Download The Voice Newspaper - April 2021

APRIL 2021 • ISSUE NO. 1917

Lifestyle ING WHAT THE NFT IS GO

ON HERE?

NFTs taking the creative world by storm See page 37

WWW.VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK

IMVU taking a bold into the metaverse p36

step

no Eddie Murphy: There’s g other movie like Comin To America p38

Sean Paul is bringin everyone in p41

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£2.50

LEST WE FORGET

Brixton ‘Operation Swamp 81’ Stephen Lawrence Day Riots or an uprising April 22

40 years ago it sent shockwaves that still reverberate in policing and race relations

See page 3

A seminal case in Britain’s history of race relations Has anything changed?

See page 4

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Inside

ROUNDUP

THIS MONTH

NEWSPAPER

Spotlight Niyo Enterprise

News, views, stories & videos

Has the justice system really changed almost 30 years after Stephen's death? p4

THE 10 MOST POPULAR STORIES ON VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK 1. Grace Victory wakes up from a coma after more than a month

The 30-year-old influencer had been placed in a coma a day after giving birth to her son

The women giving you the power to transform your finances p10

2. Dutchavelli addresses allegations that he messaged a 14-year-old on Instagram The rapper claims that his Instagram account was hacked

3. Notting Hill carnival 2021 might still be happening

Questions unanswered: Petition calling for answers over Blessing Olusegun's death p24 The triumph of God can provide us with solace this Easter after a difficult year

Organisers advise that they are preparing for every eventuality and have not ruled anything out

4. Ten inspirational quotes from powerful black women We put the spotlight on our incredible women

5. Nicole Thea's partner speaks out and says medical mistake destroyed his family

Jeffery Frimpong has suggested that a “silly mistake” had cost pregnant 24-year-old YouTuber and influencer Thea her life

6. Exodus: Footballers of Jamaican heritage no longer see playing for England as the holy grail

p28

GP Jacky McLeod gives some tips to get your health back on track and be in control p31

JFF president claims that a handful of UK-based players are ready to represent the island

7. Black women jailed after she claims she was racially attacked is appealing More than half a million have signed a petition calling for justice for Siyanda Mngaza

8. 'The angry black woman trope is being used against Meghan Markle'

Women including Gina Yashere say that the Duchess has not been treated fairly by the press

Aritst Densetsuno LeoGami on the digital art renaissance p37

9. Making Black Love Last: Yemi and Tolu Weekly feature from The Voice where we feature the journeys of various young black couples

Jamaica has global ambition ahead of this year's Rugby League World Cup p46

10. Footballer refuses to take the knee as he has doubts over Black Lives Matter campaign

Nottingham Forest ace Lyle Taylor admits BLM provides an important message but has issues with the organisation

This issue is 48 pages

FOUNDED in the spring of 2018, Niyo Enterprise was created to be a platform to empower black women.

Its founders, Oyinkansola Adebayo and Laolu Dada, ensure that as their business continues to grow, the economic empowerment of black women remains a priority for them. The two best friends from Birmingham believe it’s important to remember why they started their entrepreneurial journey.

Through innovation in tools and technology, the organisation has expanded into two divisions. Among their dedicated audience, the two parts of the business are called Niyo Network and Niyo Hair and Beauty.

“We met in university through a Christian fellowship,” recalls Laolu, a former Health and Social Care student.

The collaboration of both women’s talent, and a shared love of afro hairstyling saw them work together at their first event dedicated to black hair.

With a growing team, Niyo Enterprise now turns over six figures a year and both women are “fortunate enough to pay themselves decent salaries and live comfortable lives”.

Thanks to Oyin’s experience in contracting and bids, the pair ended up signing a deal which “multiplied and ended up spiralling out into great things”. With strong business acumen and “necessary sacrifice” they have come a long way, but those early days remind them how far they’ve come.

For Oyin and Laolu, however, the search for financial stability only highlighted the importance of platforms like Niyo Enterprise.

The pair sat in rooms among people with were considered “high value,” people they could build connections with and who could provide support – but there was a lack of representation.

“We just could couldn’t see black women in the room like us,” explained Laolu.

“That’s one of the reasons we are doing the Niyo Network so we can empower black women economically” The various Niyo Enterprise platforms hope to help budding entrepreneurs.

You can visit their website at niyoenterprise.com/

Got a story? email us at yourviews@thevoicemediagroup.co.uk

NEWSPAPER

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APRIL 2021

THE VOICE |

3

News feature

RIOTS OR AN UPRISING?

With tensions rising and innocent black people being targeted by police, the so-called Battle of Brixton was a long time coming. By Dotun Adebayo

F

ORTY YEARS ago this month, what was described as one of the ‘worst disturbances’ on mainland Britain for centuries took place in Brixton, south London – in the heart of the capital’s black community.

It sent shockwaves across the country that still reverberate today in policing and race relations.

But what difference did it make? In this feature we remember the battle for Brixton.

Some call it a riot, some call it an uprising. But 40 years on, the scars of the so-called battle that began on April 10, 1981 and lasted until April 12 are nowhere to be seen.

At least not on the surface.

Brixton has been transformed and might be better described as New Brixton.

The Brixton that has arisen from the ashes of the burnt out police vans and shops of the clashes.

The ‘battles’ of today are the conflicts that any area of London that’s busy bustling and hustling, thriving and full of street preachers has – who gets the prime spots on the high street, how important the market is to the soul of the place and should developers be allowed to rip the heart out of it?

As for the ‘edge’ in Brixton, it’s still there, but it’s looking like the middle classes will win eventually – if they haven’t already.

At its core Brixton is a village, a suburban one, but a village nonetheless. In the Seventies and Eighties everyone knew everyone. Some people still know everyone. The old timers who still keep their eyes peeled

It was squat city, the People’s Republic of Brixton on the road. They’ve seen it all on those streets, they remember April 1981 and what took place, even though the area has transformed almost unimaginably in some respects – ever since Brixton Riot became the name of a local cocktail.

That was back in the late Eighties when the transformation of Brixton really began.

A decade before that, Brixton was a grim place, not only for black people, but in the eyes of authority we were the problem.

INTIMIDATING

The moment you stepped out of the Tube station on to the High Street as a young black man the police clocked you and held their gaze. Intimidating. Daring you. Threatening more so than warning.

But the whole place was grim. It was the urban deprivation that time and the government forgot or had given up on.

Yet Brixton could be such a happy place, despite how tense it was.

Then along came a police operation called Swamp ‘81.

Brixton was always an edgy place but after a few days of the area being ‘swamped’ by the police, it was like a razor blade - sharp on both sides.

Everybody could see that something was going to give,

only the police couldn’t see that they were going to feel it.

Brixton was code for ‘black’, which also become synonymous with rebelliousness, antiauthoritarianism and a sanctuary from the law and order that the police represented – it seemed to write its own rules.

The cops were there in plain sight, but they knew their place.

Brixton newsagents sold single ciggies and you could buy a spliff openly on the street corner.

At least on the Railton Road ‘frontline’ you could. The south London enclave also attracted disaffected youth from all over the place – black and white.

There was a minor epidemic of young black men getting kicked out of home by their parents at the time and the London postcodes SW9 and SW2 were a cheap and attractive proposition.

It was squat city, the People’s Republic of Brixton, alternative culture.

A volatile mix of punks, dreads, Panthers and street preachers dotted its landscape with the intellectual justification for resistance and rebellion.

STRENGTH

Add to that the strength of despondency and anger in the black community across the UK after the death of 13 children in the New Cross Fire just a few months before, the People’s Republic was on edge more than usual.

A tinderbox, not somewhere to lob in a lighted match or any other naked flame – but the cops only went in and lobbed a flame thrower instead.

The last thing Brixton needed was Operation Swamp ‘81 and yet someone in high authority, in their wisdom, decided it would be a good idea.

A great idea to start picking up young black men and their associates for simply walking.

That was what it was like being out and about in the few weeks before it all blew up.

Especially up Railton Road from the junction of Atlantic and Coldharbour. The ‘frontline’ had gone from being a ‘hands-off’ area for the police to being a no-go area for

A SIGN OF THE TIMES: A man expresses his frustration to Met police officers on Saturday, April 11, 1981; inset below left, an overturned police van is set ablaze during the violence young black men. In the heart of where black people live, people were getting vexed.

It was the topic of conversation from Acre Lane to Loughborough Junction and from Tulse Hill to Stockwell. Brixton was on lockdown even before we ever heard of ‘lockdown’.

Nobody in Brixton had asked for this level of policing Since that Thursday evening, the place had been swarming with police, patrolling in threes and fours and fives.

Nobody in Brixton had asked for this level of policing. Nobody. Nowhere else in Britain had been subjected to this level of policing, not even St Paul’s in Bristol which had erupted in riots the year before in reaction to police behaviour there.

On the ghetto grapevine, there was version to version of what was going on and by the afternoon of Friday, April 10, there were a lot of angry people on Brixton High Street as the police got tactic after tactic

wrong. This is how the troubles started, as it was reported in brief on the front page of The Guardian on Saturday, April 11, 1981: ‘Three police officers were taken to hospital after a running fight with black youths in Brixton... Scotland Yard say there were eight arrests... after police stopped and questioned a black man wounded in a street fight.’

REFUGE

The photo on the back page shows police taking refuge behind a riot shield, the kind we had only ever seen deployed in Northern Ireland during the Troubles there. The battle for Brixton had begun.

The Guardian went on to report that up to 60 police officers were involved in a 20 minute-long confrontation.

‘Scotland Yard say that it all began about 6.20pm when two patrolling officers saw a black youth with no shirt and a gaping wound in his back running off. They caught up with him and called an ambulance and proceeded to question him in the back of their car and before they knew it an angry crowd had surrounded their vehicle and some were hurling missiles.

“It was all the result of a

misunderstanding,” a police spokesperson said.’

When police reinforcements eventually came they brought riot shields and batons. And then it really kicked off.

That night was the relative quiet before the storm of the next day, the Brixton grapevine was buzzing. In and out of the bars nobody had even heard of a Molotov cocktail and yet the streets were humming with the chatter of new faces in town.

The streets were full of cars that night, perhaps looking for somewhere else to park. A lot of people seemed to be in the know, a lot of people seemed to be waiting for something to happen.

And so it did. Late on Saturday afternoon.

It had been tense all day, especially on the Railton Road frontline which had become a gathering point for hundreds of youths but where the police were determined to keep a high profile. It didn’t take a genius to figure out where it was going to kick off if it was going to kick off.

The arrest of a young black man 100 yards down the road was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Continued on page 24

4 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

News feature

Criminal justice system is still dominated by colour T

Nearly 30 years after Stephen Lawrence’s murder in Eltham, Terence Channer looks back on his legacy and asks what has really changed since the Macpherson report

HE MURDER of Stephen Lawrence and the subsequent Metropolitan Police investigation is a seminal case in Britain’s history of race relations. The case has been of such profound cultural and political significance, not because Stephen was murdered by cowardly white racist thugs, but because the police, the first layer of the criminal justice system, sought to murder Lady Justice; the very justice that Stephen, his family and the wider black community depended on to right such a heinous wrong.

The case that saw the police creating roadblocks to the path to justice has loomed large on the UK landscape like a giant black monolith.

Stephen was a model citizen By all accounts, Stephen was a model son, brother, friend and citizen, with a very bright future, when on that fateful day (April 22, 1993), he was snatched from this world in a totally unprovoked, ghastly, racist attack that was to send reverberations throughout the UK criminal justice system and in particular policing.

I have passed on countless occasions the spot in Eltham, south-east London (a five-minute drive from my home), where Stephen fell mortally wounded.

Each time in the 1990s and early 2000s bar one, I have driven by and literally felt as if I was driving in a Jeep on a safari; “Do not exit your cars

The feeling of fear, that this was an extremely racist area, would be to put one’s own life at risk and ensure that your doors and windows are locked/closed”.

The feeling of fear, that this was an extremely racist area, where to tread the path that Stephen trod, would be to put one’s own black life at risk.

Twenty-eight years later and that feeling, that Well Hall Road is a no-go area, has failed to completely dissipate.

The one occasion that I did stop to get out of my car on this infamous stretch of highway (A208), was to gaze poignantly at the memorial marking the spot where Stephen fell as he lay desperately clinging on to the last vestiges of life, no doubt yearning for his mother. They say that dying soldiers who fought closely in hand to hand combat in the world wars called for their mothers — George Floyd called out for his late mother “Momma! Momma!” as his life force was murderously pressed and racially put out.

For decades black people had been treated as second-class citizens in relation to essential services; housing, healthcare, employment, education and criminal justice. Stephen’s

death came less than a decade after the enactment of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

The Act sought amongst other aims to address racist policing and usher in a new era of police accountability and transparency by sweeping aside the infamous sus laws that had so effectively persecuted young black men, thereby largely contributing to the 1981 UK inner city riots.

It’s a shame that it often takes death and destruction for meaningful change to occur.

However, there remained a feeling within the Metropolitan Police (and other police forces) that black victims of crime were not deserving of the same respect, duty of care, investigative integrity and diligence afforded to white victims. Furthermore, the police spying on the Lawrence family and their team’s efforts to hold the racist police investigation to account was egregious and utterly deplorably unforgivable.

I can imagine around that time, when news of the police misconduct reached the Lawrence family, their campaign team and the wider black community, frustration and anger laden conversations taking place up and down the country in black spheres, along the lines of: “Don’t they think that black people matter?!” “Don’t the lives of black people matter?!”

“They just don’t care about black people!” “But black lives matter!”

Sir William Macpherson in his 389-page February 1999 report on The Stephen Lawrence Inquiry concluded that the Met Police was “institutionally racist”. It was a term that Sir William noted had been used in the writings of two black activists, Charles Hamilton and Stokely Carmichael (Black Power: the Politics of Liberation in America, Penguin Books, 1967, pages 20-21).

@thevoicenewspaper

The term has become common parlance. The Macpherson report told us black people what we had known and had been saying all along.

We did not need a public inquiry or Sir William, pictured inset, to tell us that, but we sure welcomed it. Others didn’t.

What has changed since Macpherson?

The current Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick refuses to accept that her force remains institutionally racist. The statistics on stop and search and use of force don’t lie; I am not going to rehearse them. I am tired. The fact that black police officers are twice more likely to be disciplined than white police officers is instructive; even when black people join the ranks as officers we are subjected to racist disciplinary ‘policing’.

Now let’s get this straight; there aren’t institutions without people, people make institutions, people drive institutions. If an institution is devoid of people, i.e. human activity, then it is dead.

If the statistics of an institution on stop and search, use of force and deaths in custody disproportionately adversely affect black people, then the institution can fairly and reasonably be deemed institutionally racist.

Stephen’s Legacy Part of Stephen’s legacy is that his case was directly responsible for a significant change in the rule against double jeopardy. This led to two of the accused being retried and convicted of his murder in 2012.

I’m not going to say that Stephen was destined to become a cause célèbre, as that would be to undermine his horrific and brutal slaying. In fact, I don’t think it would be irreverent of me to say that I wish I’d never heard of Stephen and the Lawrence family. I would rather he were still here, a 46-year-old,

@thevoicenews

NEVER FORGOTTEN: Stephen Lawrence was killed by racist thugs in 1993 – but has anything changed in almost 30 years? quietly thriving, fulfilling his God-given potential as a fine upstanding black man, maybe a husband and father. I know his family would agree.

I can imagine passing him near the fruit aisle in Tesco Lewisham, just another regular black brother doing the midday Saturday shopping with his family. I imagine his wife calling his mother Doreen and saying, “Mummy can I get you anything?”

You see, life is predominately about enjoying the seemingly mundane, the right to have many uneventful yet enjoyable similar days that melt effortlessly from one day to the next, with the occasional excitement, hiccup and surmountable challenge. It is also about the right to life and the confidence and assurance that if this inalienable right is in any way jeopardised, the wheels of a well-oiled colour-blind criminal justice system will be set in motion.

Stephen and his family were

voicenews

terribly failed by a criminal justice system that viewed them through the prism of race.

Physics was one of my favourite subjects at school. One of the abiding exercises was the refraction of light through a prism. I marvelled at how the prism split light into the seven colours of the rainbow by dispersion as the light exited the prism. However, the criminal justice system was not intended to refract and then dispense justice; it was not intended to separate or distinguish colour.

That in essence is the Stephen Lawrence story — it highlighted the perverse effects of the colour of criminal justice.

Terence Channer is a

consultant solicitor at

Scott-Moncrieff & Associates LLP which specialises in police misconduct, injury and healthcare

law. He is a passionate anti-racism advocate and dedicates much of his time in this area.

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2021

THE VOICE| 5

Give your family the gift of certainty about organ donation The choice about whether to become an organ donor Abiola says: will always be a personal decision. It’s important that as a family you talk about organ donation and whether you’d want to be a donor. That way, if your family are ever involved in discussions about organ donation, they will have the certainty they need to support your decision at a difficult time.

More people from Black backgrounds are receiving transplants than ever before, but Black patients will still wait up to a year longer than white patients for a transplant.

Although people can receive a transplant from someone of any ethnicity, the best match will often come from a donor of the same ethnicity.

Hair to donate is a community investment project (CIS) set up by Abiola Okubanjo and funded by NHS Blood and Transplant. The project aims to train hairstylists and barbers in black hair salons across London and Essex as ambassadors so they can discuss organ donation with their customers and encourage them to talk to their families.

“Conditions that make people more likely to need an organ transplant – like high blood pressure, diabetes and hepatitis – are more prevalent in our community than in others.

Whilst Black people with these conditions can receive organs from white donors, the best Abiola match will usually come from someone with the same ethnic background – so another Black person. If more Black people consider organ donation, more Black patients will get organs and more Black patients will survive. It’s that simple. The ability to turn this situation around lies with us. WE – the Black community – are the solution to THIS problem.”

Donating organs and tissue in line with personal faith and values is important to many people. To ensure your faith and beliefs are respected and discussed with your family, you have the opportunity to give details on them when registering a decision to donate on the NHS Organ Donor Register.

Lloyd Dalton Brown, said yes when asked about organ donation after his sister, Jane, died after being knocked down while crossing the road.

Jane

“It is something positive for your loved ones to hold onto, which I personally do after my sister donated. I think that it is more important than ever to tell your closest family what your decision would be in regards to organ donation, as they could be asked and therefore if they know in advance they would know what was wanted.”

Visit organdonation.nhs.uk

“ None of us knew how each other felt, until we’d talked about it as a family.”

Let’s give the people we love, the certainty they need.

Talk to your loved ones about organ donation.

Visit organdonation.nhs.uk

30661 511mv - 01 The Voice - 340mm x 268mm - 19MARCH - English Black.indd 1

22/02/2021 14:51

6 | THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

News feature

‘Latest bill is an affront to our precious democracy’

While the Government has long attempted to suppress our right to protest, the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill takes this level of injustice to a whole new level, writes Dr Floyd Millen

T

HE BRITISH Government has always been at the forefront of defending the right to peaceful protest across the world.

We have lauded and supported peaceful demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, in China; we supported the Arab Spring uprisings across Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Syria, Bahrain, and Tunisia. The Government has now set its face against peaceful protests in England and Wales.

On March 16, 2021, the new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill passed its second reading 359 votes to 263. The Bill states that it seeks to curb the right to protest “where people are not primarily violent or seriously disorderly”.

Following the Extinction Rebellion and the Black Lives Matter protests the Home Secretary Priti Patel, pictured below, and the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Cressida Dick, concluded that the Public Order Act: 1986 is old and they have proposed changes to the legislation which will imbue the police with greater powers to prevent and control public processions and public assembly.

Whilst I agree with the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police that the Public Order Act 1986 is old; any student of history would gladly retort that old, doesn’t necessarily mean outdated, ineffective or irrelevant, particularly when the solution offered results in a direct erosion of rights enshrined in other laws.

The Met Commissioner states that “the Bill will allow the police to take a more proactive approach in managing highly disruptive protests [which] cause serious disruption to the public”.

Those who attended Black Lives Matter marches, or Extinction Rebellion demonstra-

We welcome these measures to keep people safe – but the Bill needs to be properly scrutinised tions may be forgiven for being cynical as they will testify that the police were very proactive and did not shy away from taking proactive measures to manage protests and protestors.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill is illiberal in its intension; authoritarian in its implementation and overtly politicises policing in a partisan and adversarial way.

If the police are the citizen and the citizen are the police, this Bill will further stretch the sinews of trust between the police and the citizen.

In effect, as it stands, this Bill will stifle the right to protest whilst simultaneously criminalising fair-minded law-abiding citizens.

Of course, the catalyst for the renewed interest in the Bill has been the way that the Metropolitan Police Service acted towards the largely middle-class women attending the vigil for Sarah Everard on March 1 4 , 2 0 21 .

W e all

stand in solidarity with Miss Everard’s family and all the women, children and men who have lost their lives or live-in constant fear for their safety.

Serendipity played a big part here, as the progress of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill coincided with the vigil at the weekend which again, raised the spectrum of police discretion; or lack thereof.

As a direct result the Labour party changed its initial position of abstaining to voting against it. Nonetheless, the Bill passed its second reading by 359 votes to 263.

Amendments will be tabled so it’s important to continue lobbying your MP.

RIGHT

The right to gather, whether for a vigil, protest, or demonstration, whilst fundamental to our democracy, is not an absolute right and understandably the police need to strike the correct balance between the rights of protesters and the rights of others. But by definition, protests and demonstrations are inconvenient as they are a way to get the attention of those who hitherto failed to listen or acknowledge the contentious issues at hand.

The way that the Bill has increased the powers of the police, pits the police against those citizens, who from time-totime may wish to engage in peaceful protests, marches or demonstrations. The Bill broadens the range of circumstances under which the police can impose conditions on protests, such as “serious disruption to the life of the community” and “serious disruption

@thevoicenewspaper

PENALISED FOR PROTESTING: Those attending mass gatherings, vigils and peaceful protests will all be treated more harshly under the Government’s move to the activities of an organisation which are carried out in the vicinity of the procession/ assembly/one-person protest”.

The Bill states that it seeks to uphold the rights of protesters by ensuring that the police are able to demonstrate that their use of powers are necessary and proportionate and that they are acting compatibly with the European Convention on Human Rights Article 10 (Freedom

tect privacy and prevent mission creep. For example, there are privacy concerns that the doubling of funding (£45 million) for new measures to protect women and girls will see a huge increase in surveillance cameras.

The expansion of trials that put plainclothes police officers in and around bars and night clubs needs careful independent regulation and oversight given the police’s track record.

In effect, this Bill will stifle the right to protest whilst simultaneously criminalising law-abiding citizens of Expression) and Article 11 (Freedom of Association).

This is tautology in extremis which when tested against the Bill’s primary purpose “…to deal with protests where people are not primarily violent or seriously disorderly” is the height of sophistry.

Apart from being poorly drafted, the Bill, in its current state strengthens powers of the police to ban assemblies, which they deem to be ‘too noisy and disruptive’ and expands surveillance on protesters and protest movements.

We welcome new measures to keep women, children and men safe; but the Bill needs to be properly scrutinised to pro-

@thevoicenews

A central component of the Bill is the increased use of facial recognition software to identify and track protestors. These measures, along with existing concerns from citizens and the ICO about police Mobile Phone Extraction (MPE) makes this Bill a minefield.

In truth; before and indeed, since the Public Order Act of 1986, police forces in England and Wales have never been shrinking violets when it came to employing tactics against marches, protests, demonstrations.

Our history is replete with examples from the miners’ strikes 1984; the 1981 Brixton, Toxteth and Handsworth disturbances,

voicenews

Mayday and G20 protests in London. The death of newspaper vendor Ian Tomlinson who died after being struck by a police officer during the 2009 G20 summit protests, riot officers de-badging during the demonstrations, undercover officers having relationships and fathering children are salutary reminders that the police are not immune from acting unethically using disproportionate force, before, during and after demonstrations.

POWERS

It isn’t greater powers that are needed: it is an understanding and an awareness by the Home Secretary and the Met Commissioner that in a democratic society, the right to peaceably protest, hold vigils and marches are hard won freedoms; the erosion of which we would only expect from a totalitarian government – not from the Government of the United Kingdom.

Dr Floyd Millen is a political scientist and a former special adviser to the Metropolitan Police Authority. Dr Millen was mentored by the former Home Secretary, The Rt Hon Charles Clarke and studied under the Conservative Peer, Professor, the Lord Norton of Louth. Dr Millen is the author of Police Reform and Political Accountability; The Ties that Bind Policing in England and Wales & the United States of America, which is available from Amazon

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2021

THE VOICE| 9

8

| THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

News feature

News

Reclaiming our stories

WHO WE ARE: The Jamaican diaspora are turning to the internet to find out more about the island and their family histories; inset below, Emeka Forbes

As a result of migration over the past century, many families became fragmented and tales of their history were lost. Now ancestry research is helping the Jamaican diaspora across the world reconnect with its past, says Emeka Forbes

D

ECADES OF migration has scattered Jamaicans across the world.

Estimates suggest at least 800,000 Jamaicans and their descendants live in the United Kingdom alone — nearly a third of Jamaica’s current overall population.

Now, ancestry research — otherwise known as genealogy, is helping to reconnect the diaspora and enabling Jamaicans to reclaim a history spanning several continents and several hundred years.

Significant waves of migration from Jamaica in the 1950s and 60s routinely left families split across several countries on either side of the Atlantic.

Over time, many of these transnational families have become fragmented, making it more difficult to share both their knowledge and traditions across generations.

For second and third-generation Jamaicans growing up in the diaspora, basic knowledge of Jamaican history, geography, culture, and the reality of everyday life on the island can be hard to come by.

CULTURE

As a means of coping with racism and discrimination in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada, some first-generation Jamaican migrants deliberately disguised elements of their culture to protect themselves and their families.

Children were taught to “speak properly”, masking pronunciations that failed to conform to “Queen’s English”.

Traditional Jamaican food dishes such as oxtail stew and curry goat were cooked less frequently to avoid complaints of “funny-smelling food” by neighbours.

As a consequence, knowledge of Jamaica and its rich cultures was simply never passed down to some.

At the same time, Jamaicans living in the diaspora

Some first generation Jamaican migrants deliberately hid elements of their culture to protect themselves and their families have often found it challenging to locate information about their own family histories.

The transnational fragmentation of families has led to lost knowledge, and some worry their family’s stories are being lost to time.

Keen to learn more about Jamaica, and their own family histories, some in the diaspora have been inspired to take up ancestry research.

In recent years, popular websites like Ancestry.co.uk and the growth of social media have significantly reduced barriers for would-be genealogists.

“I can’t imagine how they did genealogy in the past”, Annette-Marie Smith, a researcher from north London whose parents left Jamaica around 1960 told me.

“We’re literally working entirely off laptops now … I wouldn’t be able t o

do it without the online resources”.

Smith began researching her family history in 2012, inspired by a cousin who’d managed to locate some ancestors’ birth certificates.

She explained that for her, ancestry research was about filling in gaps in Jamaica’s history following the formal end of slavery and finding stories to pass down to her descendants.

“It’s about leaving a legacy.

You feel that after your generation, no one will care, no one will know,” she said.

“We want to be able to say we weren’t just here in the moment, this is where we come from.”

SIGNIFICANT

In the past year, Ancestry.co.uk has seen a steady rise in interest from people keen to research their family histories — with a 45 per cent uplift in site traffic during the 2020 lockdowns.

Simon Pearce, family history expert at Ancestry, told me there had been a significant increase in new users during the pandemic and that recent research had shown a 25 per cent rise in the number of Brits interested in researching their family histories.

“Researching your family history helps you establish a deeper connection with your ancestors,” Pearce said.

“Creating a family tree on Ancestry can help build up a picture of the lives of those in your past”.

He added that records on the site such as the UK and Ireland’s Incoming and Outward Passenger lists could help members of the Jamaican diaspora identify ancestors who travelled from the Caribbean to the UK or

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those who went back to visit friends and family.

Meanwhile, social media now plays a significant role in helping genealogists from the Jamaican diaspora collaborate and learn about research methods.

Canadian researcher Jacquie

another by sharing advice on getting started with genealogy, to helping decipher calligraphy on historical records.

As Jamaicans have worked together using social media as an organising space to learn more about their own individual family histories, they have

The transnational fragmentation of families has led to lost knowledge, and some worry their family’s stories are being lost to time Stewart, who launched a Facebook community in 2015 to help members of the Jamaican diaspora learn about genealogy, said that Facebook had become an integral part of her research.

“With the Facebook groups, we can support each other ... we all have a piece of the puzzle”.

Facebook is by far the most popular platform for ancestry researchers from across the Jamaican diaspora.

The largest communities on the site number several thousand members who support one

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also learnt more about Jamaica.

“When you’re researching, you have to put things into context,” Stewart said. “I’ve learnt about the geography of Jamaica, how many parishes there are, where they’re situated. It’s really enriched me. I’ve always loved history, so it’s been a really good way of knowing more about Jamaican history.”

In some cases, Facebook groups have become spaces to reshape diasporic assumptions about Jamaica and challenge mainstream historical narra-

voicenews

tives. In one group, a post described a community of white German-Jamaicans on the West of the island, prompting a discussion on the complexity of race and ethnicity in Jamaica.

Reflecting on the importance of ancestry research for members of the Jamaican diaspora, Stewart stressed that genealogy is about much more than uncovering a single family tree.

“Black people are not portrayed in history books. We’re not spoken about.

“My ancestors were hard-working people who accomplished a lot of things and I want their stories to be known by my children”.

“Everybody has a place in this world,” Stewart said. “And everybody has done their part in history somehow or some way.

“If we don’t tell our own stories, I don’t know who’s going to do it for us”.

Emeka Forbes is a writer, political consultant and charity trustee

based in London. He writes about technology and culture, politics and civil society.

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FEBRUARY 2021

THE VOICE| 9

10 | THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

Finance

Virtual Black Girl Finance Festival a huge success

GOOD ADVICE: Tolu Frimpong shared her journey online about paying off £36,000 worth of debt

Black Girl Finance author Selina Flavius highlights some of the country’s leading black female finance experts who took part in a Zoom event advising on the best ways to get your finances in shape

T

O CELEBRATE International Women’s Month, Selina Flavius, the author of Black Girl Finance, brought together some of the most talented black UK female finance influencers, to provide their expertise and knowledge to a Zoom audience of 70-plus black women for an event called Black Girl Finance Festival.

It was a chance to highlight the brilliant existing and emerging black female finance experts that we have here in the UK. It was also an opportunity to get our finances in order in time for the new financial year.

The speakers included a mix of UK finance content creators, some of whom are accountants, investment managers, financial consultants and financial planners.

I share my key take from each speaker below: ‘Powerful woman’ R o n e i s h Myers is a qualified accountant and the founder of the financial coaching company Money Heave.

• When you look at our bank accounts, it is an opportunity to understanding how you feel about your finances. When you check your account, do you feel dread or are you doing okay?

There is always a call to action behind our reaction. Identifying what the action may be is a great step.

• Salary negotiation is key in a workplace, and so is asking for your price as a business owner.

You are worth it.

Budgeting and savings Nikkita Tew from Finan-

Review your biggest fixed costs to identify where you can save money cial literacy company Young Spender, a platform for young spenders.

• Know why you are saving.

Clearly decide what you are saving for. It can be difficult to stay motivated if the reason for saving is unclear.

• Identify the appropriate account for your savings ie, short -term saving should be easy access. Mid- and long-term in a savings vehicle will pay interest such as a stocks and shares ISA. • Saving on low income. The UK Government’s Help to Save scheme was launched to help you save. The Government pays a 50 per cent bonus on the amount saved up to a maximum of £1,200 over four years.

If you receive universal credit or working tax credit, do look into this scheme.

Tackling debt Tolu Frimpong is a finance content creator who has shared her journey online about paying off £36,000 worth of debt.

• Cut Expenses. Review your biggest fixed costs and your overall expenses to identify where you can save money.

• Think about ways to earn extra income.

Leverage the skills you have, to earn extra income.

Life cover Char Hibbert, pictured below, the founder of She’s All About The Money, is a money coach and insurance advisor.

• Include life insurance as part of your budget.

• Talking about life insurance and planning for death eases the burden on those left behind.

• Premiums purchased earlier will be lower and more affordable because you are younger and typically healthier.

Pensions planning and generational wealth M a k a l a Green was the first black female chartered financial planner in the UK. She is the founder of the Wealth Check.

• The best time to start retirement planning is as soon as possible — in your 20s and 30s is a great time to start.

• Decide your retirement plan.

If you want a boogie life in retirement, you do need to make boogie pensions payments now.

• Put your assets into trust.

• Seek advice.

How to save on a low income and break the payday to pay day cycle Cheryl runs an Instagram platform called Frugal_me_ free. She works in data.

• There are a lot of small habits you can build between the 1st and 30th of the month.

• Start small and focus on consistently

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saving throughout the course of the month, rather than the amount. Start with saving £10 per week to create an emergency fund.

• Three card hack for budgeting. Separate out your money into separate bank accounts and cards.

When to register your side hustle or business Benedicta Egbeme is the founder of Beniratio Finances. She is a qualified accountant at a top four accountancy firm.

• Ask yourself some questions: Do you plan on earning over £1,000 through your business in the financial year? Will you be taking on employees? What are the risks associated with your business — there are some businesses where the duty of care is increased. These questions will help you decide your business structure.

• Keep good records.

• Your business money is not your money by default. Separate personal expenses from business expenses. Have separate accounts.

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Investing D a v i n i a Tomlinson the founder of Rainchq. Prior to founding her business, she worked in investment management.

• The younger you begin investing the better.

• The further away from retirement you are the more risk you can take.

• Create a diversified portfolio.

Make sure your portfolio is uncorrelated, by including variation between asset classes or geographical markets or some such method.

How to create multiple streams of income Ola Majekodunmi is the founder of AllThingsMoney.

• Consider the Government’s rent a room scheme – earn £7,500 per year tax free.

• Rent out your parking space. Platforms such as JustPark and LetPark are two options.

• If you have an area of expertise creating Ebooks, downloadable templates, workshops, and brand partnerships are ways of generating income.

voicenews

Monetising your gifts Veronia Spaine is a money YouTuber.

• Pick a relatable niche topic, experiment, and use the platform analytics to see what your followers are interested in.

• Be your authentic self, do not try and imitate other creators.

• Be consistent, show up on the day you have promised.

How to turn your side hustle into your fulltime income Bola Sol is a finance coach and author. She is the founders of Rich Girl Chronicles and author of the book How To Save It. • Don’t be afraid to fail fast and fail forward.

• Think about which social media platform is best for your business, and how to make best use of the platform features.

• Network and collaborate.

The above is for educational purposes only. Do seek financial advice. For details about future events visit blackgirlfinance.co.uk

www.voice-online.co.uk

APRIL 2021 THE VOICE |

11

Finance

Pros and cons of helping yourself to Rishi’s handouts Independent financial advisor Emmanuel Asuquo says Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s financial packages during the pandemic have been a godsend for many, but he warns that some do have drawbacks so it’s worth doing your research before signing up

S

INCE MARCH 2020, the world as we know it has changed, which has had an enormous effect on our finances. It has affected our jobs and businesses and even stopped us spending money on holidays, entertainment, and eating. In this article, I share three key talking points from the Chancellor’s recent Budget.

The Government Mortgage Guarantee Scheme

The global pandemic has led to five per cent deposit mortgages becoming almost non-existent in the UK. At the beginning of March 2020, there were nearly 400 95 per cent mortgage products, but before Rishi Sunak’s Budget announcement, there were less than 10, and those were specialist deals, according to data from Moneyfacts.

The mortgage guarantee scheme gives mortgage providers protection of up to 15 per cent. If a borrower gets into financial difficulty and their property is repossessed, the Government will cover a portion of the mortgage providers losses.

This protection reduces the mortgage providers’ risk and encourages them to lend a 95 per cent loan to value.

The scheme will open for new mortgage applications in April and run until the end of 2022.

Applicants will need to have “good” credit and can only purchase a property up to the value of £600,000.

Many of the country’s largest lenders,

This scheme will speed up the time it takes for people to climb the property ladder including Barclays, NatWest, HSBC, Lloyds, and Santander, will offer this scheme.

The mortgages must be on a repayment basis, and experts predict interest rates will be around four per cent.

What are the pros?

Saving a deposit is one of the biggest struggles for people, especially those buying in London and the South East, where property prices are the highest in the country. This scheme will come as a significant relief to firsttime buyers and speed up the time it takes for people to climb the property ladder.

DO YOUR RESEARCH: Seek financial advice if you’re unsure about a product; inset below left, Chancellor Rishi Sunak

What are the cons?

Borrowing at 95 per cent is high.

With a four per cent interest rate, larger mortgage payments could reduce how much banks and building societies will lend to you, as mortgage providers are strict about affordability.

If possible, people should aim for at least a 10 per cent deposit and only use this scheme if 10 per cent is unrealistic or would take a long time to achieve.

Extension to stamp duty holiday

The temporary stamp duty holiday is being extended in England and Northern Ireland.

The extension will be until June 30, 2021. The way it works is to purchase a property up to £500,000 to buy will be taxfree, which means a saving of up to £15,000.

After June, the threshold will drop to £250,000 until September 30 and then stay at £125,000. First-time buyers will have a threshold of £300,000 from June.

What are the pros?

The stamp duty holiday extension is excellent for people already in the home buying process, especially those that have been delayed due to delays in the buying process. It’s also a considerable saving for firsttime buyers purchasing properties over £300,000.

What are the cons?

We have seen a massive increase in demand for properties since the stamp duty holiday was introduced, and this has also increased property prices. This begs the question, are people saving on one hand but spending more on the other hand. People should be careful to make sure they are not over-

paying for a property to save money on stamp duty.

Furlough scheme extension

The furlough scheme has been extended until September 30, helping millions of people survive financially until all the

to pay 10 per cent for hours not worked. In August and September, the Government will pay 60 per cent and employers 20 per cent.

What are the pros?

The furlough scheme’s extension has been a relief to so

The furlough scheme’s extension has been a relief for so many across the country restrictions are lifted. The furlough scheme covers the UK and protects up to 80 per cent of an employee’s salary for hours they cannot work due to the lockdown restrictions and pays out a maximum of £2,500 per month.

As the restrictions start to lift, employers will have to contribute to their furloughed workers’ salaries. From July, the Government will contribute 70 per cent, and employers will have

many people across the country, and I believe the right thing to do by the Government.

What are the cons?

My only fear is once employers have started to contribute; they will start making people redundant. For anyone who is currently on the furlough scheme, I would recommend reviewing their employment options as soon as possible. You may choose to retrain or apply

for a new role where your skills are transferable. Finally, look at starting a “side hustle” to supplement your income, it’s time to think outside of the box.

With all the information above, you must do your research and, where necessary, seek financial advice.

Emmanuel Asuquo is a qualified financial advisor and has worked in financial services for over 15 years. He has spoken to more than 30,000 people in the last three years on financial matters and has appeared as an expert guest on BBC Radio on multiple occasions. Emmanuel has also featured as one of four experts on the Channel 4 finance show Save Well, Spend Better. In June 2020 Emmanuel featured as an expert for the BBC One show Your Money And Your Life, helping a family save just under £10,000 on their annual household bills.

In August 2020 Emmanuel was invited to be a financial expert on ITV’s This Morning, putting him in the home of millions of viewers all over the UK.

12 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Dotun Adebayo

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

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

WE’LL MISS U-ROY

As we lose another reggae legend, why is it Jamaica’s musical heroes go uncelebrated?

I

F THEY ask you how you know Toots, U-Roy and Bunny Wailer would have been bigger than The Rolling Stones on a level playing field of musical justice, you of course reply: “Something here inside, cannot be denied, smoke gets in your eyes.”

Back in the Seventies and early Eighties, smoke got in the eyes of the gatekeepers of the mainstream when it came to reggae. They just couldn’t get past the dreadlocks, the ites green and gold, the whole ‘rasta thing’, the whole ‘Jamaica thing’.

But most of all they couldn’t get past the ganja. With smoke in their eyes they were less interested in the amazing music these innovators were creating and more excited by the audacity of blowing smoke in the face of authority.

Smoke does not get in the Grim Reaper’s eyes. She has now cut a swathe with her scythe through the very heart of Jamaican music in the last year.

The pandemic has harvested a pandemonium of wailing wailers who trailblazed their way from the ghettoes of Kingston through to the international stage where they put their tiny island in the sun on the global map and embedded themselves in the cultural landscape of the world forever. To achieve that these Jamaican originals (Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert and Ewart Beckford among them) moved mountains.

But did they get their dues as global superstars?

Not when you look at the pounds, shillings and pence.

Bob Marley did, so why not Toots or Bunny or U-Roy? Like Marley, they were in a league of their own, a cut above the rest and putting out original music with distinctive vocals and unforgettable lyrics. And when it came to live performances they could mash up any crowd.

A live performance by Toots made Mick Jagger in concert look geriatric.

What the mainstream should have been doing was giving Toots a Grammy for his Funky Kingston album, Bunny a Grammy for his Blackheart Man opus and U-Roy a Grammy for his Dread in a Babylon album.

They didn’t even give Bob Marley a Grammy until 20 years after his death. Such was the level of dismissiveness from the rock and pop world of this musical form developed in the low-income garrison towns of Kingston, Jamaica.

TRAILBLAZER: U-Roy, born Ewart Beckford, died last month (photo: Jack Vartoogian/ Getty Images); inset below, Bob Marley was paid well for his success – but other reggae greats were not

NICHE

Toots should have been regarded like Otis Redding, U-Roy like James Brown and Bunny should be on a level with Marvin Gaye.

Instead they are still regarded as underground, niche, alternative, exotic, revolutionary or any other adjective plucked out of the air that would marginalise them. Reggae artists.

I was lucky enough to have been sent by a newspaper as a 20-year-old to Jamaica in 1980 when reggae was still king. My mission was to report on how an island of two million managed to conquer the world of music with a rhythm that made rock music sound dated and boring.

Why were Jamaicans having so much fun for richer and poorer, in sickness and in health?

Was it the weed, my editor at the paper wondered. No, of course

it wasn’t. But the continued fascination in the subject by the mainstream had put Peter Tosh’s Legalize It album in every other student bedroom in the world. Bunny knew that.

Toots knew that, too. So they played along. U-Roy was a little too obliging when the record company wanted photos of him with as much smoke as possible in his eyes. It was a talking point that ultimately does not enhance his musical legacy.

Toots smoked a lot, too. I interviewed him around 1980 at the Roskilde Festival, the Danish equivalent of Glastonbury, in a tiny wooden garden shed that laughably passed for an ‘artists’ changing room’. I had never experienced anything like it. Smoke got in my eyes and stayed there for a month.

Toots, I guess, was giving me what he thought the press wanted.

It was something of a shock to him that I wanted to talk about his music and I knew all the words to Sweet and Dandy.

He clearly wasn’t used to that.

Which is a shame. Because Toots has so much more to offer.

With The Maytals he brought the church into reggae with several masterpieces. Sweet and Dandy is my favourite because of its literary skills in navigating its way through the irony of the human condition.

But I could easily go for Funky Kingston or Pressure Drop.

a Fire album. In his own right he wrote probably the sweetest song in reggae, Dreamland and his album Blackheart Man is in the top 10, if not the top five of greatest reggae albums. And when dancehall started nudging reggae more towards the beat than the melody, Bunny showed that he was still a roots radical with the seminal album Rock and Groove. He was the angelic

With respect, few Jamaican originals are quite as original or unique as U-Roy Bwoy, Toots could preach like a Baptist on wax. With a touch of pocomania.

And Bunny Wailer, who once upon a time chastised me from the stage at a venue for suggesting that reggae was dead, has to be given props for having laid the foundation stone of reggae along with his brothers Peter Tosh and Bob Marley on The Wailers’ Catch

voice of militant reggae with a lovers sentiment. If that makes sense.

With all due respect to the above greats, few Jamaican originals are quite as original or unique as U-Roy. He was not the first artist to scat over an instrumental cut. But he was the one who turned it into an art form – the art form that we know today as rap music and

which, back in the Seventies, spawned so many U-Roy copycats. Just as every pop artist today copies Sam Cooke’s style and every other reggae singer takes their cue from Bob Marley’s singing style, so every emcee, every toaster, every rapper should be paying royalties to U-Roy’s estate.

TRADITION

Back when reggae was king they didn’t even try to hide it. They didn’t just sound like U-Roy and bite his lyrics and his catchphrases, they even named themselves after him – U Brown, U-black and, of course, most famously/successfully – I-Roy. Jamaica is so much poorer without him and I feel with his passing goes another crucial link to the oral tradition of the griot for which we cling to for so much of our history and culture. U-Roy was the grandaddy of the reggae griots and like every great storyteller he made it exciting to listen.

DOTUN ADEBAYO, BRITAIN’S MOST CELEBRATED BLACK BROADCASTER, IS KNOWN AS THE KING OF THE NIGHTTIME AIRWAVES. ALL VIEWS HERE ARE HIS OWN. LISTEN TO HIM OVERNIGHT ON BBC 5 LIVE FROM 1-5AM SATURDAY MORNINGS - MONDAY MORNINGS & 1AM - 4AM ON BBC RADIO LONDON (WEDNESDAY TO FRIDAY MORNINGS). FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER: @dotunadebayo

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APRIL 2021

THE VOICE | 13

THE CENSUS: It’s about the future of our communities

It’s about who we all are…

T

he census is an important survey that happens once every 10 years and gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales. Census information helps to plan and fund the services we use every day.

By taking part, you’ll be helping inform decisions about services you use in your community.

Services such as transport, education and healthcare in our local areas are informed by census information. From councils planning school places, building doctors’ surgeries and transport routes, to charities seeking funding, census information is at the heart of the decisions made across England and Wales.

Without the census - and without providing information about ourselves, our households, and our homes - it would

be much more difficult to adequately plan services across England and Wales. That’s why it’s so important to take part.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the statistics they produce are independent from government. Although ONS report to the UK Parliament, their work is fully protected from political interference.

INFORMATION Government departments dealing with any applications you have made, or any payments or services you receive, cannot see your census information. For example, it cannot be used to influence benefit claims, a residency application, immigration status or taxes. Landlords, or any private organisations, will not be able to see your personal information either.

Census information creates

a snapshot of the population of England and Wales. This information does not contain anything that could identify you personally. The information you give in the census helps to ensure that any available funding is spent on things that affect us all. This includes services such as transport, education, libraries and healthcare.

Completing the census only take 10 minutes per person.

FIRE-FIGHTING WITH FACTS

Assessing fire risks across London

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) is the fire and rescue service for London. In planning its services, the LFB does an assessment of risk across London. LFB

uses census data – and its own knowledge of the communities across the capital – to accurately assess the risk level for each area. There is an online postcode tool that members of the public can use to look up their own area.

COMMUNITIES A big part of LFB’s role is trying to prevent fires from happening in the first place and to do this it is important to look at which areas and communities are most at risk of fires.

With over 3.2 million homes in London this is a difficult task.

By looking at data from the census about age, for example, the team can map areas with higher numbers of older people living alone, who might be more at risk of injury

or death if a fire happened.

Other factors like overcrowding or the lack of central heating can also make people more vulnerable.

SAFETY The Brigade works with local councils and communities to help reduce risks, educating residents on fire safety and carrying out home fire safety visits. This helps to reduce the number of fires and casualties from fire in London. Without the census data it would be more difficult for the Brigade to map these areas of risk. It really does save lives.

Census day was on the 21st of March 2021.

To find out more go to: www.census.gov.uk

14 | THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

Feature

Health

Why antibiotics are becoming less effective

THE DRUGS DON’T WORK: Drug-resistant infections are estimated to cause 700,000 deaths each year globally

Amid a global pandemic, there is another health concern – the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Dr Esmita Charani and Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope explain

A

N T I M IC ROBI A L RESISTANCE (AMR) is a leading global health threat that was at the forefront before the COVID-19 pandemic even began.

According to the 2019/20 ESPAUR Report published by Public Health England, about 178 AMR infections are diagnosed daily in England.

Questions have been raised around the direct link between AMR and ethnicity – but there is yet sufficient evidence to accept these claims.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the increased burden of infections in people from black and minority ethnic (BAME) communities.

The use of antibiotics to treat individuals with COVID-19 infections may be a contributing factor to antibiotic-resistant infections worldwide.

The recent emergence of the almost untreatable gonorrhoea ‘superbug’ has highlighted the urgent need for new antibiotics to be developed and a need to combat AMR. Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope, lead pharmacist for Antimicrobial Resistance at Public Health England and Dr Esmita Charani, senior research pharmacist at Imperial College London, shared their expertise with The Voice on AMR as a concern among British BAME communities.

The effects of AMR within BAME communities Many studies have demonstrated correlations between ethnicities and their effects on health. In England, ethnic minorities are amongst the group of people that are affected more by certain infections such as tuberculosis and malaria.

The highest cases of tuberculosis reported in the UK are seen in persons born in countries with high levels of the infection. This supports the conclusion that migration is a contributing factor in driving rates

It is important to raise awareness in culturally sensitive ways of AMR infections in the UK. Other factors such as one’s socioeconomic status may impact their living conditions and lifestyle which subsequently make them more prone to acquiring these infections.

People from BAME communities carry genetic predisposition for illnesses such as diabetes, heart disease and sickle cell disease. These existing illnesses make them more susceptible to developing more severe and longer-lasting complications from infections like COVID-19.

Dr Ashiru-Oredope and Dr Charani expressed the importance of understanding the advantages and disadvantages of health and illness in different ethnic sub-populations in relation to infections and AMR. They believe that more research is needed in relation to varying AMR burden amongst different ethnic groups and more specifically, due to differences in lifestyle and diet.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhoea, has progressively developed resistance to the antibiotic drugs that were once able to treat it.

With almost not enough antibiotics left to treat the infection, it is crucial for public health officials to continuously monitor the emergence of antibiotic-resistant sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

Dr Ashiru-Oredope and Dr Charani said: “It is important to raise awareness about STIs in culturally and contextually sensitive ways amongst different groups to ensure that we

reach all, particularly increasing sexual health knowledge among BAME youths.”

STI rates were highest amongst people of Black Caribbean ethnicity between 2018 and 2019 which was also a nine per cent increase.

The largest proportional increase in new STI diagnoses was in people of Asian ethnicity, a total of 16 per cent with the highest cases being gonorrhoea and chlamydia.

Will AMR result in the next pandemic?

AMR is already a major global health concern and was ranked by the World Health Organisation as one of the top 10 global health threats among others such as air pollution and global influenza pandemics.

Dr Ashiru-Oredope and Dr Charani told The Voice: “AMR differs to the COVID-19 pan-

under way, drug resistant infections caused by AMR can occur due to a variety of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses or parasites causing disease in humans. Therefore, it is very

A world without antibiotics is a world without surgeries and chemotherapy demic as it is more difficult to recognise and whilst it can spread, it does not spread as quickly.”

Factors such as these could make AMR appear ‘less serious’ to the general public when in fact, it is a serious issue that demands similar efforts to that of COVID-19.

Drug-resistant infections are estimated to cause 700,000 deaths each year globally. This figure is predicted to rise to 10 million, alongside a cumulative cost of $100 trillion (£72.5 trillion), by 2050.

The World Bank estimates that an extra 28 million people around the world could be forced into extreme poverty by 2050 unless AMR is contained.

Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic for which vaccines are

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difficult to find a cure through universal vaccines like we have for COVID-19.

Tackling AMR AMR develops naturally in microorganisms usually as a result of genetic changes. However, human actions may accelerate the development and spread of this resistance.

The misuse and overuse of antibiotics; poor infection and disease control; lack of awareness and knowledge of AMR among public health professionals are the main factors that are accelerating the spread of AMR in the UK. AMR can be prevented through immunisation where available, hand hygiene, safe food preparation, access to clean water and good sanita-

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tion practices and using antibiotics as directed by qualified healthcare professionals. One of the most effective methods of preventing AMR is by preventing infections.

“We need to advocate for the importance of preventing infections in the first instance as well as a responsible and measures use of antibiotics across the entire population regardless of ethnicity, culture or race”, Dr Ashiru-Oredope and Dr Charani said.

“A world without antibiotics is a world without surgeries and chemotherapy to treat cancer. Without antibiotics, society could return to days where an infected cut could become lifethreatening and the treatable pneumonia would again become a mass killer,” the experts expressed. “COVID-19 has given us an example of what life without effective treatment for an infection could be.”

The AMR specialists further stated that although AMR cannot be eradicated completely, there are a number of actions that the public and all health and social care staff can take to help reduce its spread.

“Now, more than ever, we need to continue working together to prevent all infections – including COVID-19, as well

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as to ensure we protect the antimicrobials we have available, especially for life-threatening infections such as sepsis and meningitis.”

Dr Ashiru-Oredope and Dr Charani encourage the public to visit the Antibiotic Guardian website (antibioticguardian. com) where they can find out more about antibiotic resistance and what they can do to help keep these vital medicines working.

Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope is the lead pharmacist for the Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infections at Public Health England. She is also the global antimicrobial resistance lead for the Commonwealth Pharmacists Association. In 2015, Diane was awarded Public Health Pharmacist of the year and in 2016 Outstanding Woman in the Public Sector at the 10th PRECIOUS awards. Dr Esmita Charani is a senior research pharmacist within the faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London at the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit for Healthcare Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance. Her work in AMR has been recognised through the Academy of Medical Sciences UK-India AMR Visiting Professor award.

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2021

THE VOICE| 15

COVID-19

Childcare bubbles You’ve probably heard about childcare bubbles that can be formed during the current Covid-19 lockdown. But you might not know exactly what they’re for or if you’re allowed to set one up.

It’s important to understand the rules around bubbles in order continue to keep our families and communities safe.

Even though children are back at school, these rules haven’t changed.

Did you know?

Single parents with children under 14 can join up with one other household to create a childcare bubble.

Dr Vanessa Apea supports childcare bubbles

You can only have one childcare bubble with one other household. The idea is you take turns looking after the children for each other.

Childcare bubbles where possible should be formed within your local area. You should avoid long journeys unless absolutely necessary.

Childcare bubbles are not for social purposes, those caring for children should not meet socially whilst with those in their childcare bubble.

Find out who can create a childcare bubble at gov.uk

16 | THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

News

Black interns matter

Law graduate Samuel Clague talks to The Voice about why he set up an initiative to help black young people into the legal sector

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FTER GRADUATING from Durham University in Law, Samuel Clague worked in various legal roles but says he soon became aware of a lack of black representation.

“I wanted to do something about this. People want to see people like them succeeding in their careers,” he says.

But a lack of representation and a lack of network connections presented barriers to minority candidates getting careers in the legal sector, he says.

The Solicitors’ Regulatory Authority’s 2020 diversity statistics reveal black and minority ethnic (BAME) lawyers make up approximately 21 per cent of the total qualified lawyer population.

Yet only three per cent are of black heritage.

So, in 2010, Mr Clague founded the Stephen James Partnership (SJP), the UK’s only black-owned, technologybased recruitment firm specialising in the legal sector, and his goal, he says, is to “do more for the black community”.

Initially, he was working with graduates with some experience, but he soon realised more needed to be done to help young people get a foothold in the legal and financial services sectors – areas traditionally perceived as the domain of middle-aged, white Oxbridge

REAPING THE REWARDS: From left, Tebogo Mphahlele and Myriam Olusunmade are just two who have benefited from the programme established by Samuel Clague, above males. This was made clear to him when he decided, two years ago, to offer a ‘Wednesday at Five Club’ - a free ‘drop-in’ session where people could call his mobile and he would help people with their CVs or provide interview tips.

“I wanted to give people opportunity and access,” he says, “but I kept getting feedback from young people that they were struggling”.

INCLUSION

So Mr Clague built on his decade of experience doing advocacy and engagement to create #BlackInternsMatter last year.

The initiative aims to promote inclusion in the legal world, and to help young black people – regardless of age, experience, education or background – with the skills they need to get an internship.

The launch was timely, coming as it did amid the COVID19 pandemic, as third-year student Mariam Olusunm a d e says: “I

I wanted to give people opportunity and access have spent the duration of my degree applying to various schemes and placements to try and further my prospects of obtaining a legal grad job.

“It is becoming increasingly difficult and, with the interruption of COVID-19, it has been even harder.”

Since its soft launch in 2020, Black Interns Matter has also launched a Black Vacation Scheme (BVS), an initiative designed to address black underrepresentation on prestigious vacation schemes and internship programmes at law and financial services firms.

Ms Olusunmade adds: “With the help of the BVS programme, I have had more chances at applying to firms

@thevoicenewspaper

for vacation schemes, which will hopefully transform into a training contract in the upcoming years.

“It’s a truly helpful programme that has reignited my hope in gaining a grad job.”

Tebogo Mphahlele was one of the first candidates through SJP’s programme.

He says: “Through access to a highly sought-after position at a global law firm, coupled with direct personal training with Samuel, the SJP has propelled my professional career.”

Mr Mphahlele praises the help SJP gave with his interview skills: “By virtue of the specific guidance on assessment centre and interview technique, the SJP equipped me with vital employability skills, while helping my personal development.

“Ultimately, this programme has been a fantastic initiative aimed at increasing ethnic minority representation in the legal sphere.

“In an employment climate plagued by fierce competition, the consequences of COVID-19 and unequal access to support, this has been an exemplary programme.”

The praise is high indeed, but for Mr Clague it’s not about the plaudits but about providing

@thevoicenews

the right set of opportunities to talented young black people, as BVS intern Cassandra Acquah, pictured below left, explains: “One of the obstacles I’ve faced is not always knowing which opportunities are out there that I’m eligible for.

“There is a huge variety out there, which is great, but it can also be quite daunting if you don’t know exactly where to start or what to look for.

“The BVS programme has been really helpful in providing me with the option to benefit from amazing opportunities with law firms that I may not have come across by myself, and has always been done in a personable and friendly way, which I’ve hugely appreciated.”

But SJP is doing even more.

Accredited SJP interns can also get access to a comprehensive programme of support, which can include a daily lunch and travel allowance, career bootcamps, coaching events, insight days, CV clinics, and mentoring.

Anyone can apply, and anyone can donate to help a young person get the training and opportunities they need, or provide tablets so a young intern can work from home without having to borrow the technol-

voicenews

ogy needed for their placement.

Even something as simple as buying a suit for a candidate from a low-income background makes a huge difference.

Why is that important? Mr Clague says: “These things I have just mentioned have often been stumbling blocks for people.

“Imagine turning up to a huge organisation and thinking, ‘I look and sound different to lots of people here, and I’ve had to borrow clothes’.”

BARRIERS

He speaks truth: there are still too many barriers, from the lack of a network down to the cut of one’s clothes.

This is why “staunch egalitarian” Omari Daniels, pictured inset left, said it made perfect sense for him to get involved with BIM. Mr Daniels says: “Contributing to the BIM initiative has been rewarding. It empowers me to continue raising the bar for justice and equality from where my forebears left off.

“As a black working-class individual, I understand firsthand how these initiatives increase positive visibility for my demographic.

“This is why I have extended my personal mantra of ‘Kaizen’ (Japanese for continuous improvement) to help make difference for my community.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

APRIL 2021

THE VOICE | 17

Education

Is decolonising the school curriculum a waste of time?

NURTURING THE NEXT GENERATION: Robin Walker says there are a number of key points from history that our children should be taught (photo: Katerina Holmes)

This may seem like a cause worth fighting, but there does appear to be more than enough evidence to suggest pupils are learning a great deal about all of Britain’s past, says Neil Mayers

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IKE THE fight for racial and gender equality, decolonising the national curriculum of English schools sounds like a cause worth fighting for. Unfortunately, it’s not. In fact, with respect to improving the educational experience of African and Caribbean children in British schools, it’s the wrong fight altogether.

For many people, those words are going to be hard to accept. To be told that decolonising the curriculum is relatively unimportant would seem to be a validation of British institutionalised racism at its worst.

Nonetheless, these are the unapologetic words of the UK’s preeminent teacher of black hstory and the world’s leading scholar of ancient and mediaeval African history, Robin Walker – ‘The Black History Man’.

Concerning his controversial comments, Walker, pictured below, responded: “Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but when we engage in the ‘let’s decolonise the history curriculum’ debate, the Government is laughing at us!”

They are laughing because they know that anyone that talks about decolonising the curriculum has never read the national curriculum.

Walker elaborates by breaking the curriculum down into its relevant key stages (age groups) whilst referring to the Department for Education document History Programmes Of Study: Key Stages 1 And 2 National Curriculum In England to show what could be taught.

Key Stage 1 (Primary School: Years 1 & 2).

Pupils should be taught: • “Changes within living memory” – this could literally

When we engage in this debate, the Government laughs at us be anything. For example, you used to have to go to the market to buy yam and plantains, but now you can get sweet potatoes in a supermarket • “Events commemorated through festivals or anniversaries” – for example the Notting Hill Carnival or African Liberation Day • “The lives of significant individuals in the past who have contributed to national and international achievements” – the document itself recommends Mary Seacole and Rosa Parks • “Significant historical events, people and places in their own locality” – near Walker’s school in Croydon, this could include the famous composer Samuel Coleridge Taylor. In the West Midlands, it could be when Malcolm X visited Smethwick in 1965.

People like Avril Nanton could do a Black History tour of your own locality. In fact, Tony Warner of Black History Walks does walking tours, coach tours and Black History of London cruises up and down the Thames.

All of t h e s e would meet

the Key Stage 1 National Curriculum.”

Key Stage 2 (Primary School: Year 3 – Year 6) • “The Roman Empire and its impact on Britain …including Hadrian’s Wall” – Hadrian’s Wall was rebuilt and fortified by the African emperor of Rome – Lucius Septimius Severus, so he could be a topic area • “Britain’s settlement by Anglo-Saxons and Scots” – this could include Christian conversion, eg. Canterbury. A big part of the spread of Christianity during Anglo-Saxon England was by an African cleric known as Abbot Hadrian • The achievements of the earliest civilisations, eg. ancient Egypt – Greek and Roman scholars such as Diodorus, Herodotus, Galen and Aristotle described the Ancient Egyptians not just as dark-skinned, but as black-skinned and descendants of the ‘Ethiopians.’

In 1974 Cheikh Anta Diop scientifically proved that ancient Egyptians were black Africans – racially and visually (by melanin content). Just saying!

• A non-European society that provides contrasts with British history – one study chosen from Benin (West Africa) c. AD 900-1300.

Added together, this amounts to a lot of black history that can be taught in primary school.

The book Black British History: Black Influences on British culture (1948 to 2016), which provides 32 hours of teaching and learning material for parents, guardians, and teachers of secondary school students, was written for Key Stage 3 History lessons and covers topics such as: • SS Empire Windrush.

• The Notting Hill Carnival.

• Black-British Civil Rights.

• Enoch Powell and the Rivers of Blood Speech.

• Subcultures: The Mods; The Skinheads; The Punks.

• Black british success in mainstream: literature; drama; art and textiles; politics.

• Music: calypso; rock and

should be able to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement.

The fact that this book was produced to adhere to the most conservative of criteria – set

The fight isn’t decolonisation but to produce new and innovative resources to support the ‘allowable’ history content roll; Mersey beat; British R’n’B; ska; rocksteady; reggae; Lovers Rock; 2 Tone, soul, jungle; garage; grime.

What distinguishes this resource from other organisations’ attempts to decolonise the curriculum, is the focus on the skills required from the national curriculum.

At Key Stage 3, students

by Michael Gove (education secretary 2010-2014), does not detract from the elephant in the room. The other reason why the Government is laughing at calls to decolonise the curriculum is because academy schools do not have to follow the national curriculum.

Consequently, the real fight is not to decolonise the curricu-

lum, but to produce new and innovative resources to support the ‘allowable’ history content; and for this essential work to be replicated in other subject areas.

COUNTED

For example, Krystal Rubie, CEO of Young Black Leaders, who in Walker’s words “has revolutionised the teaching of PSHCE” (personal, social, health and citizenship education) by rewriting the entire syllabus for the benefit of African and Caribbean children.

The Raising Black Achievement Team are also interested in any groups or individuals who have rewritten curriculum content for black students in their subject area. It’s time to stand up and be counted.

For more information you can contact Raising Black Achievement at info@raisingblack achievement.com

18 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

ADVERTORIAL

BETTER HEALTH – Better Health is here to support you in feeling better and healthier

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By Darell J Philip - Contributor

ast year has been demanding for all of us but with that said there has never been a better time to develop some new healthier habits. Gaining weight is often a gradual process – it happens as a result of modern-day living and the odd unhealthy habit.

Spending more time at home, and changes to our usual routine during the pandemic has meant we may have found ourselves eating a bit more than we should. If you want to lose weight, it’s not about getting it right, but getting started. Healthy changes start with little steps and will help you to feel better, inside and out.

Making small, simple changes to what you eat and drink can help you achieve a healthier weight Increased weight causes fat to build up around vital organs, making it harder for the body to fight against diseases like cancer, heart disease and now COVID-19.

If you are overweight or living with obesity, achieving a healthy weight can help reduce your risk of developing these diseases. Losing weight has many health benefits.

Making small, simple changes to what and how much you are eating and drinking can really help you lose the pounds and it means you’ll be better able to fight serious diseases.

Whether you want to lose weight or get active, the NHS has lots of free ideas to support and help you along the way. n For help and support to lose weight and get active go to: www.nhs.uk/ better-health.

Registered Public Health Nutritionist - Michelle Leon on the benefits of healthy eating: From a young age I always had an interest in the human anatomy, personal and social well-being as well as healthy eating. This led to me pursuing a successful course of study in Nutrition. As a registered nutritionist specialising in public health, I am passionate about working with members of the public who have a desire to live happier and healthier lives and so it is important for me to be able to support the practical steps that can be taken in order to achieve this.

For those wanting to lose weight, knowing what to eat is just as important as how to do it practically, that’s why I am here to help so you can live the happy and healthy life you deserve.

It can be tricky to know what to do with your meals if you’re trying to lose weight. - Michelle Leon, outlines some important do’s and don’ts.

Don’t skip the Veg: Very small portions

of energy boosting starchy vegetables like breadfruit, green bananas and root vegetables such as sweet potato. Kale, broccoli and carrots are also good. Aim to have 2 or more portions of veg in your main meal which works out as half a plate.

Add in the Protein: Plant based proteins such as kidney beans, chickpeas and lentils are highly recommended. Meat such as chicken and fish can be added bearing in mind that the portion size should be equivalent to the palm of your hand and be baked rather than fried.

Careful with the Carbs: When it comes to bread, rice and pasta, the wholegrain approach is best and should make up no more than a third of your meal.

Yes to Fish: If you eat fish, you should try to have 1 to 2 portions a week. At least 1 portion should be oily fish like salmon, sardines and pilchards.

Keep check on the Dairy: Lower sugar and reduced fat versions for milk, cheese and yoghurts are advised and encouraged.

Super unsaturated Oils: Plant based oils which have unsaturated fats such as olive, sunflower and rapeseed are best to use.

Spread thinly: The use of lower fat spreads is encouraged but again these should be consumed in small amounts only.

Keep hydrated with water: 6-8 cups of water a day keeps you hydrated and feeling fresh. n For more eat well tips why not download the Easy Meals app!

APRIL 2021

ADVERTORIAL

THE VOICE| 19

– LET’S DO THIS!

HOW MUM MELISSA MASON MADE SIMPLE CHANGES FOR A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE Melissa Mason, a children’s author and poet from Luton, shares her recent weight loss journey.

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have always tended to be a bit overweight and during my pregnancy last year things naturally worsened as I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes – a condition which can be brought on by being overweight. With support from an NHS Health Nutritionist and my family I was able to make the necessary changes needed in order to ensure both the safe delivery of my baby and make an overall improvement in my weight after my baby’s birth.

After giving birth, an overall increase in my level of exercise alongside drastic changes in my eating habits, resulted in me losing weight.

I introduced wholesome foods into my diet which contained less sugar and fat and after a period of a few months my weight reduced significantly.

I felt lighter, more energised, and less lethargic.

My advice to those who want to reduce weight is to really watch what you are eating reduce your intake of sugar and fat and replace it with fruit and vegetables, add in a good regular exercise routine and you will be on the road to success. If I could do it then so can you!

“

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Simple tips to get you on the move (even in lockdown)

1. Develop a good habit

Set a reminder (you could use the If I alarm or timer on your phone) to get up and move every 30 minutes could do it during the day. Why not try some stretches during TV ad breaks or pace around the kitchen while the then so can kettle’s boiling. you!

”

n For more weight loss tips why not download the NHS Weight Loss App! NHS Weight Loss App (www.nhs.uk/betterhealth/lose-weight/)

2. Make the most of your Lunch time

Lunch time offers a good opportunity to fit in some physical activity and you can be as creative as you like whilst stretching and unwinding and if you fancy it, even fitting in a quick 10-minute home workout video.

3. Your own stand-up routine

Improve your strength by standing instead of sitting – even for short periods, it will make a noticeable difference.

4. Pursue a hobby

Now is as a good a time as ever to take up an active hobby such as gardening or DIY which can be great for both your mind and body.

5. Track your progress

Keeping a daily track of your progress through an app or even writing it down

will motivate you to keep going and as you see those targets being hit you may even want to increase them.

6. Two’s company

Why not have a friend or family member join you in your exercise to keep you motivated, encouraged and on track.

7. Go from strength to strength You should aim to do some type of strength building activity twice a week to keep your muscles and joints strong.

Activities such as online Pilates, a workout video or even carrying a bag full of

shopping will help to achieve this.

8. Reward yourself

Set yourself activity goals and rewards.

You could go for a long walk then treat yourself to an episode of your favourite TV show!

9. Find something you enjoy

Not sure where to start? there are plenty of online programmes available.

Whether it’s running, yoga or dancing around your living room, it all counts!

Search Better Health. n For more tips on how to get on the move then why not download the following movement apps: Couch to 5k www.getactive.io/couch-to-5k/ Active10 www.nhs.uk/oneyou/active10/home/

20 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Midlands News

by Veron Graham

‘PROTECT YOURSELF FROM COVID AND GET THE VACCINE’ Councils, churches and other groups across the region are urging people to accept the jab to help win the battle against the virus

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S THE UK moves gingerly into the post-pandemic era, local authorities and specialist groups, including churches, across the Midlands are echoing calls from UK government and the NHS for minority communities to take a COVID-19 vaccine.

Birmingham City Councillor Paulette Hamilton, pictured below right, is one of 150 elected officials joining others from Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Leicester, Walsall and Wolverhampton, to put her name to a cross-party effort in the form of an open letter to their communities to that effect.

RETICENCE

Speaking to The Voice, Cllr Hamilton, cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: “Some of the reticence towards the vaccine is down to historical mistrust of the government within our communities and the way they have been treated in the past.

“We were disproportionately

The letter is supported by social media videos which have been viewed over a million times and is part of a campaign that has received the backing of Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. It reads: “Coronavirus has had an impact on all of our lives.

The virus will continue to mutate and our hesitancy could be storing up more problems for later on affected, yet did not feel protected by the government in terms of being given correct information or the PPE to protect so many of us that work on the frontline, and then were expected to take what appeared to be an unproven vaccine.”

She added: “I understand the issues and if some don’t want to take it, there’s nothing that can be done about it, but we are encouraging the community to do their research by consulting people with the medical knowl-

We have been separated from loved ones due to the pandemic, loved ones have been taken from us too soon.

“The vaccine is our path back to normality. Taking the vaccine will mean we can slowly begin to get our lives back to normal. “We understand the fears and the anxieties but each one of

edge, and develop the confidence to take the vaccine.”

A former nurse of more than 20 years, Cllr Hamilton recently re-registered in response to a government call, and is eligible to administer the vaccine.

Her sense of urgency is bolstered by the illness and death of many of her constituents, friends and relatives, including one she had encouraged to seek medical help when they experienced a cough and shortness of breath.

Within 24 hours, her relative was found unresponsive on her settee and was pronounced dead after paramedics were unable to resuscitate her.

INITIATIVES

Cllr Hamilton said: “Sometimes we don’t get a second chance and without full coverage, the virus will continue to mutate and so our hesitancy could be storing up more problems for us later on.”

This councillor’s letter complements further initiatives,

us has the power to protect ourselves and help fight this deadly virus. The vaccine is now available and we urge you all to take it when called to do so.

“Protect yourself, protect your family and protect your community. Do not let the misinformation put you or your loved ones at risk. As elected councillors from

@thevoicenewspaper

GAME-CHANGER: The COVID-19 vaccine can save lives and help get life back to normal including a joint statement in support of the vaccine issued by the leaders of 60 black majority churches in association with Christian umbrella organisations Churches Together in England, Evangelical Alliance and YourNeighbour.

across the country and from black and ethnic minority backgrounds, we urge you all to play your part and encourage all those in our communities to take the vaccine.

“When it is our turn and we are called to do so, we will be taking the vaccine. Let’s work together and fight this virus once and for all.”

@thevoicenews

voicenews

www.voice-online.co.uk

APRIL 2021 THE VOICE | 21

Midlands News

EMBRACING EMOTIONS

Arts organisation to reflect on impact of COVID pandemic through events and a sculpture to remember lost loved ones

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HE RAVAGES COVID-19 continues to wreak on communities has prompted an artsled organisation to create a mechanism to help people cope with the emotional, psychological and physical impact.

Blackstory Partnership (BSP), producers of Birmingham’s Black History Month celebrations in recent years, has created TEAR, an acronym for Together Embrace And Remember — a series of events beginning this spring in the Second City.

CREATIVE

It will include creative arts and design, a memorial walk through Handsworth Park and culminate in the erection of a TEAR sculpture memorial, to commemorate those lost to the virus.

BSP has commissioned an international artist who hails from the Midlands, Dr Willard

Wigan, pictured inset below, to create the sculpture which will be unveiled in Birmingham next year during the Commonwealth Games.

In a joint statement, BSP’s Audrey Hayles-Parkes and Mykal Brown said: “We have recognised that nobody has been spared from the anxiety, worry and overall emotional fatigue of the coronavirus pandemic and the impact on mental health for those who have lost loved ones and not been able to follow cultural rituals due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“A tear is a visual expression of emotion associated with happiness, feeling of overwhelm, pain, anger and sadness.

“The TEAR symbol is a fitting tribute – much like the rainbow or world wars’ poppy – in remembrance of those who have

MAKING THEIR MARK: The Blackstory Partnership’s Mykal Brown, Audrey Parkes and Garry Stewart

passed during the COVID-19 pandemic.” Birmingham councillor Paulette Hamilton, TEAR ambassador, added: “We needed something to mark this time, which our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren can revisit and understand how COVID-19 has affected us.

Festival ready to dance again THE EAST MIDLANDS city of Leicester will receive a huge boost to its COVID-hit creative industry with the return of its Let’s Dance International Frontiers (LDIF) festival, between April 29 – May 8.

Returning for its 11th year, the 11-day celebration will mix in-person, indoors, outdoor and online events, including performances, discussions, exhibitions, workshops and a conference exploring dance as a medium for positive change. It will launch on April 29, International Dance Day, with Born to Protest — an outdoor performance at Orton Square by Joseph Toonga and Just Dance Theatre, responding to the lived experiences of black men through hip-hop dance.

Special guests will include the BOP Jazz Theatre Company, dancer Brittany Williams, pictured right, plus an exhibition on the late Haitian choreographer Jean-Léon Destiné featuring archival materials, some of which have never been presented in public. The exhibition brings to life Destiné’s colourful career in which he addresses Haiti’s history of resistance against colonialism and slavery.

Pawlet

Brookes, pictured left, artistic director and CEO of Serendipity UK, LDIF producers, said: “If the events of the last year have taught us anything, it is that we live in an ever-fluctuating world where we have to be creative and responsive.

“As we move through this challenging period arts and culture will be crucial in playing a key role in reengaging society, helping mental and physical health and stimulating the economy.

“We will be reacting and planning events alongside the most up-to-date government guidelines.”

Tickets and information about the events are available at serendipity-uk.com

“We have special ways to mourn: we celebrate life and we’ve not been able to do so in lockdown. There are a lot of issues brewing: although we can still communicate, we can’t see each other and it maybe that we’re not clear on exactly who we have lost.

“Also, we have lost people in Africa and the Caribbean that we can’t travel to and bury.

“We can’t take our loved ones’ bodies back and there are situations like my own cousin, who died of COVID in Jamaica in January and hasn’t been buried yet.

“TEAR is a great, respectful and enduring way to come to terms with our losses and honour those that COVID has taken.”

BSP has set up a TEAR online campaign page on Go Fund Me to receive donations towards the sculpture’s cost.

Apprentice engineers success AN ASPIRING young engineer is being celebrated as the 500th apprentice to join HS2 — the high speed railway that has targeted recruiting youth as part of its skills, education and employment strategy.

Darren Chikono, 21, pictured below, from east Birmingham, has started as a civil engineer with HS2’s construction partner Balfour Beatty VINCI (BBV).

Darren, who moved to Birmingham from Croydon aged seven, is delighted with his new appointment. He said: “HS2 is such an inspirational project and my role brings together the two things I really love – the opportunity to bring communities together and solve complex engineering problems. I feel so lucky to be part of this amazing project and to be playing such a hands-on role in bringing HS2 to the West Midlands.”

Darren successfully completed his studies at NCATI, qualifying as a Level 4 Technician in High Speed Rail Infrastructure.

He began taking part in networking events with local employers in the engineering sector, and this connection led him to BBV. He is now working and studying towards a Level 6 Civil Engineering degree apprenticeship and is an essential part of the team constructing the West Midlands section of the HS2 route.

He currently works with a team of engineers focused on delivering works on the site that will become HS2’s Washwood Heath depot, and as an east Birmingham resident, Darren is excited to be working so close to home.

EXPERIENCE

His hands-on role has already enabled him to build his knowledge and gain crucial experience in construction planning, using key tools and applications to illustrate how assets such as bridges and viaducts along the route will be constructed.

HS2’s skills manager for the West Midlands, Julie Venn-Morton, added: “Darren’s story is a shining example of how local people are benefiting from employment on this once-in-a-lifetime project. To see him fulfil his dream of becoming an engineer — and to be working so close to home on the new depot facility, which will create more jobs for local people — is just brilliant.”

HS2 Ltd is currently recruiting for 30 new apprentices to join in September 2021. For more on its apprenticeship opportunities visit hs2.org.uk/ careers. Job vacancies within its supply chain are on hs2.org.uk/careers/careers-with-oursupply-chain

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 or LinkedIn

22 | THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

Column

The Pennants and Penrhyn

North Wales’ Penrhyn Castle is a stunning piece of architecture – but its beauty disguises a torrid and troubling past, says Dotun Adebayo

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HE DEEPER and deeper we get into this monthly series in The Voice, the more and more we begin to realise that most of the great country houses in Britain constructed in the 17th and 18th Centuries were paid for by the slave trade. In other words, much of what we today call English Heritage was built off the backs of enslaved Africans.

Penrhyn Castle, just outside Bangor in Wales, is a prime example. It looks like a medieval fortress set in 40,000 acres. In fact it’s mock-Norman, built and rebuilt in the early 19th Century. Behind its formidable architecture and grand interiors, the centrepiece of which is a £40 million painting by Rembrandt, its foundations hide the dark history of the family that built it from immoral profits.

Money from his plantations paid for local roads If you’re from Jamaica and your surname is Pennant, who do you think you are? This is probably where your name came from. Especially if your roots are in Clarendon. Your foreparents are likely to have been enslaved by the Pennants.

What Gifford Pennant did for a living was enslave Africans to work on his sugar plantations which dominated a swathe of the Jamaican parish of Clarendon as early as the latter part of the 17th Century. Originally from Wales, he made his for-

tune and used his profits to buy the Penrhyn estate back home.

The free labour from their enslaved workers enabled the Pennants to become one of the wealthiest and most influential families in both countries.

FREEDOM

Gifford’s son Edward would become Chief Justice of Jamaica and his grandson, Samuel, became Lord Mayor of London.

But it was their cousin, Richard, who would inherit the plantations and the enslaved and the compensation for their freedom.

Despite his links to slavery he was known as Richard Pennant ‘the Improver’ for the philanthropy he could afford in north Wales. Money from his sugar plantations paid for local roads, railways, houses, schools and the Penrhyn Quarry, once the largest slate quarry in the

world, and changed the landscape of the region forever.

Yet Pennant ‘the Improver’, 1st Baron of Penrhyn, MP for Liverpool (a major slave port at the time), never set foot in Jamaica in his entire life. By now (the late 1700s) the Pennants had moved back to Britain but continued owning their plantations and the 1,000 people on them, whose fate would from now on be determined remotely on the other side of the Atlantic by way of letters and later an Act of Parliament.

In the House of Commons Pennant defended the slave trade and firmly denied that the transportation for enslaved Africans across the Atlantic was cruel. In a parliamentary address in 1789 he even argued that abolition of slavery would “ruin the colonies” and surrender “the dominion of the sea

A HORRIBLE HISTORY: The Pennants used their profits from slavery to buy the Penrhyn estate at a single glance” to others – Britannia would no longer rule the waves.

On the abolition of the trade in the British colonies on March 25, 1807, the Pennant family received compensation from the government of around £14,683 (estimated to be around £5 million today) in compensation for the freeing of 764 enslaved people in Jamaica.

A welcome gift as the building of Penrhyn Castle came to an end (they were now minted

enough to rebuild it a few years later).

14 years ago, the mayor of Clarendon, the late Milton Brown, called on Wales to honour its moral responsibility by paying compensation for the legacy of poverty left in the Caribbean by enslavement.

As for the Pennant family, they are now Douglas-Pennants and had their castle seized in 1951 by the tax office for money owed. It is now run by the National Trust.

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THE VOICE| 23

24 | THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

News

Petition demanding answers over Blessing Olusegun’s death Campaigners say the case of tragic 21-year-old whose body was found last year has not been ‘properly investigated’ because of her race

R

ENEWED INTEREST into the death of Blessing Olusegun has prompted Sussex Police to deny claims they have not “properly investigated” her case due to her race.

The body of 21-year-old Ms Olusegun was found lying on a beach at Bexhill near Galley Hill on September 18 last year.

The “much-loved and popular” business student from south London was working as a carer at the time of her sudden death.

Her phone and slippers were found packed 300 metres away on the beach and CCTV footage showed her walking to and entering the beach at around 1.30am.

A post-mortem revealed that Blessing had drowned, and found no evidence of violence or injury, but an inquest into her death is due to be held at a later date.

The media interest in Sarah Everard’s death led to calls for further investigation, and more

Her phone and slippers were found packed 300 metres away on the beach than 40,000 have signed a petition seeking justice for the young woman.

However, the ongoing investigation into her death by Sussex Police, many have called for further attention to be brought to the case following the kidnap and murder of Ms Everard.

Ms Everard, 33, was walking to her home in Brixton near Clapham Junction when she went missing at around 9.30pm on March 3.

Campaigning groups are now calling for more awareness of black women victims

who have died in suspicious circumstances.

In a statement, senior investigating officer, detective inspector Pippa Nicklin, said: “I have spoken with Blessing’s mother and explained we remain absolutely committed to finding out the facts of what happened to Blessing.

DISTRESSING

“This is a very distressing time for her and we are keen to do everything we can so that hopefully she may gain some closure over the death of her much-loved daughter.

“Although there continues to be no evidence of a crime we are fully examining all the circumstances leading up to Blessing’s death, from her arrival in Bexhill, to her leaving the house where she was working and walking to the beach.

“It has been reported that we have not properly investigated Blessing’s death because of her ethnicity and we strongly refute these claims.”

THE WHOLE TRUTH?: Sussex Police say they are continuing to investigate the death of Blessing Olusegun and are working with her family at this ‘very distressing time’

‘Sometimes it looked like the rioters had been training for months’ Continued from page 3 WITHIN an hour police were baton charging the crowds around them and were being met with a volley of rubble and having to retreat. This tactic of charge and retreat only served to incense the crowd. Soon their numbers were swelling as more and more people descended into central Brixton in opposition to the police.

Some it has to be said only came for the looting, some, it has to be said, came for the burning.

‘The Night Brixton Burned’ was the headline in Sunday morning’s The Observer. ‘Hundreds of black youth joined by some whites rampaged through Brixton last night in a violent explosion of anger.’

More than 50 police and an unknown number of civilians were injured, some seriously, after running battles that lasted several hours. The

police’s batons and shields seemed like no match to the bricks and firebombs that rained down on them.

Sometimes it looked like the rioters had been training their tactics for months. One hundred and 17 police officers in total and 24 civilians were injured and 101 people were arrested and charged with various offences.

Three ambulancemen also needed treatment.

Sunday saw sporadic running battles from about 6pm. The centre of Brixton was sealed off, every now and then there would be a charge by the police followed by a hail of bottles and bricks in return.

It went on until late in the evening, but the ‘insurrectionists’ had already been weakened.

The police helicopter that hovered over Brixton all weekend was passing on vital information to snatch squads on the ground who were raiding

It was like a war zone. The barricades would not have looked out of place in Belfast property across the area and stealthily removing from the scene those they considered to be agitators.

They raided Halvin Swaby’s house twice over the two days. Three of his sons had been taken away by officers and kept in police custody in the overflowing cells in Brixton nick.

On Sunday, April 26, 1981, police officers and 24 civilians were taken to hospital, with 85 arrests made.

@thevoicenewspaper

The then-home secretary William Whitelaw was asked “Why haven’t you been here before?” by locals as he went on a fact-finding walkabout in the debris.

SKINHEADS

It was like a war zone. The barricades in front of Brixton police station would not have looked out of place in Belfast at the time.

A group of white skinheads who had gathered at the back of the station were soon charged away by the mounted officers behind the barricades. Off Coldharbour Lane white and black looters cleared the entire stock out of a shoe shop as the police stood by and watched them, unsure of the backlash that might accompany an intervention.

By early Monday morning, there was broken glass everywhere and the

@thevoicenews

voicenews

embers of the ‘uprising’ were dying out. It had still kicked off the preceding night but battle fatigue had already begun to set in amongst the ‘rebels’. It was less intense than the night before.

The extra 1,000 officers drafted in seemed to have succeeded in taking back control of the situation for the police. The Labour council leader Ted Knight described them as “an army of occupation”. There was only going to be one outcome.

“What is needed now is to build a completely new Brixton without any discrimination at all,” said the Brixton Neighbourhood Community Association who cited issues of frustration, unemployment, homelessness and alienation as factors that led to the disturbances.

The Scarman report into the riots concluded pretty much the same thing.

www.voice-online.co.uk

APRIL 2021 THE VOICE |

25

News feature

‘Our ancestors’ trauma lives on within us today’ RULED BY THE PAST: Historical societal and personal traumas can impact the way we live our lives in the present moment

Psychotherapist Eugene Ellis shares with The Voice his experience of coming to terms with his past

P

AST GENERATIONS of people of African descent were traumatised by unprecedented levels of violence and oppression due to the slave trade and colonialism.

This traumatisation has been passed into our children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. How can trauma from way back in the past still live inside us today? This is the topic of my new book, The Race Conversation.

Intergenerational trauma shaped my relationship with my father. Ancestral trauma was passed on and into me.

When I was a boy, my father’s beatings were both a way for him to expel his frustration and an old generational strategy to ensure I repressed any notions of rebellion and freedom.

When any personal sense of rebellion was quelled, it ensured I kept my body safe from the ‘real’ danger ‘out there’ – the threat that was outside of the home. I later learned that we have been programmed to survive difficult circumstances through beating.

It is a survival programme that continues to run inside most of us from our genera-

For all of us, the care and love we need does not just come from our families – but also from wider society tional past and that is still very much with us even today.

Of course, other programmes run inside us also, for example, between black mothers and children or black men and women.

For all of us, the care and love we need does not just come from our families – but also from wider society. Our social environment plays an essential role in developing our ability to emotionally soothe ourselves and our ability to take charge of our emotional states. In research studies, it has been found that children respond to their primary carers in ways that preserve their carers’ psychological states of mind.

ANGUISH : A crowd in Minneapolis gathers to mourn George Floyd before a jury selection last month for the trial of the former police officer charged with his death, Derek Chauvin

This state of mind then become shared between the carer and the child. It is passed on to the next generation.

What keeps this cycle of trauma in place is the added stress of living in a racialised society.

What black people and people of colour have to contend with is that love in the family home is not enough.

STAGE

The way we are seen by society, and the lack of care for our wellbeing sets the stage for our past states of mind to continue generationally. Trauma has its way of passing from one generation to another, but what keeps this cycle of trauma in place is the added stress of living in a racialised society.

Worry over the safety of our children is an important concern for black people and people of colour.

If we needed further evidence of this, we got it from the killing of George Floyd.

The construct of race, which developed when slavery was beginning to be abolished, continues to ensure that worry over our families safety remains a

primary concern. The race construct is there to preoccupy us.

It also ensures that trauma continues to be triggered inside us.

Epigenetics is an area of research that attempts to explain how the environment communicates with our genes. This research shows how fear and

intergenerationally. We need to understand that our past plays a crucial role in our present attitudes and behaviours. Understanding this is an essential part of healing and a path to wellness.

As a boy, fear seeped into my body and impacted almost eve-

As a boy, fear seeped into my body and impacted almost every aspect of my life other emotional traits can be transmitted through generations. Neuroepigeneticists believe that our biology may be altered by the environment we live in and then carried on, through reproduction, to future generations.

While epigenetic transmission is proven in plants and some mammals, there is scepticism about epigenetic transmission in humans within the scientific community. There is, however, much ongoing research in this area.

Even without epigenetics, there are many other mechanisms where fear is transmitted

ry aspect of my life. In my thirties, I had therapy with a black man where, for the first time, I looked at my relationship with my father in a meaningful way.

Therapy and my continued writing have allowed me to think and talk about my father in ways that do not rob us of the history and context of what has shaped us. Without reference to our history and our ancestors, I don’t think it would be possible to communicate the hurt of our relationship and bring compassion, forgiveness, and understanding to the moment of ancestral time that my father and I found ourselves

in when I was a child. Knowing that trauma transmits itself from one generation to the next and understanding how that happens has been liberating and revolutionary for me.

CONTEXT

Also, knowing that this intergenerational trauma is held in place by everyday microaggressions and the elusiveness of modern racism has allowed me to let go of many things from the past and see who I am in a much larger context than just my individual life.

Eugene Ellis is the author of The Race Conversation. He is the

director and founder of the Black, African and Asian Therapy

Network, the UK’s largest independent organisation to spe-

cialise in working therapeutically with Black, African, Caribbean and south Asian people. He is

also a psychotherapist with a

special interest in body-orien-

tated therapies and facilitating a dialogue around race and

mental wellbeing through arti-

cles, podcasts and blog posts as well as within organisations and psychotherapy training.

26

| THE VOICE APRIL 2021

News

THE FIGHT CONTINUES Coroner to decide whether to hold inquest into the death of transport worker Belly Mujinga, who died of COVID-19 two weeks after she was coughed on and spat at by a member of the public on the concourse of Victoria Station

T

HE NORTH London Coroner heard evidence on March 5, 2021 at a remote mention hearing as to whether there should be an inquest into the tragic death of Belly Mujinga. His decision is reserved and is expected later this month.

The coroner was apprised of the facts of the situation. On March 21, 2020, the family of Ms Mujinga alleged that she was assaulted by a white male (“X”) on the concourse of London’s Victoria Station.

It was claimed the assailant stated he had COVID before he coughed and shouted at her on two separate occasions.

Ms Mujinga died of COVID-19 on April 5, 2020. The family allege that her health and safety was being ignored by her employer, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR).

Over two million people have signed the petition calling for her to receive justice.

The family stated that the coroner had a duty to investigate under Section 1 of the Coroners and Justice Act 2009 and that accordingly, an inquest should be held into the cause of her death. They claim

Thameslink Railway at London

Victoria station.

Belly and On March 21, 2020, she and a co-worker, Motolani Suna co-worker mola, were situated on the open station concourse, neither havwere on the ing the benefit of PPE (facial open station masks), when they were accosted, coughed and shouted concourse at by a 57-year-old white man who claimed to have the COVwhen they ID-19 virus. The spittle hit Ms and Ms Sunmola, but were accosted, Mujinga not a third colleague who was nearby. coughed and shouted at by FACTORS Ms Mujinga developed a 57-year-old COVID-19 afterwards and Ms Sunmola developed sympwhite man toms of COVID-19. there was human culpable failure leading to her untimely death.

Ms Mujinga was a 47-yearold woman born in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). She graduated from the University of Kinshasa with a degree in journalism.

She worked for RTNC, the Congolese national broadcaster, and was the network’s first woman sports reporter. Due to the unrest following the assassination of president LaurentDésiré Kabila in 2001, she relocated to the UK for security reasons where she obtained a job at a post office in Edgware.

She married Lusamba Katalay (who she met at a church in London) in 2011 and had a daughter. Ms Mujinga suffered from sarcoidosis.

Ms Mujinga was a ticket office employee, a front line key worker for Govia

Ms Mujinga died weeks after contracting COVID-19.

The family’s barrister, Elaine Banton, argued that Ms Mujinga’s death was unnatural owing to the varying factors of culpable human failure which contributed to her being infected with COVID-19 and/or her death due to COVID-19.

She submitted that the following factors appeared to be highly indicative of surpassing the test of “reason to suspect”: i. BM’s death was caused by COVID-19; ii. GTR’s failure to operate a safe system of working at Victoria Station. The ORR subsequently took the action of closing the ticket office in which Ms Mujinga worked in the summer of 2020 on health and safety reasons. There were likely to have been failures to take adequate precautions to protect Ms Mujinga and other staff from COVID-19 infection; iii. BM’s trade union the TSSA (Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association) complained regarding the lack of health and safety for staff at Victoria Station. Such complaints had been raised previously and were ongoing; iv. GTR via its chief medical officer gave erroneous medical advice to staff which forbade staff to wear masks and stated they could work out-

@thevoicenewspaper

TALENTED: Belly Mujinga graduated from the University of Kinshasa with a degree in journalism side and could have contact with customers suffering from COVID-19 for up to 15 minutes without any risk of infection; v. GTR failed to provide any or any adequate PPE and Belly was expressly forbidden from using her own personal mask;

hospital appointments, putting her in fear of taking sick leave; GTR had knowledge of her regular hospital appointments; x. Ms Mujinga was not rostered to work on the concourse on March 21; and further should not have been working there as she

Ms Mujinga suffered from sarcoidosis, was on medication and should have been shielded prior to March 21, 2020 vi. GTR failed to provide adequate wash basin hygiene facilities and staff common areas were overcrowded with lack of social distancing; vii. There was no system for safe social distancing on the concourse; viii. Ms Mujinga suffered from sarcoidosis, was on immunosuppressant medication and should have been shielded prior to March 21, 2020; ix. GTR had attempted to reduce Ms Mujinga’s pay for attending

@thevoicenews

had a medical condition known to her employers and there was no reasonable business need for her to be outside as there were no customer queues; xi. Ms Mujinga’s supervisor sent her outside to work due to racial discrimination and/or race victimisation. This related to her previous grievance regarding the disparate treatment she received from her manager (in September 2019 being suspended for six weeks for leaving ticket office takings on her

voicenews

supervisor’s desk) compared to a white male working in similar circumstances where no action was taken. On May 29, 2020 the British Transport Police (BTP) concluded that no criminal offences had occurred on March 21, 2020.

EXCUSE

However, the family argued before the coroner that the BTP failed to properly consider criminal offences by X for common assault (occurring whilst at work), public order offences, or harassment under Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and failed to properly consider if any other person or organisation had committed other related offences. It was pointed out that BTP accepted X’s excuse that the coughing was involuntary, despite the fact that he did so on two separate occasions and did not cover his mouth on either occasion.

Meanwhile, the BTP continues to unreasonably refuse to disclose the name of X with the result that the family cannot sue X for his assault on her.

www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2020

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THE VOICE| 5

28 | THE VOICE

APRIL 2021

Faith

GOD’S TRIUMPH AT EASTER CAN SHOW US HOPE IN THE WORLD

COVID has brought much suffering to the world, but the resurrection demonstrates how happiness can return if we have faith, says John Root

W

HAT IS your earliest ‘Covid memory’?

For me, it was being in the pub watching Liverpool’s tragic defeat by Atletico Madrid in the European Champions League when my son phoned to say that COVID infections were now growing so fast that I should keep indoors.

Like many other people at the time, I didn’t think it was that serious. Donald Trump told Americans that it would be all over by Easter. Now we face a second Easter with restrictions still in place.

COVID-19 has brought widespread pain. Economic hardship, sickness, bereavement, death have brought a level of sorrow unknown for several decades.

Similar pain was revealed in the highly controversial Oprah interview of Meghan and Harry on their experiences in the royal family.

HURT

But those of us who don’t inhabit their high-level wealth, status and publicity altitude still experience the same realities — the hurt of broken family relationships, emotional stress, overwhelming demands, racism.

At whatever level of life we live, pain is part of our experience. In Genesis chapter 3, we read that through disobedience to God the lot of all humans is broken relationships between men and women, struggle in work, pain in childbirth.

What is your earliest ‘Crucifixion memory’? Mine is quite clear.

When I was about seven, the Radio Times front cover was of three men hanging from crosses. I have always been quite squeamish, and didn’t come from a particularly religious family, so the picture shocked

It is turning away from pain that makes many people treat Good Friday as a holiday and ignore thinking about Jesus’s suffering and horrified me. I would turn it over or cover it with a cushion so as not to see it.

I think it is that turning away from pain that makes many people treat Good Friday as a holiday and ignore thinking about Jesus’s suffering.

On the other hand, people whose history is raw with suffering turn to it readily. That is why it is marked so much more in the Caribbean – wearing dark clothes, not carrying money, being sombre.

The suffering of Jesus gives dignity to the experience of all who have suffered. Crucifixion was like lynching – not just a way of killing someone, but done with excessive brutality and cruelty in order to terrorise and suppress people.

It is sickening to read details of the gratuitous and sadistic detail of many lynchings.

So too, crucifixions were also carried out with the deliberate intention of maximising intense, long drawn-out physical and mental agony. Appropriately, one of the classic studies of American slavery was entitled ‘Time on the Cross’.

Perhaps this year, when many people have suffered greater pressures on their families and relationships, their financial and mental well-being, spending time identifying with the suffering of Jesus will have greater resonance.

On Good Friday, we do well not to walk by on the other side but to focus thought and prayer on those for whom the past year has been particularly grief or anxiety stricken; and possibly to share with Jesus our own sufferings. But the story of Jesus doesn’t finish with His suffering on the cross. ‘It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming’ is the wellknown preacher’s claim.

Whilst some churches display crucifixes portraying the physical agony of Jesus, others focus on simple crosses. The body of Jesus is no longer there, just as the great triumphant cry of the Christian faith is the angel’s words to the women at the tomb on the Sunday morning: “He is not here; He has risen”.

FAITHFULNESS

In some ways, I don’t like the crosses we often see today — they are too clean, geometric, abstract. They turn our minds away from the reality of Jesus’s intense physical suffering.

But in another way, they point us to something very important: Jesus’s death was not the end but the beginning.

The sin that caused his death was not victorious but overcome and defeated by his faithfulness.

His resurrection shows that it is God who has the ultimate authority, not the power of lies and brutality, hatred and prejudice.

These evils are still with us, but they can never have the last word. That word is always that “Jesus is Lord”.

We can see that now in the ways in which injustice, poverty,

@thevoicenewspaper

A TIME FOR SORROW: On Good Friday, we remember Jesus’s suffering on the cross racism and evil are being overcome. If you don’t believe me, consider what life was like for the ordinary person two thousand years ago.

That’s why, in the midst of

the wounds of racism or exclusion.

But the resurrection of Jesus calls us to the hope that in the end, our good God will be victorious.

The resurrection calls us to the hope that in the end, our good God will be victorious suffering, the Christian faith gives us hope.

That doesn’t obliterate suffering. COVID will always leave scars in people’s hearts and bodies, on the national economy and our private finances. Family rifts are sometimes never healed by reconciliation. People carry

@thevoicenews

That energises us to work for His kingdom to come in this life, and gives us the confidence to trust ourselves to God until finally he has overcome the power of evil, sin and death.

The great heroes of black history have been people of hope — Martin Luther King, Nelson

voicenews

Mandela. For King, that hope was fuelled by his Christian faith; for Mandela simply by the warmth and vigour of his humanity.

But for both it was hope, not revenge or anger or desire to settle the score, that drove them forward.

If Good Friday is a time to bring our pain and grief, and our shame and repentance to God, so Easter Sunday is a time to rest our spirits in the confidence of God’s final victory through Jesus, and to be re-energised to face and overcome the sorrow and evil of our world.

We hold on to one of the last sayings of the risen Jesus: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

APRIL 2021 THE VOICE | 29

Faith

A NEW HOPE : Left, Prime Minister Boris Johnson visits the vaccine centre at Jesus House in Brent; below right, Titilayo receives a COVID-19 vaccine; bottom right, Prince Charles meets Jesus House pastor Agu Irukwu on a tour of the vaccination centre

Serving our communities

London churches show their support for COVID-19 vaccine rollout with pop-up vaccination sites - By Marcia Dixon

T

WO BLACK majority churches in the capital have opened up their buildings as spaces for their congregations and the local community to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Last month, Jesus House in Brent, part of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the UK, which has more than 850 parishes around the country, opened as a pop-up vaccination site.

The initiative, which is in partnership with NHS England, has already seen three vaccination clinics operated from the church in north-west London.

Pastor Agu Irukwu, pastor of Jesus House and head of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in the UK, said: “We are

grateful to God that at a time like this, His church can be salt and light, a beacon of hope in the nation.”

Titilayo, a member of Jesus House who attended the popup to get a vaccination said: “I naturally had reservations in light of the conspiracy theories on social media, especially with regards to the speed of the vaccine production.

SWAYED

“But the conversations Jesus House arranged with the panel of medical experts, swayed my decision. There are far greater benefits in taking the vaccine than any associated risks. It didn’t hurt at all. I was pleasantly surprised.”

THUMBS UP: Rev Doug Williams at the Emmanuel Church pop-up

Prime minister Boris Johnson made a visit to Jesus House on Sunday March 7.

He praised the work of the church and volunteers for helping improve access to vaccination.

He said: “It’s absolutely wonderful to see the number of people who are coming in this Sunday to get vaccinated.

“This is work that is being led by local GPs, by volunteers, by many, many people.”

Jesus House, which was also visited by Prince Charles on March 9, isn’t the only black majority church that has opened up to enable people to get the jab in a local, trusted space.

Reverend Doug Williams has also volunteered his church to be used as a pop-up vaccination site.

The pastor at Emmanuel Community Church International in Walthamstow, east London, stressed that while he has had the first dose of the vaccine, congregants were free to make an informed choice.

“We were happy as a church to support a borough-wide initiative in Waltham Forest to encourage residents — specially black and Asian community members — to receive the vaccination,” Williams said.

“I myself was vaccinated, but made it clear to our members and staff that I was not doing this to leverage compliance,

their freedom of choice was not under veto here.”

The action taken by the churches follows reports that black people are the ethnic group most likely to be hesitant about getting the jab.New data released from the Office for National Statistics shows that black or black British adults were most likely to report vaccine hesitancy (44 per cent).

SUFFER

Research also shows that black people are more likely to catch COVID-19 and suffer the most severe complications.

Males with black African ethnicity are 2.7 times more likely to die from the virus than white males and females with a black Caribbean ethnicity are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 than white females.

Aware of the concerns that many black people have about the vaccine and the spread of misinformation targeting black communities, black churches have worked together to dispel myths, increase access to vaccination among their congregations and save lives.

In addition to the vaccine pop-up sites, churches are facilitating online sessions for their congregations and local communities to articulate their concerns and have these addressed by trusted medical professionals.

Both Irukwu and Williams

were also among a group of black church leaders who issued a joint statement expressing their confidence in the vaccine and urging Christians to seek the facts about it.

Reverend Joe Aldred, of the National Church Leaders Fo-

rum, has had the vaccine and is among those calling for more churches to come forward as pop-up vaccination sites.

Churches that would like to host vaccinations can contact england.vaccinationequalities@nhs.net

30 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2021

APRIL 2021 THE VOICE | 31

News

Simply healthier women: Tips to take back control We all want to live healthier lives but life can get in the way of us taking action. Here, Jacky McLeod offers three tips...

1. Breathe, relax and unwind As women we often pride ourselves on multi-tasking and doing things for everyone else, but life under pressure leads to stress and vulnerability to common health problems, like anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and diabetes. So explore different ways of reducing your stress and do whatever works for you.

See https://www.mind.org. uk/information-support/typesof-mental-health-problems/ stress/what-is- stress/ for more.

2. Show yourself some love It’s surprising how many negative messages we absorb each day, that can erode our confidence and contentment, whereas positive messages need conscious effort.

So right now, think of three things you like about your appearance and three compliments you’ve had about your

personality, then celebrate them!

Stick them on your screensaver or on your mirror, focus on your positives and build your confidence each day.

It’s time to work with the body you have and simply start doing what you can do. If you simply sit and stand up straight, you will look taller, slimmer and feel more confident.

STRETCH

Get into a daily stretch routine and your body will respond by becoming more flexible, your posture will improve, any back pain will lessen and your stress will reduce.

Simply move more and increase your daily total steps.

If you can take a brisk walk for 10 minutes each weekday and a walk round the park at the weekend, then go for it! Or if music is your thing, dancing two tunes back-to-back is just fine. Whether you lose weight or not, evidence shows that

daily activity will help you feel better about your body and improve your mental health.

Remember to reward your body, care for it with a simple pampering routine – a relaxing bath, the full body moisturise, DIY mani-pedi and even a massage – you are worth it.

Show your body some love and reap the rewards!

Often the best dietary solutions are cheap and simple: l Proper hydration improves your skin complexion, flushes out toxins from your body and reduces fatigue - water is simply good for you! l Choosing high-fibre options as part of your balanced diet will improve your health and help reduce your risk of conditions, like heart disease and cancers. For breakfast, try fresh or dried fruit or some porridge oats or wholemeal bread; lunch or dinner, go for brown rice or green banana or roti and beans, peas, lentils or veg on the side. Fruit or nuts make great snacks during the day.

3. Spend time with positive people Who are the closest people in your life? When you are with these people do you feel drained, or do you feel encouraged and energised?

Did you know that your happiness is influenced by the people closest to you?

Just think, spending more time with the positive people you know, will improve your happiness, support you in tough times and spur you on to greater success. Set clear boundaries for people having a negative impact on you, or maybe it’s time to let them go.

Mentoring is a great way to expand your outlook and opportunities. Consider asking someone you respect and admire to mentor you, or offer yourself as a mentor to someone else – evidence shows that both your lives will be enriched.

Dr Jacky McLeod has been a south London GP for 30 years

HAPPINESS FEEDS THE SOUL: Looking after both your mental and physical self will have a positive impact

Five-year-old takes on Home Office’s no recourse to public funds policy THE HOME Office is once again under scrutiny due to its no recourse to public funds policy which is part of the hostile environment.

At the moment, British children cannot receive welfare benefits if their parents are foreign nationals who are subject to immigration control.

Now, a five-year-old black British boy who has no recourse to public funds is taking them on in High Court.

According to DPG Law, the no recourse to public funds policy has led to thousands of black British children growing up in abject poverty because “their migrant parents are denied the same state support that other lowincome families can claim”.

The family bringing the legal challenge are not being named, but they are supported by The Unity Project, a charity for those facing destitution as

came to the UK from somewhere else. We are asking the court for the policy to be quashed and for a public inquiry into no recourse to public funds.”

This case is just the latest in a series of legal challenges to the government’s no recourse to public funds policy.

IMPACT

a result of the no recourse to public funds policy.

Adam Hundt, a partner at Deighton Pierce Glynn who is working on the case said: “This policy is creating an

underclass of black British children, which is outrageous. The only reason the five-year-old boy in this case is being treated differently from his white friends is because his mum

Lawyers taking on the Home Office argue that the policy does not safeguard or promote the welfare of children. They add that it discriminates on the grounds of race, due to its disproportionate impact on black and non-white British children and black and non-white single mothers.

The Home Office denies this and says that any indirect discrimination against black British children is justified in the interests of immigration

control. The no recourse to public funds policy was introduced in 2012.

In May 2020 the Divisional Court ruled that the policy was unlawful – because it required people to become destitute before they could access public funds.

In response, the Home Office did change the policy but it remains in place.

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The policy of no recourse to public funds has been upheld by successive governments, and maintains that those seeking to establish their family life in the UK must do so on a basis that prevents burdens on the taxpayer and promotes integration.

“People with leave under family and human rights routes can apply, free of charge, to have no recourse to public funds conditions lifted.”

They said they do not comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

32 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

News

The black girls taking a hike Exhausted by the narrative that hiking is a white person’s hobby, Rhiane Fatinikun decided to found Black Girls Hike for women of colour

B

LACK GIRLS HIKE UK C.I.C are on a mission to diversify the outdoors, creating safe spaces for black women to have an adventure and be their authentic selves. Founded in 2019 in Manchester, they now have chapters in the Midlands and London and plans to expand post-lockdown. We spoke to some of their members about the positive impact Black Girls Hike has had on their lives.

Rhiane Fatinikun (founder) Nature has always nurtured us as people, we are the natural world and that’s why we thrive in it, yet so many of us are disconnected. I founded Black Girls Hike UK in January 2019 to create a safe space for black women to explore the outdoors and reconnect with nature.

We’re challenging the status quo: the lack of inclusivity and representation of black women in the outdoors. The outdoors is for everyone, and it’s important we are visible in these spaces.

We are so far removed from our ancestral ways, we used to have a deeper connection to the earth. Walking in nature isn’t just great for our physical and mental health, it enhances our lives in so many other ways.

Our aim is to develop services and projects that will increase the participation of our community in the outdoors, so

We’re challenging the status quo – the outdoors is for everyone, and it’s important we are visible we can all reap the benefits.

We’ve recently become a nonprofit and prior to lockdown we hosted monthly group hikes, outdoor activity days and training events.

Davina Webb (member) I became aware of Black Girls Hike in 2019 when another group I was in, Manchester Black Professionals, joined them for a hike.

Although I could not make the event, I joined the WhatsApp group and started interacting with Rhiane on social media.

I finally attended my first hike in November 2019 and immediately felt at home.

From that first hike, the women took me into their fold as if I were an old school friend and the combination of sisterhood, fresh air, beautiful views, and often challenging but

LIVING THEIR BEST LIFE: Clockwise, from left, founder Rhiane Fatinikun, left, says we should connect more with the outside world; Colleen Williams enjoying a hike in the Shropshire Hills; Davina Webb gets stuck in during a trip to Rivington, Bolton achievable exercise really gave me a new lease on life when I most needed it.

Since joining BGH I have tried rock climbing, gorge walking (wading through a cold stream), abseiling and caving as well as having had the privilege of getting to know wonderful women and make lifetime friendships.

I don’t think I would have had the confidence or inclination to try any of these activities if this group did not exist.

ROCK AND ROLL: Left, Nicole Hill on top of the world at Baslow Edge in the Peak District, and right, Black Girls Hike does more than just walking, as this abseiling adventure shows

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Having a peer group you feel at home with that encourages you to try new things and get out of your comfort zone is priceless.

Colleen Williams (member) As a member of Black Girls Hike in the Midlands, I’ve really enjoyed having an opportunity to partake in outdoor group activities, combining exercise and an opportunity to socialise with like-minded women.

Outdoor exercise has been proven to have many physical and mental benefits, increasing blood flow, strength, flexibility and endurance, whilst also providing exposure to natural light and vitamin D – vital for our wellbeing, even on the cloudiest days.

Whether it’s a steep hike or a gentle stroll around the local park, outdoor exercise provides a great chance to connect with nature and from my experience, a natural lift to energy levels for the rest of the day.

I actively encourage others to take up walking and to enjoy the benefits, especially as we finally start to experience milder weather in the UK.

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Josephine Hall (member) Walking and spending time outside in nature allows me to really breathe – fully and deeply. Big views, fresh air, the changing light of the sky – all help me feel like I am a part of the world.

I grew up in Cornwall and was lucky to have beautiful nature on my doorstep to explore. I now live in Brighton and, again, feel very lucky to be surrounded by the South Downs National Park as well as being by the coast. Through the turbulence of the last year, long walks have helped me to work through difficult times and making an effort to see the sunset is always a soothing bookend to the day.

Getting outdoors supports me in a similar way as spending time with other black women does, so combining the two by getting involved with BGH is a dream come true – I didn’t realise how much I needed it until it happened!

It’s such a refreshing breather from the white noise of general life. We can talk, walk, laugh and breathe freely.

voicenews

Nicole Hill (member) I’ve enjoyed hiking and all things outdoors since I was a child. My parents started taking us caravanning pretty much every weekend since I was six and we were the only black family at the campsites. It’s only as I got older that I really became aware of the distinct lack of diversity in the outdoors in general.

While taking part in activities I am aware of the lack of black and minority ethnic groups, I also notice the stares and the person who tries to sneak a photo because they are so surprised to see a black person!

Groups like Black Girls Hike are important; providing a network of like-minded individuals who provide peer support which makes the experience more enjoyable and rewarding.

For me, being outdoors is great for my mental health.

It is freedom; relaxing, taking in the scenery and appreciating the natural beauty, and during these uncertain times it has helped me tremendously to relieve stress and boost my self-esteem.

www.voice-online.co.uk

APRIL 2021 THE VOICE | 33

News

Barber shop blues will soon be gone S

We’re all desperate for a cut but salons also play a key role in our sense of identity, says Mayi Hughes

ALONS AND barber shops, to me, have always been great symbols of community.

Come rain or shine, winter or summer, early mornings or sleepy evenings, salons are a place of liveliness.

Jamaican patois bounces off the walls, hushed Yoruba gossip fills the air, and jokes in pigeon English warm the room. Diasporan Africans and immigrants alike intermingle in a space which co-exists as both a hairdressers and an open stage.

Confined to a chair for hours while your hair is intricately braided and woven, stories flow as storytellers are born. Some of the greatest lessons I’ve learned about myself and my identity

have taken place in warm salon parlour seats, tucked away in the busy streets of London.

Salons have always been a place of togetherness for black individuals in Britain. Despite the Equality Act of 2010 formally protecting against hair discrimination, stories of school and workplace discrimination show that black hairstyles are still heavily politicised.

The law has not helped change the beliefs held by several employers that black hairstyles are unprofessional and inappropriate.

This discrimination against black hair, which has historical roots predating colonialism and slavery, means that black hair is intrinsic to the black

identity. Hair, especially for women, is such an important expression of self.

How you decide to wear your hair can hold a meaning beyond just aesthetics, thus hairdressers are a well-frequented and significant spot.

CLOSURE

The COVID pandemic has hit the beauty and hair sector particularly hard, with up to £124 million per week in lost income as a result of the closure of physical stores. This economic loss has been significant for business owners, however on the other end of the spectrum is the loss of the customers.

Black customers have lost not only a salon but also a com-

munity. These physical closures have also caused an intangible loss of belonging and identity.

Employees at the newly founded Curl Bar London, situated in Crouch End, shared their views on the importance of hair, and how it impacts identity.

“The Curl Bar London is a safe space for women with curls, coils and waves to feel empowered.

We have a wall in our salon that collects images of our clients to share the beautiful community,” a spokesperson said.

The team spoke of how powerful hair is as a tool for “self expression” and “empowerment”.

The global COVID pandemic has shaken the world, and the UK, in countless ways. It’s been a time of loss, physically through

SYMBOL OF COMMUNITY: Salons are a place of liveliness the lives taken by the virus, but also mentally, in the friendships and connections it has halted.

Identity is so strongly rooted in expression, and with opportunities to express oneself ceasing under lockdown, people’s sense of identity may have waned.

As we move towards easing national lockdown rules, I hope readers can reminisce on their times in salons and barbers.

Soon we will be sitting in those barber shops again, enveloped by laughter and chatter, and rid of these barber shop blues.

Mayi Hughes is a British-

Nigerian student journalist at Harvard University, born and raised in east London. An

international track athlete

passionate about education,

women and uplifting black stories

34 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

News

Making waves in Margate People Dem Collective aims to break down barriers in the community through the power of art

PIONEERS: Kelly Abbott and Victoria Barrow Williams, above, set up People Dem Collective less than 18 months ago. Left, the pair have already held an exhibition at the town’s Turner Contemporary gallery featuring images from an anti-racism march (photos: Inky Durant, Sheradon Dublin and Marlow Phillips)

By Jo Phillips

“W

E’RE SER IOUS LY s upe r human, two formidable women, leaning into it, getting up an hour earlier than everyone else and we’re really passionate about our black and brown community.”

Those are the words of Kelly Abbott, who with Victoria Barrow Williams set up People Dem Collective, a community arts organisation based in Margate, Kent. They came together less than 18 months ago “through a lived experience of being erased”.

Since then, they’ve had an exhibition at the town’s Turner Contemporary gallery, run arts and community projects with local young people, curated the Margate NOW festival and are moving into prime seafront premises which they hope will become a National Cultural Centre with the aim of elevating the presence, work and visibility of people from black, brown and diaspora communities.

The Kent seaside resort has

seen something of a renaissance thanks to the arrival of the Turner Contemporary 10 years ago, the regeneration of Dreamland, the iconic vintage amusement park, and high speed rail services between London and Kent.

However, like many English coastal towns there are deep pockets of deprivation, high unemployment, poor health and housing issues.

BEACON

Williams describes Margate as “a Petri dish for innovation” and believes there is an urgent need to “dismantle the urban narrative around the black experience”.

She believes that having a National Cultural Centre in Margate will help do just that and become “a beacon town”.

They are passionate about the value of shared, lived experience and the need to “transfer power to communities” to recognise that value.

“We have been that single parent, have got the brother with schizophrenia, know about putting money on the electric key... we have been that com-

munity that goes into Turner Contemporary and potentially feels it’s not for them. We’re super passionate about closing that gap. The collective can be that bridge, we have the experience. We get it,” Williams adds.

During an anti-racism march last summer, Turner Contemporary was hosting an exhibition focused on art associated with

women and girls from the Margate area, drawn on to the gallery’s walls by artist Barbara Walker. People Dem Collective believes its exhibition changed perceptions: “It built a bridge, there was a different demographic, young people, people who’d never even think of going to the Turner.”

But they are well aware there

It’s not always about the colour of people’s skin, it’s about social economics the civil rights movement in the American South. As the marchers arrived at the gallery, People Dem Collective felt an opportunity had been missed.

As Kelly says: “So much was lost – we’re not from Alabama, we’re from Thanet, but we could connect those dots.”

After approaching the gallery and with its full support, within weeks People Dem Collective had an exhibition of films, speeches and artwork from the Margate march alongside a third installation featuring five large portraits of black

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are challenging and difficult conversations to be had.

Abbott says: “It’s not necessarily or always about the colour of people’s skin, it’s about social economics. It’s not just people recognising their organisations are very white or very middle class, they have to understand it within themselves.

To understand inherent racism and that’s hard.”

People Dem Collective’s aim is to create safe spaces – both physical and virtual – to have those “awkward conversations, to make mistakes and learn

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from them, to break down barriers and dismantle systematic structures but to be deep rooted in the community – an organisation that truly speaks to the people”.

ICONS

Another project in development is with young people, building on the work with local schools and the Black British Icons project which proved something of a revelation.

Abbot says: “We were really shocked all of the icons they knew were American, so it got them thinking about icons from their own experience. By creating the artwork we’re also creating data so we can see how that changes over the years.

It’s their history, British history, everyone’s history.”

People Dem Collective is building bridges, breaking down barriers and creating relationships between the community and the growing creative sector. It recognises the need to “ride the momentum” of Margate’s resurgence as a thriving creative hub and that if the door is closed opportunities can be missed.

voicenews

Abbott describes it as “a socially conscious town, alive and kicking when it comes to art, homelessness, the LGBTQ+ community, but also recognises the town’s strangely unique place as the “dirty little sister” to smarter resorts along the coast – once described as “the underdog in the Garden of England”.

COVID-19 has inevitably had an impact on visitors, exhibitions and events, but England’s Creative Coast to be launched in Margate next month aims to encourage a gradual return, for people to explore their own local area and see artworks outside gallery walls that will be placed along the coastline of Kent, Sussex and Essex .

People Dem Collective says the backdrop of Margate’s sandy beaches, the skies and sunsets so beloved of JMW Turner and the ‘bookends’ of the gallery named after him and Dreamland create an amazing backdrop to learn, heal and explore, to tap into what Kelly describes as.

“The sense of freedom you get when you’re on holiday translates to learning.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

Lifestyle

WHAT THE NFT IS GOING ON HERE?

IMVU taking a bold step into the metaverse p36

Eddie Murphy: There’s no other movie like Coming To America p38

Sean Paul is bringing everyone in p41

36 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Lifestyle

Entertainment

Transform your reality – and earn money, too Want to escape the real world, look and dress like Rihanna? IMVU might be just your ticket

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

W

HO DOESN’T want to spend hours gaming and earn real money at the same time? That’s the prospect being offered by Together Labs through their popular virtual platform game, IMVU. Tapping into the surging interest in gaming emanating from the metaverse space, IMVU, the creator of the world’s largest 3D avatar social world, launched VCOIN earlier this year to its community of seven million monthly active users.

The digital currency holds value both inside and outside of its virtual world and can be used to buy, gift, hold, earn and can be converted into fiat currency, opening up revenue streams for creators and service providers around the world.

Excited by the prospect of the future of gaming and keen to demonstrate the benefits the advancement will have for its current and new users, chief strategy officer of VCOIN John Burris told Lifestyle that developments in the companies strategy could see them end the year as the number one player in their market. But what’s IMVU all about?

“IMVU — it’s a 3D avatar social platform, one of the largest in the world,” Burris enthused.

“It’s been around 16 years and the real core of our user base and it’s a global user base, over a million daily active users, it really is all about social, spreading the power of friendship.

“It’s a peer social platform, there is no running around shooting each other, there aren’t complicated games that you have to solve, you don’t score experience points. Those platforms are awesome, but this is really a social platform.

“It skews heavily female.

“I can pay you to dress up my avatar, or 100 credits to show me around the five cool rooms” Sixty-five per cent of our users are female. It’s probably about 45 per cent international, users are in the EU and our second largest country is Brazil. There is usage around the world in 140 countries.

“It’s a company that has been around 16 years, one of the pioneers in the avatar space, the metaverse.”

2020 was a terrible year for most, but when it came to certain aspects of the online gaming space, the pandemic allowed for quick growth, as new users with more time on their hands dipped their toe in the virtual world.

Burris said: “From a business perspective, the IMVU business has been doing really well. It was always growing, but with the unfortunate COVID and a lot of people staying at home and a lot of people yearning to connect to others, IMVU had a great year last year from a business perspective.

“It’s one of the top mobile apps in the social category, it’s also a desktop app, it’s also a web service so you can log in all

kinds of ways and engage. In almost every country, it’s top three or top five highest grossing mobile app in the social space.”

The business sounds great for them, but how do users make money? Burris explains.

“So we have this really nice IMVU business behind us and what’s unique about it and this is really how you get into the crypto play that just makes so much sense, is that there is this massive economy inside the IMVU ecosystem, because all of the virtual good, all of the avatar outfits, all of the shapes – if you want to look like Rihanna at the Met Gala (pictured inset below) – all of those things that are available in the store, in the market place, all the virtual goods, they are all created by users.

CREATORS

“They’re all created by users that we call ‘creators’ and they out those items in the marketplace, and users come and they buy that with credits.

“These creators can earn credits back and they can spend it on the platform or they can earn cash in some cases.

“Users on the platform can also gift credits to each other, you can pay for access into a night club with credits, I can pay you to dress up my avatar, maybe you know the platform really well and I can pay you 100 credits and you’re going to show me around the five cool rooms that night and introduce me to your friends, there’s all kinds of things you can do, it’s like a vibrant economy.

“A real economy because users are paying each other, it’s not just buying a skin in Fortnite and the economy is over.”

He adds: “There are lots of earners on our platform, billions of credits

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GLOBAL PHENOMENON: IMVU has an international reach, and 65 per cent of users are female changing hands. We saw that and we said there is a problem here though, most of our users, 99 per cent, don’t earn any real value. Meaning money that they can use to pay their rent for their flat, or cash that they use to buy a new computer or to just even buy a coffee.

“They can earn credits to play in the platform, but they can’t earn real value.

“Even though we paid out $15 million (£10.8m) last year to some creators, there is still a lot

currency’, because unlike most of the digital currencies in the gaming space today, there aren’t that many users.

“Or there are some really cool crypto games, but you’re not sure if the game is going to be awesome.”

Burris said the company is aware of the heightened interest in all things blockchain- and metaverse-related and is eager to establish itself as staunch market leader.

The fact users don’t have to

“We want to have millions of wallets lit up, we want to have a vibrant economy of VCOIN” of people on the platform doing awesome things that aren’t making real money.

“So we wanted to juice up primarily what we call the services side of our business.

“The good side is selling these virtual goods, that works pretty well, we’ve invested a lot in that in the last 10 years.

“On the service side, where users are doing things for each other in night clubs, paying DJs or paying for access into a room, there’s no way to earn real value. So that’s why we’ve looked at this economy and we’ve said, ‘This is an awesome place to launch a new digital

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know anything about crypto currency, tokens, coins, exchange rates et al, makes IMVU the perfect platform to get comfortable with in the avatar world.

As the success of the VCOIN token takes hold, Burris says they have plans to introduce to other projects which will boost the utility of the currency.

VCOIN was given the green light by the SEC on January 12 and it’s been all systems go since.

“Users are just starting to take it off of the platform,” Burris said. “We have a kind of holding period where, as you earn VCOIN you need to hold it for

voicenews

20-30 days before you can exit our platform because it’s real money and we’re backing it, so we want to make sure that the credit card you used wasn’t stolen or we want to make sure you earned your VCOIN in an appropriate way.”

Looking forward, Burris says the company aims to be in position to deliver a service people really want.

“There was some research done which concluded that just over 50 per cent of gamers, people in the metaverse, they want to earn, why wouldn’t you.”

GOAL

He concluded: “Our goal for this year is if we can end it as one of the largest crypto economies in the gaming space in the world.

And it’s very possible because there are some neat projects like Decentraland and Upland and Enjin Coin, but the truth is, most of their activity with the token is trading activity, it’s exchange activity, it’s people investing or speculating. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s not really being used on the platform by millions of users.

“We’re coming at ours the other angle, we want to have millions of users on and off our platform, we want to have millions of wallets lit up, we want to have a vibrant economy of VCOIN moving all over the place, so that’s our goal.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

APRIL 2021

THE VOICE | 37

Lifestyle

Art

The digital art renaissance NFTs — or non-fungible tokens — are taking the creative world by storm. Artist Densetsuno LeoGami tells us more...

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

Y

OU’VE SEEN music artists D Block Europe dip their toe in the market, Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter recently sold his first ever tweet via the burgeoning medium and last month, Beeple became the third most expensive living artist following the sale of his piece titled Everydays: The First 5,000 Days, but what a lot us don’t know is what NFTs (non-fungible tokens) actually are.

Seen by those in the know as just another step in the global march towards the tokenisation of the world, NFTs aren’t a particularly new phenomenon, but the take-up in interest over this digital asset has ramped up over the past few months due to a few high-profile acquisitions.

Coupled with a growing interest in crypto currency, the advancement of those who want to collect NFTs – be it for art, music or whatever else the digital smart contract can facilitate for its users – the future is looking bright for those who have been invested in the space long before it became vogue.

Indeed, not everyone who is an NFT art aficionado is welcoming of the new consumer interest, the fear being that commercial entities will inevitably follow and with it a corruption and erosion of the virginal essence of the tokenised art form will be induced.

This is an area of the metaverse which has been fiercely protected by its guardians for a long time.

Artist Densetsuno LeoGami, pictured right, admits he traverses the spectrum between the internet as we know it and the seemingly inaccessible platforms that house some of the more quintessential offerings NFT enthusiasts are au fait with.

He spoke with Lifestyle to bridge the gap between those in the know and those who are just sauntering into all things non-fungible tokens.

Lifestyle: Can you succinctly explain what NFTs are for our audience, especially those who have just come across them and are trying to understand what the fuss is all about?

LeoGami: NFTs are a by-product of Ethereum smart con-

“I feel that we are going to see a lot more integration of NFTs, especially in the arena of fashion and video games” tracts, and what that has enabled us to do is track the ownership and value of a digital asset and because of this, what we are witnessing right now is like a renaissance.

Similar to what happened back in the day when people started putting their money behind art in order to maintain the value of their liquidity, we’re seeing the same thing now happening to digital assets.

So videos, images, sound, all of those things are currently being traded on platforms right now.

L: Tell us about your own journey into the space. How long have you been producing NFTs and what got you started?

LeoGami: My career in art started about seven years ago.

I had my first exhibition in the American Embassy for Black History Month. I then co-founded a gallery platform with a few of my friends and we put on a series of exhibitions – one of those was in the Tate called Impact Of Africa. We also did an unveiling of never-seen-before pictures of Bob Marley taken by actress and entrepreneur Esther Anderson, which we hosted at the Hospital Club in London. Off the back of that, I started a digital gallery on Instagram which was called digital artists portal, where I was posting all of my favourite artists’ piec-

AMAZING FACES: Clockwise, from left, LeoGami with his sister and Floatic Cosmic Wisdom; the John Boyega piece; a portrait of the mother of cake artist Ms Sugar Plum es of work, and then last year I started hearing a lot more noise about NFTs. I didn’t understand everything that was happening, but in January I had an epiphany, which is when I changed the name of my platform to NFT_ Community.

L: Talk about some of your early work.

LeoGami: The first portrait that I was known for, which was exhibited at the US Embassy, was a portrait of John Boyega wearing the Star Wars Jedi hoodie.

The reason that I did that was because at the time, I was looking for inspiration for myself and I happened to see that the Star Wars cast was announced and I saw that John was on there.

Him being from Peckham and me being from Brixton, I took inspiration from that.

Someone from the area has reached the level of acclaim in his craft that I would like to reach for myself.

So I thought maybe by painting him, s o m e of that inspiration, some of that

vibration would seep into me, so I gave it a go.

industries where NFTs are concerned.

L: It’s still very early in terms of mass adoption of NFTs. What do you see as factors that will increase interest? And I know you don’t have a crystal ball, but where can this all go, what are the possibilities?

LeoGami: I feel that NFTs are here to stay. I feel that we are going to see a lot more integration of NFTs especially in the arena of fashion and video games. Some games already use NFTs, but I am talking about in-game currencies, tradeable

L: How does Densetsuno LeoGami quantify the value of any NFTs purchased? What makes one more expensive than another?

LeoGami: I would say that answer is two-fold. One aspect of it is people with a large following already online, so artists that have built their communities and people already want their work, as soon as they put themselves on the blockchain we’ve seen them do really well.

Then you have people like Fu-

“You’re getting real-time data on the value of your artwork as opposed to an appraisal from a professional” items within games and so on.

We’re seeing the genesis of an online economy that will open the doors for a lot of new content-creators and people who can enjoy the benefit of these NFTs. I was on a site recently where you can put on a virtual reality headset and walk through a digital gallery where you can observe NFTs and you can bid for them right there and then. The potential for it is very scalable.

I think we’ll see a lot of pioneering work coming from different

rious, who is a 17-year-old boy who created a digital piece of art which depicted his state of mental health and it connected with people.

He is now one of the top selling crypton artists. So it depends.

L: Without getting too complex, explain minting and reproducing NFTs to make money or boost the profile of the original artist.

LeoGami: The term minting really refers to putting your work

on the blockchain. Once you have listed your work on the blockchain a smart contract is created which enables Ethereum to track the owners of the artwork and also track its value, how much someone has bid for it.

The beautiful thing about that is you’re getting real-time data on the value of your artwork, as opposed to getting an appraisal from a professional.

When you mint a piece of work as the artist, you are able to retain ownership over the royalties, you could retain up to 20 per cent, so if it’s resold you can earn a passive income.

That’s really where the value is.

L: You have some of your own works coming out soon – where, when and how can people grab an original Densetsuno LeoGami?

LeoGami: We haven’t got a date for the drop just yet, but we are putting a collection together which is going to be a combination of work that I have done in the past and one new piece which I am minting.

To find out more about the drop follow me on Instagram @LeoGami and also follow @NFT_Community.

Full interview with Densetsuno LeoGami available online now at voice-online.co.uk

38 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Lifestyle

Film

Two movies you must watch Coming 2 America is one of few internationally successful films with an all-black cast

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

T

HE CRITICS are vocal and opinions have been bandied about regarding how good the eagerly awaited follow-up to Coming To America really was, but whatever your view, there is one thing that may not have been immediately obvious.

If you haven’t seen it yet, don’t worry, we won’t spoil it, but prior to the movie hitting Amazon Prime Video last month, producer and actor Eddie Murphy was asked what he felt the legacy of the two movies would be.

Starring Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones, Tracy Morgan, KiKi Layne, pictured right, Shari Headley, with Wesley Snipes and a host of other household names and directed by Craig Brewer, Coming 2 America is a direct sequel to the original 1988 movie.

In that time, you would be hard pressed to collate a top 10 list of movies with an all-black cast which has garnered

“It’s like it’s the only time we’re seen like this, that we’re just some people in a movie telling a story about stuff everyone can relate to” anything close to similar global success.

Murphy believes that top 10 list might not even be a top five.

He said: “Coming To America, the very first one, is the first movie in the history of movies that had an all-black cast, that was successful all around the world.

“The very first one ever.”

He added: “There’s just a handful of movies that have had all-black casts and have been successful all around the world, actually, you can count

them on one hand and you will have fingers left over.

“Two of those movies are Coming To America and the legacy of this movie is that it is accessible to all audiences.

“The reason why our movies don’t go around the world is because our story is provocative to us.

“Around the world, they don’t give a s*** about our stuff and most of our movies, they shine a light on social injustice, civil unrest or some s*** that we went through, and around the world they don’t give a s*** about that, they just want the basics.

TRADITION

“Coming To America is not about any of those things. It’s about family and love and doing the right thing and tradition, that’s what the movie is about.

“These amazing images of black kings and queens and princesses… Black Panther did it, the second movie that had black kings and queens, the first movie is Coming To America and the third one is Coming 2 America.

“It’s like it’s the only time we’re seen like this, that we’re just some people in a movie telling a story about human being stuff that everybody can relate to. The themes are timeless.”

What are your thoughts? Let us know at: www.voice-online. co.uk

EAGERLY AWAITED: Eddie Murphy is among those starring in Coming 2 America, the sequel to the 1988 movie, which hit Amazon Prime Video last month and has an all-black cast

As Kaluuya says, we should learn more about this true beacon of light

BY JOEL CAMPBELL lT’S HARD not to be moved by Shaka King’s Judas And The Black Messiah, especially in a time when everyone and their friend’s friend calls themselves an activist.

Just by telling this wonderful and saddening story, King demonstrates constructive activism on a level few of us on this earth ever will.

The first time I watched it, I felt the way I did when I first watched I Am Not Your Negro. I was angry. I understand why black people no longer watch these types of movies. Who wants to finish a bout of recreational escapism feeling upset?

Inspired by true events, Judas and the Black Messiah was directed by King from a screenplay

by Will Berson and King and story by Berson, King, Kenny Lucas and Keith Lucas.

Ryan Coogler and Charles D King produced the film with King.

The film stars Oscar nominee Daniel Kaluuya as Fred Hampton in a performance that recently earned him a Golden Globe award, and LaKeith

REVOLUTIONARY: Daniel Kaluuya stars as Fred Hampton in Judas And The Black Messiah

silence him and the Black Panther Party. But they could not kill Fred Hampton’s legacy and, 50 years later, his words still echo...louder than ever.

I am a revolutionary!

He came to prominence in Chicago as chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and deputy chairman of the national BPP.

FORTITUDE

Stanfield as William O’Neal, as well as Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders and Martin Sheen. Everyone is absolutely amazing in this movie, EVERYONE. My anger turned to disappointment. So many black people have fought the good fight in history, but unless you’re taught about it by someone in the know, we have to wait for a

@thevoicenewspaper

movie like this to become aware of their plight.

Upon receiving his Golden Globe award, Kaluuya urged people to “learn more about the real Fred Hampton”, who the film is based on. I’m glad he did.

Hampton was 21 years old when he was assassinated by the FBI, who coerced a petty criminal named William O’Neal to help them

@thevoicenews

A true beacon of light and a leader blessed with unwavering fortitude, any young black man or woman who deems themselves to be “about the cause” and “woke” should study the works of this man.

Kaluuya said on Hampton: “Chairman Fred Hampton. You know, he’s just a brilliant mind and a brilliant heart, you know, and really taking him in. And I realised that there’s no... there’s a lot of information about how he died, how he was murdered, not a lot of information about how incredibly and remarkably he lived.”

This was King’s studio feature film directorial debut. He did tha damm thing! Salute to all involved.

voicenews

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2021

THE VOICE| 43

40 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Lifestyle

Television

Kayo and Bryon shine in Bloods

Talented duo team up to create Sky Original comedy focusing on the highs and the lows of being an overstretched paramedic in London ACTION: Samson Kayo and Jane Horrocks on set

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

W

HATEVER YOU do over the next few weeks, be sure to put some time aside for Bloods, a Sky Original comedy kicking off on May 5. This one is going to make you laugh out loud.

Created by BAFTA-nominated Samson Kayo and written

by Nathan Bryon, pictured inset below, Bloods shines a light on paramedics in a hilarious and uplifting way, with Kayo starring as the lead.

Kayo and Golden Globenominated Jane Horrocks star in the six-part comedy series as paramedic partners in the South London ambulance service.

When tough-acting loner Maleek is paired with over-friendly divorcee Wendy, their partnership looks dead on arrival. But pretty soon they’re giving each other life support.

Talking to Lifestyle recently Kayo, who some may be familiar with from his roles in Famalam and Timewasters, said getting immersed in the role as a paramedic was kind of a dream come true.

“It was a really nice experience for me, especially where before I started acting, I was going to be a paramedic.

“I even applied to be an ambulance support driver which is where you drive the paramedic around and in that you can train up to become a paramedic and then I found acting so that put that on the backburner.

“It was really nice to shoot in south London because growing up I never really saw a lot of authentic comedies that were where I was from, so it was nice to be able to do that for a change and especially to create it with man like Nathan.”

Grateful for the opportunity to garner some credits and experience as a co-writer on this project Bryon enthused: “This is my proudest piece of work to date.”

He added: “This is something that I can’t stop talking about

and that I am absolutely obsessed with and for many reasons. Firstly, it’s definitely a love letter to our NHS, our paramedic heroes who save us, every single day, especially during the time that we have been through.

“Obviously a big part of the show is the gallows humour which at times can feel a bit dark and bit twisted but you have to remember that these paramedics have to go to a poor person who has just died and then from there to a next place and then a next place, they have to have something that keeps them going – and that’s their gallows humour.

“Lastly, this was my first cocreation of a TV show and it’s been the most incredible learning experience.”

Both Kayo and Bryon cannot wax lyrical enough about the support they were given in delivering their vision on Bloods.

Their experience sounds a world away from the narrative where young black talent is harnessed by mainstream entities only for their distinctly creative fervour to be quashed and diluted.

One of the elements that enables Bloods to work so well is the balanced way language has been used to embrace an audience rather alienate.

And Kayo says the authenticity was important.

“It’s an education isn’t it? The same way we can watch The Crown and not understand certain dialects we have to learn to and it’s the same way that with our stories and stories from our origin that people can be educated about our voices.

“I feel like we’ve been taught to out that on the backburner and that means that we are not staying true to us and I feel that it is very important, especially nowadays that we stay true to us and we are unapologetically black and unapologetically black within our stories.

“Sky and the whole team respected that. They respect that they are not from this world and not from this walk of life but they appreciated what we were about to tell them.”

APRIL 2021

This is Brukout!

THE VOICE | 41

by Seani B

Got the temperature

Sean Paul has gone back to his roots for his latest project, Live N Livin, teaming up with an impressive array of talent to celebrate the Jamaican Dancehall scene

O

VER THE past 12 months every time me and certified Dancehall legend Sean Paul have linked up for a talk the message of new album had been forced into the conversation.

It wasn’t like Sean had to convince me to pay attention about forthcoming albums, but this one seemed different.

Actually, let me take that back, the conversation around this project likened to when he was preparing the release of The Trinity in 2005.

This was off the back of the hugely popular Dutty Rock album. I was expecting Sean to go the route of US producers as he was such hot property then, but he chose to go back home and use Jamaican talent.

PROJECT

Live N Livin, his latest project, is very similar as its celebration of all the Jamaican Dancehall scene has to offer. Sonically this has all the ingredients with the label clearly stating DANCEHALL, from the iconic ‘90s “Bup Bup” sound to the new generation of rattling hi hats and snare drums under the Trap banner.

With over 20 featured artists, this is nothing short of impressive. Its depth of talent showcases the like of Buju Banton on Crazy, Damian Marley on the experimental Schedule, but then Live N Livin ventures to the younger end of the market with collaborations with some of the hot trending artists of today such as Skillibeng, Intence, Govana and Masicka.

Was this Sean trying to stay relevant with this set or was he assisting the next generation to the next level?

Whilst warming up some gungo peas soup

“Having kids and having to tell them right from wrong has got me to that mindset that wants me to say these things in the songs’ for granny, Sean explained his thinking to me.

“As an artist you have to try and stay relevant, so every move you make in terms of stepping out it’s part of that, too.

But also I hear people saying, ‘I don’t like these young kids’ cos they ain’t doing the same thing’, and I tell them they are gonna do it different bro so you gotta give them the chance and the opportunity.”

He continues: “I don’t think I have to say either one, or say I’m being trying to be the bigger man. Both things are important to me!”

When you look at the track list of 16 songs, there is the only song that is not a collaboration. Why is that?

“A lot of times I’m on tour and I would have phone calls with Shaggy or Damian Marley and we talk about we don’t do enough collabs and getting tog e t h e r enough. Being on tour for

six months of the year is kinda hard for some of us to do that.

I can get home and call Busy Signal and find out he’s somewhere like Timbuktu and by the time he would forward and I will be out again.

“So, this pandemic gave me the opportunity to have family time and feed grandma,” he says with a big smile, “but also be into studio a lot and call bredrin and tell them come check me.”

What comes with so many features is also the range of subjects that 16 tracks has to offer!

The opening of the album gives us the Sean that we have grown accustomed to.

Lead tracks like Boom alongside Busy Signal and Space Ship with Suku Ward cater to fans that want that classic Dutty Yeah. However from Protect Me with Serani this album is not the Sean that we see in the videos.

DIRECTION

Lion Heart and Danger Zone are two of those standout moments for me on the album.

Lion Heart was a direct challenge to everyone suggesting that he should be part of Timbaland and Swizz Beats “Verzuz” series that saw artists putting their catalogue of hits up against each other. Sean wanted no part of it and made that absolutely clear.

Is this a change of direction and new fire for the ever-blazing dancehall star?

“There’s a part of me that has been a conscious artist from a long time ago, but being stuck in the “Mr Gimmie The Light” box!

Jokingly he adds: “Now I like Mr Gimmie The Light as he brings money, girls and champagne but there is a part that has been stifled over the years.”

Sean goes on to tell me that the ‘90s movement of Buju, Garnet Silk, Tony Rebel and listening to Mutaburakas cutting edge, then the next wave of Siz-

FAMILY GUY: The pandemic has enabled Sean Paul to spend time with his children zla and Capleton was a huge influence. The unfortunate thing was that the producers were not’t convinced that his look fitted that image.

Now, with a solid career and not at the hands of producers that never saw his vision, he is at liberty to explore investigate and grow. Live N Livin shows that Sean has grown, not just

musically but as a person that many now look up to.

He agrees and tells me: “The passing of great Icons like Toots, U Roy and the great Bunny Wailer. Losing my bredrin Mr Chicken from the Dutty Cup Crew, also Barry O’Hare who was a great producer and engineer. Having kids too and having to tell them right from wrong

every day has got me to that mindset that wants me to say these things in the songs.”

I knew when we met last year and had an epic three-hour conversation in his Kingston studio that I was reasoning with a Sean Paul that was about making change in his life and the industry. This album seals those thoughts.

42 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Lifestyle

Entertainment

‘Art means I can broadcast my message more effectively’

USING HIS VOICE: George The Poet at the launch of Montblanc’s 2019 Writers Edition ‘Rudyard Kipling’ in June 2019

George The Poet considered a life in politics, but he has realised his talent can allow him to have an impact, both in Britain and Uganda

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

W

HEN I catch up with George Mpanga, he’s got the third instalment of his award-winning podcast coming up, he recently turned 30, got engaged to his ‘bredrin’ and, generally speaking, his stock value is going

through the roof. The spokenword artist, poet and rapper is also celebrating 10 years in the business of being George The Poet, the moniker most who are reading this will know him by.

There’s plenty to talk about, but before we deep dive into how he’s been and what exciting things he’s got coming up this year, there is yet another project which he recently completed that exposes another strand of

the multifaceted creative’s talent and personal interests.

George The Poet – Black Yellow Red is a short film about the 2021 Ugandan general elections which premiered on YouTube at the start of the year.

The British-Ugandan takes a look at the Ugandan general elections which were fought between two main contenders, former Reggae singer turned politician Bobi Wine and eventual

winner Yoweri Museveni. The 11-minute film takes a candid and critical view on the electoral process and how real change can be implemented outside politics: through music.

Much like Wine, George the Poet is a Ugandan artist with an interest in politics. Having transitioned from harbouring ambitions of becoming an MP to coming to the conclusion that he can greater affect and inspire much-needed change through the medium of art, George explained why he felt it was important to do Black Yellow Red. “Black Yellow Red, it’s an extract from my podcast. The podcast has been a mixture of a diary and an open letter in many ways to my community,” he says. “I am part of the black British community but I am also part of the overseas Uganda community, and Black Yellow Red was a moment where I could put together some of the key messages for both.”

He adds: “On the one hand, there’s my reflection, my British life told me that parliament might not be the way to enact the change that I feel most passionately about, Britain told me that.

“But then looking at Uganda’s politics and put in it in the context of African politics more broadly, I think that message is relevant to young people in the continent as well and given the fact that we’re talking because I am George the Poet and not George the MP or George the graduate, because I choose art, I have the ability to broadcast this message very effectively.

“It’s hard to be relevant to the young people that I care about most” “I want to galvanise more young people to do the same.”

George has achieved critical acclaim both as a recording artist and a social commentator, but does his life today look like what he thought it would do when he graduated from Cambridge University a decade ago?

FUEL

“Yes and no,” he admits. “Because I grew up such an avid fan of music that I understood the music, I understood why people were popular, I understood that the black community will not run out of this fuel, I understood that much and because by the time I came out of uni, I was seveneight years deep into my artist journey, I was aware that I was part of that potential as well.

“The question was, how was I going to present myself in a way that gave me the space to have my own kind of masculinity? It’s hard to cut through, it’s hard to be relevant to the young people that I care about most, without showing them that you know you tick all of the boxes that we were looking for when we were young.”

Explaining how he plotted a

roadmap, George says: “I had like a to-do list, I needed to show them that I can hold my own lyrically, I needed to show them it’s possible to go Cambridge, I need to show them that you can talk to anyone and rub shoulders with anyone and still be you. So I had all of these things, and I guess if you would have asked me, however many years ago when I graduated, I would have said hopefully the combination of those things will allow me to be someone like I am today, but I wouldn’t have been able to predict how it would come together.”

But far from resting on his laurels, the next 10 years will be just as busy for the artist, and he’s drawing on his diaspora roots for inspiration.

“When you go to Jamaica, you feel Bob, you feel Rastafarai and even when you read up about Edward Seaga, his earliest studies which really set him on his path politically and informed his prospect of Jamaican society was all about how the Rasta, how the African, the Jamaican of African origin used music and storytelling to create consciousness and create movement within their communities. So it’s like, how much longer we are going to go around acting like we don’t know where the real power lies.

“How do we take the potential of our scene, drop out the things that are not working and amplify the opportunities that have been untapped for so long?

“That’s what the next 10 years looks like for me.”

Stevo’s dream finally becomes a reality IF YOU follow comedian Kevin Stephens, aka Stevo The Mad Man, on any of the social media platforms he frequents, then you will probably know by now that his long-established mission of moving his beloved family out of their north London flat has been accomplished.

In his words, “the five year plan

(was) completed in eight years)”. What many of you might not have known is the details behind the determination to realise the dream.

Lifestyle sat down with one of our ‘Ones To Watch in 2021’ picks to talk about his journey. Check out the video online. Grab your tissues – this one’s emotional.

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Swiss TRAILBLAZER: Ben Odeje, LIVING pictured THE DREAM: main and above, Veteran was dropped from the England set up after being darts star hailed as Deta man ofHedman the matchhas

set many records in her sport – but could there be some others still to come?

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By Liam Kenny

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her sights on finishing

the PDC Championsh ip on top of the world

position on this year’s order of merit, normal at the Royal Mail. This meant joining number one Lisa Ashton in I hadn’t been ETERAN DARTS player the December showpiece. able to practice, but when I played the challenge Deta Hedman has defied She told the Voice tour the of Sport: week before the odds yet again when ‘‘I surprised myself, and got some good I really did! The wins, it gave me my belief back.” she toppled superstar Fallon Sherrock and qualified for the PDC World Darts Championshi p 2021 – at the tender age of 60.

Jamaica-born Hedman described her latest win as ‘‘unbelievable ’’ as she becomes the second oldest debweek, before I played the utant and the sixth woman Challenge to com- Tour Despite her achievements and that’s what set me up pete on the sport’s grandest , that really, include over 200 stage. it gave me the belief. ranking titles, qualiHedman upset the odds fying means that Hedman and nar“I hadn’t been throwing and her rowly pipped Sherrock well and and brother to second I’d been working Al become the first sibmore days than lings to play at the tournament, as he

qualified in 2003. Hedman added: “It’s crazy isnt it? Even at my tender age I’m still getting records.

JOKED “When I played the Challen “I’ve joked to the PDC ge Tfour the persuade that I could week before and got to dust off his darts and some good wins, we could Alrepresent Jamaica at the it really gave me my belief upcoming World Cup, as they are a back” team short.”

Coronavirus restrictions mean it is unclear exactly where and when the World Darts Championshi p will take place, or if fans will be allowed in.

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44 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Lifestyle

Food and drink

Pancake perfection Lifestyle contributor Michelle Trusselle is back with some words of wisdom – and a new recipe

BY MICHELLE TRUSSELLE

H

I GUYS – so, let’s face it, this year hasn’t quite gone to plan where maintaining a healthy diet is concerned – but do not beat yourself up, I am here to help.

We entered the year thinking that lockdown would soon end and with the last stretch left, we’d finally get in the zone to be disciplined and come out of lockdown with new skills and new reasons to feel empowered as we planned the ‘new me!’

The ‘new me’ that would be on top of all the things we wanted to do in the first lockdown and never got to do, the ‘new me’ that would cook more, that would try cooking new things, cook more often, start cooking from scratch, cook more healthily, bake more and/or who just would try and enjoy cooking for once.

So you may have purchased some new and unusual ingredients, treated yourself to a new range of cooking utensils for encouragement, got rid of the Deliveroo app and decided to follow more chefs on

“The blue skies remind me of the Caribbean and bring a sense of positivity” Instagram (hopefully I was one of them, nudge nudge!) for inspiration. But, January has been and gone, the diet went out of the window a week in and we were sipping on a Guinness punch way before dry January came to an end.

The reattempt in February went out of the window and March shocked us by arriving so quickly. It’s not too late to salvage the first quarter, it’s time to adapt and adopt.

April will be our new start (if it’s good enough for the bankers and the new financial year, it’s good enough for us foodies). It’s also spring, my favourite season.

If you’re anything like me, the increased frequency of blue skies reminds me of the Caribbean and brings a sense of positivity to life as opposed to the drab grey

skies we previously had!

As the bees start appearing, the daffodils start blooming and the new energy to life is abundant in the atmosphere, that’s the thing that assures us that the time is now.

This time, thanks to Lifestyle, we can do it together. I’ll be sharing with you a recipe each month to try and encourage you to step inside the kitchen and try a little something new.

A TASTY TREAT: Michelle’s pancake recipe will have you excited to get in the kitchen

ATTEMPT

Chefs, I suppose may come across as a little intimidating.

They’re always cooking food and it comes out just right, it looks great at what seems like their first attempt and although it takes hours to prepare they don’t seem to care.

While yes, we may have more of a handle on it because of our training, we still learn as we go.

Cooking is more than following instructions, it’s also about just using your gut feeling and not doubting yourself too much.

If you never play around in the kitchen then you’ll never know what to your gut feeling is telling you.

I want to encourage you to cook and to try some Caribbean flavours in a new way.

That’s why I’ve kicked off by sharing a simple breakfast recipe which is tasty and brings about a subtle taste of the Caribbean to the start of the day.

Every country has a staple made from flour. These pancakes are delicious and quick to make.

Fluffy cinnamon pancakes with a spiced mixed berry compote Ingredients: 140g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp salt 2 tbsp caster sugar 135ml oz milk 1 large egg, lightly beaten Vegetable oil 250g frozen mixed berries 3 tbsp water 1 tbsp caster sugar 1 cinnamon sticks ½ vanilla bean or 1 tsp of vanilla essence Method: 1. Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and caster

sugar into a large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl or jug, lightly whisk together the milk and egg.

3. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and, using a fork, beat until you have a smooth batter.

4. Bring the frozen mixed berries, the water, 1 tbsp of caster sugar, the cinnamon stick and vanilla to the boil and reduce to a simmer for 4 minutes.

5. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When it’s hot, add a ladle of batter to the pan. Allow to spread before adding another ladle of mixture.

6. When the top of the pancake begins to bubble, then turn it over and cook it until both sides are golden brown and the pancake has risen to about 1cm thick.

7. Repeat until all the batter is used up.

8. These pancakes are best served straight from the pan with a ladle of the spiced mixed berry compote on top! Enjoy!

Community Hero Bernadetta honoured as part of Census effort PROUD: Bernadetta Omondi is all smiles with her personalised purple plaque

BY JOEL CAMPBELL CENSUS 2021 honoured Community Heroes in Peterborough with iconic purple plaques last month in order to celebrate the extraordinary contributions they have made and to highlight how census data helps to build better communities.

In a year like no other, 22 unique purple plaques, one for each census that has taken place to date, have been awarded to community heroes up and down the country.

From volunteering during the pandemic, to supporting those with mental health issues, the winners have made an amazing difference during a difficult time.

The competition, which received hundreds

@thevoicenewspaper

of entries across England and Wales, has awarded Bernadetta Omondi for her services to her local community in Peterborough, shopping and delivering food to the people who need it. She is also the chairperson of Black History Month and other committees, and always encourages cohesion and inclusion for all.

Omondi commented: “I am truly grateful to have received the Census 2021 Community Hero Award, amongst the hundreds of entries that were submitted. I am passionate and proud of my community, and it’s a pleasure to do what I can and to be of service to Peterborough.”

The entries were judged by a panel of noteworthy community champions, led by actress and presenter, Joanna Page.

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Page commented: “I am honoured to have been a judge on the Census 2021 community hero awards panel. It was such a pleasure to read through all the amazing entries. In what has been a difficult year for so many of us, this was a great opportunity to say thank you to the people who go above and beyond to serve their local community.”

Iain Bell, ONS Deputy National Statistician, commented: “It has been incredible to see the reaction from local communities for this award which resulted in hundreds of entries across England and Wales. This is testament to just how many incredible people are doing amazing things, and how during this difficult year we have seen the best come out in people. We can all do something, however big or small, to help those around us.”

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THE VOICE | 45

Lifestyle

Books

Important conversations This month, Joel Campbell’s selection of books focuses on inspirational and necessary messages The Good Ally Written by Nova Reid

The Good Ally is the answer to ‘what next?’ It’s a book for those wanting to become better allies, for those who are hungry to expand their knowledge and understanding of systematic racism, for those who not only want to be able to better recognise both subtle and overt forms of racism in action, but who want to know what to do about it.

Full of punch, humour and hope, and packed with examples and anecdotes – some toe-curling, some blood-boiling – The Good Ally will help us unpick the myriad issues getting in the way of better inclusion, and will shows us how – with a bit of self-interrogation and a lot of courage – we can weaponise our privilege and be part of a powerful change.

Black Members of Parliament in the House of Commons – 22 Stories of Passion, Achievement and Success Shirley Anstis

The unique book draws attention to the journeys of serving black members of parliament: who they are, how they got there and their contributions so far.

The UK parliament is made up of 650 Members of Parliament. Of these, 22 are of black British, African and Caribbean heritage, representing three per cent.

Despite this small number they are making an impact and can be seen as role models for another generation who may not know of them or their work.

This is the first book of its type and captures a moment in time.

The data covers the events of the recent past with MPs quoted on the impact of the Grenfell Tower fire, the Windrush Scandal, Black Lives Matter and many more pertinent topics.

In his foreword, Lord Simon Woolley wrote: “I love this book.

It’s simple, straight forward and yet at the same time fantastically complex. Above all, though it is wonderfully inspiring.”

Having worked with young people for 10 years Anstis knows how much they long to see successful people who look like them.

By highlighting these 22 individuals the integrative counsellor and careers adviser gives the reader an insight into other successful people to expand their horizons and the future they desire for themselves.

Anstis’s other books, An A-Z For Your Life, Discovering And Revealing Who You Are Today, and They Call Me...A Look At Nicknames In The Caribbean Island Of Grenada, explore aspects of identity.

Having lived in the Caribbean and the UK, the author is aware of the complexity of our stories and explores this in her therapeutic writing workshops.

We Are Not Like Them Written by Christine Pride & Jo Piazza

We Are Not Like Them is the story of a lifelong friendship between two women – Riley, a successful black television journalist and Jen, a working-class white woman married to a Philadelphia police officer – and what

A PIECE OF HISTORY: Shirley Anstis’ book on current black MPs aims to inspire the next generation of black British politicians – and will act as a reminder of the times in years to come

happens after Jen’s husband is involved in the shooting of an unarmed black teenager, from former publisher of several New York Times bestsellers Christine Pride and award-winning journalist and editor Jo Piazza..

Tawny and Maya: Unique Me Written by Kaya and Tuesday Holder

The work of duo Kaya and Tuesday Holder, Tawny and Maya: Unique Me is an incredibly inspirational story, written specifically for children, to reinforce the power of individuality, diversity and being happy – exactly the way they are.

Readers aged five to eight are invited to join Tawny and Maya as their school photo day approaches, and their hesitations about their naturally curly hair transforms into pride and the embrace of their individuality. It’s an uplifting and timely message for people, everywhere.

“Our aim was to create a story that had main characters that we could identify with as these stories were lacking for us as children,” explains Tuesday.

“We wanted to create a positive and inclusive book to reflect modern families and stories which our young nephew could himself in.

“It was paramount that we created opportunities for further conversations around diversity and inclusion, identity and wellbeing.”

Continuing, Kaya adds: “We want children and families of all backgrounds to enjoy this book, as well as our subsequent releases, as we work hard to spread a positive message.

“Our world has changed a lot over the last year,

though we believe there is a way to go for children’s literature, in fully endorsing diverse lead characters as well as promoting individuality.

We’re going to be at its helm,

teaching all children to be proud.”

A Quick Ting On (a series) Curated by Magdalene Abraha

From Afrobeats and grime to the black British power movement, plantain to black fashion and hair, A Quick Ting On... explores the history and evolution of Black culture in Britain.

The groundbreaking series of eight books will be released from October 2021 into 2022, with dates for the first six works now confirmed.

Each title in the series is written by a leading young black British voice, including broad-

caster and host of Channel 4’s How Not To Be Racist, Chanté Joseph; award-winning theatre and film producer and writer Tobi Kyeremateng; award winning entrepreneur Tskenya-Sarah Frazer, journalist and activist Franklyn Addo and more.

A Quick Ting On... was created and commissioned by young writer award-winning publisher Abraha, pictured left, who reached out to her friends over WhatsApp and persuaded them to write a book for the series on one of their passions.

Abraha enthused: “A Quick Ting On is about archiving the rich cultural landscape of black Britain both past and present in an exciting and contemporary way.

“It is about providing a space for black British writers to pay homage to the ideas, the moments that mean something to them…. the series is digestible, relatable and important.”

46 | THE VOICE APRIL 2021

Sport

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RLWC21 SPECIAL

TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE. CO.UK/SPORT

GLOBAL AMBITION Jamaica’s participation in Rugby League World Cup can inspire communities in UK

By Rodney Hinds

B

EARING IN mind that Jamaica do not possess their own dedicated rugby pitch, their qualification for the Rugby League World Cup later this year is one hell of an achievement.

The Caribbean outfit, known as the Reggae Warriors, make their global bow in England this winter having overcome all the odds and despite that aforementioned lack of key facilities.

The man that has helped navigate Jamaica to the sport’s top table is Jamaica Rugby League director Romeo Monteith, pictured inset right.

His team qualified for the greatest show on Earth three years ago and will face the might of New Zealand, Ireland and Lebanon in their initial group when the tournament gets under way in England later this year.

LEGACY

However, before a ball is kicked, Monteith is keen to provide inspiration for future generations.

He told the Voice of Sport: “After the World Cup It would be good if the legacy meant that for another generation or two that there is a safe space to play.

“Just to have a home for rugby league and having a field where we can play undisturbed would be a boost. A lot of people may not know but there is no rugby pitch on the island, we have to borrow football fields and that can be very difficult at times.

Sometimes you’re not allowed to play or you are chased off!

“I want to see more people

“It’s going to be massive.

It’s a chance to showcase our culture”

participating and numbers are picking up nicely. More players will secure the sport in Jamaica.”

And Monteith wants the sport to touch those in the United Kingdom, too. “I want rugby being promoted more to African and Caribbean communities.

For young people, it’s not just about football. I know everybody dreams about those multi-million pound contracts but I’d like to see more exposure to rugby league with more black fans going to games.”

Ironically, Jamaica’s participation in rugby began in the UK. He takes up the story: “The genesis of rugby league in Jamaica actually started in England in the late 1990s.

“There are lots of people with Jamaican heritage living in the UK, and we had players playing at the semi-pro and amateur level. A few of them thought about a West Indies team, the team was formed and they played a few tournaments.

“The thinking was if we were going to have a West Indies team they had to be in the West Indies! Emails were sent to several Caribbean islands, including Jamaica. Rugby Union has had a big background in the West Indies since the 1940s and ‘50s, so we know about rugby.

So when we heard about rugby league, we were like, ‘Wow we didn’t realise there was another code to the sport’.

“As we researched it some more, persons involved understood that the game is quite suited to us because it’s all about the speed, power and expressing yourself as an athlete.

“We formed an association in 2004 and from the moment we started, as a group, we’ve always been ambitious. The dream was to one day play in a World Cup.” The reaction to the island reaching their first World Cup has illuminated once again a nation that has a rich history at performing on sport’s biggest stages.

“The reaction has been really awesome,” confessed the articulate Monteith.

“A lot of people were surprised. It was joy all over because it’s all about the Caribbean once more showing that they produce great sports men and women. There is no arena safe from our athletic prowess.

“It was really pleasing to see a lot of people on the street when we qualified in 2018.

There were good vibes and it has continued.”

So just how and why does an island of three million people continue to punch above its weight when it comes to sport?

“Some people say it’s in the genes while some say it’s in the yam and banana but it’s much more than that,” smiles Monteith.

“There’s something about our physical prowess because speed seems to be ingrained in our genes. I think it is a Caribbean thing on the whole.

“It’s also a cultural thing.

Kids at a very early age are always running around in Jamaica. We are always very active and I think that gives us a very good base. We are outdoors 12 months of the year.

“Culturally we are very competitive as well. There’s a lot going on for us that really pro-

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motes sport. The skills translate from one sport to the next.

“I think Jamaicans are always up for a challenge and proving people wrong. Everything we touch is golden. I can’t think of a sport that we have tried and not had some type of success.

“As a small nation it is good to imprint ourselves on the world and be positive ambassadors for our young people and show them some pathways as opposed to destructive tendencies. Sport is a saviour for many people and we have to keep it going.”

SHOCK

One thing that will certainly be kept going is Jamaica’s rugby rise and rise. They will head to the World Cup buoyed with belief in their ability to cause a shock or two and land themselves a berth at the business end of the tournament.

“We don’t just want to participate whenever we play. Even when the odds are stacked against us we always feel we can spring a surprise.

“All the players want to perform. We want to be in the quarter-finals. We are aiming to win two matches in our group and we are putting together a competitive squad.”

That squad will potentially include the likes of English-based players such as Michael Lawrence and Jordan Turner (Huddersfield Giants) and Joe Brown (Newcastle Thunder).

Monteith adds: “The motivation is going to be really high.

Regardless of what happens I think we will do Jamaica and the Caribbean proud.”

Like many around the globe, Jamaica’s plans for the World Cup have been hit hard due to the devastating global pandemic. “COVID-19 has affected out senior club championship,” admits Monteith. “That has taken off some of the shine as we wanted to keep the game at the forefront of people’s minds.”

Undeterred, the Reggae Warriors will land in England come World Cup time keen to leave an impression.

“We are looking to put on a

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EXPERIENCE: Huddersfield Giant star Michael Lawrence; inset below left, The Warriors celebrate qualification good show for the people that support us. I would say people go grab a ticket!

“It’s an historic moment. It’s the first time that a Caribbean nation has qualified.

“It’s going to be massive. It’s a chance to showcase our people and culture. And it’s not just about Jamaica, it’s a Caribbean and African thing.”

He continued: “It’s big for all of us. It’s another space in sport that some might say isn’t for us – but here we are.

“We are not just sprinters or

track athletes, we are sports people whether it be swimming or rugby league.

“It’s a really exciting game and entertaining too. It’s the world’s greatest game and there’s a reason for that.

“When you look at the athletic prowess that is on display, the participants prepare their bodies to an extreme level and then go on to perform at a very high skill level, too.

“I hope the various communities will come out and cheer for Jamaica.”

Jamaica’s World Cup fixtures IRELAND: Sunday, October 24, Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds NEW ZEALAND: Saturday,

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October 30, Emerald Headingley Stadium, Leeds LEBANON: Sunday, November 7, Leigh Sports Village

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APRIL 2021

THE VOICE | 47

Sport

A 2020 vision

A TRUE TRAILBLAZER Clive Sullivan’s international career saw him become Britain’s first-ever black national captain

C

LIVE SULLIVAN was the first black captain of any British national sporting team.

Clive was born in the Splott district of Cardiff not far from the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, which was to play such a great part in his early life.

During his childhood and early teens Clive needed innumerable operations on his knees, shoulders and feet; surgeons advised that he would be fortunate to walk normally.

But although frail he overcame adversity, and was eventually given a trial by Bradford as a 17-year-old. They were not

“He is best remembered for his superlative touchdown in the final of the competition”

interested but Hull were, playing him straight away in their first team where he shone in his first game.

Clive was an out and out sprinter with blistering speed his trademark.

If there was space on the outside he would exploit it, running around the quickest of opposition wingers. He was the master of the cover tackle with deceptive upper body strength.

In spite of repeated injuries needing further operations on his knees, he played 13 seasons with Hull.

At that time the club was having little success but Clive was still able to show his immense talent. An example was his

seven tries against Doncaster in 1968, a club record.

Clive scored 250 tries for Hull in 352 games, easily a club record. Transferred across the city in 1974 to Hull Kingston Rovers he scored a further 118 tries in 213 games.

He won the first of 17 caps for Great Britain in 1967, playing three World Cup matches in 1968 with a hat-trick in the game against New Zealand.

He toured Australia a year later, but injury restricted him to just one Test.

Returning to Great Britain in 1971 he appeared in all three Tests against New Zealand and in 1972 was awarded the captaincy for the two Tests with France.

Perhaps he is best remembered as captain of the team which won the World Cup in France in 1972, scoring a try in each of Great Britain’s four games.

His Great Britain career finished in 1973 with three Tests against Australia. In his 17 appearances he had scored 13 tries and captained the side on nine occasions. He was the first black captain of any British national sporting team.

He was awarded the MBE for services to Rugby League.

With Wales he won 15 caps in the period 1968-1979. In all games, club and international,

he scored 406 tries in 639 appearances, a record bettered by only two other Welshmen and only half- a-dozen players of any nationality. He will always rank as one of the greatest finishers in the game of Rugby League.

Great Britain winger Clive’s first World Cup was a disaster for the team – but quite successful for himself.

HAT-TRICK

He played in three of Britain’s fixtures, scoring a try in the first against Australia and in the final game, a 38-14 win over New Zealand in Sydney, he became the first British player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match.

By 1972 Clive had risen to the Great Britain captaincy and was in charge for the tournament in France.

He led his underrated Lions to victory over Australia (27-21), France (13-4) and New Zealand (53-19), claiming a try in each game.

However, he is best remembered for his superlative touchdown in the final of the competition against favourites Australia.

His length of the field run to score in the 10-10 draw at Lyon is arguably the most famous try in the history of the World Cup. ‘Sully’ was the last British captain to lift the World Cup. In 1975 Sullivan was still causing mayhem to defences

HERO: Clive Sullivan paved the way for future black captains in Britain (photo: hullfc.com); inset left, the cover of James Oddy’s book The Clive Sullivan Story and represented Wales in four World Championship matches.

His last try at this level effectively won the World title for Australia, as Wales beat England 12-7 at Brisbane, thanks to Sullivan’s match-clinching try after chasing a ball over the English line.

His final three games in the tournament, however, all ended in losses. Clive’s son Anthony emulated his father by representing Wales in the 1995 World Cup.

This article appears on 100greatblackbritons.com

We ask Sébastien Bechara: What does #RLWC21 mean to you?

By James Aldred SÉBASTIEN BECHARA is one of the most talented wheelchair rugby league players in the world. With the World Cup taking place later this year, the England international is optimistic about his side’s chances and what the tournament could do for the sport of wheelchair rugby league...

JA: What does the Rugby League World Cup of 2021 mean to you?

SB: It means the world, not only because we are representing our country but because it gives us wheelchair athletes an opportunity to be on the big stage. We’ve been working really hard for years to get the public recognition and now it’s finally starting to pay off.

GETTING A PIECE OF THE ACTION: Sébastien Bechara, centre, in action (photo: Neko Grouch)

JA: England have a decent record in the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup, reaching the finals of 2013 and

2017 respectively. What is your aim for this tournament?

SB: We’re aiming for nothing else other than becoming world champions. We came so close in 2013 and 2017. We’re definitely working as hard as we can both on and off the pitch. We’re aiming for greatness.

JA: For those who have never watched wheelchair rugby league before, what can they expect?

SB: I remember when I first heard about wheelchair rugby league – I was recently disabled and thought it was going to be slow and boring. It’s actually an amazing sport, not only to play but to watch as well. You can expect the most incredible sport – big hits and exciting tries!

JA: For this year’s World Cup, the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments will all be taking place at the same time. What does that mean for the sport of wheelchair rugby league?

SB: We’re finally part of the rugby league family. For too long, we’ve separated the men’s, women’s and wheelchair versions of the sport. To see now them at the same level and at the same time is amazing. It’s a great step forward.

JA: You have family from across the world, including Lebanon and Malta.

What does the tournament represent for different countries and cultures?

SB: It’s a moment of acceptance and equality, where everyone’s the same.

It’s going to be amazing to meet so many people from so many different countries.

The Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup’s group stages begin on Thursday November 11, with Sébastien’s England taking on Australia in what promises to be an exciting opening match.

To buy tickets or to find out more information, visit https://www.rlwc2021.com/ the-tournament/wheelchair

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RLWC21 SPECIAL

TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE. CO.UK/SPORT APRIL 2021 | THE VOICE

AHEAD OF THE GAME

EYES ON THE PRIZES: The prestigious trophies up for grabs at RLWC21

Director says this year’s tournament will break new ground in focusing on mental health of disadvantaged young athletes in North of England

G

ENUINE LEGACY will be created long after rugby league’s finest have kicked their final ball.

Rugby League World Cup 2021 (RLWC2021) has underlined its commitment to its communities by establishing unique partnerships with Rugby League Cares and Mental Health UK (MHUK).

RLWC2021 will work closely with RL Cares, MHUK as well as existing partner Movember to deliver impactful campaigns to improve mental fitness and help encourage conversations around mental health.

September 10 is recognised globally as ‘World Suicide Prevention Day’, and the theme for this year’s campaign is ‘Working Together to Prevent Suicide’ and education on mental fitness will be the focus of RLWC2021 efforts as the tournament

seeks to work together along with its mental health partners to offer assistance and guidance to those in need in these uncertain times.

As an Official partner of RLWC2021’s InspirationALL legacy programme RL Cares will deliver the

munities and will use the vast expertise of both organisations in the field of mental fitness to successfully deliver RLWC2021’s Mental Fitness Charter.

Working with community Rugby League clubs across the country, ‘Ahead of the Game’ will reach 8,000

at the start of October. In the lead up to the tournament, Mental Health UK will also work with RLWC2021 and Rugby League Cares on a resilience programme which is aimed at 14-18year olds in elite sports performance pathways.

“Working with community Rugby League DELIVERED The programme will be delivered to clubs across the country, ‘Ahead of the Rugby League men’s professional clubs’ scholarships (14-16-year olds) Game’ will reach 8,000 young athletes” and academies (16-18-year olds).

‘Movember Ahead of the Game’ initiative, a programme developed by the men’s health charity which is focused on improving youth mental fitness through community sport.

RL Cares have worked with men’s health experts Movember to adapt and deliver their ‘Ahead of the Game’ programme for Rugby League com-

young athletes, 8,000 parents and 360 coaches, with the aim of improving mental resilience in adolescent athletes and raising mental fitness literacy and awareness among players, families and coaches.

Planning is already well underway for the first mental fitness sessions being hosted in Leeds and Trafford

Tracy Power, RLWC2021 legacy director, said: “Again RLWC2021 will be breaking new ground with these initiatives. The Office of National Statistics has revealed that the Rugby League strongholds in the North of England suffer disproportionately in the area of mental illness compared to the rest of the country.”

“These figures demonstrate the

need for action and the RLWC2021 Mental Fitness Charter aims to make a positive impact on Rugby League communities through the ‘Power of Together’.”

Emma Goldsmith, head of community at RL Cares, added: “We are looking forward to working together with RLWC2021, Movember and Mental Health UK on campaigns that will equip the Rugby League family with the knowledge, skills and techniques needed to tackle issues around mental health.”