, can’t find the time to communicate with his family. A couple is drawn into a dangerous situation when their secrets are exposed online. A widowed ex-cop struggles to raise a mischievous son who cyber-bullies a classmate. An ambitious journalist sees a career-making story in a teen that performs on an adult-only site. They are strangers, neighbors and colleagues and their stories collide in this riveting dramatic thriller about ordinary people struggling to connect in today’s wired world.Screened out
Screened Out is a provocative look at screen and smartphone addiction and how the tech industry hooked global consumers, and continues to groom future generations of screen addicts. In this timely documentary, filmmaker Jon Hyatt explores all the ways in which we are addicted to our screens, how the tech industry hooked global consumers, and its greater impact on our lives. From smartphones, portable tablets and social media, the tech industry has designed these fun immersive technologies, but are they good for us? Are we too dependent on our devices? What keeps us hooked? How is it impacting our children?
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THE LIBRARY
The Groundbreaking Story of
Oprah Winfrey
The Story of
Barack Obama:
President of The US
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The Extraordinary Olauduh Equiano
Credit: Channel 5 Belize
Great Belize Cooking
Discover These Amazing Facts About Belize
Living in Rural Belize
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Credit: Sebastian ioan
The Mayas of Belize
Credit: 13Productions
Belize
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What’s on the Screen?
The Screeners’
TV Choice
Illustration by Wayne Powell (Jamaica)
WELCOME TO THE VIRTUAL LIBRARY
Welcome to our Virtual Library ! Feel free to browse around and choose any book to read, all you have to do is click on the book cover to get the link. Enjoy!
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WARNING
STRONG LANGUAGE
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Richard Pryor’s - One of the Greatest American Comics of All Time
Small Axe
Thomas Jefferson’s Black & White Relatives Meet Each Other Transform your viewing...
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woman
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The True Story of Madam C.J. Walker
Sorry 12
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small child
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Fun Facts about Dr Mae C Jemison
Olauduh Equiano
Baroness Foella Benjamin Transform your viewing...
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OLDER CHILD
Madam CJ Walker for Kids (Fun Facts) Cartoons for Kids
Fun Facts about Barack Obama 14
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young adult
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FOSTER BOY
The Backstory: Lupita Nyong’o
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gen z
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Brain in Gear
Baroness Floella Benjamin 16
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Mike Colter
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grandPA
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Sadiq Khan: The Rise of London’s Muslim Mayor
The Real McCoy Transform your viewing...
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grandma
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Nina Simone - The Legend
The Immortal Life of Henritta Lacks 18
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ASK VALERIE Melinda Asks:
Should I be worried if the new guy I’ve been seeing is still working with his ex that he broke up with beginning of June. It’s going well. Very well, maybe fast? Should I be careful? Or just go with the flow? I really like him and there are no games being played Hi Queen, there are so many questions I could ask you. However the ultimate question is do you know your desired outcome and how you ultimately want to feel? Be honest and ask yourself ‘What do you I want’? You can only address what is within your control. Is it Girlfriend? Marriage? Co-habitation? Friend with benefits? A lockdown ‘Coving partner’? A meaningful and long term relationship? I’m going to go with the latter … In any case, you’ll want him to see you as high value. So just how fast are you going? A man perceives a woman as High value when it costs him a lot to get your cookie (in terms of time, money and effort) – he invests a lot in you so therefore you are very difficult to walk away from – you are of high value. Whereas… A Low value woman, it costs him very little to get your cookie – he invests little in you, (in terms of time, money and effort) so therefore you are easy to walk away from – you are of low/no value.
Follow your gut. If you feel it’s going too fast. It’s going too fast. A candle that burns the most bright, outs the quickest! Practise the principles within the Queen Diagram video and you won’t go wrong. Whenever I’ve gone against it in the past I’ve failed miserably! Check it out here.
For a COMPLIMENTARY CONVERSATON book here:
Valerie is also offering her readers a complimentary vibes check consultation call at:
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Welcome to the Disruptor
To be a disruptor in business is to create a product, service, or way of doing things which displaces the existing market leaders and eventually replaces them at the helm of the sector. [`the disruptor]
Credit: Botswana Insight
Less Talk More Action
Botswana
The Switzerland of Africa Transform your viewing...
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Kimron Corion This is My Story
The Jamaican Dutch Pot How it’s Made 22
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https://vimeo. com/464107076
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Tanzanian Farmer’s $50,000 Investment Yields Profits in Greenhouse Farming
The Jamaican Dutch Pot The quick version Transform your viewing...
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Credit: Louise Nunga Credit: BlackTradeTechnologies
How to start a Black Business
Technologies What Business Idea to Start as an African 24
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lead Story
y r o t s i H k Blac Hilarious & Fun
, l a u t Fac
e n r o b s O a s s li e M by
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Caption: Jimmy Akingbola
‘S
orry I didnt know’ is a comedy panel show set to be broadcast on ITV throughout Black History Month and was created by the production trio of Jimmy Akingbola, Fraser and Minnie Ayres the husband and wife team behind TriForce Productions. Expect four weekly episodes airing at 10.45pm, which fuse amazing facts and good old-fashioned comedy. ITV describes it as ‘bold and tongue in cheek viewing!’ so get ready to learn and laugh in equal measures. Hosting duties lie with Jimmy Akingbola, who stars in the hit ITV sitcom Kate & Koji, while a diverse panel of two teams, including captains Chizzy Akudolu and Judi Love, keep the jokes AND the facts coming. Completing the panel will be a diverse set of familiar comedians who through playing hilarious games will seek to show that black history is not only rich but deserving of more mainstream exposure. A pilot of the show was aired on ITV2 back in 2016, but despite great guests it was unfortunately not picked up to extend its run. Fast forward to 2020 and we’ve been given an episode to enjoy for each week of Black History Month starting on Tuesday 6th October. In that pilot we learnt about important figures such as Joseph Boulogne;
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known as the black Mozart, and Mae Carol Jemison; who was a NASA astronaut and scientist. Expect to be introduced or perhaps reminded of many other unsung black heroes who proved that black history is global history. As well as being in front of the camera, charismatic host Jimmy is also part of the team who brought the production together. Along with Minnie and Fraser Ayres, TriForce Fraser Ayres Productions create TV, film and online content for mainstream audiences with a focus on diversity. Check out their website http://thetcn.com/triforce-productions/ for more information on the work they are doing to further opportunities for performers from all walks of life. While it is true that we as Black people spend the entire year being Black, it is, and has never been more important to celebrate, discuss and explore the typically underrated achievements of our race. So make sure to check out as many productions as possible this Black History Month, including ‘Sorry, I didn’t know’ and see just how much you already know and how much you can still learn! By Melissa Osborne
OLU D AKU Y Z CHIZ nade o m e l e tty nic
pre ns.’ e o m m o e l s l e awfu y t ‘I’ve mad t e r p ome s f o t u o
W
ith new comedy panel show ‘Sorry, I didn’t know’ airing four episodes throughout Black History Month, Butterfly Maag caught up with team captain Chizzy Akudolu, to talk unsung black heroes, covid-19 and filming in the rainforests of Guadeloupe. Interviewed by Melissa Osborne.
BM - Hi Chizzy! Firstly, let’s talk about ‘Sorry, I didn’t know’. What is the show about? Chizzy - The show is a celebration of black history. The title suggests there are so many things we don’t know about black history. It’s a fun, comedic and lighthearted look back at the accomplishments people of colour have made to this country. BM - And how did you get involved? C - I’ve been a part of Triforce (Productions) for many years. [Triforce created and produced ‘Sorry, I didn’t
know’] I actually host the MonologueSlam, which is another thing that they do at Stratford Theatre, and I’ve known Jimmy (Akingbola - the host of Sorry, I didn’t know) for 17 years, and Fraser Ayres for about 15, so I’ve always been a part of Triforce. When Fraser came up with the show four years ago, he said ‘Hey Chizzy, I’ve got this idea’ and I said ‘It sounds brilliant’. He said he wanted me to be a team captain and I almost cried because I thought it was such a wonderful thing for him to trust me to do.
BM - So comedy is obviously something that comes naturally to you as you did win BBC’s the Urban Sketch Showcase back in 2002. How did you find having to be funny off-the-cuff? Do you prefer scripted comedy or live panels? C - I just love being able to talk and I find that especially if you can bounce off of other people it makes it so much easier. But it is one of those things where if you try to be funny you won’t be. You kinda have to just say whatever comes to your head and hope it’s not too rude or too crude. Transform your viewing...
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BM - So the world is dealing with Covid-19 causing many live venues to remain closed, but in general do you get a chance to keep up with the black comedy scene? C - I think Instagram is a little gem that is coming into its own and you get to see so much of what people are doing. You get to see a snippet of the best bits. So yes, I get to see some comedy but I’ve been focussing more on my writing over the Lockdown so there was a time where I came off of Instagram because it was becoming too stressful. Speaking to some of the comedians who came on the show, they said they had been doing Zoom performances, which is very strange, as nobody’s laughing back! BM - A bit weird for a comedian! C - Yeah. You need people to laugh back or you feel like you’re not doing a great job. BM - And are there any Black comedians I should check out? C - Obviously Judi Love! Judi Love is hilarious. Nathan Caton is very funny. Kojo. Jimmy James Jones. They are all very funny people! BM - The writing you mentioned, is that comedy or drama? C - I’ve written a feature film, which is in development at the moment. And I’m also writing a scripted comedy. I’ve almost finished that so I’ve made some pretty nice lemonade out of some pretty awful lemons. Though at the beginning, to be honest with you, there was a lot of sitting around and just eating and binging Netflix - but I finally got my arse in gear! BM - So you’ve worked on many well known British TV shows, including Eastenders, The Inbetweeners, Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, and of course, Holby City. Do you feel as a Black British performer that the opportunities are improving? C - They are definitely improving. I want TV to be as diverse as possible because it needs to cater to everybody. I want to see positive Black role models on my TV because I know there are young kids watching going, ‘Ah, okay, if they can do it, then maybe I can too!’ Also, we want to see characters that are flawed. I’d love to play a criminal. I’ve never gotten to play that, but I don’t want to be the only Black person on that programme and playing a criminal. There needs to be some balance. When I speak to older Black actors they say there is a massive difference since when they started. It just needs to be on a level playing field. Will it ever happen? I don’t know. BM - Your television career has spanned over 16 28
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years, is there any advice you can give to other Black performers who want to have the longevity that you’ve had in your industry? C - Wherever you can, get some classes! It’s good to keep your acting muscles moving. And do short films, do student films because today’s student director could be next year’s Hollywood blockbuster. Just get experience. Also, try to write. When you first start it’s going to be awful, but it’ll get better. And produce your own stuff, put it on YouTube because there are so many people who watch YouTube and social media. They are free platforms and adverts for your work. Take advantage of them. Don’t just sit around waiting for a job to fall into your lap. You’ve got to graft! BM - Absolutely! You mentioned your interest in playing a criminal, but you are known for playing Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Mo Effanga, in Holby City. In your opinion, how important is it for Black audiences to see someone who looks like them playing highly intelligent, respectable characters? C - It’s extremely important, and not just for kids. I used to get older Black people coming up and giving massive big hugs saying, ‘We love Mo!’ and my mum’s friends call me Dr Mo even to this day. What I loved about my character on Holby was, yes, she was flawed, we all are, but she was very intelligent and very good at her job. Every now and again the writers would throw in a little line such as, she was talking to Belinda’s character (Dr Mckendrick) saying we have to work twice as hard to get half as far. She didn’t say as Black women, she just said we. The audience knows what we’re talking about. And that’s what I love. Holby didn’t ram it down people’s throat, but they did let people know that this is the situation. BM - And so having a character the audience is so invested in, is that stressful? When you received scripts did you want the storylines to go in a certain direction? C - It can be. Sometimes I had to speak with the producer of the episode. As a Black female looking through the eyes of other Black females who’ll be watching this, I’d say ‘I don’t think we should do that’. It wasn’t anything terrible, it was just slight tweaks so that nothing became stereotypical. And they were always very open. BM - Moving onto Butterfly Brown, your character in Death in Paradise. How was Guadeloupe? C - Hang on, you guys are Butterfly Magazine!
BM - Yes, from one Butterfly to another! C - Yes! I was there for ten days. That was an experience! Guadeloupe is really beautiful but it’s also quite poor. There’s a lot of poverty there. BM - What was the filming like? C - We had four or five days in the rainforest and that sucked because it was baking and then it would pour down with rain and then steaming hot again. The bugs and the toilet situation weren’t great and I didn’t like the food. But I loved it because we had a great bunch of people we were working with who were fantastic. And there were crew members from Holby, so that was a bit of a reunion. I did enjoy it, I’m just not used to being out in the jungle. BM - Well, you’re a London girl. (Chizzy is from Harlesden) C - I’m a London girl. I’m used to being able to pop to a nice, clean toilet. Then I spoke to some actors who did the next episode and they were in a hotel! I did love it though and I would go back! BM - Could you see yourself doing more projects abroad? C - Yes. I loved working in the US and Canada and in Europe. I’m up for all of that. I’m up for travelling and broadening my horizons. BM - Brilliant! Are there any shows that you’re watching that you’d love to be in? C - I’ve just binged watched Cobra Kai. BM - Well you are a brown belt in Karate! C - Yes, and I was watching it going, ‘Oh my God, I’d love to be in that!’ It’s brilliant because Karate Kid was one of my favourite films growing up. Also, I love Line of Duty. I can’t wait for the next season. I’d love to be in that. BM - So we touched on Covid-19 and the restrictions that go with it. How has the situation affected your daily routine in any positive or negative ways? C - I’m staying home most of the time. My sister and I alternate getting food for my parents because they’re seniors. I’ve become a bit more paranoid which isn’t great. I went through different stages over Lockdown from it’s going to be over in a couple of weeks to we’re all gonna die. At the moment I’m at the place of we’ve just got to be more careful. BM - Any hobbies? C - No, I’m still writing. And there’s also the binge watching, which I love doing. No hobbies
unfortunately. Though, I bought a sewing machine years ago to do adjustments on clothes and I thought, I’m gonna make clothes during Lockdown and I haven’t started. Plus, I got the Babbel app because I wanted to learn French. I speak okay French, but I thought let’s become fluent over Lockdown. (pause) I’ve only opened it twice… BM - Back to ‘Sorry, I didn’t know’. It celebrates Black people who have done amazing things throughout history. Who is one Black person you discuss on the show that should be more well known and why? C - The richest man in the history of the world was a Black man, Mansa Musa. I also found out that the first Black Abbot was in the 1500’s. Also, the trumpeter in King Henry the VIII’s court was Black! BM - That’s taking it back. C - That’s taking it way back! BM - And so are these people we can hear about on the show? There are four episodes airing throughout Black History Month. C - Yes, one every week. Yes, I’m really excited to see how it goes down. Of course, there’ll be some negativity towards it. BM - We’re going to ignore any of that! C - Yes. You could put a picture of the loveliest baby on Instagram and someone would have a problem with it! You can’t please everyone. And what I’ve realised, especially on Twitter, is there’s no point in arguing with people who are faceless. BM - Finally, what if anything do you have in the pipeline? Where can we see you next Chizzy? C - I’m actually about to start filming on a show called Too Close, which has been announced by ITV and it’s set in a psychiatric hospital. I start on that next week! BM - Congratulations! C - Thanks! What’s great is that we have to Covid test every week so filming is really taking it seriously, so I just hope we can carry on filming because the protocols production have put into place are incredible. BM - Thank-you Chizzy. You have been a pleasure to speak with. Also, I read that it is your birthday on the 7th of October so Happy Birthday for then. C - Thank you! It’s the day after the first episode airs! Catch Chizzy, alongside a host of funny faces on ‘Sorry, I didn’t know’ which airs on Tuesday 6th October 2020 and every following Tuesday throughout the month. Transform your viewing...
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JUDI LOVE Judi’s motto ‘Laughter is Healing’ provides a very accurate insight into how she deals with life’s many obstacles. Judi will take everyday situations, add her unique perspective, and turn it into something hilarious. It’s the type of humour that resonates in people from all walks of life. Born in Hackney, East London to Jamaican parents, Judi is the youngest of five children and has always been the comedian of the family. Judi spent the vast majority of her youth in and around the East London area. If Laughter is Healing then Knowledge is power! Judi has two degrees. One in Community Arts and Social Science and a Masters in Social Work for which she studied at the Tavistock Institute. She managed to gain these fantastic qualifications whilst raising two children single handed! Source: Judilove.co.uk
WE’VE GOT JOBS! Minnie Ayers…We have been very, very busy getting jobs…if any of your readers are interested tell them to check our website.
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h t i w n o i t onversa
C
, s r e y A Minnie oducer,
r P e v i t u s n Exec o i t c u od r P e c r TriFo
rs
e b m a h C r e p o o C y le by Bever
BM: First of all, I would like to thank you because I went to your recording of ‘Sorry, I Didn’t Know’ and it was fantastic! MA: Oh brilliant! I’m stuck in the gallery for the whole thing so you don’t get to be on the floor and see everyone, but you can hear them laughing. BM: Tell me all about Minnie. MA: Oh gosh, that’s a big question. Basically, I got involved with TriForce about 12 years ago and I can pinpoint that because I ended up marrying one of the founders. BM: So it’s a significant time? MA: It’s quite a significant time. At the time I was an actress and I was doing a play with Jimmy Akingbola in a production of Othello. He introduced me to his best friend and business partner Fraser. TriForce was set up in 2003 as a result of them working together in Edinburgh doing networking nights and thinking what a lovely vibe it is with everyone kind of supporting each other.
BM: Tell me a bit about how ‘Sorry, I Didn’t Know’ got started? MA: TriForce productions was set up in 2016 and we did a pilot of this show on ITV2. We talked to them afterwards about it but they felt it was not quite right for that audience. We tried all the other channels as well who decided there wasn’t the audience for it. I think what they felt was a broader audience would not watch a show about Black history. I think they are wrong about that. One of the most favourite things we had after the show was we had a lot of tweets, one of them in particular came from this guy who said, “I watched the show, it’s really interesting, I did not know any of these things and I think it is really funny”. When you go to his Twitter account he’s a UKIP supporter and he’d really enjoyed the show! BM: What really pleased me when I went to the recording was most of the people that you used as questions were people that we featured in the magazine. MA: That’s brilliant! I think it’s a really important thing for us to show that Black people in the UK did not start with Windrush! Transform your viewing...
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Crewed by dandi.org.uk
BM: You made a comment in an interview that, ‘Everything comes from seeing a problem in the industry and trying to rectify it.’ MA: Yeah, I think, particularly with this show, there has been so much coverage about the history of comedy panel shows and how they are very much about White males and you will see one woman or one person of colour but never both at the same time. Certain channels mandate to production companies that you must have one female or you must have a Black comic, or you must have an Asian comic on those panels. That is ridiculous! When we were booking this show we wanted to show the reverse of that, that’s why it’s not an entirely Black panel.There are funny women out there and funny people who aren’t White out there. There are loads of them, we had our pick. When you look at our crew as well you can see that our Camera Supervisor is Black, our Ground Supervisor is Black, our Director is Black, our Script Supervisor is Black, our Autocue Operator is Black. It really was not hard to find those people. BM: ‘Sorry, I Didn’t Know’ is coming out on Tuesday 6th at 10.45pm. Why 10.45 at night? MA: We are coming out after the news so we are hoping we can keep people on from the news. Yes, it is quite late. I would love it to be earlier. What it does enable us, when it is postwatershed, is a little more leeway, and it does allow us to be a little more edgier. Then of course it goes on the ITV hub.
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BM: We are hoping people will come on board. MA: I hope so and I think that there will be positive feedback on social media. It’s about Black History and there are Black people on the show so really if you take offence with that then that is racism - you have the problem! We are prepared for that and ITV are prepared for that too. In the same way they backed Diversity, and they backed Alesha Dixon wearing her Black Lives Matter necklace, they are backing this show and they are not going to back down. BM: As a performer yourself, I wanted to ask what you thought about how artists can get an agent? MA: It is really hard, you can’t just go and get an agent as a writer or an actor. They need to see you work so that’s what Writers Slam and Monologue Slam are all about - giving people a platform to show off their work so that they can get an agent. Most of our finalists after the showcase usually get an agent. I would say to writers just starting out, it is really important, all of those competitions...they are actually really useful. BM: Finally, in an article I read that for your honeymoon you were going to Jamaica. Did you go? MA: I did, I think that was about the last time we managed to go on holiday as we have been so busy. We did all the touristy things like Dunn’s River!
Fashion
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Credit: Ayishe M
Credit: PushBlack
nother story of Black female excellence from PushBlack! Her work was centered around the natural beauty of Black women’s bodies. Her couture creations accentuated & flattered the fuller figure and were in high demand amongst the top entertainers and socialites. While designing for the Dance Theatre of Harlem: she began dyeing each dancer’s tights to match their skin tone so they no longer had to wear pink tights—unheard of at the time. Today we applaud Ms. Zelda for making garments expressly for US! Visit PushBlack to find out more about her, and follow them for more incredible stories of Black greatness!
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faith on tv
iChurch Bishop TD Jakes Finds His Roots
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WHAT DO YOU SAY? (I DO) London based R&B duo James and Rakaya Bellamy, also known as Poison And The Cure THEIR MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE ASPIRE TO MARRIAGE AND LOVE IT IS REAL
Black Men on Black Women
Talk To Me
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Freedom is Mine
United Kingdom (Black History Month Special) BY FAYIDA JAILLER
T
he 2011 British census identified almost two million people in the UK who identified as Black, which roughly translates as 3% of the total population. There has been a Black presence in the UK dates back to Roman Britain almost two thousand years ago. DNA testing has proven that skeletal remains found in the UK, such as the Ivory Bangle Lady and the Beachy Brixton Riots by Head Lady, which prove the This Day Then presence of people of people of African descent from that time period. Black people began form in the 16th century, the numbers settling in the UK in significant of enslaved Africans arriving in Britain numbers from the 16th century increased. Black people in the UK were Ignatius Sancho, onwards with the inception of regarded as inferior and other to British 1768 by Thomas the Transatlantic slave trade. In society – even those who had been born Gainsborough King Henry the 8th court there in the UK were not regarded as citizens. was a Black trumpeter called Some black-British people did find John Blanke, who is depicted ways to overcome their oppression however. In twice in the 1511 Westminster Tournament Roll. 1687 a man named John Moore from the city The vast majority of enslaved Africans trafficked of York bought his freedom. By all accounts he by the British empire did not labour on British soil. became a wealthy member of the York community Between them, Portugal and Britain dominated which afforded him the right to bear arms, the right the Transatlantic Slave Trade, accounting for to fish in the city’s rivers and graze his animals in roughly 70% of all Africans transported to the the meadows. Americas. Britain alone trafficked and esti mated Due to Britain’s increasing involvement in 3.1 million Africans, of which 2.7 million survived the transatlantic slave trade, significant black the journey. They were mostly trafficked to the communities formed in port cities such as Bristol Caribbean and to the 13 colonies in North America and Liverpool. Liverpool is home to Britain’s which we know today as the United States. oldest Black community, having been there since As the transatlantic slave trade began to take the 1730s. There was also an influx of African-
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Americans who came to Britain in the 1780s following the American Revolutionary War. Most Black people in Britain lived in relative poverty, such as Billy Waters, a one-legged black man who made a living by busking on the streets of London. But others formed Walter Tull 2 a small but remarkable Black middle class. Three leading Black activists in the Britain in the 18th and 19th century were Ignatius Sancho, Olaudah Equiano and Ottobah Cugoano. Ignatius Sancho was a British slave turned actor, composer and writer. He was a key figure in the 18th abolitionist movement in Britain, and lobbied to highlight the immorality of the slave trade. Olaudah Equiano was a former slave who purchased his freedom and turned writer and abolitionist. He was a leading figure in the abolitionist movement in Britain and is best remembered for his 1789 memoir called ‘The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano’ published in 1789, which became a best seller around the world. Equiano joined forces with Quobna Ottobah Cugoano. Ottobah was also a writer and abolitionist, and wrote ‘Thoughts and Sentiments on the Evil and Wicked Traffic of the Slavery and Commerce of the Human Species’, published in 1787. Together with other educated Black Freedmen in London, Equiano and Cugoano formed Sons of Africa, an abolitionist
group who frequently petitioned newspapers. A key turning point in the British slave trade was the 1781 Zong Massacre. When supplies of drinking water ran low aboard the slave ship Zong, the crew threw 130 enslaved Africans overboard in order to claim insurance on their ‘product’. Although following the trial the crew were not found guilty of murder, the event was highly publicised and gave momentum to the abolitionist movement in Britain. The Sons of Africa worked to bring the Zong massacre to the attention of the British public and highlight the inhumanity of the slave trade. Their sustained activism heavily contributed to achieving the British Slave Trade Act of 1807, which abolished slavery in Britain, and spearheaded by William Wilberforce. By 1834, slavery had been abolished in most of the British empire. What many people don’t know however is that the British government compensated the slave owners for the loss of their ‘property’ with a collective £20 million. The end of the slave trade meant a decline in the size of the black population in Britain. Although black people lived free from slavery, their lives were heavily restricted by racist attitudes, fuelled by a rise in popularity of scientific racism. Scientific racism was a movement that flourished in Britain, arguably triggered by Darwin’s theory of evolution, which sought to scientifically prove that white people were more intelligent and genetically superior to black, who were considered genetically closer Mary Seacole to apes. by National In spite of this, several highGeographic profile Black people were able to ascend to the British middle class. These Included Ira Aldridge, the esteemed African-American Shakespearian actor who spent many years in Britain and performed all over Europe. Pablo Fanque (real name Willam Darby) was a Circus owner and equestrian performer from Norwich in England. He is the first recorded non-white British circus owner, and amassed his wealth running a hugely popular circus in Victorian Britain for over thirty years. Transform your viewing...
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John Blanke by Black Past
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor – not to be confused with the Romantic poet Samuel Taylor-Coleridge – was in English composer and conductor who became so successful that he was nicknamed ‘the African Mahler’. His daughter Avril ColeridgeTaylor was also a successful composer in her own right. Mary Seacole was a Jamaican-British nurse famous for risk her life to tend to wounded British soldiers during the Crimean war. She was initially turned away by the British army and so travelled to Crimea independently and set up her own medical facility. Her legacy is often overA definitive milestone in Britain’s shadowed by her contemporary, Florence relationship with Africa was the Nightingale, the most famous British Scramble for Africa around the turn nurse to serve during the Crimean war. of the 20th century, whereby several Perhaps the most extraordinary story Sa European powers raced among ra Forbes Bonetta of a black-British person in Victorian themselves to conquer and divide by Camille Silvy England is that of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, African territories for themselves. By who was the Goddaughter of Queen Victoria 1914, 90% of the African continent had herself. Sarah (whose birth name was Aina) been colonised by Colonial powers, mostly by was a West-African Yoruba princess who was Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal orphaned during inter-tribal warfare and gifted to and Spain. Queen Victoria. She was As a result, when WWI broke out in 1914, renamed Sarah Forbes the battlefield was not just restricted to Europe Bonetta after the naval – millions of African soldiers fought and died on officer who facilitated behalf of the European colonial powers to defend her passage to England their African colonial territories. African, Afroand his ship the HMS Caribbean and Black-British soldiers were also Bonetta. Queen Victoria deployed to fight for the British on European soil. was so impressed by her Water Tull was a highly esteemed professional exceptional intelligence footballer who served in the Middlesex Regiment that she raised Sarah as as second lieutenant and was killed in action in her goddaughter. 1918, just months before the war came to an end. dy Beachy Head La ctive lle Co ire by Devonsh
Ivory Bangle Lady by Yorkshire Museum
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Both the first and second the only weekly newspaper in Britain World Worlds saw a greater written by and dedicated to The Black influx of Africans and Afrocommunity in the UK. Caribbeans migrate to the The 1980s also saw the rise of the UK, increasing the size of National Front and the British National Britain’s Black community. Party, far-right, fascist political parties The greatest single influx in the UK. These parties firmly believed came in 1948 when the cruise in racial-separatism and opposed the ship Empire Windrush sailed influx of migration to the Britain. Racial from Jamaica to London tensions naturally arose and exploded carrying 1,027 passengers. into a spate of race riots throughout Billy Waters This gave rise to the term the 80s including the Toxteth riots, the Windrush Generation, Brixton riots and the Handsworth the half a million Caribbean migrants who riots in Liverpool, London and emigrated to Britain between 1948 and Birmingham respectively. These 1971 seeking employment. riots were usually triggered by In 2018 an event known as the the wrongful arrest or killing of a Windrush Scandal dominated the British member of the Black community. headlines as hundreds of Afro-Caribbean Although institutional racism migrants from the Windrush generation and police brutality remain a Olaudah Equiano were told, that having spent most of their massive issue in the UK, as a by Daniel Orme adult lives in the UK, they faced losing nation we are becoming increasingly 1789 their jobs and even being detained and inclusive and diverse. Every summer deported, if they could not prove their right to London hosts the biggest street carnival remain in Britain. This was further complicated in Europe, the Notting Hill Carnival. The Carnival by the fact that the Home Office had not kept was founded in 1966 and celebrates Afroa comprehensive record of those who had leave Caribbean culture in the UK. to remain, and in 2010 it had destroyed many And finally, one of the most important of the landing cards belonging to Windrush institutions dedicated to Black-British history Migrants. As a result, several Windrush settlers, and culture is the Black Cultural Archives, located many in advanced stages of life, were wrongly in Windrush Square in Brixton. The archives questioned, detained and even deported back to were established in 1981 and are dedicated the Caribbean. The scandal was brought to the to preserving and celebrating the histories of British public’s attention and an inquiry launched, diverse people of African and Caribbean descent but most of the people who have been promised in Britain. compensation are still yet to receive it. June 22nd 2019 was celebrated across the nation as the first ever Windrush Day, in homage to the Windrush generation and their contribution to British society. The large African and Afrodescendant presence in Britain today largely stems from a wave of migration from Africa to Britain in the 1980s. The African demographic in Britain largely comes from countries that were formerly British colonies, including Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The newspaper The Voice was founded in 1982, Ira Aldridge
Zong crew throwing sick slaves overboard, ca. 1781 by Black Past
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The Arthur Wharton Story Britain’s first black footballer
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he started drinking heavily, and eventually retired from football in 1902. His life after retirement was not happy, and Arthur Wharton died in 1930, a penniless alcoholic who had spent the last 15 years of his life as a colliery haulage hand. His story was uncovered in 1997 by the Sheffield United based project, “Football Unites Racism Divides”. His unmarked grave in Edlington has been given a headstone, and his picture was included in an exhibition of British Sporting Heroes at the National Portrait Gallery.
Credit: Furdengland
A
rthur Wharton was born in Ghana in 1865; his father was half Grenadian and half Scottish, and his mother was from Ghanaian royalty. In 1882 Arthur moved to England to train as a missionary, but quickly became bored with the academic and religious life and left school to pursue a sporting career. A talented athlete, he set a new world record for the 100 yard dash (10 seconds) at Stamford Bridge in 1886. This success gave him the opportunity to compete in professional athletics tournaments, where he was able to make a living from appearance fees. His abilities also brought him to the attention of various professional football clubs He was first signed as a semi professional player with Preston North End in 1886, as goalkeeper. His highpoint with Preston was to make it to the FA Cup semi finals in 1887 where they lost 3-1 to West Bromwich Albion. There was speculation at the time that Arthur was good enough to play for England, but he was never considered for the position by the FA, due in part to the racial prejudice of the time. He turned fully professional in 1889, when he signed for Rotherham United, and in 1894, Sheffield United poached him. Unfortunately, the move was not a success; he was getting older, and was competing with United’s new and younger goalkeeper, Bill “Fatty” Foulke. Arthur’s career then drifted as he moved from club to club to try and make a living. At the same time,
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Last Word
No Jab No Pay