NOVEMBER 2021 • ISSUE NO. 1924
EXCLUSIVE The Football Black 2021 List revealed See inside
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+++ Black Business Special +++ Black Business Special +++
BLACK POUND
MOVEMENT Support for black business on the rise The Voice launches Black Biz Guide Pressure on banks to lend fairly
O
NE SILVER lining in the Covid-19 pandemic is that black families are spending more with blackowned businesses. This is encouraging, but there is a lot more we can do to keep the black pound circulating within
the community. Our collective spending power is at least £4 billion a year. In this special edition, we explore the successes - and challenges - facing the black entrepreneurs. The Voice does not only report - we support.
Read more in our Black Business special edition see pages 3, 6, 8, 12, 18, 20, 23-26
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Inside
ROUNDUP
THIS MONTH
NEWSPAPER
News, views, stories & videos
From humble roots, she is now one of the world’s most influential tech leaders p6 Twenty years behind the mic – and BBC’s Dotun is still going strong
1. Strawberry slavery
An investigation into Barbados migrant workers who say they are exploited on British fruit farms.
2. Caribbeans Quit the Queen
Barbados again… this time the move to become a Republic and ditch Queen Elizabeth as Head of State.
3. The most disrespected workers are black women, aged over 45, in local councils
p10-11
A new survey finds that older black women face a "triple assault" of racism, sexism and ageism.
Bob Marley’s photographer on his friendship with reggae legend p14-15
4. Microsoft tech pioneer Jacky Wright tops list of most powerful black Britons Breaking news about this year's Powerlist winners.
5. In an ideal world we wouldn’t need a Black History Month, but we do, and more than ever
Our history before slavery: Terence Channer delves into the glorious past p30
An opinion piece by Richard Sudan.
6. The rise of home-schooling in the black community A feature looking into the increase in home-schooling.
7. Black Tories heading for the top
This is BrukOut: The night that brought a tear to Swizz Beat’s eye p41 Profile on the next big thing in British boxing – Joshua Buatsi p45
THE 10 MOST POPULAR STORIES ON VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK
We spoke to the rising young black stars of the Conservative Party during their party conference.
8. It's official: Uni of West Indies ranked in top one per cent in the world
We ask if the Caribbean education system is the best there is.
9. If it’s fit for His Majesty, it’ll do for our wedding! Reggae singer becomes the first ever to marry at UK’s most sacred Rastafari venue.
10. Black British Voices
Our section on this unique and large-scale survey.
This issue is 48 pages
Spotlight Solomon Smith
MY NAME is Solomon Smith and I attend the University College London (UCL) studying a PGDE in Business Studies. My undergraduate was at the University of Sheffield where I graduated in Economics and Philosophy. Growing up in Edmonton, north London, to parents of Jamaican heritage, it was amazing, but it had its hurdles. Edmonton is one of the most deprived wards within London and my parents strived to give me the best education and extracurricular activities they could afford. Their morals and Jamaican influence inspired me to work hard and achieve academic excellence alongside sporting success. Sporting Achievements: From my performances at club level, I was picked for Team Great Britain in ice hockey at the Winter Universiade in 2019. Additionally, I played for Team Jamaica in the LATAM Cup where we won gold. Being one of the few members of colour at the semi-professional and professional level of ice hockey, it is amazing to help young players achieve more than I have and share my experience. Academic Achievements: I am a part of the Teach First programme where I am a full-time teacher as well as a full-time university student. This experience has elevated my academic potential and teaching abilities so much so that Don Anderson (former Vice President of Jamaica Olympic Team, including the famous Jamaican bobsleigh team) asked me to lead a grassroots programme at the GC Forster College of Physical Education & Sport in Jamaica. Now in the final year of my PGDE, I aim to apply to an Oxbridge university to study a Masters in Education. Within my school, within my sport and within the country I live for change. When I first joined Kingsmead School, I actively sought out to change the lives of students of colour after a local supermarket was subjecting young black boys to remove their belongings before they entered the store. Being a new teacher, I tried to seek help from the school and got instant support from Peter Plowman (Senior Deputy Headteacher) who helped me bring that change. Separately to this, I run a club within the school on "How to buy Property" to assist in the lack of cultural capital in my community as often this is something students don’t know.
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NEWSPAPER
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NOVEMBER 2021 THE VOICE |
Black business focus
3
POWERING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC
TOUGH TIMES: Businesses across Britain are currently facing the worst economic crisis in decades (photo: Klaus Vedfelt/ Getty); inset below left, Ismael Lea South is an entrepreneur with The Salem Project
The past 18 months have been disastrous for the UK economy, and black-owned business are bearing the brunt of the impact of COVID-19, says Lester Holloway
T
HE YEAR 2020 was a disastrous one for many black-owned businesses. Many thousands were forced to shut their doors, some permanently. Before COVID-19, black entrepreneurs were under-represented with just 5.4 per cent of small and medium enterprises run by a majority black and minority ethnic leadership, according to government figures. Experts say that the proportion may well have declined further because of the pandemic. Any reduction in black businesses will further pull down the overall community wealth, in addition to the negative economic impact on jobs, with the TUC reporting that black and Asian unemployment rose three times as fast during the COVID downturn. Entrepreneurs across Britain are currently facing the worst economic crisis in decades, with suggestions that black-owned businesses have declined by twice the rate of
Black firms have struggled to get started and stay afloat, not least due to restricted access to bank loans white-owned businesses. Black firms have historically struggled to get started and stay afloat, not least because of restricted access to bank loans and other seed capital. A report by Warwick Business School, in 2012, found that even when black-owned businesses had an overdraft, the interest rate was 2.12 per cent higher than for whiteowned businesses, and that black-owned businesses were 14.4 per cent more likely to be rejected for a long-term loan. The London Development
Agency found that a quarter of black-owned businesses faced “significant problems” accessing business loans and overdrafts, compared with 10 per cent of white-owned businesses. A 2011 government report during the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition effectively absolved high street banks for any biases in lending on grounds that black business applicants had lower credit ratings.
TRUST
Unfortunately, the Black Business Network has found that less than half of Britain’s black business owners — 43 per cent — trust banks to support their interests. Their survey, sponsored by Lloyds Bank and undertaken by Savanta, found that fraught relationships are influencing borrowing habits among this cohort; they are far more likely to be self-financed (34 per cent) than use financing from banks (13 per cent). Social entrepreneur Claudine Reid MBE, who was in-
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volved in the Black Business Network survey, said that the pandemic had forced many black-owned businesses to change their framework but that banks had to work harder to build confidence in black communities. Mrs Reid, who chaired the
ing improving cultural awareness and black representation in the banking sector; ensuring black voices within the banking system; and partnering with grassroots organisations in order to gain trust.” More recently, there is evidence that interest in black
People just don’t feel that banks have black business owners’ interests at heart black entrepreneurs and business owners committee for Lloyds Banking Group, told The Voice: “One of those big barriers was around lack of trust within the banking sector, and government as well. “People just don’t feel that banks have black business owners’ interests at heart. It comes from years of experience in terms of documented discrimination, links to colonialism and imperialism. “We’ve come up with a list of 10 recommendations; includ-
businesses increased in the wake of worldwide Black Lives Matter protests following the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis in the US. Swiss, of So Solid Crew fame, founded Black Pound Day, calling on consumers to spend money with black-owned businesses on the first Saturday of the month. Last month, dozens of black entrepreneurs took over a section of one of Europe’s biggest shopping centre — Westfield in Shepherd’s Bush, west
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London — to showcase their stunning products. A report by Jamii — a shopping discovery platform for black-owned brands — and Translate Culture found that black-owned businesses saw a boost of up to 124 per cent compared to their previous month’s revenue as a result of Black Pound Day. Ismael Lea South, an entrepreneur with the Salem Project and a rapper, told The Voice: “What happened during the pandemic is that it has galvanised black communities to support black businesses more like never seen before. “In my opinion, what the Government can do is that they need to appoint black business advisers and mentors to help black business owners with the infrastructure and help them with marketing and promotion.” The issue for many black business owners is keeping the momentum going all year round. It can be difficult for any Continued on page 25
4 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Special investigation
‘We all felt we were treated like modern-day slaves’ Caribbean workers claim they were ‘sold a lie’ when they arrived in the UK to work as strawberry pickers – although that has been denied by the employment agencies By Sinai Fleary
A
GROUP OF Caribbean workers say they were treated ‘like slaves’ on British farms. Three workers, who are all from Barbados, claim they were promised a “chance of a lifetime” but were used as “slave labour” on strawberry farms in
Scotland and England. The workers allege they were forced to work long hours for far less pay than promised and were given poor and dirty accommodation which they were also charged for. Speaking exclusively to The Voice, one farm worker, Romario Bryan, 23, said: “We have been sold a lie! The representative for Barbados told us it is good work and you will make £500 a week.
“But if I put all my pay cheques together since I have been here, I have made nowhere near that amount. “It doesn’t matter how you look at it, every day I am here I feel like a slave.” The workers say they came to the UK in June as part of the government-backed UK Farm Labour Programme. Mr Bryan likened his former managers and supervisors to
DEVELOPING LEADERSHIP & EMPLOYABILITY A programme to empower young people (aged 18-25) from ethnically diverse communities to increase their leadership and employability prospects in the sport sector. Programme commences on 10th November Supporting young people into careers in sport Visit to Leicester City Football Club to understand the operations of a professional first class club Networking opportunities including a networking dinner at Leicester Tigers RFU club Four online Masterclass sessions discussing a range of key topics for those interested in a career in sport. Topics include commercial, operations, marketing and communications, governance and finance
If you are interested please email Charlotte Koi-Larbi c.koilarbi@sportingequals.org.uk to receive further details The deadline for applications is 31st October 2021
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TOUGHEST OF CONDITIONS: The Caribbean workers claim there was nothing pleasant about their time on the UK’s strawberry farms (photo: Pixabay)
slave masters and said “the only thing these people are missing is the whips and chains.” The Voice has seen a payslip confirming some workers were paid just £39.33 after working two days at the end of June. According to the document, a caravan accommodation charge of £29.72 was deducted, which left workers with just £9.61.
not allowed to stand up and stretch their backs or legs when they were working, despite the long hours and working on their knees. In a payslip seen by The Voice, Mr Hutchinson was paid £35.64 for four hours work and then had an accommodation charge of £29.72 deducted, leaving him
SURVIVED
From my experience, the only thing these people are missing is the whips and chains
Mr Bryan revealed that while working at the farms he struggled to live on the wages he was paid and survived some weeks on just eggs and water. Jermaine Hutchinson (not his real name) said: “People shave and leave their hair in the sink and all over the floor, all the toilets are covered in human waste. “Within a week of being here, I was coughing and had to go to the hospital.” He recalls being told “pick, pick, pick and fast, fast, fast” when he was picking strawberries on his knees at some of the farms. He claims the workers were
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with just £5.92. He said he queried why the accommodation charge was taken out even though he earned so little and claims he wasn’t given an answer. All the workers who spoke to The Voice, have accused the
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farms and their agency, Concordia UK Ltd, of “failing them” and being misleading. A farm document seen by The Voice showed that after tax and other deductions a worker on average would be paid £295.45 for a 48-hour week from which workers would need to find funds for food, cooking and sleeping in shared rooms. There were also other smaller deductions. In a statement, the Concordia agency, which is a registered charity, said: “Participants on the seasonal worker’s programme come to the UK to learn skills, gain work experience and earn an income. “During their time on programme in the UK we offer full support to all participants directly and through our partner agents who are based in the country participants arrive to the UK from. Our agents act as a first point of call and support to all participants. The experience, treatment and safety of workers is our priority.” Continued on page 32
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SEPTEMBER 2021
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6 | THE VOICE
NOVEMBER 2021
Special feature
Powerlist 2022
Jacky the Wright choice for top spot By Vic Motune
T
ECH INDUSTRY pioneer Jacky Wright has been named the UK’s most influential black person by The Powerlist 2022 – the annual list of the UK’s most powerful people of African, African Caribbean and African-American heritage. Wright, the Chief Digital Officer and Corporate Vice President at Microsoft US, is widely regarded across the world as one of the top black women in the tech industry. Born in north London but now resident in the United States, she has been vocal about the need for the tech industry to address its lack of diversity and has been the driving force behind a number of innovative programmes to achieve this goal. Before working at Microsoft, Wright held high-profile roles at BP, General Electric and Andersen Consulting. In 2017, she took the role of Chief Digital Information Officer at HM Revenue and Customs. She spent two years in the position on secondment, and returned to the software giant in 2019. Speaking about how she felt
My mission has been, and will continue to be, making this world a better place to top this year’s Powerlist she told The Voice: “It feels surreal. I am one of those people who likes to do what they do, but do it quietly. I see my role as a change agent and have been doing it my entire career. “My mission has been, and will continue to be, making this world a better place.” However, she said she hoped that the award would further encourage a debate which began last year in the midst of the Black Lives Matter protests about equity. “Equity should be the north star, whether it be education, employment, healthcare, social justice or tech,” she said. “We are starting to see companies take bold action, driven by talent shortages and environmental, social and governance goals. The question is, will it be enduring? Or will it
fall off? I think we are at this point where we have to maintain vigilance in terms of holding companies and government accountable. “Because if we don’t, the next big thing will come up, and the focus will shift and we would have forgotten what we were pledging to do.” While acknowledging that she is seen as a role model for many people from diverse backgrounds wanting to get into the tech industry, Wright also paid tribute to her family who she says played a key role in her success.
EMBRACED
“I grew up in a family where education was non-negotiable. You knew you were going to university, there were no ifs or buts about it” she said. “But I also came from a family that always embraced their culture in all aspects. My dad and mum came from Jamaica. Early on, we attended the Paul Bogle Club in Tottenham which instilled cultural awareness of the Caribbean. “But my father also taught us about Africa, the rich history, great Kings and Queens, and the colonial battles, which was never taught in schools.
WONDER WOMAN!: The inspirational Jacky Wright; inset below, from left, Jacky aged six; Jacky’s parents Lenworth and Melvina Wright on their wedding day in 1959; Jacky’s father Lenworth as a bus conductor in the 1970s “Learning this history, played a key role in my psyche, in terms of knowing who I am, where I come from, and having the confidence that I could achieve anything.” Wright continues: “I was also fortunate in that I had a Maths teacher at my school in Tottenham, Mr O’Driscoll, who really helped me love geometry, trigonometry and calculus – can you imagine? – and played a key role in my development. “He played a key role in a school which was not one of the top schools, but I thrived because of nurturing teachers like him.” It was Wright’s father who made the decision to move the family to the United States, where the tech executive has spent much of her career. “My siblings and I were thrust into a new environment in the
United States,” she recalled. “My dad thought it would be best to emigrate because he thought we’d have better opportunities in the US than the UK. “But I had to quickly figure out how to adapt but still differentiate myself. To culturally adapt was not easy for us as teens and young adults. “We all had our challenges. But you know, I look back on it and say, I am not sure I would be where I am today.”
ADAPT
She added: “Having to constantly adapt, be self aware, quickly understand people and my environment, is something that played a key role in my career and shaping me as a leader.” Although many people have been inspired by her success as a black woman who has risen to the highest levels of a leading technology company, Wright says tech was not her first career choice. “I originally wanted to do political science” she said. “I wanted to solve social problems, to play a key role in influencing and changing out-
comes for people. “But, having fallen into technology, I have also recognised that technology is a key enabler for that. It’s just been a fantastic journey. I am achieving my goals, in changing outcomes and playing it forward. I just do it in a different way, using a different platform.” Michael Eboda, CEO of Powerful Media, said: “Jacky Wright is a true professional who is totally well deserved of being recognised as the UK’s most powerful black Briton on the Powerlist 2022. “She is a shining example of professional excellence, and this is evident through the roles she has been appointed to throughout her illustrious career. She is a role model to many and I applaud the great work she is doing at Microsoft.” “The Powerlist continues to be a great showcase, acknowledgement and reminder of the amazing individuals of African, African Caribbean and AfricanAmerican heritage we have in the UK, and I would like to congratulate each and every one on the list.”
For the 2022 Powerlist in full, see page 20 @thevoicenewspaper
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SEPTEMBER 2021
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8 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Special feature
Black business focus
Proven serial winner looks to inspire next generation
IN THE HOT SEAT: Tom Ilube is proud to head the Rugby Football Union; below inset left, Ilube topped the UK Powerlist in 2017, beating the likes of Sir Lewis Hamilton
Tom Ilube is the first black chair of a sports governing body in England. By Anshu Taneja
T
OM ILUBE is an immensely satisfied man — and what a journey! From playing community rugby since the 1970s to watching his son play all over the country, he is now the first black chair of a national rugby governing body in England and has ambitious plans to grow participation across all levels of the game. “I am just really, really proud,” he says with a beaming smile as he recalls a moment from well over 40 years ago. “There was a match — London Welsh v Llanelli in 1975 — and I scored a try in the junior match that happened before, and it was on Rugby Special. [the commentator] Nigel Starmer-Smith said, ‘Will one of these boys be playing for their country one day?’ I didn’t manage to do that, but I did manage to become chair of the RFU, which isn’t too bad!” Having taken over from Andy Cosslett in August, Ilube aims to revamp the sport’s structure by creating a comprehensive grassroots programme that will attract more youngsters into the game, as well as maintaining focus on a successful national team which “should” be ranked in the top two each year. So, does being the first black chair of a major sport in England bring additional pressures? Not for Ilube, who in 2018 received a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to Technology and Philanthropy. As with every challenge faced in his career, he is taking it all in his stride. “I’m really pleased that rugby was the sport that made someone the first black chair, that’s great. And I’m quite comfortable being that person, talking to people and communicating my thoughts.” As a child, Ilube travelled regularly from the UK to Africa and was educated first at Teddington School in south-west London and then Edo College in Benin City in southern Nigeria. He later studied physics at the University of Benin and completed an MBA in business
It’s important that you see people from all backgrounds on the pitch and in the boardroom administration from London’s Cass Business School. From humble beginnings in Nigeria — where he didn’t even own a computer and had to write code on paper — to recently spending $100,000 on a ticket for a flight into space, Ilube has always aimed high and is a proven serial winner. Ilube’s father, who worked for the BBC and helped set up TV in Uganda, took him there in 1969 but shortly afterwards despot Idi Amin took control and ordered Ugandan Asians to leave the country.
GUNPOINT
Ilube was just nine years-old when he went to his Asian neighbour’s house where soldiers found him, tied him up and held him at gunpoint — but was later allowed to leave unharmed. Away from rugby, Ilube is both a philanthropist and an entrepreneur. He is CEO of Crossword Cybersecurity and a non-executive director for WPP — the world’s largest advertising company. He was also non-executive director for the BBC before leaving the post to take the role as chair of the Rugby Football Union. He has previously launched numerous startups — such as the credit reference ser- vice Noddle—and co-founded an online identity company called Garlik in 2005 which was
sold to US giant Experian six years later. He was also chief information officer for Egg, UK’s first internet bank. In 2017, Ilube received a Beacon Award for innovation in philanthropy and New African magazine recognised him as one of Africa’s most influential people. He was also ranked top of the UK 2017 Powerlist awards (a list of the top 100 most influential people with an African or Caribbean heritage) beating the likes of Sir Lenny Henry, Sir Mo Farah and Sir Lewis Hamilton. He was pleased to see there was recognition for success in medicine and politics as well. Ilube hopes to inspire others to make meaningful contributions to society and to overcome heavy statistical imbalances — such as the fact that as recently as 2016 only four chief executives of Britain’s 100 largest companies on the FTSE-100 index were from ethnic minorities and over 70 per cent of executive boards were all white. He grew up as one of the few mixed-race students in his class and faced racial prejudice all his life. “There are so many opportunities, and I think if people can see folk like me, a black executive in a senior role in sport, I can begin to have a bit of an impact over time. It is really important that you see people from all backgrounds both on the pitch and in the boardroom — and in the coaching roles and in the match official roles. “I think it really does help younger people coming through if they see people that remind them of their own journey and it makes them think ‘if that chap can be in that position, w h y can’t I?’ And t h e n they go for it.”
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Although Ilube has spent more than 30 years in the technology sector in other prestigious roles at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Goldman Sachs, and the London Stock Exchange, education is clearly one of Ilube’s serious passions and he believes both science and tech-
the game playing for the Wasps Academy and representing his university. Aside from launching a bid to host the 2031 Rugby World Cup, what plans does Ilube have for rugby in the foreseeable future? “I really would want there to
We need the players today and the teams today to win, because if they win then they are going to bring young people into the game nology will have a huge impact on the next generation of scientists and engineers — particularly in the next phase of Africa’s growth and development. He is chair of the African Science Academy in Ghana (Africa’s first all-girls maths and science school where his daughter Rhianna has also worked) and is an advisory fellow of St Anne’s College at the University of Oxford. He also founded the Hammersmith Academy, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as the UK’s first digital and creative media academies. Ilube has been involved with rugby for almost half a century having first played at the age of 10 on school pitches and London Welsh rugby club, and then later following his son through
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be more conversations about what we want rugby to look like by 2030,” he said. “We often look towards the next World Cup — a four-year cycle — I think we need to allow ourselves to look 10 years out. We need to paint a big vision, an exciting vision, of what our sport could be by 2030, in a way that attracts brilliant people and lifts the game today.” Ilube believes that with more people being involved and the right investment over time, the game will be more open, more inclusive, and that it will become faster. He also thinks the growth of the women’s game will be a defining factor in changing the perception of rugby over the next decade. In addition, technology has improved dramatically and is
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helping to make the game ever safer. “The RFU and world rugby more broadly is doing a lot in this area, the science has developed a lot; what we are doing with instrumented mouthguards, what we are doing with saliva tests for concussion, rule changes, all those things will continue to have an impact with making the game safer as we move forwards.
JOURNEY
“I really would urge parents to come on that journey. I am a parent myself, my son plays, and I am very conscious of the need for our sport to be a safe sport that everyone can get involved in.” Just like in his vast array of previous businesses, Ilube is now well on the way to creating more history in his new adventure — but there is one missing ingredient that is arguably more important than anything else for him to succeed — winning. “We need the players today and the teams today to win, because if they win then they are going to bring in young people into the game,” he says. “But I think you need diversity of all types to have genuine high-powered teams. Socio-economic diversity is really important as well.
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SEPTEMBER 2021
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10 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Special feature
‘THE NIGHT WATCHMAN’ It is 20 years since Dotun Adebayo first hosted 5 Live’s Up All Night show, making him one of the station’s longest serving presenters. By Vic Motune
D
OTUN ADEBAYO is a radio broadcaster who has been described as ‘the nation’s night watchman’. According to Heidi Dawson, Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live, where Adebayo has presented the Up All Night show since 2001, it’s a well-deserved accolade. “Dotun is the master of late night radio and at a time of national uncertainty his show has connected with audiences in an extra special way,” she says. The Voice columnist’s broadcasting style, which combines insightful analysis with wit, warmth and humour, has made him a firm listeners’ favourite on the station. Segments of his show, now called Dotun Adebayo, such as World Football Phone-In consistently rank highly in the station’s listening figures. This year marks an important milestone for Adebayo — he celebrates 20 years as a 5 Live presenter making him one of the longest serving broadcasters on the station. The range of stories he has covered during his time as presenter of Up All Night — the 7/7 bombings in 2005; reporting from Washington on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech and the terrorist attacks in Paris in 2015 — would feature in any list of defining moments in recent history. And then there are the sto-
His show has connected with audiences in an extra special way ries that have affected him personally. “One of the most profound interviews I ever did was with this ex-gang member from California called Tookie Williams,” he recalls. “He had been on death row for about 25 years and was about to be executed.
EXECUTED
“While in prison, he had turned to writing children’s books. He still claimed that he wasn’t the person who committed the murders he’d been accused of. “Tookie was due to be executed 24 hours before I interviewed him.” He continues: “My first question to him was, ‘Tookie, how did you get yourself in this mess? And his answer was, ‘Well, you know how it is when you’re a poor black boy in America’. He then told me his whole story and that shook me up. I don’t know what it’s like but if that’s the trajectory to you sitting on death row awaiting execution in the next 24 hours that is a horrible, horrible indictment of America. “I remember driv-
ing home and not being able to sleep until he’d been executed.” Adebayo continues: “I also remember interviewing Trayvon Martin’s mother in Washington DC and seeing the sadness in a mother’s eyes. “But the most profound sadness of black people that I’ve ever seen was amongst the family of Emmett Till, the 13-yearold boy who was dragged from his bed and murdered by racists in 1955 after he allegedly whistled at a white woman. “His family today are still torn apart as a result of the pain of what happened to a young child that they couldn’t possibly have known. The 20- and 30-year-olds of the family bear the mental scars of a history that is still with them today.” Despite Adebayo being highly regarded as a presenter by the BBC hierarchy, he has not been one to shy away from criticising the corporation.
LETTER
In 2005, he wrote an open letter to the press, headlined Time for the Corporation to Take the Rap, in which he demanded that his employers, the publicly funded BBC, boycott gangster rap music. He wrote the letter after north London father-of-three Douglas Mullings was shot in the head in front of his wife and child after a row about a damaged car. The shooting left Mullings severely brain damaged. It was later discovered that David Gaynor, the 19-year-old who was found guilty of shooting Mullings and jailed for 25 years for attempted murder, had written lyrics about the incident based on a song by rapper 50 Cent. When Adebayo interviewed Mullings about the attempt on his life he displayed no anger and simply pleaded for an end to gun violence. However, his daughter Natalie raised the view that society must look at the issue of rap lyrics and their influence on vulnerable young people. During an earlier live broadcast at a London Peace Week (LPW) concert in Finsbury Park,
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PIONEER: Dotun was born in Nigeria and moved to England in 1965 due to his father’s studies (photo: Getty); inset below left, with X-Press co-founder Steve Pope in the early ‘90s Adebayo was questioned when a caller asked him: “How can you sit up there and say you’re supporting LPW when the BBC doesn’t do anything about people playing records that are putting out messages of murder?” It was a tough question, especially given that he admits to being a fan of the music. “What
and Essex he has found success as an entrepreneur, playwright and publisher. As well as his broadcasting work, his columns and articles have appeared in newspapers such as The Guardian, News of the World, The Evening Standard and The Times. Born in Lagos in 1960,Olu-
I’m maybe looking back at that period through rose-tinted glasses, but it was great I was trying to say to the BBC this was a conversation that was happening in the black community,” he recalls. “Black people pay their licence fee as well and they want to protect their children from stray gunshots left, right and centre. I wrote that letter as a friend of the BBC. It cannot point to any instance in my tenure there where I’ve been anything other than a friend.” Adebayo’s 5 Live milestone is one of many in a long and varied media career. After university in Sweden
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dotun Davey Moore Adebayo grew up in Nigeria, a time he describes as “wonderful” before arriving in London as a fiveyear-old following his father’s decision to study in the UK. “I’m maybe looking back at that period through rose-tinted glasses, but I can honestly say it was great. Imagine growing up with all your cousins. “I arrived in England on September 19, 1965. Because I was so happy in Nigeria, I was incredibly miserable to start off with. It was like putting someone on the moon and saying,
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‘Get on with it’, but that’s what we had to do.” The family settled in Tottenham. Growing up, the belief in education as a means of social mobility was instilled in Adebayo and his siblings. “Our father came here to study, to get some qualifications and then go back to Nigeria” he says. “That was the initial plan. He was an intelligent man, he only valued intellect. At the moment I’m writing my memoirs which will be out next year. “There’s this one passage where I write ‘the old man’, my father, wouldn’t talk to his children if they didn’t have a degree. “That’s a little bit of an exaggeration, but my father was probably my biggest influence. Ironically, there was a time around 1985 or ‘86 when my father had five sons at university at the same time.” However, it was Adebayo who was the pioneering one of the family, opting to take up a scholarship to study literature at Stockholm University in Sweden before returning to the UK to study for a second degree
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NOVEMBER 2021 THE VOICE | 11
Dotun Adebayo: 20 years of Up All Night in philosophy at the University of Essex. His love of media and the performing arts began at an early age. While at school, he joined the National Youth Theatre where he starred in a number of productions including Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and Barrie Keefe’s Killing Time. The American playwright Tennessee Williams chose Adebayo to play a small part in the world premiere of his last play The Red Devil Battery Sign in which Adebayo acted opposite future James Bond star Pierce Brosnan. Following his time at Essex, it seemed that a career in politics rather than media beckoned. In 1987, he was elected as President of the University of Essex Students’ Union after standing as an independent and defeating the Labour Students candidate Asad Rehman. However after only a few months he resigned to take up a job as music editor with The Voice which had been launched only five years earlier. Adebayo (and his wife, Lovers Rock singer Carroll Thompson) was part of a generation that became teenagers and young adults in the late 1970s and ‘80s, a time when a distinct black British identity was starting to emerge.
IDENTITY
Despite regular police harassment and overt racism in almost every facet of British life, young black Britons were starting to assert themselves in a number of fields ranging from sport, entertainment, the arts, music and fashion. It was this emerging identity that The Voice set out to reflect and provide a platform for when it was created in 1982. For Adebayo it was the perfect fit. “I knew that working at The Voice was going to something I wouldn’t experience anywhere else,” he says. “It was a black-owned company that could actually enable me in the profession that I wanted to follow. Everybody had an incredible enthusiasm.
All who worked at The Voice were aware this was something special “I think all of us who worked The Voice were all aware this was something special. We knew we wouldn’t find another workplace like it. There was vigour and enthusiasm. “We were young people who had been marginalised throughout our time in Britain and suddenly we were together and we were happy. We weren’t running from racism. It was an amazing time.” The pioneering, entrepreneurial spirit that has underpinned much of Adebayo’s career was what characterised the launch of a venture he launched after leaving The Voice in 1991. Despite having no experience in the publishing industry he co-founded X-Press books with fellow Voice journalist Steve Pope, producing black-interest popular fiction. The company’s launch title Yardie is credited with being the first black British best-seller when it was published in 1992. Further best sellers – and controversy – followed. Cop Killer by Donald Gorogn gained instant notoriety when 200 bullets were sent out to the press to promote the title. “The idea for X-Press was born after I got a manuscript from a writer called Victor Headley,” Adebayo recalls. “It was called The Rough Way. I said, ‘Let’s call it Yardie,’ and the rest is history. “We did a lot of work promoting the book and the black community was ready for it. It was the right time and the right book.” As with any new business venture, doubts can follow about whether the idea will take off. Did he and co-founder Steve Pope know that Yardie
was going to be the success it was? “I wasn’t confident at all,” he laughs. “In fact, it was out of desperation that I launched X-Press. I had lots of things going on in my life at the time and I needed it to work. Publishing books is a bit like Russian roulette. You can work on it as much as you like, you will never know for sure if something’s going to be a hit.” An appearance on Channel 4’s Devil’s Advocate, presented by the late Darcus Howe, took Adebayo’s career in media and publishing in a new direction. He was spotted by programme executive Gloria Abramov, who was looking for a new presenter for the Black London programme. With Adebayo presenting it quickly gained a following as the station’s leading black political debate show. However, his stewardship of the show again brought him into conflict with his BBC bosses in 2019. BBC Radio London put out a statement claiming he had decided to “step down” from the Sunday night show although the programme would “continue to focus on stories about London’s black community, but without him”. Adebayo’s response was forthright. He tweeted: “At no time have I ‘stepped down’ from my role presenting the BBCs only black political debate programme. It was axed.”
RESPONSE
The decision brought a furious response from listeners and equality campaigners. A petition by the group BAME Lawyers 4 Justice amassed over 2,000 signatures urging the BBC to keep the show on air. Amid the ongoing pressure to reinstate the show the BBC confirmed that it would continue with Adebayo as presenter. At the time Adebayo said he was “deeply humbled” by the support he received from “people from all communities who have spoken about the importance of this programme”. He added that he was “deeply thankful to the BBC for listening to the outpouring of support for this programme”. However, for others, the campaign highlighted a bigger issue. The BAME Lawyers 4 Justice petition highlighted the fact that there were over 1.2 million people of African and Caribbean descent in London who, despite these numbers, received the lowest number of BBC broadcasting hours compared to any other similar ethnic sized community in London. The petition demanded that the corporation increase “its
FORCE OF NATURE: Left, in the studio at BBC Radio 5 Live; below, with wife Carroll Thompson; below inset left, Dotun after collecting his MBE for services to the arts at Buckingham Palace in 2009
‘If you listen to Dotun – you’ll end up calling him for a chat’ “DOTUN has this wonderful ability to make people feel welcomed and at ease. Our listeners love to talk to him, and they tell him incredible stories! “Some of the best storytelling on 5 Live comes overnight, because Dotun is a presenter that people want to talk to. “He asks all the right questions. At the start of the pandemic, his show
was the first to get concerned calls about outbreaks in care homes. If you listen to Dotun’s show, you’ll have a great understanding of what’s really happening across the UK, from people who tell it straight – and you’ll probably end up calling him for a chat.” — Heidi Dawson, Controller of BBC Radio 5 Live
‘He’s a true gentleman in the most humble and honest way’ “Dotun Adebayo is a giant of radio. He is one of the few presenters who has been hosting a show on a mainstream station for over 20 years, and that needs to be celebrated because it’s a rare achievement for a black broadcaster. “I will put it out there, I’m a big Dotun fan and that was even before I had the pleasure of co-presenting with him and producing his show on BBC Radio London. Anyone who knows Dotun will tell you he’s a big intellidiversity broadcasting for London’s black communities”. It’s an issue that the likes of Sir Lenny Henry have spoken about. And in 2014 former BBC broadcaster Kurt Barling accused the corporation of “failing ethnic minority staff”, claiming that it was “run by a privately educated elite”. Does he share those concerns in light of what happened with his show?
gent, worldly character who is also a true gentleman in the most humble, honest, encouraging and supportive way. “One of the things I love about Dotun the most is the way he often goes beyond the call of duty to ensure when he’s on air that he also gives a platform to the many otherwise unheard voices.” — Valley Fontaine, BBC London news reporter, producer
“Speaking of BBC Radio London, which I can speak of because I’m still there, I can tell you that if you listen to its output now, its presenters will be at least 15 per cent of all those at the station which is in line with the figures in the petition. “In fact it may be substantially more than that. The current BBC London programme controller Sara David is someone who, and I can only ask you to take my word on this,
genuinely gets it.” He continues: “Frontline presenters is one thing. But I think as Lenny Henry has also pointed out, we have to consider who’s behind the camera and the mic as well. I’m particularly concerned about journalism because that’s where I come from. “The important thing for me is to see black people represented at the top echelons of the BBC. That is for the BBC to decide if that’s the case or not.”
12 | THE VOICE
NOVEMBER 2021
Finance
Why don’t we
talk about
money?
Having money conversations in our everyday lives helps us build financial confidence and resilience to face whatever the future may throw at us, says Danielle Ferguson of the Money and Pensions Service
D
ESPITE COVID-19 having a widespread impact on people’s finances, the stigma surrounding talking about money in our culture remains. Last year the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) found that more than half of adults in the UK (52 per cent) struggle to talk openly to someone about their financial situation. While the long-held stereotype is that people avoiding having conversations about money primarily because it’s impolite, MaPS’ latest research found this is not the case. The most common reasons people avoid talking about money is because of shame, embarrassment, not wanting to burden others and because they feel it was not how they were brought up. Those in the UK who identify as belonging to an ethnic minority group are even more likely to be worried about their current money situation, with nearly half (45 per cent) admitting they are worried in comparison to the national average
Among the most common reasons people avoid talking about money is because of embarrassment and shame of one in three (35 per cent) while 40 per cent wish they could be more comfortable talking to friends and family about money. So why is that? Often, within black households, money is not discussed at all – it’s thought of as being rude or intrusive. Growing up in London, this is something I understood from a young age. My mum taught me good money habits My own money journey began with my mum. When I was in
Year 7, my secondary school helped me open my first bank account so that I could deposit the coppers I’d collected in a jar. To help me build my independence and money skills, my mum deposited a small amount of pocket money into my account each month, which meant I had to budget and manage my own outgoings. Snacks, sweets, a new outfit, cinema tickets and stationery for the new school year – you name it, I had to cover it. Initially I struggled, often spending it too quickly and coming up short.
SKILLS
My mum helped me figure out that I was spending a large portion of my money on expensive magazines, so when I cut these out and noticed what else that same money could buy, I began to develop confidence in my money management skills. This small responsibility of managing my disposable income also opened up conversations with my parents about how to budget; skills I would take with me when I left home. As I got older and entered the workplace, I went through various phases with my money, sometimes being extra vigilant and other times spending frivolously on the latest fashion trends and eating out. However, the real financial test came when I decided to buy my first home. For the first time, I had a real hard look at my finances. I identified what money was coming in, what I spent this
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GOOD TO TALK: Money worries are a part of everyday life, but talking about the subject is a positive way to ease the burden (photos: August de Richelieu/Pexels) on and where I could cut back. Coming from a Caribbean background where food is central to our culture, it was no surprise that this was my biggest outgoing — in particular social dinners, work lunches and coffees. I recognised early on that one of the first things I had to do
600 a month, which may not seem like a lot when saving for a house, but this amounted to me being able to put down a 10 per cent deposit on the share of my home (30 per cent) — a task which felt so out of reach a mere two years before. Nowadays, if my friends ask
I quickly found it quite easy to say ‘no’ when I knew I was saving for a purpose was say ‘no’ — ‘no’ to invitations to meet for lunch, dinner or both, ‘no’ to holidays that were now out of my grasp and ‘no’ to marketing emails from my favourite retailers. Surprisingly, I quickly found it quite easy to say ‘no’ when I knew I was saving for a purpose, and there was little to no judgement from friends and family. As time went on, it got easier to prioritise saving and being out less often gave me the time to focus on the task at hand. I saved between £400-
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me out and I’m short on cash, I’m upfront and say so. I still occasionally treat myself and have a lot to learn about pension savings but talking about money has now become part of my day-to-day and makes me feel more in control of my future. Tackling the money taboo Research shows that people who talk about money make better and less risky financial decisions, have stronger personal relationships, help their
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children form good lifetime money habits and feel less stressed or anxious and more in control. Talk Money Week, November 8 to 12, is an annual public awareness campaign run by the Money and Pensions Service to improve financial wellbeing by encouraging people to open up and talk about their finances, from pocket money through to their pensions. Take a look at MoneyHelper’s online guide for ‘How to have a conversation about money’ for some simple tips for how to start a positive conversation. Money worries are part of everyday life and something that everyone experiences, especially coming up to Christmas and going into winter. Whether you reach out to a family member, friend or a money guidance professional, talking about money is a positive way to ease the burden. For free, confidential and impartial money and pensions guidance visit moneyhelper.org.uk or call 0800 138 7777.
www.voice-online.co.uk
SEPTEMBER 2021
THE VOICE| 13
-
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“I have found it a really positive and enlightening
experience, which has proved to be challenging at times, but 100% worth the reward. I would recommend the Teach Wimbledon programme to anyone looking to start a career in teaching.” Lisa, Teach Wimbledon Graduate (2021)
WHERE AWE-INSPIRING & WONDERFUL THINGS HAPPEN To find out more about opportunities to train to teach with Teach Wimbledon, please visit www.teachwimbledon.com, or email us directly at teachwimbledon@uhsw.com.
14 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
News feature
A life in photographs
BOB MARLEY AND ME Reggae icon’s photographer opens up about his friendship with the star. By Sinai Fleary
ICONIC: Left, Lindsay Oliver Donald with his book, and right: Bob Marley, in 1980 at his home at 56 Hope Road, Kingston, Jamaica – an image captured by Lindsay. Opposite, many more of Lindsay’s fascinating photographs taken throughout his career
B
OB MARLEY’S former house photographer has revealed how he never expected to lose his close friend so soon. The charismatic snapper has travelled the world and mingled with the world’s biggest stars. Speaking to The Voice, Lindsay Oliver Donald revealed he became close friends with the Jamaican music icon after meeting him in England during the late 1960s. The 69-year-old happened to be in the right place at the right time when he was hired as Marley’s house photographer, when he travelled back to Jamaica in 1974. He said: “I was hanging out in a photographic studio in Kingston, and Bob’s album designer and photographer, Neville Garrick, came in and said he had
too much work to do and asked me to take some photos of him, and that is how I got in.” Following that, he spent seven remarkable years around Bob and Rita Marley and their children and captured some iconic shots of the famous family. Donald was present at family birthdays, concert rehearsals and when Marley was putting the final touches to his eleventh studio album Survival.
SKIPPER
He told The Voice Marley was a great friend and he fondly referred to him as ‘Skipper’. He said: “He loved football and whenever we would play he always wanted to be the Skipper. “He would take his football as serious as his music. He al-
ways wanted to win and he was a very skilful player, I think he almost broke my foot during a tackle on one occasion.” “But that’s what we loved about him, he gave his all to everything he did,” he added. Donald revealed he never took a photograph with Marley because he considered him a “real brethren” and never thought he would lose his friend so soon. He has published a new book which captures some never-before-seen images of the reggae legend. The book, entitled A Portrait of a Legend and other Folks, is a combination of photos of Marley, his family and other influential black icons from the world of music, sport and politics. The captivating book has 260
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black and white photographs, which includes images of Rita Marley, Muhammad Ali, Fela Kuti, James Baldwin, Michael Jackson, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Bernie Grant and many other notable figures. Donald, who lives in Acton in west London, said: “I’m so proud of this book because it is a celebration of my photography work spanning 40 years. It took me 18 months to put it together. “I’m so blessed to have been around so many of our greats, like Bob, he was a great friend to me.” Donald was born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1952, and came to the UK 10 years later to join his parents, who were part of the Windrush Generation. His mother was one of the first black nurses to work in
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Harrow Hospital. His interest in photography came in 1970, when he attended the Isle of Wight music festival to see American musician and guitarist Jimmy Hendrix. Donald recalls Hendrix performing on stage during the early hours but most of those attending were either “asleep or stoned”.
VOWED
During the performance, he was gutted he didn’t have a camera to capture Hendrix and, following this, he vowed to always have a camera and take pictures of “our great historical figures and document the lives of ordinary people”. He added: “My mum was very hard-working but didn’t have enough money to send
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me to photography school, so I literally taught myself. I’m very proud of everything I have achieved, I went from Jamaica to London, then around the world to take pictures with our black icons and to me that is a great achievement.” Donald still travels with his camera everywhere he goes and continues to capture important moments at any given time. He plans to release two more books in the future. Portrait of a Legend and other Folks can be purchased from www.eyeriginalbooks.com.
Contact Lindsay Oliver Donald at: linkuplindsay1952@yahoo.co.uk or follow him Twitter
and Instagram @LinkupLindsay, or search Facebook for Lindsay Oliver Donald
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NOVEMBER 2021 THE VOICE | 15
News feature 1
2
3
4
6
5 7
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8 1. 2. 3. 4.
10
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5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Barrington Levy and Beres Hammond, in London, 1992 Lennox Lewis, Bristol, 1992 Harry Belafonte and Lenny Henry, London 1986. A young Ziggy Marley, in Newcastle, a settlement in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica Toots Hibbert (Toots and The Maytals), New York 1981 Fela Kuti in London 1992 James Brown, New York 1981 Maxi Priest, Lenny Henry and a friend (Backstage at the One Love concert, London 1994) Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, Pasadena 1981 Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno in London Muhammad Ali in London 1992
16 | THE VOICE
NOVEMBER 2021
Opinion
Harsh economics of COVID-19
PROTECTED: Paul Jinadu, aged 79, gets his second dose of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca COVID vaccine at Copes Pharmacy and Travel Clinic in Streatham, south London
Facts suggest vaccination is about developed nations returning to normal and not saving lives. By Lyndon Mukasa
T
HE DEVELOPMENT of the many COVID-19 vaccines is unprecedented in history. Not only were they developed quickly in response to the global pandemic, but multiple vaccines were developed around the world in order to try and cut off the chain of transmission, hospitalisation and deaths. More than 21 COVID vaccines have been developed, including a further 194 that are currently undergoing clinical trials. In light of this, some have asked why there has been such a rapid development of vaccines in response to the pandemic when other lethal diseases haven’t received the same amount of attention and urgency. The answer to this question lies in the economic inequalities embedded in our capital-
ist system that was cultivated through colonialism. Disregard any false notions that the vaccines are designed to destroy black people, because the stark reality is that the majority of people in Africa and parts of the Caribbean don’t have access to any vaccines, and probably won’t for years to come. Vaccines as a priority for getting Western countries ‘back to normal’: The vaccine development was spurred on by rapid investment by Western countries (and China) to end the cycle of lockdowns that largely hurt the economy. From the perspective of Western policymakers, the vaccines had to be developed because it would have been difficult for Western politicians to justify
opening up and exposing significant parts of the population to a disease that we have yet to develop natural immunity to. Unequal distribution: Despite the global nature of a pandemic, this has led to an over-supply of vaccines that has led to a delay in providing for many developing countries, particularly those in Africa. The UK, for example, ordered over 540 million doses in vaccines despite having a population of 68 million. This vaccine hoarding has left Africa unable to vaccinate much of its population of one billion people, with 2.5 per cent of people vaccinated, while the Caribbean has only six million out of 43.7 million people fully vaccinated. Currently, many countries in both regions are seeing a surge in infections and hospitalisations as the Delta
variant infects more people. This is all while up to 100 million vaccine doses in the West are set to go to waste by the end of 2021. Calls for lifting intellectual property laws on COVID vaccines: The capacity for developing countries to create their own vaccines is there. Most countries in Africa and the Caribbean have launched
Why is there so much vaccine hesitancy? THROUGHOUT 2020, COVID-19 ripped across the world, devastating communities and disrupting livelihoods at an exceptional rate. In the Western world, one of the worst affected groups were black communities. With the development of several vaccines around the world, it is hoped that aspects of this pandemic can be managed. However, concerns are growing about the lower rates around vaccine coverage in black communities. Vaccine hesitancy is a feature present across sections of the black world, and it raises many questions about the impact of marginalisation, poverty and the historical relationship of black communities with the modern world created by Western imperialism. The reasons: Among many black people in the Western world, there is a certain degree of distrust in Western governments that many argue don’t have any interest in the concerns of black communities and are, in fact, very harmful at times. This distrust feeds in to government institutions such as the healthcare system. There have been reports of many black people not having their medical concerns taken seriously by medical personnel. This drives many people away from engaging with medical treatment which was an issue prior to
the pandemic. Additionally, misinformation campaigns reveal the extent to which unscientific, unsourced statements and information can be taken and used as legitimate sources. Some of this can be linked to the general distrust that many black people hold towards institutions in the West, including educational establishments which have had a history of neglect, miseducation and disproportionate exclusions from the system.
PERCEPTION
Even before the pandemic, the lack of black participation and engagement in subjects such as science was evident and the false perception of science as a predominantly white male bourgeoisie profession is something that still needs to be addressed. In Africa and the Caribbean, this perception has been amplified by historical and colonial legacies in which African contributions and achievements in science had been driven out of the histories of those societies during the colonial era. However, in regions with fragile social security systems people are forced to make difficult choices about working against taking time off to vaccinate. In other cases, a legacy of medical experiments and scientific exploitation by white scientists has implanted a degree of distrust. This has culti-
successful vaccination programmes against diseases such as Ebola and smallpox with their own resources. However, much of the COVID vaccines developed have been patented by pharmaceutical companies which have prioritised the sale of those vaccines to the West. Companies like Pfizer have refused to partner with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to supply the technol-
ogy and knowledge through vaccine hubs, enabling countries in Africa and the Caribbean to manufacture their own vaccines. Instead, what we are seeing unfolding is a potential repeat of the 1990s AIDs crisis in Africa which was generated in part because pharmaceutical companies refused to share retroviral drug technology with African nations that struggled to afford to buy from them.
Black vaccinations: The figures
vated a receptivity towards pseudoscience and conspiracy theories that prey on the weaknesses and vulnerabilities within sections of the black world.
United Kingdom
% fully vaccinated
African nations*
% fully vaccinated
58.8%
Ghana
2.6%
The white supremacist misinformation agenda: In recent months it has emerged that social media has been a key platform for the spread and distribution of false information. Some white supremacist groups have set out to sow distrust in black communities around the world in order to increase the death rate and vulnerabilities to COVID-19. In 2020, the ongoing #vaxtheblacks movement was created by white supremacist groups who noticed the disproportionate death rates and hospitalisations of black people around the world as a result of the pandemic. In order to continue this trend they created various memes, videos and social media posts targeted at black forums, claiming that the vaccines were detrimental to their health and communities. Many black people have unknowingly distributed white supremacist material. As a result, it is clear there is a need to break the links between white supremacy and misinformation that feeds in to the vulnerabilities created by colonialism and marginalisation of significant sections of black communities worldwide.
Black African Black Caribbean
68.7%
Nigeria
1.1%
United States
% fully vaccinated
Rep. of Sudan 1.3%
Black American
10%
Somalia
1.5%
Kenya
1.9%
Country
% fully vaccinated
Uganda
0.9%
Tanzania
0.9%
Dominica
27.7%
Botswana
10.4%
Grenada
23.4%
Zimbabwe
16.3%
Barbados
38.2%
Zambia
1.6%
Trinidad
39.1%
Malawi
2.7%
St Lucia
19.1%
South Africa 16.7%
St Vincent
12.2%
Lesotho
15.8%
Jamaica
10.2%
Eswatini
18.1%
The Bahamas
25.5%
Guyana
28%
Belize
36.3%
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@thevoicenews
The Gambia 7.1% Sierra Leone 0.6%
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South Sudan 0.3%
* Please note that low numbers can be attributed to limited access to vaccines due to vaccine hoarding by richer Western countries. This list only includes countries in Africa which has a significant presence in the UK. Figures correct at time of going to press.
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Made with spices, flour and sustainable power. WADE CBE, FOUNDER, ISLAND DELIGHT, BIRMINGHAM
With our continued support, Island Delight were able to install solar panels, switch to LED lighting and convert to recyclable packaging. So now they can keep producing 55,000 spicy patties every day, just more sustainably.
By the side of business
SEPTEMBER 2021
THE VOICE| 17
18 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Midlands News
by Veron Graham
MULTI-TALENTED WEBLEY GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS
ACTING ON EXPERIENCE: CJ Lloyd Webley, left and below, has taken full advantage of his entrepreneurial mind to help many businesses in the Midlands achieve their full potential
Theatre star CJ has taken all the right steps to ensure Black Pounds Project takes centre stage
Y
OU MAY have come across CJ Lloyd Webley in many ways: perhaps you have watched a stage play in venues like Leicester Square or The Birmingham Repertory Theatre that he’s starred in, written, directed or produced. You may have read his writings or received business growth support from the venture he founded, the Black Pounds Project (BPP). The umbrella organisation was developed by Webley during last year’s Black Lives Matter protests in Birmingham and has since supported over 300 businesses to access specialist coaching and mentoring in joining its innovative membership scheme. Webley, 27, was away on a theatrical assignment when The Voice tracked him down to listen to the musings of his entrepreneurial mind. VG: Take me back to where this all started. CJLW: I grew up on a council estate (in Erdington, Birmingham) and saw lots of criminality, but my parents always channelled myself and my brother to things that were positive – whether it was going to church or getting involved in sports. Growing up where I did and going to (secondary) school in (neighbouring, affluent) Sutton Coldfield, I always wondered why people there had a different lived experience from the people who I lived around.
I heard negative things about black businesses. They weren’t professional VG: How did an aspiring creative get involved in racial and later business matters? CJLW: My creative side generated questions that people around me couldn’t answer about this disparity. I remember hearing negative things about black businesses, that they were not professional. As I grew, I thought perhaps this unprofessionalism issue wasn’t intentional but because of other issues. It troubled me that this narrative was given to all black businesses: there are those that are professional and those that are not. Unprofessionalism isn’t racial but down to individual personalities. I had no connections to the entertainment industry – I was identified at a young age as gifted and talented and pursued a career in writing and drama. As I progressed towards (Warwick) University, and certainly when I got there, I recognised that there weren’t many people of colour in the industry – especially in decision-making backstage roles. After getting rejected from many roles I went for, I thought I would be better off writing and directing so I could create opportunities for others. Some family and friends thought a career like this was more of a sideline and not a real job, but I was attracted to the flexibility even if it meant that I
had to take part-time jobs here and there. VG: What role did your observations play in BPP’s origins? CJLW: I knew about the under-representation of the black community in certain sectors and places, but I didn’t know what to do about it, outside of the arts. I was working at The Birmingham Rep(ertory Theatre) when a Black Lives Matter march went by. I saw people from different walks of life, ages and backgrounds. I thought ‘this was amazing – we’re all coming together because we recognise that an injustice was done to a black man – George Floyd.’ I thought we had bridged a gap as a community – which I believe is a mindset not skin colour. We’re called the black community, but we don’t all think the same. VG: You were an artist with no business background, but you took action? CJLW: Yes. I set up a Go Fund Me campaign - there were five to six thousand people protesting, so what if we all put up £2,000 to create a programme to allow black people to move forward with their businesses and business ideas? I felt that there must be some on that march that had the expertise to help us make black businesses sustainable and not be restricted to being microbusiness or certain cultural sectors. VG: There have been business development organisations in Birmingham before. Why did you think there was space for another one? CJLW: People of all backgrounds recognised the injustices and I wanted to create a space that wasn’t just black people talking to other Black people about issues but to create a business or community interest company model that was about giving back. I felt that different people coming together all saying the same thing would be much more effective, allowing us to tap into the knowledge of the business sector that was creat-
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BPP is people-centric and funds are coming in. We have the resources ed from a White/Western lens, which we don’t have and has kept us on the back foot. VG: How did BPP develop and break new ground in business development. CJLW: I’ve always said that big changes come from small changes. We had a good response to the campaign and were able to bring in business professionals who have also identified the issues (that hinder black businesses) that offered their services voluntarily. This brought a real community spirit that gives businesses the support to help them grow, which helped BPP grow. VG: How many businesses has BPP supported so far? CJLW: In just a year, 329. BPP have 60 experienced professionals offering coaching and mentoring services. We have a three-tier membership offer and a nine-month mentorship
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programme, and also received templates and business courses. VG: Is BPP linked to Black Pound Day? CJLW: They both came to be about around the same time: Black Pound Day grew out of London and spread regionally. Our focus is more on helping business sustainability. VG: Birmingham has had black business development groups before that hadn’t done as well as hoped. Why did you think you could succeed with another one? CJLW: Because I wasn’t aware of those groups when I started – I know about them now – I didn’t get bogged down with an old mindset. I came with a fresh perspective. VG: How is BPP avoiding going down the same routes? CJLW: I spoke to a lot of banks and, when asked what we want, I said I can’t speak for the whole community but for me, we need people. BPP is peoplecentric and funds are starting to come in because we have the resources. I wasn’t interested in funding; the value is in the people and empowering the businesses to access support to do things themselves and not rely on others to do it for them. BPP is countering the narrative that
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black businesses tend to look for handouts – we help them complete funding applications. Pocket change isn’t going to help, only a change of mindset to overcome those barriers. VG: I hear BPP isn’t just receiving knowledge but giving it? CJLW: Yes, we have mentors from outside the black community, with reverse mentoring going on, so the mentors get to learn about the issues we face, which educates them too. VG: Having achieved so much so quickly, how do you want BPP to develop? CJLW: Don’t get me wrong – it wasn’t easy and there were times I wanted to throw in the towel. I have to big-up my wife Amelia, who gave me tough love and asked tough questions: I was running off emotion at the start. During the BLM protests, I felt something had to be done – it was now or never. The businesses on board are benefitting which means so much to me because, although creative work is my mainstay, I have a great desire to help my community. I would like to see more collaboration with black-led organisations because we’re not here to compete. Our business model is sustainable and is all about support.
www.voice-online.co.uk
NOVEMBER 2021 THE VOICE | 19
Midlands News
STUDENTS CASHING IN
University of Wolverhampton’s Naomi and Efe savour their Santander Scholarship success
T
WO MATURE university students have received a career boost after being selected as winners for the Santander Universities Black Inclusion programme. The programme was offered to 3,000 black and black mixed undergraduate students and recent graduates across the UK. It provided access to professional development and the opportunity for participants to expand their financial knowledge and gain employability skills.
PROFITABLE: Bank competition winners Efe Imoniovu and Naomi Cunningham are hoping their selections help their career prospects
QUIZZES
After completing the eight-hour online Finance Unlocked programme and quizzes, 42-yearolds Naomi Cunningham and Efe Imoniovu from the University of Wolverhampton were among the 30 top-performing students and graduates that received a £1,500 Santander Scholarship. Naomi, who is studying for a Music Technology and Popular Music degree, said: “I was looking for something that could increase my knowledge and put on my CV. It was an absolute surprise to find that I had been successful.” Set to soon graduate with a Master’s degree in Oil and Gas Management, Efe added: “I’m looking to become an environmental consultant, so the knowledge I gained from this programme added to what I had learned on my degree programme. It’s increased my confidence and winning the prize has really meant a lot, it’s changed everything for me.”
The virtual way to secure a job A VIRTUAL jobs club has been created with the support of a Midlands construction firm to assist local people access employment in the sector. Midlands construction company RMF Group has launched the club, which gathers each month, in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), to engage with local communities and share various training and career
opportunities in what is currently the UK’s largest industry, accounting for seven per cent of GDP (approximately £110 billion) and three million employees. Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “This club is a great initiative to help people find good quality work as part of my 100,000 jobs plan. We know construction is a major growth area in the
West Midlands that will create tens of thousands of jobs in the coming years, and we need to use programmes like RMF’s to help local people take advantage of those jobs.” The initiative plays an integral role in linking employers with those who face systematic barriers within society and aims to bring about change in the approach taken by the construction and rail industries towards recruitment.
Commonwealth Games update A ‘ONE-STOP SHOP’ has been launched to give people the skills to apply for the thousands of jobs at next summer’s Commonwealth Games. The online Jobs and Skills Academy portal offers valuable information on training courses that are matched to jobs linked to the tournament. It also offers access to a wide range of courses in sectors which are expected to see large numbers of jobs created by the Games, such as security, stewarding, logistics, catering and cleaning. Commonwealth Games contractors are also part of the initiative so local people can be
connected directly to those companies helping to stage the Games. The courses are free to West Midlands residents with an annual income of less than £18,135. For more, visitbebirmingham.co.uk/ celebratingcommunities The Commonwealth Games will centre on
Birmingham, with events also taking place in
several regional venues, between July 28 and
August 8, 2022. For more, visit the official website birmingham2022.com.
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
20 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Special feature Powerlist 2022 – our movers and shakers
Britain’s Most Influential People of African, African Caribbean and African-American Heritage as produced by Powerful Media. The Powerlist is an annual publication that was first published in 2007 to provide role models for young people of African and African Caribbean heritage.
Science, medicine and engineering l Dr Emeka Okaro, Consultant Obstetrician And Gynaecologist at Bart Health NHS Trust l Dr Ian Nnatu, Consultant Psychiatrist l Dr Joy Odili, Consultant Plastic Surgeon l Dr Sylvia Bartley, Senior Global Director, Medtronic Philanthropy, author l Samantha Tross, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon l Professor Jacqueline Dunkley Bent, OBE, Chief Midwifery Officer, NHS England l Martin Griffiths, Lead trauma surgeon, Royal London & Clinical Director for Violence Reduction, NHS l Dr Paula Franklin, Chief Medical Officer at Bupa Group l Dr Jacqui Dyer, President of the Mental Health Foundation
Technology l Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon, MBE, CEO and co-founder, STEMettes l Ebele Okobi, Public Policy Director, Africa, the Middle East & Turkey, Facebook l Ije Nwokorie, Senior Director, Apple l Nneka Abulokwe, OBE, founder and CEO, MicroMax Consulting l Rob Pierre (new), Founder and CEO, Jellyfish l Ade Adefulu (new), Global Head of Enterprise Sales Strategy and Operations, Marketing Solutions – Linkedin l Alex Okosi (new), Managing Director, Emerging Markets, YouTube EMEA
Powerlist 2022
Powerlist 2022 – top 10
Public, third sector and education
1. Jacky Wright, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) and Corporate Vice-President, Microsoft US 2. Marcus Rashford, footballer and campaigner 3. Anne Mensah, Vice-president of Content UK, Netflix 4. Daniel Kaluuya (new), actor 5. Professor Kevin Fenton, London Regional Director, Public Health England 6. Steven Bartlett (new), Founder and former CEO, Social Chain, Dragon’s Den Dragon 7. Michaela Coel, writer and actor 8. Lord Simon Woolley, Principal, Homerton College, Cambridge University and co-founder/ director, Operation Black Vote 9. Richard Iferenta, Partner, Vice Chair, KPMG 10. Jacqueline McKenzie, Partner, Leigh Day Solicitors
l Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford, CBE, lawyer, Shakespeare’s Globe; Chancellor, Coventry University; Non-Executive Director, Co-op Group l Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol l Nira Chamberlain, Professional Mathematician, Principal Consultant at SNC-Lavalin, Babcock International Group; l Professor Funmi Olonisakin, Vice-President and Vice-Principal International and
Media, publishing and entertainment l Akala, educator, rapper, poet, activist l Edward Enninful, OBE, editor-inchief, British Vogue l Amma Asante, MBE, writer, director, and Chancellor at Norwich University of the Arts l Charlene White, ITN news Anchor and host of Loose Women l Lorna Clarke, BBC, Controller of Pop Music l Marcus Ryder, Head of External
Professor of Security, Leadership and Development at King’s College London l Sonita Alleyne, OBE, Master, Jesus College, Cambridge l Professor Patricia Daley , Vice Principal at Jesus College Oxford l Dr Patrick Roach, General Secretary at NASUWT l Miatta Fahnbulleh (new), Chief Exec, new Economics Foundation l Munroe Bergdorf (new), model and social activist
Sports
Consultancies, Sir Lenny Henry Centre for Media Diversity l Paulette Simpson, Executive, Corporate Affairs and Public Policy, Jamaica National Bank; Executive Director, The Voice Media Group l Reggie Yates, broadcaster, actor, television presenter and radio DJ l Sir Lenny Henry, actor, writer, Campaigner l Vanessa Kingori, MBE, publisher, British Vogue
l Bernardine Evaristo, author l Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, MBE, actor, campaigner, Act For Change l John Boyega, actor l Idris Elba, OBE, actor l Afua Hirsch, journalist, author, broadcaster l Stormzy, grime artist l David Olusoga, historian, broadcaster, presenter l Alex Scott MBE (new), Match of the Day presenter
l Anthony Joshua, British professional boxer and two-time world heavyweight champion l Dina AsherSmith, British recordholding sprinter l Raheem Sterling, footballer l Maro Itoje, rugby player/activist
Business, corporate, financiers and entrepreneurs l Alan Smith, Global Head of Risk Strategy and Chief of Staff, Global Risk, HSBC l Camille Drummond, Senior Vice President Global Business Services, BP l Eric Collins, Founding Member, Impact X Capital Partners and host of The Money Maker on Channel 4 l Jason Black , co-founder of Crep Protect and co-Owner of Crepe and Cones l Pamela Hutchinson, Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion,
Bloomberg l Netsai Mangwende, Chief Financial Officer, UK, GroupM, UK l Tevin Tobun, CEO, GV Group (Gate Ventures) l Yvonne Ike, Managing Director and Head of Sub Saharan Africa region, Bank of America Merrill Lynch l Paulette Rowe, CEO, Integrated and eCommerce Solutions, Paysafe l Roni Savage, Chartered Engineer, Founder of Jomas Associates
l Dean Forbes, CEO, Forterro l Dame Sharon White, Chairman, John Lewis Partnership l Adrian Joseph, Managing Director, Group AI and Data Solutions, BT Group l Femi Bamisaiye, CIO, UK General Insurance, Aviva l Yemi Edun, Managing Director and Founder of Daniel Ford International and Daniel Ford & Co l Emeka Emembolu, Senior Vice President – North Sea at BP l Tunde Olanrewaju, Senior
Politics, law and religion l David Lammy, MP, Shadow Lord Chancellor of the UK, MP for Tottenham l Dr Sandie Okoro, Senior Vice President and Group General Counsel, World Bank l Joshua Siaw, MBE, Partner at White & Case l Tom Shropshire, General Counsel & Company Secretary, Diageo plc l The Rt Rev Rose HudsonWilkin , British Anglican
bishop (Bishop of Dover) l Segun Osuntokun , Managing Partner, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner l Harry Matovu, QC, Barrister and Queen’s Counsel l Marcia Willis-Stewart, QC (Hon), Managing Partner, Birnberg Peirce & Partner l I. Stephanie Boyce, Deputy Vice-President of the Law Society of England and
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Partner, McKinsey & Company l Donya Rose (new), Managing Director, Chief Transformation Office, Deutsche Bank l Nathalie Villette (new), Group Head of Global Corporates and UK Country Head, Ecobank l Sambacor N’Diaye (new), Managing Director, Bank of America Merrill Lynch l John Odada Green (new), Head of Board and Board Committees, BP l John McCalla-Leacy (new), Partner, KPMG
Arts, fashion and design Wales l Patrick Vernon, OBE, social commentator, Windrush campaigner and cultural historian l Kwasi Kwarteng (new), Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy l Sandra Wallace, UK Managing Partner, DLA Piper, Social Mobility Commissioner
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l Chi-chi Nwanoku, OBE: founder, Chineke! Foundation l Duro Olowu, fashion designer l Dr Shirley J Thompson, OBE, Composer, Conductor & Reader in Music, University of Westminster l Dame Pat McGrath, DBE, founder, Pat McGrath Labs, Make-up artist l Lynette Yiadom- Boakye, artist l Francesca Hayward, Principal Dancer, Royal Ballet l Grace Wales-Bonner, fashion designer l Sir Frank Bowling (new), artist
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www.voice-online.co.uk
SEPTEMBER 2021
Jump-starting ethnically diverse small businesses with £10,000 grants from AEO and Fiserv Apply for a Back2Business grant today. Spend your financial grant on whatever your business needs to grow, including: • • • •
Staff retention New technology investments Operational costs Customer loyalty initiatives
Go to fiserv.aeoworks.co.uk/ to apply
to Small Business
THE VOICE| 21
22 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
News
Wilston’s honour
Plaque for Britain’s first black train driver unveiled By Leah Mahon
A
PLAQUE HAS been unveiled at London King’s Cross in honour of Britain’s fi rst black train
driver. Wilston Samuel Jackson, who died in 2018 at the age of 91, defied racism and economic struggle when he moved to London in 1952 and began working first as a cleaner on the railways. Wilston, known as Bill to his friends and family, was one of the thousands of Caribbean migrants who arrived in Britain to contribute to the post-war effort following the devastation of the Second World War before making history as the first black train driver in 1962. A ceremony in commemorating his life was attended by Network Rail officials and his close family. Polly Jackson, Mr Jackson’s youngest daughter, said: “My father dedicated much of his life to the railway. He was never late or missed a day, and he was so proud of his work, despite the many challenges he faced.” Andrew Haines, Network Rail
chief executive, described the unveiling of Mr Jackson’s plaque as a “fitting tribute” for what he achieved throughout his career. He said: “I
My father was never late or missed a day. He was so proud of his work
have been fascinated to learn about Wilston’s life and career. He was a real trailblazer for our industry and we owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his incredible service, made even
more remarkable by the many obstacles he had to overcome.”
INSPIRE
Born in the Jamaican parish of Portland in May 1927, Mr Jackson went on to drive famous locomotives such as the Flying Scotsman and The Elizabethan. But he faced rejection from his white colleagues who resented his advancement from fireman to train driver and now had to work underneath him.
PRIORITY
The unveiling of Mr Jackson’s plaque, held during Black History Month, aims to inspire a new generation of drivers from black, Asian and other ethnic minority backgrounds (BAME) to join the railway. According to figures from the ASLEF train driver’s union, just 10 per cent of train drivers are BAME. However, Network Rail continues to make diversity a priority with workers such as signallers, operatives and engineers currently making up 9.38 per cent of their employees – up from 8.8 per cent the previous year.
PROUD: Family of Wilston Samuel Jackson, below, at the unveiling of the special plaque, also pictured inset, at King’s Cross Station, London
NOVEMBER 2021 THE VOICE | 23
Black business focus
Special feature
Black Business Guide gives boost to black-owned enterprises
The pandemic has taken its toll on black businesses, but the fifth issue of our guide aims to keep more money circulating within the community
UK BLACK BUSINESS GUIDE
OCTOBER ISSUE 5
POWERED BY
The guide showcases the stories of blackowned businesses Four years ago The Voice decided to do more than simply campaign on these issues or urge the community to buy black, as important as those things are. We also wanted to produce a practical publication that both celebrated the success of black-owned firms and directed our readers towards those products and services in order to keep more money circulating within the community. And to reimagine finance for black business owners by showing what great investments many companies are. Behind every business is an idea, a dream, and sometimes inspiration flows from challenging situations. This guide contains the stories of some who rose from personal adversity and ignored those who told them to get a ‘proper job’ in order to take the leap into being their own boss.
EXPERIENCE
This fifth issue of the Voice Black Business Guide brings you a slice of that experience, as well as a resource listing many black-owned businesses that allows the consumer to choose to spend their money within the community. The pandemic has taken a toll on Britain’s black community with higher death rates and higher redundancy rates, but there is one more silver lining. The COVID-19 lockdown has led to more people seeking out black businesses.
YOURS TO KEEP: All subscribers of The Voice will receive a printed version of the guide with the December issue
growth of an online marketplace dedicated to shopping at black-owned firms, and a company that publishes books written by black children (not just for them). We feature the personal testimonies of entrepreneurs who bravely reveal the turmoil which promoted them to change their circumstances by starting a business. This guide is being published in print and online. Moving the guide online has meant the reach is massively extended, including being promoted on social media such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. All subscribers to The Voice will receive a printed version with the December issue of the paper, and it will also be distributed at major events, like expos. Please continue to support black-owned businesses.
2021-22
B
LACK BUSINESSES are emerging into a new post-pandemic world. A huge proportion of business moved online during the long lockdown, and business owners have had to adapt to stay afloat. This Black Business Guide showcases the stories of how black-owned firms have adapted to survive. For some this has been a blessing in disguise, meaning that the changes they made have brought them extra trade. The Voice has a long history not just of championing black business, but also of campaigning against the barriers that face business owners such as discriminatory patterns in bank lending. A survey we highlighted showed that less than half of black entrepreneurs trust banks, and without access to capital in order to grow, companies are more likely to struggle. And we know that credit ratings are sometimes impacted by the consequences of structural racism in society.
You can read The Voice’s Black Business Guide here: [bit.ly link] or scan the QR code. If you would like to advertise in the next edition, please contact us at: advertising@thevoicemedia group.co.uk
Our customers make us grow:
Knowing what you are worth:
The story of Speedy’s Delivery Service
Emmanuel Asuquo has a passion for finance
An eye for collectible furniture:
A legacy of sweet bread:
Moses Otunla and Bleu furniture
Uncle John’s Bakery feeding the nation
WeSupported hopebythat this guide will play a major part all those companies, such as those making hair in directing business towards the many talentBlack Pagesand Directory other beauty products, restaurants, tech Connecting you with the Black and Caribbean Business Community ed and innovative black-owned firms, and many more. services. Many black-owned small and medium-sized enterprises In the four years since The Voice launched this are at the cutting edge of in- guide, it has helped boost the ‘Black Pound’ by novation. encouraging people to buy black. Last year we celebrated the This edition contains more stories such as the fact that the black community contributed a whopping £4 billion to the UK economy. More of that money should be going to black businesses. Small businesses are the foundation of the UK economy, and black businesses are a key part of this. The Voice would like to pay tribute to
TESTIMONIES
Last year we celebrated the fact that the black community contributed a whopping £4 billion to the UK economy
GLOBAL REACH: (photo: Andrea Piacquadio/ Pexels); below, ; inset bottom left, The Voice’s August edition featured an article on the contribution the black community makes to the UK economy
24 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Special feature
Black business focus
Black economics: Improving our socio-political position DISTRIBUTE THE WEALTH: Black and minority ethnic spending power is estimated to be worth over £300 billion (photo: Tima Miroshnichenko/ Pexels)
The pandemic has shown us that supporting black-owned businesses really does matter. By Montel Gordon
A
NTHONY JOSHUA sparked a social media storm when he read out the words of someone who couldn’t attend a Black Lives Matter protest last year calling on the black community to “abstain from spending your money in their shops and economies and invest in black-owned businesses”. The former heavyweight boxing champion was subsequently criticised and labelled as ‘racist’ for reading out a widespread view of black capitalism as a solution to combat racial injustice. Interestingly, most ethnic minority groups in Britain follow some sort of group economics. Chinese support Chinese, Indians support Indians, Pakistanis support Pakistanis etc. Nevertheless, it seems to be an issue when the black community attempts to mobilise themselves economically as displayed with the backlash of Joshua’s comments. That same month witnessed the first-ever ‘Black Pound Day’ on June 27 founded by Britaward-winning rapper Swiss from the infamous So Solid Crew, pictured below. Their mission aims to “to address the economic inequalities and imbalances affecting black businesses and entrepreneurs in the UK and global diasporic communities”. Black economics is a philosophy followed by many people of the African diaspora in the Western world as practitioners of this philos-
Interestingly, most ethnic minority groups in Britain follow some sort of group economics ophy advocate the support for black-owned businesses. The Pan-African icon Marcus Garvey is one of the most prominent figures of black economics with his civil rights group UNIA (Universal Negro Improvement Association) helping to marshal impoverished black people across the diaspora with an ethos of black capitalism. Research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies earlier this year revealed the growing inequalities in education, skills and incomes as an implication of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study suggests that among working-age adults, the presence of two-earner households is significantly lower for Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, black African and Caribbean households. Black individuals also find themselves particularly overrepresented in insecure jobs with the lower rates of two-income households among black and Asian house-
holds making them more susceptible to financial issues following job losses from the pandemic. One can go as far as positioning the black community in the new ‘precariat’ class group. This term was introduced by academic Professor Guy Standing who argues that the growing neoliberal policies across the world are producing numbers of people with common enough experiences to be grouped in an emerging class.
PROTECTION
The precariat is those working and living ‘precariously’, usually in a series of shortterm jobs with a lack of social protection. Equally, more research also shows the black community is disproportionately affected by income inequality as the leading race equality think tank Runnymede Trust found in its April 2020 The Colour of Money report that black and ethnic minority groups are more likely to have low incomes due to “lower wages, higher unemployment
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rates, higher rates of part-time working, higher housing costs in England’s large cities (especially London), and because black households on average have larger families the impo-
tics, black and ethnic minority spending power is estimated at over £300 billion. The resources exist to rebuild, buy back communities, and distribute wealth.
These communities have their own banks, own supermarkets selling their products and employing their people sition of the benefit cap has further disadvantaged our communities. Similarly, the Resolution Foundation’s analysis into COVID-19 and its financial implications outlines the effects of the pandemic which led to stark gaps in wealth held by different ethnic groups in Britain. It revealed on the eve of the pandemic that at least half of black African, Bangladeshi and black Caribbean households had less than £1,000 in a family savings account to serve as a buffer in case of a fall in income. Despite these statis-
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Meanwhile, with a population of just under 50 million, African Americans are the second-largest consuming group in America, presenting businesses with a spending power of $1.4 trillion (£1.015tn). Black households accounted for under 10 per cent of the nation’s spending on goods and services in 2019 despite making up 13.4 per cent of the population, according to management consultant group McKinsey. Similarly, despite their spending prowess, African Americans, just like black Brits, remain among the most im-
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poverished ethnic groups in the country. It is noticeable in black communities the lack of business ownership. From Handsworth to Brixton, historically known black communities are becoming plagued with gentrification and a myriad of non-black-owned businesses who continue to profit at our expense.
COMMUNITY
We can see the differentiation between the South Asian communities or the Chinese communities on the topic of group economics. These two communities have their own banks, own supermarkets selling their products and employing their people, and they keep their money in their community. With the black British community remaining amongst the most impoverished groups, the fall out of the pandemic only makes matters worst. The pernicious crab in a bucket mentality we have will only continue to be our detriment in this country and seeing us prevail in the face of persistent inequalities.
www.voice-online.co.uk
NOVEMBER 2021 THE VOICE | 25
Black business focus
Special feature VISION: Claudine Reid MBE, pictured inset below, says banks have to work harder to build confidence in black communities and businesses (main stock photo: Pexels)
Continued from page 3
business to succeed but black entrepreneurs have historically faced unique challenges. The profile of black businesses leaves them exposed, as many are concentrated in sectors that have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic including the catering sector, transport and retail.
FAILED
This is nothing new. Black businesses have historically been at the sharp end of recessions and business support services by national and local government have traditionally failed to reach them. White household income in UK is 63 per cent higher than black households, according to Office of National Statistics figures from last year, with the gap thought to be even higher when considering housing costs. In light of this stark gap it is all the more important that business ownership turns into business success in order to address inequality, especially when we start looking at revenues or employment size, or the scale of the business.
Having a family background in business is really important. If your parents are business owners, you’re twice as likely to be a business owner yourself than someone who doesn’t have parents that are business owners. If you have low business ownership rates, then it gets passed along to future generations. And so that creates this kind of barrier that you don’t have that family business experience. Housing is one of the most common ways to build wealth in Britain, but black families have struggled to build wealth through property ownership compared to other ethnic groups, ONS figures show. The median accumulation of wealth through home-ownership for Caribbe-
an or African people over the last 10 years is zero. A key factor is the overall low home-owning rates with 30 per cent of black families not owning a home. Living in London may have a lot to do with it; around 60 per cent of the black population live in the capital where high living costs eat up money that could otherwise be saved or put toward a home. Black workers are also likely to be paid less, and be less likely to get a promotion, which all reduce savings that are needed for a deposit. Over 700,000 new businesses were started in 2020, but there are particular reasons why a company might fail, including how the business owner handles taxes, liabilities, ownership and finances. Typically over half of all busi-
nesses fold before five years, and some of the most common issues are lacking a firm business plan with clear strategic direction. This is most often missing where the entrepreneur comes from a family where their parents have never owned a busi-
ture shock. A survey by McKinsey and Company showed that the five most vulnerable sectors include hospitality, retail and food service, sectors with a higher proportion of black firms. The Government has prioritised big business over small in
Black workers are also likely to be paid less, and be less likely to get a promotion ness, and that family advice is lacking. Lack of start-up cash loans and lines of credit are important because an entrepreneur is more likely to pledge their personal assets, including their house, as collateral and without the aid of external capital these assets are at far greater risk. Many black businesses forgo applying for credit altogether, partly out of expectation that they would be turned down by the bank if they applied. With the pandemic taking such a toll on black-owned businesses, many of those that survive are vulnerable to a fu-
terms of help available during the downturn, and where there is a lack of help then the relationship between the business owner and the bank becomes crucial. There is cause for hope, though. Downloads of blackowned business directory apps saw increases as much as 44 per cent during the pandemic. The solution is simple – banks, financial institutions, government and individual black consumers alike – all need to make more effort to support black-owned businesses. In the US, Google My Business has rolled out a feature
that allows businesses to identify if they are black-owned, and they have a weekly ‘blackowned Friday’ initiative. Also, Uber Eats announced it would waive delivery fees for black-owned businesses through to the end of the year. But action in Britain is lacking by comparison. Mrs Reid said that the “dial of awareness” had been turned up as a result of the Black Lives Matter campaign.
LEGACY
She said: “It’s about job creation that contributes to social mobility that contributes to generational wealth. It’s a multi-year plan, it’s a multiyear strategy. “We want a sustainable legacy and it starts with the banking industry, it starts with education, it starts with government policy. It starts with the messages that the media perpetuate about the black community.” It is everyone’s responsibility to support black-owned businesses, and with a concerted effort there is every reason to believe the barriers to success can be dismantled.
26 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Special feature
Black business focus
The rise of black entrepreneurs Black businesses are beating the odds despite missing out on venture capital. By Vic Motune
R
ECENT RESEARCH looking into how venture capital – a form of financing given to technology startup companies – is invested according to race and gender makes for depressing reading. According to a 2020 report from Extend Ventures, just 1.6 per cent of venture capital funding went to all-ethnic founding teams, and only 0.2 per cent of venture capital funding went to black entrepreneurs who have founded technology companies in the UK between 2009 and 2019. But, despite receiving just a fraction of the funding available, these founders are beating formidable odds to create thriving businesses and further a rich legacy of innovation and advancement.
STATUS
Last month, it was announced that Marshmallow, a London-based digital insurance platform founded in 2017 by twin brothers Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham, became the second black-owned company in Britain to reach the coveted status of “unicorn” – a startup company with a value of over $1 billion (£726.4m). Marshmallow raised $85 million in a recent funding round valuing the company at $1.25 billion. The money came from existing investors such as South African bank Investec, Passion Capital and Impact X Capital. The first UK unicorn headed by a black entrepreneur was Zepz, which achieved a valuation of $5 billion during an August funding round. The company, formerly known as WorldRemit Group, was
These founders are beating formidable odds to create thriving businesses founded by Somali-born entrepreneur Ismail Ahmed. Speaking about the hurdles companies like his have had to overcome to achieve success, Oliver Kent Braham told CNBC: “The number of times a VC (venture capitalist) said, ‘I wouldn’t respond to cold emails because you should be able to hustle and intro to me.’ It’s much easier to hustle and intro to you if you went to your university and you know a ton of people that know you.” As well as Marshmallow and Zepz, a number of other technology entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds are acquiring funding and investment-creating companies that are disrupting the status quo in a variety of industries. Among them are University of London graduate Nnamdi Emelifeonwu, CEO and founder of software start-up Definely, a legal technology platform that optimises contract drafting and reviewing, Danielle Lawrence, who launched Freyda, a SaaS (software as a service) platform that automates manual data entry and simplifying workflows, and Tai Alegbe, the founder of London-based Contingent, an
artificial intelligence platform which predicts, monitors and manages supplier risk for companies. All three were among other UK diverse-led tech startups chosen by the Google for Startups programme to receive a share of its $2 million Black Founders Fund in Europe. The Powerlist 2022 – the annual list of the UK’s most powerful people of African, African Caribbean and African-American heritage – was notable for the high number of tech entrepreneurs who feature. This year’s winner is Jacky Wright, chief digital officer and corporate vice president at Microsoft US, who is widely regarded across the world as one of the most influential and pioneering black women in the tech industry. Tech giants like Microsoft are not alone in recognising the emerging talent from diverse communities in this field. It joined other leading companies such as Google, Experian, TikTok, Dell Technologies, and Deepmind at Black Tech Fest 21, a festival that showcases technological innovation by diverse entrepreneurs as well as providing opportunities for young people from under-represented communities who want to work in the tech industry. The event is the biggest of its kind in Europe. Last year’s inaugural event attracted 3,500 attendees from over 20 countries with a further 40,000 streaming its content online. Black Tech Fest founder Ashleigh Ainsley says this year’s event has seen increased interest from major tech brands keen to tap in to the entrepreneurial talent in the community. However, while welcoming these developments, he acknowledges that there are still significant barriers to diversity becoming more fully embraced. “Things are changing, but I think it will take time to really filter across the industry as a whole,” he told The Voice. “To give you an example, Facebook, who are one of our exhibitors, have done a lot of work to support black tech entrepreneurs through their small business programme.
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DIVERSITY: There are a lot of initiatives trying to increase the number of female coders; inset bottom left, twin brothers Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham are the founders of Marshmallow “This was not happening two or three years ago.” He continued: “For us as a community we’ve got to keep banging that drum, highlighting the positive trends, championing them and asking how do we do more and better? “The tech industry is not going to change overnight, but what we can do is keep encouraging organisations who have taken that first step to improve diversity to keep taking those steps and show up those organisations that are dragging their heels.”
POSITIVE
As well as succeeding in areas such as financial technology (fintech), legal tech, retail and proptech (property tech), entrepreneurs such as London-based Giselle Frederick, pictured inset above left, are also increasingly making a difference in a field which has been termed ‘tech for good’, which involves using technology to achieve positive social impact. Frederick, who has a background in business consulting for major corporates and software engineering, recently launched Sonaar, a platform that matches grassroots community organisations with diaspora professionals so that they can collaborate on projects that contribute to the development of black communities.
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These might include people who can teach African languages, help youth employment initiatives, support education projects or provide advice to migrants. “I’m a technologist by training and education, I did software engineering at university and I wanted to give back by using tech,” says Frederick. “I was just a few years out of university when I had the idea for Sonaar. The next time I really thought about it was during the COVID 19 pandemic. A lot of community initiatives were struggling to keep things afloat. During that period I saw their need to be better supported and that’s when I really started working on Sonaar and thinking about how we as black people can use technology to have maximum social impact.” Like Ainsley, she’s cautiously optimistic about the major companies who are actively showing an interest in supporting diverse entrepreneurs. “There’s been a lot of programmes and initiatives trying to increase the numbers of minority and female coders and programmers or people with skills in areas such as artificial intelligence and data sourcing for example. “As a result of this we’re seeing more and more black community members launching tech startups, certainly compared to five years ago. But there’s
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still a disparity between who gets to participate. “Just because there’s more data being found on black tech startups and programmes to encourage them it doesn’t necessarily mean there’s going to be more successful black startups. I think there’s still a gap in understanding the black experience among the people providing the funding.”
PATHWAYS
Eric Collins, CEO of successful black-owned venture capital firm Impact X Capital, pictured below left, believes that the tech industry may have little choice in facing the need to speed up pathways to entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds. “Despite the figures showing that black entrepreneurs get less than 0.2 per cent of venture capital funding we’ve had the announcement of two UK black-led unicorn companies who have achieved valuations of over a billion dollars,” he says. “And they’ve been able to do that in a relatively short period of time. I get the fact that their situation is sensational. But it’s proven that we can actually get these deals done. “My prediction is that, in the not too distant future, tens of billions of euros and dollars will be controlled by fund managers of colour. If their white counterparts are not investing in them and female entrepreneurs they will be missing their fiduciary responsibility to get the biggest return on their investment dollars as dictated by the mandates that are coming from asset allocators.”
www.voice-online.co.uk
Lambeth Children’s Homes Redress Scheme Deadline: Applications for compensation open until 1 January 2022 Lambeth Council has set up a Redress Scheme for people who, as children, were abused or feared abuse at a Lambeth Children’s Home and/or Shirley Oaks Primary School. There are two types of compensation payment available: n Harm’s Way Payment n Individual Redress Payment To find out more about the Scheme, eligibility and to make a claim, visit lambeth.gov.uk/redress or email redress@lambeth.gov.uk
Below is a list of children’s homes that were run by Lambeth or its predecessor authority (and which subsequently transferred to Lambeth), either within or outside of their area, that provided accommodation for children in care. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Almond House Hostel Angell Road Calais Street Chestnut Road / Robson Road Chevington House Cumberlow Lodge Garrads Road Gresham Place Highland Road Ingleton House Ivy House / Warham Road
12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.
Knowle Close Lancester Avenue Lancaster Road Leigham Court Road Lorn Road Monkton Street Mount Villas Nottingham Road Rathmell Drive Rectory Grove / Elaine Claire House Samuel House
23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
Shirley Oaks South Vale Southwood Southwood Discharge Hostel St Saviours Stephany House Stockwell Park The Elms Thornwick Nursery Tivoli Road Woodvale
101859 (1.21)
THE WEEKLY GLEANER 101859 redress scheme 340x268mm Voice and Gleaner.indd 1
SEPTEMBER 23-29, 2021 • 13 02/02/2021 14:03
28 | THE VOICE
NOVEMBER 2021
Faith
The link between climate change and racial justice
The most vulnerable in Africa are again paying the price for the West’s greed, says Rev John Root
A
S BLACK History Month draws to an end, so the COP26 Conference on Climate Change has begun in Glasgow. The two are related. If BHM often draws attention to the suffering of black people in the past, so COP26 is drawing attention to black people suffering in the present, as well as the far worse suffering that lies ahead unless the Glasgow conference is successful on a global scale. This is by far the most serious issue our generation is facing, and one which Christians ought to attend to urgently. St Paul wrote that through Christ ‘God was pleased to reconcile all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross’ (Colossians 1:20). God’s concern is not only reconciling people to himself and each other, but also putting the earth to rights through Christ’s death. God made us to be stewards looking after this planet. Damaging it is like wrecking someone’s home when they have asked you to look after it. Ministers who say we should only be saving souls for heaven are ignoring large parts of the scriptures. Alongside the concern to look after the earth God has made, goes a calling to look after each other, so that we are particularly concerned for those who most suffer the in-
GLOBAL DISASTER: flames consume a house near Old Oregon Trail as a wildfire burns north of Redding in Shasta County, California, back in September; inset below left, paramilitary police work to evacuate people trapped in a flooded area in Suizhou in central China’s Hubei Province earlier this year
This is by far the most serious issue our generation is facing, and one which Christians ought to attend to urgently justices brought about when people misuse their power. The prophet Amos said that God was tired of people’s worship, lively and melodious though it was, rather he demanded ‘let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream’ (5:23,24).
PAINFUL
The greatest injustice of our day is that the economies of wealthy nations are pumping out the carbon that causes global warming, whilst the chief sufferers from climate change are the world’s poorer nations, especially in Africa. It is dangerously easy to see all the wrong in the painful histories of the past, and to fail to ask in what ways we may be
contributing to a painful future for the next few generations. Climate change is not a problem we feel much in Britain, apart from more unpredictable weather. We see more serious problems on the news — forest fires in California, hurricanes hitting New York, flash floods in Germany. But the most serious problems by far are rarely covered by television cameras. These are prolonged droughts in parts of Africa that destroy harvests, floods that wash away topsoil, rising sea levels inundating countries such as Bangladesh, and millions living at increasingly unbearable temperatures. Climate change is an issue of racial injustice. Just as slavery in the Americas was a racial injustice, so too is global warming today. It is the peoples of Africa, Latin America, and South Asia who are overwhelmingly the victims. And prosperous countries are the main culprits. We so easily, without think-
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ing, are becoming the main villains in an unfolding tragedy. To take one example, fashion and clothing are responsible for 10 per cent of the carbon emissions that cause global warming. Those inexpensive and quickly replaced new
not being met, then we should respond with urgent prayer. In the Old Testament it was when defeat, not victory, seemed certain, that people discovered God’s power to turn hopeless situations around. Many churches are making Sunday,
Just as slavery in the Americas was a racial injustice, so too is global warming today clothes bought so easily online come not only at the cost of under-paid factory labourers, but are doing irreparable damage to the climate. What part can people of faith play in battling against this looming disaster? At the heart of our faith is the simple confidence that God hears and answers prayer. At a time when many people are understandably despairing that the goals we have set to contain temperature rises are
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November 7 a day to pray for an effective, world-changing and people-saving outcome from COP26. Tear Fund, Christian Aid and others have put resources on the internet that you can use. Action is also a response of faith that can take many forms. Each of us should conscientiously be recycling as much as we can and avoiding unnecessary waste. We need to make serious and sacrificial steps to limit doing things which cre-
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ate carbon emissions – air and car travel, keeping our homes too warm, buying clothes we hardly ever wear, eating meat rather than vegetables. Further, we need to let the Government know that if fine words and plans about creating a greener society are not acted on, then they will be called to account by us, the electors.
EMERGENCY
David Lammy MP, in a TED talk on YouTube, asked why, as ‘Black Lives Matter roared across the world, there has been so little mention of saving black lives from the climate emergency’. Future generations may well be living in a world that has been devastated by global warming. Just as today we look back in anger at slavery, will they be looking back in anger on us at our complacent failure to prevent the disastrous consequences of climate change that we could so clearly see coming?
www.voice-online.co.uk
NOVEMBER 2021
THE VOICE | 29
News feature
Barbados throws off shackles of Empire Dame Sandra Mason to be sworn in on November 30 in ‘seminal moment’ for Caribbean nation after 55 years of independence
NEW DIRECTION: The Queen meets Dame Sandra Mason of Barbados during a private audience at Buckingham Palace in 2018 (photo: Steve Parsons, WPA Pool/Getty)
By Leah Mahon
B
A RBADOS HAS elected its first ever president, removing the Queen as its head of state and officially becoming a republic. Dame Sandra Mason will be sworn in on November 30 which will mark the country’s 55th year of independence from Britain. The historic announcement was made by Speaker of the House, Arthur Holder, after the members voted in favour of Dame Mason’s appointment. Prime Minister Mia Mottley described the vote as a “seminal moment” for the Caribbean nation. Plans were announced last year by Dame Mason to “fully leave our colonial past behind”. She said at the time: “This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving.”
FOOTSTEPS
Barbados, known for its advancements in tourism and finance, will be following in the footsteps of other Caribbean countries including Guyana who removed the Queen as their head of state in 1970, followed by Trinidad and Tobago in 1976 and Dominica in 1978. Jamaica has been heavily considering a move to republicanism since the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) won the majority of votes in 2016 under Prime Minister Andrew Holness. Barbadians and government officials across the Caribbean have shared messages of support on social media following the declaration. Jamaican MP Lisa Hanna wrote on Twitter that Dame Mason and Mottley were “boldly leading from the front and taking a giant step for the world to see”. The move has sparked
This is the ultimate statement of confidence in who we are and what we are capable of achieving suggestions of a “domino effect” among other Caribbean countries left in the Commonwealth where the Queen remains their head of state, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Jamaican Governor-General Patrick Allen proposed a constitutional amendment which set out to undo the monarchy’s influence in the country. Mr Holness made removing the Queen as head of state a priority in his 2016 manifesto, but has yet to call a long-awaited referendum due to complex, high constitutional thresholds. However, St Vincentian voters defeated a proposal for the nation to become a republic in 2009. At the time, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said he hoped the decision would grow a “nationalist, home-grown constitution”. The ongoing debate in cutting ties with the monarchy came during the height of the Black Lives Matter movement where many considered ‘The Firm’s’ part in colonialism and reparations. As Barbados announced their intentions to become a republic, a Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “Regarding removing the Queen as head of state, this is a matter for the people of Jamaica. “With regards to the petition for reparations, this is a matter for the Government.”
30 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
News feature
Our history before slavery Black History Month has given us the time to reflect on what it actually means. As a result, we may come up with some interesting – and diverse – conclusions. By Terence Channer
W
ELL, BLACK History Month has come and gone and I have done some reflecting. When I approached Black History Month, I did so through the lens that black history did not start with slavery. However, there is a very important and often overlooked context. Before the abhorrent transatlantic slave trade there was no black or white history. Africans were not black, Europeans were not white. The history of the peoples of Africa was of the vastly diverse ethnic groups who were not “black” people, they were just “people”; humans, the same way the native tribes of Britain were not white people, but the Caledones of Scotland, Taexali, Carvetii, Venicones, Epidii of Southend, the Damnonii and the Novantae of Galloway and Garrick. Scientific tests have proven the San people of Southern Africa are one of the oldest civilisations on Earth. DNA tests show they have inhabited Africa for almost 100,000 years. They are noted for their golden brown skin tone. If you told a San father pre-slavery that he and his children were black, he would look bewildered and confused. He would then tell you he is gold-
The term ‘white people’ or ‘white race’ only came into use as recently as the 17th century en brown from the San tribe. You’d get a similar response from a Caledone of Scotland. Expect to throw the Chopi people of Mozambique or the Dinka of South Sudan into a quandary by trying to explain to them that their very dark brown skin made them black people; “I am not black, I am Dinka!” There are more than 3,000 distinct ethnic groups speaking over 2,100 different languages in Africa.
DISPARATE
Therefore, there was no prior “black history”. The “African history” was of the disparate ethnic groups from the Abe to the Bangwa to the Chopi to the Dinka to the San to the Asante to the Yoruba the Igbo to the Xhosa to the Zulu. In fact, the term “white people“ or “white race“ only came into use as recently as the 17th century. Prior to that there was no concept of “white people”. Go back to prehistoric Europe and you will find Cheddar Man, a black-skinned blue-eyed Mesolithic man whose skeleton was discovered in 1903 at Gough’s Cave in Cheddar Gorge, Somerset. How ironic. It was as a consequence of the transatlantic slave trade that a “racial” (colour) hierarchy was devised; a classification to justify the economic enslavement of people from various African ethnic groups, hence
TRUE COLOURS: Main, young Ashanti girls wearing kente cloth dance for the king at a royal durbar in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana; inset right, Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, the chieftan of the regional Fante tribe, at the Emintsimadze palace in Cape Coast, Ghana; inset below left, a Nigerian woman in traditional Yoruba clothing (photos: Getty) these new concepts of “black people” and “white people” became deeply embedded and remain to this day. Prior to that, slavery was largely across the different ethnic groups. By reclassifying enslaved humans from the various African ethnic groups as “black“ as opposed to, for example, Bakongo, Igbo, Asante, stripping them of their identity and lumping them together into one monolithic group, it paved the way to demonise not only enslaved Africans but the entire continent of Africa. The fact is very few black people are actually black. The vast majority of black African and black African Caribbean people would, in a bright light of day portrait, leave untouched much of the black paint on Michaelangelo’s palette. I’m a black man, but 95 per cent of my body is light brown. So how am I a black man? Had
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I’m a black man, but 95% of my body is light brown. Had I lived in 16th century West Africa I would not be black! I lived in 16th century West Africa I would not be black, but Akan (Akwamu, Ashanti, Akyem Fante and Bono) Igbo, Yoruba, Kongo, Fon or Ibibio, as most African Jamaicans are descendants of these ethnic groups (predominantly Akan).
CONCEPT
Therefore, prior to slavery there was absolutely zero concept of black people. Ergo, if black people did not exist prior to slavery, black history began with slavery as this heinous practice created the illusion of black people. Prior to slavery there was rich, diverse
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“African history” and African traditions. I have travelled to Kenya and South Africa and I have met some of the tallest Africans in the Masai. The Masai have an average height of 6‘3“. By contrast, the Bambenga (Mbenga) ‘pygmies’ have an average height of 5‘1“. These ethnic groups are as diverse in height as they are in appearance, language, customs, traditions and history. It was, therefore, an injustice for Europeans to treat them like a monolith. To posit that prior to slavery there was black history is a gross misstatement. It’s highly reductive to state this,
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and I am the first to admit to being guilty of falling into this trap. Now, my blackness is more a political statement than an ethnic statement. It is more a statement of the historical fight for justice that I embrace. Yes, the phrase “black people“ does emanate from the re-classification of Africans as part of slavery.
CHOICE
However, given the choice, I would rather do away with black and white and talk about the history of the Akan, Igbo the San, Chopi, the Dinka, Asante and Zulu. But I can’t change history. The son of Jamaican migrants, Terence Channer is a consultant solicitor at Scott-Moncrieff & Associates LLP who specialises in police misconduct, injury and healthcare law. He is a passionate anti-racism advocate.
www.voice-online.co.uk
NOVEMBER 2021
‘I am a crime scene’
News feature
ANGUISH: Daisy’s* case provides a glimpse of the suffering individuals in her situation go through (stock photo: Terry Vine/Getty); inset left, Carvel Bennett has been jailed for 11 years (photo: West Midlands Police)
Woman conceived in 1970s rape urges black victims to use their voice By Sinai Fleary
I
N AUGUST this year, Carvel Bennett, from Erdington in Birmingham, was found guilty of the historical rape of a 13-year-old babysitter in the 1970s. As a result of the heinous attack, his victim became pregnant and, when she turned 14, gave birth to a baby girl. Bennett was jailed for 11 years following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. His biological daughter, now in her mid-40s, came forward and used her DNA to convict him of raping her birth mother, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind in UK legal history. Now his daughter, only known as Daisy, is urging others in the black community affected by child abuse and rape to come forward and not be silenced by the stigma associated with sexual abuse.
Daisy told The Voice she wants to change the law so that children conceived by rape are classified as victims. The victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the court she was 13 when Bennett told her to come upstairs to a bedroom and take her clothes off and lie down.
allegations of sexual abuse against TV presenter Jimmy Savile became public knowledge, it prompted Daisy to try and get her father prosecuted. Determined to get justice, she told her story to the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme in 2019, in which she said: “I am a walking crime scene.”
DEVASTATING
CHARGED
According to the victim, her account was “brushed under the carpet” by everyone and no further action was taken, which had a devastating impact on her. When the baby was just a few days old, she was placed in foster care and was later adopted when she was seven months. Daisy said: “Sexual abuse is still not spoken about openly in the black British community. “There is still stigma and shame, but we need to overcome this. My case shows how the trauma of sexual abuse
affects generations. The more it remains unspoken, the more victims and survivors are forced to carry the trauma of sexual abuse alone.” Daisy was transracially adopted into an all-white family and lived in a predominantly white town. She didn’t have any other black children in her class until she was 13. In 2011, when the historic
When the story aired on television, her birth mother decided to give a statement to the police, which resulted in Bennett finally being charged. The fact Daisy wasn’t classified as a victim under UK law and her birth mother had to come forward in order for the police to press charges, motivated Daisy to campaign to change the law, so that children conceived by rape are given ‘victim’ status. “As my mother was raped as a child, I was put up for adoption, I had a troubled tran-
THE VOICE | 31
*This is a stock image and not a likeness of the victim
sracial upbringing and, even to this day, I have a strained relationship with my birth mother. I am a victim,” she shared. Daisy has now launched a new Crowd Justice campaign to get the law changed and believes it would allow more prosecutions of perpetrators. She added: “I would urge the community to get behind my campaign as this case illustrates the injustice black women and girls face in the criminal justice system.
“Rape conception is just one aspect of sexual abuse that is not spoken about and remains taboo.” To support Daisy’s Crowd Justice Campaign, please visit: https:// www.crowdjustice.com/case/ forgotten-victims/. To access support on rape, please visit: https://rapecrisis.org.uk/. For
support on dealing with child sexual abuse, please visit:
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-
is-child-abuse/types-of-abuse/ child-sexual-abuse/
32 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Special investigation BITTER TASTE: Workers say they have been sold a lie, with all wishing they had never left Barbados (photo: Marcus Obal; Anna Tarezevich/Pexels)
Continued from page 4
The agency stated if workers report an incident to them or their agent an investigation would begin immediately. They added: “In the case of serious complaints, we transfer the participants to another farm, or support them to travel home if they prefer. “This process has been followed with a small number of participants placed in Scotland, where the participants concerned were transferred to another farm. “Our investigation of the participants’ experiences is ongoing.”
UNTRUE
However, the farm workers heavily criticised the statement, calling it “untrue”. Mr Bryan says his complaints were routinely ignored
NIGHTMARE: Kamal Boodhoo, spoke to The Voice about his bitter experience
by Concordia and by CJNM Consulting Associates Ltd, the representative from Barbados who recruited him for the programme. CJNM Consulting Associates Ltd was formed by Cristopher Griffith, who supplies seasonal farm workers from the island to the UK. He started the UK Farm Labour Programme in 2019 and assisted the workers in securing work at the farms in Scotland and England. Mr Griffith dismissed all claims of slavery, mistreatment and wrongdoings. Speaking to The Voice, he said: “It is very unfortunate some of the workers feel this way, but they are a very small minority. The claims of slavery are false, I have over 100 workers across UK farms and have not had any complaints.” Mr Bryan claims while he was picking strawberries on a farm
in Scotland, an Eastern European worker spat at him. He said: “I was so shocked and I reported it to the representative for Barbados but nothing happened. “I don’t feel like my complaint was taken seriously.” The Barbadian workers say that Eastern European super-
But the workers said the second farm, also in Scotland, which they moved to, was just as bad as the first one. Mr Bryan added: “You have four people living in a three-bedroom caravan and three people living in a two-bedroom caravan. “Some people have to sleep on a chair and they have to pay
The working conditions were appalling. My break times were cut short and I don’t think I ever made more than £150 per week visors ordered them to pick strawberries from the lines with the fewest fruit, causing them to earn less than the European pickers because their wages were often calculated by the volume of strawberries picked. The workers were promised a flat hourly wage when they agreed to travel from the Caribbean but pocketed far less. Mr Griffith said the aim of the programme was to provide his fellow Barbadians with an opportunity and to assist in filling a labour shortage in the agricultural sector because of Brexit. He did acknowledge some Barbadian workers had issues upon their arrival but described these as “cultural differences” rather than experiences of racism.
COMPLAINTS
He claims complaints were dealt with in a reasonable manner and, as a result, some were moved to a different farm.
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the same rent, every week. A spokesperson for the second farm said: “They worked well and we appreciate the contribution they made to harvest our fruit. “This group of workers were offered more work than they had an appetite to do. “We recently had an independent ethical audit, including interviews with our workers, and received positive feedback on the working conditions. “Unfortunately due to a drop in production, due to unseasonal weather, we had to end their contract. Concordia, the agency the workers came through, has no issues with working practices at the farm.” Mr Griffith also insisted he regularly inspects the farms where he sends his workers to ensure their working and living conditions are up to the required standard. A number of workers from Barbados say they were coerced
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into coming to the UK on a oneway ticket, which has left them stranded and unable to afford to buy a ticket to return to their native country. Mr Griffith disputes their claims and said: “No one was coerced into buying an open ticket. “They are told at the very beginning before they get involved in the programme that they have to pay their way. “They are advised they only need a one-way ticket to travel into the UK for the programme and if they can afford to buy a two-way ticket, they can buy one. But a text message seen by The Voice, allegedly from Mr Griffith to one of the workers, states “purchase a one-way ticket”. Mr Griffith said “some people are earning money that they have never earned in their life on the programme”. Mr Bryan travelled to the UK with his girlfriend, Shamere Pinder, 25, and 13 other Barbadian workers. Ms Pinder said she felt trapped in a nightmare on the farm and reached breaking point on the third farm in England and decided to leave. Ms Pinder has a young daughter back in Barbados and says she regrets coming to the UK and is adamant she should have stayed in the Caribbean and continued with the parttime job she had in a bank. She said: “I decided to leave because we were sold a whole bunch of lies by the agent and we were treated poorly.”
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Ms Pinder said she noticed a difference in the treatment the workers from Barbados received in comparison to the workers from Eastern European countries. She said: “When the women are lifting the crates of strawberries to take them to the weighing station, no one comes to help and assist the black workers but they would help all the other races.” She added: “We are paying National Insurance and pension, plus buying food and paying for our caravan. “Sometimes we are left with nothing. How will we be able to get back home?”
BREAKING
Another worker, Kamal Boodhoo, 28, spoke to The Voice and said when he was transferred to the third farm in England that was his breaking point. He said: “There was blood in my caravan and the working conditions were appalling. “My break times were always cut short and I don’t think I have made anything more than £150 per week.” Mr Boodhoo said the third farm had “disgusting outside toilet facilities.” The demand for workers outside of the European Union (EU) has increased since Brexit. In March 2019, the government announced the commencement of the Seasonal Workers Pilot for 2019 and 2020. Concordia made profits of £1.6 million according to its last accounts filed at Companies House.
www.voice-online.co.uk
Lifestyle Check out Botis Seva’s BLKDOG p37
Opening this month: Lubaina Himid p38
PARTY SEASON Days Like This
Lela Harris does The Color Purple p44
34 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Lifestyle
Events
Best days are yet to come
Days Like This is taking the world of brunch and day parties by storm, with more events on the way BY JOEL CAMPBELL
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AYS LIKE THIS didn’t exist five years ago and it was the fact that an event of this type was missing from the social calendar that prompted Michael Amusan, Anthony Iban and Bosun Apata to bring it to life. If you haven’t been, be sure to put it in your diary as the core team have told Lifestyle that in the future, they’re upping the ante. Far from just another social gathering, rave or whatever you want to call it Days Like This (DLT) is leading the way where the ‘brunch and day party’ scene is concerned. The recent event at Studio 338 in North Greenwich was another sold out affair, with revellers attending for both the jollof rice and the music with equal fervour. But where did DLT start and why a day party? “Days Like This was a concept that was birthed while a couple of us were doing internships in investment banks in New York,” Anthony explained. “What really surprised us, is that we were going to functions in New York, and we felt like we belonged. “We could go in as a group of black boys and they let us in, we could have as much fun as we wanted without any stigma and we were like, we need to bring this concept to the UK. “That’s where it started five years ago. “What we really wanted to show was that as a group of black people and as our community, we can have fun
“They let us in, we could have as much fun as we liked without stigma” and there isn’t any trouble. We’ve demonstrated that it can be done.” Since their first event in 2016, team DLT have hosted 38 successful sold-out parties, with nearly 35,000 tickets sold. The founders have achieved their success whilst holding down full-time jobs in their respective fields and having already worked with the likes of Soho House and Live Nation, things have happened quickly. Michael enthused: “It’s crazy because when we initially started as Anthony said it was literally there is nothing like this in the UK and we wanted to do it with our mates.
SURREAL
“Throughout the years people have started attending the events and it became this cool concept that everyone wanted to get involved with. “With Live Nation, we held the Endz Festival opening party which was a monumental moment for the black community, to have a festival in Croydon with all of these great Afro Beats and UK acts and then for us to be a part of that was amazing. “Soho House occurred following a conversation with one of our team members which worked there. “He pitched it to his bosses and we did it there and at that time it was the second biggest turnout that they’d had. “So to us it was like ‘wow,
WINNING STRATEGY: Main, the DLT team comprises Anthony Iban, co-founder (brand strategy); Michael Amusan, co-founder (ops and finance); Ife Awosika, cofounder (logistics); Bosun Apata, cofounder (ops and staffing); Will Stowe, creative strategy and brand partnerships; Alex Duyile, music Management; Feji Marino, ops and social media strategy, and Rami Kadri, digital marketing
this thing we’re doing is really great’. People were really taking to it and it felt a bit surreal at the time.” Part of the core team and in charge of creative strategy and brand partnerships, Will Stowe said it was through attending DLT that he became involved with the founders. He explained: “It was in 2018 when my friend and I — who is also now a part of the team — were having discussions around the two DJs we manage, Triple A and RBC.
INCREDIBLE
“He was leading the conversations in terms of getting them on and it took some time. “We were at 28 West Bar — if you talk to anyone about those nights, they will probably
MAKING MEMORIES: The Days Like This events in the UK have been a fantastic success
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start crying from all of the good memories and give you stories that are absolutely incredible. “It was a hot summer and when he started, it just went insane. “I think Anthony asked if Triple A could do an extra hour because of how crazy it was going, we had people going out of
to remember the DJ set and you’re going to remember where you were. “In terms of the places that we have taken people to, black people are technically not supposed to be there. “They never intended for us to be there initially, but I think one thing DLT does is when we get
“You’re going to have a good time, you’re going to remember the DJ set and where you were” their minds. From there, things just blossomed. “I started out just attending then it was managing the DJs and now my friend takes care of the music bookings and I’m more of the creative strategy and brand partnerships. It’s been beautiful to watch something like this and come into it at that stage, plus I haven’t had to do the heavy lifting as well.” Outlining how DLT sets itself apart from similar events in the day party space, Will says: “It’s a moment and experience.” He adds: “You’re going to have a good time, you’re going
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to a place, we change the narrative right away and they understand that there are black people who can do things properly and in a professional manner. “And we also put a lot of money in their pockets behind the bar as well, which goes without saying. “A lot of memories and moments are what to expect at a DLT.” Nigerian artist Rema and Birmingham’s M1llionz are just of the recent acts that have passed through a DLT event to perform. The team are coy on who else could be coming through the door in the future, preferring to keep their cards close to their chest but they hint at raising the bar even higher than their lofty standards have already delivered.
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A beacon of positive light for any budding entrepreneurs out there looking to emulate a winning strategy DLT have demonstrated that the FUBU (For Us By Us) effect is strong. But what’s next for the brand? “We had an event in Box Park Croydon and we had Rema perform. The team was looking at each other with that ‘what’s next look’,” Anthony said. “I was like, lets take a moment and reflect on everything that we have done this year and also appreciate what we have done for the last five years, take it in and soak it all up.
FUTURE
“I think once we’ve done that we can start planning for the future. “Before, we were so worried about ‘how do we exist and stay relevant in peoples minds’, so much so that we have never actually been able to enjoy ourselves or congratulate each other. So I reiterated to the team that we soak everything up and then we can start figuring out the next steps and where we are growing to next year, rather than keeping this constant pressure on us where we feel like we’re in a rat race to be the best. “We’ve done great so its about continuing to do great, enjoying the moment and remembering what we did that was great otherwise we’ll forget why it was good in the first place.”
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36 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Lifestyle
Events
Stars of theatre in the spotlight
LEADING THE WAY: Solange Urdang and Omar F Okai are co-directors of the BBTAs
Awards will celebrate excellent black British performers and creatives both on and off stage BY JOEL CAMPBELL
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N SUNDAY November 21 2021, the Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs) will return to the elegance of the Old Finsbury Town Hall, home of its inaugural ceremony. The BBTAs are the UK’s first awards to celebrate the excellence and influence of black performers and creatives within the UK theatre industry. Launched in 2019, and now in its third year, the BBTAs are more relevant and impactful than ever before. The BBTAs highlight excellence and leadership within the UK theatre sector through the acknowledgement and celebration of established and emerging diverse talent. An important part of the awards is to champion the legacy of black theatre pioneers and
live, there has been “A younger and performed a plethora of innovative and ground-breaking theatre. more diverse The BBTAs will highlight the audience is the exceptional black artists and creatives on and off stage durfuture, and ing this time of national cultural recovery. this year has DYNAMIC certainly seen The presence of black talent positive change” in all aspects of theatre is their visionary contributions. The BBTAs support and inspire young black talent through award recognition and a yearround outreach programme, creating an impact by facilitating pathways from the educational system into the arts and empowering diverse talent to create and tell their stories. The purpose of the movement is for black talent to be recognised and represented throughout the UK theatre sector. Over the past year, with many shows being streamed and/or
more important than ever to ensure that the return to theatre is dynamic and diverse than ever. This year’s nominees demonstrate the abundance of talent and showcase excellence across UK theatre, as well as the broader arts and cultural landscape. Solange Urdang and Omar F Okai, co-directors of the BBTAs, said: “We are already so overwhelmed by the response and support this year in particular as online viewing has given access to new audiences who
are really engaged and now looking forward to supporting live theatre. “A younger and more diverse audience is the future, and this year has certainly seen positive change for black theatre audiences.” Rachel Nwokoro, winner of the Disability Champion award in 2020, pictured left, said: “Receiving the first ever Disability Champion award last year felt like the sweetest recognition of an essential yet often stigmatised part of my identity.
“Thank you eternally to the BBTAs for lovingly hosting such a sacred ceremony of black celebration and joy.
UNSTOPPABLE
“I felt an awakening of our shared ancestors, the ones whose names donned the empty seats, and I heard their roar around our own. It is a memory I hold deep in my heart and I will for years to come. I left the night with a clear and celestial truth: We are here, we are abundant and we are unstoppable. They can’t stop us.”
Kinoshi unveils three new projects as part of London Unwrapped residency at Kings Place BY JOEL CAMPBELL
the countries of my Caribbean and West African heritage. “With Synthesis, I’m looking forward to debuting my new band with Piera Onacko and showcasing Lunch Money Life and Joviale. “I want the audience to leave having been taken on a personal journey influenced by the city’s musical landscape today, woven via a series of captivating sonic and audio-visual experiences. Come to all three and take in the full experience.”
CASSIE KINOSHI wants to take her audience on a “personal journey influenced by the city’s musical landscape today” and she is going to get her chance having announced three brand new projects as part of her London Unwrapped residency at the acclaimed London venue, Kings Place.
ARTISTRY
BREAKING GROUND: Cassie Kinoshi (photo inset right credit: Keziah Quarcoo)
The genre-defying, multi award-winning composer, arranger, alto-saxophonist, bandleader of seed, and member of KOKOROKO and Nérija’s series sees Kinoshi extend her artistry to cutting-edge collaborations into electronic and experimental genres, from new compositions, an immersive multi-media installation, to the debut of a new band with pianist Piera Onacko, all epitomising her mercurial creativity and expression. Expressing her excitement at landing the opportunity Kinoshi said: “It’s an honour to be Artist In Residence for London Unwrapped at Kings Place, who I’d like to thank for allowing
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me the artistic freedom to curate this exciting series that I’m delighted to finally unveil. “echo. is an exploration of what it means to grow and attempt to connect with both yourself and others in the city of London, extrapolated into sound and visuals. “With Aurora Orchestra, I sought to create four pieces which celebrate and capture the poetic beauty of my childhood memories and encounters with
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ORIGINAL
Helen Wallace, executive and artistic director at Kings Place added: “It’s been a privilege to work with Cassie on these curations for London Unwrapped: she is a true original who embodies the richness and unclassifiability of London’s music scene, as at home in jazz, electronic, experimental and orchestral music, drawing on a huge diversity of influences, with the ability to reach out and collaborate across the spectrum.”
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NOVEMBER 2021
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THE VOICE | 37
Lifestyle Exercise
BLKDOG ready to take the lead
Olivier Award-winning production set to make return to Sadler’s Wells with a dazzling London Premiere BY JOEL CAMPBELL
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LKDOG WON the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production in 2019 and is back at Sadler’s Wells with a new London Premiere this month. First seen as part of Reckonings in 2018 to celebrate Sadler’s Wells’ 20th anniversary, the work has been developed into this new, full-length version. BLKDOG will be presented at Sadler’s Wells as part of a UK and international tour. Vital and gripping BLKDOG is Botis Seva’s haunting commentary on surviving adulthood as a childlike artist. A genre-defying blend of hip-hop dance and free form antics, BLKDOG explores the inner battlefield of an ageing artist trying to retain his youth. With a pounding, brooding
“The music adds layers of meaning, highlighting the inner working of the characters” score, the music adds layers of meaning, highlighting the inner working of the characters’ minds. The music has grown from a long-standing collaboration between Seva and Torben Lars Sylvest and includes a mixture of original music and words performed by Botis’ powerhouse company Far From The Norm and guests. Tom Visser’s lighting brings a dark smog of disillusion as the choreography delves into the underbelly of life, while the
hooded caps and padded costumes by Ryan Laight echo the protection and comfort of childhood. BLKDOG searches for coping mechanisms in the ultimate hunt for acceptance. South London-born Seva formed his company Far From The Norm aged 19. Influenced by hip-hop theatre, his talent grew largely unmentored on the streets of London.
ECHOES
Seva’s work is rooted in his experience of social deprivation and racism shaping his unique physical style, with echoes of hip-hop, street dance and black culture. Seva said: “After everything that the world has gone through over the last 18 months – the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd and uprising of the Black Lives Matter movement – it feels now is the right time more than ever
STAR TURN: BLKDOG will enthrall its audiences; bottom right, Botis Seva (production photos: Camilla Greenwell) to bring BLKDOG to London.” Botis’ distinct language has placed him at the forefront of hip-hop dance theatre in the UK and internationally. While his foundation is in choreography, Botis’ practice experiments with form, structure and theatrics to continuously re-
invent his approach to creativity, whether that is in live or digital performance. Borrowing techniques from film, text, art and other dance languages, Botis’ focus is on making a societal difference and using his autobiographical experiences to drive narratives.
38 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Lifestyle
Art
Crowd-pleaser
Lubaina Himid’s exhibition at the Tate Modern is designed to place visitors centre stage
A LIFE IN ART: Clockwise, from top far left, Tide Change, 1998 (© Lubaina Himid, courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens); The Sweet Sharp Taste of Limes (© Lubaina Himid, courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens); Between the Two my Heart is Balanced, 1991 (Tate, © Lubaina Himid); Ball on Shipboard, 2018 (Rennie Collection, Vancouver, © Lubaina Himid); Metal Handkerchief Saw Flag (copyright info???); The Operating Table, 201718 (Private Collection, © Lubaina Himid); picture inset below: copyright Magda Stawarska-Beavan
BY JOEL CAMPBELL
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UBAINA HIMID wants people who attend her exhibition at the Tate Modern later this month to feel “a bit like when you are in a live production”. The Turner Prize-winning artist’s large-scale exhibition will debut recent work and include selected highlights from Himid’s influential four-decade career. Taking inspiration from her interest in theatre, the exhibition will unfold in a sequence of scenes designed to place visitors centre stage and backstage. Talking to Lifestyle, she explains what people can expect when they attend. “All together there are maybe about nine rooms worth of work. “Some of the work is old favourites that if you’ve seen postcards or followed the work in any way, people would know. All the work is from the 1980s, like a greatest hits kind of thing. “But also some really new things that I have made in the last couple of years. I think one
of the things that I’m excited about is that there will be some sound elements to it, and the minute you get to the second floor (of the Tate), whether you go up the stairs or you come out of the lift, there’s already artwork, so it’s like a ‘welcome to the show’ type of presentation.”
CRAZY
Himid, pictured below, added: “For me, the most important thing about this show, is that the audience is actually the most important thing in the show. “It sounds crazy, but it isn’t because if you think about it, when you go and see an exhibition you want to know, ‘How is this relating to me? Where am I in this scenario or in this picture?’ “Even if it’s something abstract, you’re always thinking, ‘How can I have a conversation with t h i s work
of art?’ So, I’m trying through the whole show to give the audience the feeling and the up front feeling that they are moving it, shaping it, making it work. “It’s a bit like a live production – it works because the audience is there. You can feel them, you can hear them – they kind of energise it.” Initially trained in theatre design, Himid is known for her innovative approaches to painting and to social engagement. She has been pivotal in the UK since the 1980s for her contributions to the black British arts movement, making space for the expression and recognition of black experience and women’s creativity. Over the past decade, she has earned international recognition for her figurative paintings, which explore overlooked and invisible aspects of history and of contemporary everyday life. I n
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2017, she was awarded the Turner Prize and in 2018 she was bestowed with the honorary title of CBE for her contributions to the arts. A major highlight of the exhibition will be the presence of sound installations, including Blue Grid Test, 2020, created by
in the middle of lockdown for an exhibition that took place in Brussels, Belgium – but because of the lockdown we’ve never seen it in real life,” Himid says. “So I got all kind of objects, some of them were in my house, some of them
“Even if it’s something abstract, you’re always thinking, ‘How can I have a conversation with this work of art?’” Himid in collaboration with artist Magda Stawarska-Beavan. Displayed in the UK for the first time, this 25 metre-long painting features 64 patterns from all over the world, each painted a different shade of blue on top of a variety of objects pinned to the gallery walls. Coupled with a sound installation layering instrumental music with Himid’s voice, the work creates a visual and sonic embrace. Reflecting on this idea, Himid says she is asking visitors, ‘What does love sound like?’ “We made this work in 2020
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were in my studio, some of them were just things – like paper bags, clocks, musical instruments, parts of a piano, parts of a bed, maps, pieces of ceramic – and what you will see is all these found objects around the wall, and painted across all of them are 64 patterns painted in blue. “Different blues, different patterns from all over the world from West Africa, East Africa, Japan, Europe. “There are 64 patterns because there are 64 bars in Joni Mitchell’s song, Blue. “The second part of the
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installation, coming from six speakers, is the piano part of blue, and then me [speaking] in three different languages, English, French and Flemish, about the colour blue.” The show will culminate in a group of recent paintings and painted objects, which centre on extraordinary moments of everyday life which are rarely portrayed.
INDECISION
The series Men in Drawers, 2017-19, features tender portraits of imaginary figures inside vintage wooden furniture, while works like Cover the Surface, 2019, depict intimate interactions and moments of indecision between men. Himid also continues to explore women’s creativity in her recent paintings, including The Operating Table, 2019, which places visitors among a group of women in the throes of conversation and planning. With each painting the artist asks us to consider, ‘What happens now?’ Watch the full interview on The Voice website
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40 | THE VOICE
NOVEMBER 2021
Lifestyle
Film
Remembering Darcus Howe
Series of talks and screenings at BFI Southbank to focus on the work of the legendary broadcaster BY JOEL CAMPBELL
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FRICAN ODYSSEYS will be exploring the work of activist and broadcaster Darcus Howe through a series of talks and screenings at BFI Southbank this month. Born in Trinidad during the dying days of British colonialism, Howe settled in the UK in the 1960s. As an activist, he was central to organising political campaigns, including the historic Mangrove Nine trial, which was depicted in Steve McQueen’s award-winning film Mangrove, and The Black People’s Day of Action, 1981. Howe also became a household name with a career in broadcasting that spanned three decades from the 1980s
“As an activist, he was central to organising political campaigns” and created stimulating programming that stands as a landmark in enlightened broadcasting. A Date With The Devil: Darcus Howe’s Journey From Black Power To Broadcasting on November 6, will explore Howe’s activist years and examine how they influenced his work in TV with an opening discussion between Tony Warner of Black History Walks, Leila Hassan Howe and Farrukh Dhondy. The afternoon will continue with a focus on his broadcasting career and a look at the legendary programme,
Bandung File; writer and series editor, Tariq Ali will introduce this session which will also feature a selection of extracts from the programme. This will be followed by a panel discussion, chaired by broadcaster Dotun Adebayo, about what Bandung File can teach us about current affairs programming today. The event also looks at Howe’s love of the arts and feature Arena’s Caribbean Nights.
NOTORIOUS
Selected highlights from his show, Devil’s Advocate, will round off the day and consider the programme for which Darcus Howe’s name became most renowned (earning him the nickname in his neighbourhood of Brixton, ‘the devil’. Devil’s Advocate placed important controversial figures in the hot seat to defend their
IMPACT: Darcus Howe became a household name through his long broadcasting career particular political or artistic stance in front of a studio audience. This will include the notorious episode with publisher X-Press in which a gun was produced during the debate. Prior to the main programme as listed above, on November 5 proceedings will begin with Cause For Concern: Equal
Before The Law, a free talk and screening presented by Black History Walks. This little known documentary from 1969, broadcast by the BBC, set out to detail the number of shocking cases of police brutality and corruption against members of the black community. Howe and other members of the public were invited
to participate in a live panel conversation – his first brush with broadcast media. The talk will include a discussion with Tony Warner of Black History Walks about the show that inadvertently began Howe’s engagement with TV. See the full story online: see The Voice website for more
Newcastle University and ‘Black Britain and Beyond’ to Feature World-Renowned Experts During Four-Day Symposium Hybrid event to highlight Black Britons’ rich legacy and progressive contributions to self and society
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lack Britain and Beyond has partnered with Newcastle University to host a symposium, 11-14 November 2021 at the university’s Frederick Douglass Centre, to discuss the present Black British narrative and introduce a framework of creating a legacy for future generations. Presented by The Coca-Cola Company, CocaCola Europacific Partners and Costa Coffee, the symposium, entitled, “Be The One: Creating a Legacy of Empowerment,” will bring together world-renowned plenary speakers, thoughtprovoking sessions, and entertainment by stellar performers and artists. “On behalf of the extended Coca-Cola family in the UK, and as a proud alum of Newcastle University, it’s a great honour to sponsor and be part of this important event,” said Gareth Whalley, Global Director – Inclusion, Belonging & Connection, The Coca-Cola Company. “It’s critical that we continue to raise awareness of both the history and the ongoing challenges of Black communities, while also celebrating progress and successes in this way.” The four-day hybrid (virtual and in-person) symposium will feature world renowned Black Britons: television executive and author Marcus Ryder MBE, actor and comedian Gina Yashere, director and playwright Kwame Kwei-Armah OBE, journalist and senior editor Joseph Harker, broadcast journalist Brenda Emmanus OBE, and famed footballer Shaka Hislop, with Americans—media mogul Cathy Hughes and business executive and financier Cheryl Mayberry McKissack, among others to discuss and explore ‘shifting the narrative’ for the Black British as well as contributing to the culture’s future. Several of our patrons Colleen Amos OBE, Andrew Ramroop OBE, Dawn Butler MP, and Chi Onwurah MP the leading patron for this year’s symposium in Newcastle will be on hand to speak of the importance of creating a legacy for future generations. There will be special throwback to ‘Julie’s on Tuesday’ reception Saturday night, with performances by Deelee Dube, Josh Daniel, Ebony Rose Dark, The Voices of Virtue and DJ
Munro. Each day is infused with cultural expressions and performances. The Black Wealth Creation day, 11 November is convening to discuss Black British wealth. The final Report will be discussed with 2022 Powerlist winner Jacky Wright, Trevor Williams, George the Poet, Tangy Morgan, Keith Levy, Gavin Lewis and Professor Mariana Mazzucato. “We are delighted to extend Black History Month into November and host the second instalment of this symposium,”
said Revd Professor Keith Magee, Co-Chair, Black Britain and Beyond and Chair and Professor of Practice in Social Justice, Newcastle University School of History, Classics and Archaeology. For more information, visit www.blackbritainbeyond.org.uk and follow @blackbritainbe (Twitter) and @blackbritainbeyond (IG).
NOVEMBER 2021 THE VOICE | 41
This is Brukout! @thevoicenews
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Exercise
by Seani B
Swizz Beatz the best
Heavyweights Verzuz doing everything possible to bring the music to the masses
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AST YEAR after the Beenie Man and Bounty Killer ‘Verzuz’ clash that took the world by storm, there were a few choice voices that didn’t feel the opportunity to stage such a colossal meeting of two dancehall giants should have fallen to the Verzuz co-founders Swizz Beatz and Timbaland. During my recent reasoning with legendary Ruff Ryders producer Swizz, he told me in his best Jamaican accent: “Mi never hear all dat you nuh!” I for one was glad that he didn’t pay attention to the naysayers as we would probably never have witnessed recently the ‘80s dancehall icon Super Cat, pictured inset right, get his flowers in the Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, New York. What a night that was! Wyclef and the Refugee sound playing host to Barrington Levy, Cham, Teejay, Dexta Daps and many others setting the stage inna sound system style for the Don Dada to perform. As someone that fights for the genre to get the recognition it deserves, I can’t complain when heavyweights like Verzuz provide
“Growing up, I was playing hip-hop and my neighbour was doing reggae” a platform for the mainstream to see reggae and dancehall on a world stage like that. As a huge fan of Swizz’s production work for his Uncle’s Ruff Ryders imprint, I was intrigued to know where this love for Jamaican culture and music comes from. Other than his recording with Bounty Killer for Guilty in 2002, you couldn’t really tell if he has been immersed in the culture similar to someone like DJ Khaled. At the age of 17, Kasseem ‘Swizz Beatz’ Dean had already established himself as a multi-platinum hip-hop producer for his works alongside rapper DMX, but what was the deeper link to the music? “Growing up in the Bronx, I was a DJ playing hip-hop, but my neighbour was doing reggae. What would happen was he might be doing a party and allow me to play all the American music and he would come on and do the reggae music. “I would hear him playing songs like Tony Rebel’s Fresh Vegetable and I was like, damn,
this is amazing!” he tells me. “But what I loved was the sounds system they we were playing those records on. They were building those boxes. It was a whole different ingredient to just playing music.” I was quite taken by surprise when he started to name-check Stonelove, Renaissance and Waggy T from Florida as sounds that he had the pleasure of juggling alongside. The 43-year-old Dean went on to explain that he was quite frustrated that the teenage Swizz Beatz didn’t cut any dubplates back in the day as some of his colleagues did, namely Wyclef and DJ Khaled. I couldn’t help but think that would be one hell of a Verzuz! Being a fan of his work, I asked him if the years being in the dancehalls had inspired the dancehall selector-esque vocal chants that had become his signature stamp on many of the hits? “If you listen to Busta Rhymes’ Tear Da Roof Off that is all mixed up with reggae vibes and chants from Atlanta and Bronx, it’s a gumbo,” he says.
STAR TURNS:
Main, above, Swizz Beatz established himself as a multiplatinum record producer at the age of 17; left, Super Cat performs in New York City in 1994 (photos: Getty)
LAUGHS
Not that he had to certify himself with me anymore than he had done already. However, with the broadest of smiles on his face, Kasseem tells me of his time spent in Jamaica parring with Bounty Killer and the Scare Dem Crew. “Running around with Bounty in his truck, we was on a whole other vibe at that time,” he laughs without revealing too much. It seemed very obvious that Swizz had the link in Yard! This was proved at his birthday party that was a complete surprise to him, and showed his wife Alicia Keys has the biggest links. Alicia had contributed to Cham’s biggest hit Ghetto Story in 2005, so he knew she knew a few people. But the line-up she pulled out for his birthday was a special gift. Busta Rhymes, Mary J Blige rubbing shoulders with Rory Stone Love, Cham, Bunji Garlin, Fay Ann Lyons and Super Cat. We all saw the social media posts, but Swizz told me when he realised that this was actually his party. “We was eating upstairs
and I thought we was going downstairs to chill and smoke a cigar in the lounge. “When we went downstairs, I thought this is one hell of a lounge that we are going to as it was bumping. Then I realised I’m seeing people that I know! “People were taking photos of me and then I look to my right and realised I’m shoulder to shoulder with Super Cat. “I’m like, ‘Yoooooo, that’s Super Cat... Super Cat!” While speaking about the socalled Wild Apache and reciting
the lyrics to Cat’s ‘80s hit Mud Up, it’s more than obvious that Swizz Beatz knows the ting! He told me that it was because of that night that he wanted to give Super Cat his flowers and make him be the first artist that kicked off the Verzuz Icon series that took place recently in New York.
SHOWDOWN
His Verzuz platform had been the reason some had been asking publicly if Swizz Beatz was a true fan of reggae music or if he was
jumping on it for the cool factor. Swizz told me: “The night of the Bounty and Beenie showdown I may have had a tear in my eye. We saw the GDP of Jamaica rise after that show. Bounty and Beenie’s streaming number also rose after that.” I didn’t want to end this conversation without knowing what the music and culture has done for Swizz and Verzuz, as I felt it had helped enhance their visibility in this space? “It did a lot! And if I don’t admit that I’m a vulture, and I’m not!”
42 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Lifestyle
Music
‘Reach out to see change’
Composer Lavender Rodriguez says music industry needs to diversify in wake of major report BY JOEL CAMPBELL
BARRIERS: Charrise Beaumont says most black people in the music industry have experienced direct or indirect racism
W
HEN COMPOSER and musician Lavender Rodriguez began her career, navigating her way through the classical music industry as a queer black woman quickly began to feel “isolating” in a world that shows a subconscious lenience towards “white male composers”. Rodriguez’s experience was just one of the case studies and responses that was taken in by the Black Lives in Music (BLiM) survey, the largest ever survey of data focused on the experiences of black musicians and industry professionals.
PROBLEMS
Published last month, the BLiM survey revealed that most had experienced direct or indirect discrimination or overt racism, plus micro-aggressions, battling assumptions about the sort of music they should make, the lack of opportunities and a particularly marked effect on black women. For Rodriguez, the problems in the industry start at the beginning with music education. “With this whole traditional atmosphere and attitude, it’s very much like ‘if you’re going to play music,you have to learn music theory and then Mozart, Beethoven, and all the classics’, but music has changed so much. “They are classics, but there are other people that are
classics also and other people that mean a lot more to young children than people that died 400, 500 years ago.” After being diagnosed with ADHD during the pandemic, Rodriguez had to come to terms with the reality that the classical world, full of deadlines and strict rules around conduct, is not equipped for people who are neurodivergent. “There’s a way that you sit in concert, you’ve got to be quiet, everything’s very strict and if you don’t do X, Y and Z you’re not included,” she explains. “The fact that there’s all these traditions that we’re still trying to grasp on to makes it so hard to make the music accessible to other people because it’s been built on this traditionalist mindset of white privileged males.” Beyond the limitations of the school system, like many others, Rodriguez says being on the receiving end of numerous micro-aggressions makes for a difficult environment for black creators.
“I found that, at least in my university and other similar organisations, when you’re asking for more representation in programming and training on how to be inclusive, it always comes down to money. “When that excuse keeps being used over and over, you begin to lose hope and then you don’t want to work in that environment.”
PRESSURES
The pressures of working in the industry can impact your mental health. It is a cycle which she sees as embedded in the industry. “We need to make [the industry] more stable, so that people have the time to focus on their health,” she says. “Otherwise, everyone’s health will just keep deteriorating,” she explains, also acknowledging that mental health pressures can become more apparent if you’re neurodivergent or have a disability, “trying to fit in to this fast paced ableist world, it just needs to be slower”. Ultimately, for Rodriguez, building a more equitable industry means diversity needs to
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be included at the start of any project and those with power need to educate themselves on the lives and culture of different communities. “As soon as you reach out to other audiences and learn their stories and music, and their traditions, then you can start to change.”
industry professionals are faced with is rooted in traditionalism and systemic racism. “The report highlights racist culture and behaviours in the workplace, financial barriers and lack of investment in black music creators, and industry professionals unable to reach their career goals.
“This first-of-its-kind report holds a mirror up to the UK music industry showing what it looks like” Speaking on the impact of the first ever BLiM report, Charisse Beaumont, chief executive of Black Lives in Music, told Lifestyle: “You cannot change what you cannot measure. “Nearly 2,000 people responded to our survey on ‘The lived experience of black music creators and industry professionals in the UK music industry’. That is 2,000 people hoping for genuine change. “This is a first-of-its-kind report which holds a mirror up to the UK music industry showing what it actually looks like. The disparities black creators and
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“The report also spotlights black women being the most disadvantaged across all areas of the music industry and how all of these factors affect the mental health of black creators and industry professionals. “This is data, you cannot ignore it. The data clearly shows that change is needed across the entire music ecosystem from grassroots education to all the way up to record labels. I hope industry leaders read this report and hear the voice of those who spoke out. “I hope this report evokes change in the way we do our
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music business which has greatly profited from black talent. “We are looking forward to working with all music industry leaders to ensure that we can achieve change, together.” Help Musicians CEO James Ainscough said: “Thanks to Black Lives in Music, the data in this report proves that the individual stories we hear from professional musicians cannot be explained away as rare, one-off incidents but are illustrative of significant, widespread problems that we must all work together to address.
ECOSYSTEM
“It is clear there is more that Help Musicians should do, collaboratively, to create lasting change within the music ecosystem and we look forward to engaging with the BLiM team to work out where we can be most impactful. “It is a privilege to be a major funder of BLiM and we hope that the creation of this report will help us, and others, make a difference to improving the lives and careers of black musicians.”
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44 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Lifestyle
Books
Walker’s big break for illustrator
Lake District artist’s work included in latest edition of Pulitzer Prize-winning The Color Purple BY JOEL CAMPBELL
L
ELA HARRIS has only been dabbling in art for the past three years, so when the opportunity to contribute to a globally recognised book was thrusted her way, the English Lake Districtbased illustrator didn’t think twice. Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prizewinning The Color Purple is a book you would have either thumbed your way through or know someone who has. Last month, a beautifully crafted new Folio Society edi-
“To find out someone like Alice has looked through my drawings and approved me for her novel is mind-blowing” tion was rolled out with illustrations by Harris. The much-anticipated edition celebrates the cultural significance of Walker’s incredible novel and includes a preface by the author, who gave Harris a
ringing endorsement, describing her work as having ‘soul and expertise’. The British artist’s work, commissioned by The Folio Society, depict the key characters in Walker’s novel. Each black-and-white charcoal drawing includes a flash of purple in homage to the book title, with Harris catching her subjects off-guard or in pensive moods as they bare their souls while their stories are told.
TALENTED: Lela Harris with her one-yearold puppy Lark; inset, Harris’ illustrations in the latest edition of The Color Purple
SURREAL
The portraits make this the only illustrated edition in print. Talking to Lifestyle about being chosen for to provide the art, Harris, who is self-taught said: “I was flabbergasted, excited and over the moon.” She added: “I still can’t actually believe that it happened. It juts seems really surreal, obviously amazing, but I sit and draw in my slippers in my little kitchen at home so to find out that someone like Alice has looked through my drawings and approved me for her novel is totally mind-blowing.” Harris’s astounding artwork continues to the binding, which
is a collage of subject matter and media; a stunning design inspired by the quilt makers of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. The women in this remote black community have crafted quilts since the early 20th century and their history resonates with Celie’s, whose sewing skills elevate her self-worth and give her independence. Harris’s
painting for the slipcase beautifully captures the rural landscape in which the story is set.
EXTREMES
The Color Purple is one of the great novels of the 20th century, exploring the extremes of human nature through the eyes of a young African American woman in 1930s Georgia. Deemed
controversial on publication, it was banned from American school libraries until 2013. Celie’s harrowing story of sexual and domestic abuse, entrenched racism and gender discrimination, is revealed through letters written to God — and later to her sister Nettie — her voice emblematic of the daily struggle and silent suffering of so many women.
Author takes readers on journey through 5,000 years of Afro hair BY JOEL CAMPBELL WHY AFRO hair is the way it is and why we wear the hair styles we do was the motive for Kandace Chimbiri’s new book, The Story of Afro Hair: 5,000 years of History, Fashion and Styles. The British-born author connected with Congolese and Angolan illustrator Joelle Avelino to pull the children’s book together, having grown aware of the narrative where black hair was concerned focusing on self-acceptance. Chimbiri, pictured right, enthused: “The idea for this book grew out of my 2013 self-published children’s book, Secrets of the Afro Comb, 6,000 Years of Art and Culture. “That book, which is about African combs rather than hair, was nonetheless enjoyed by many people who are interested in Afro hair type. “Since then, there have been some
wonderful books encouraging children to accept the beauty of their Afro hair. “However, I felt that there was still a need for a book for children about the characteristics of Afro hair and the history behind some of the hair styles. I hope this little book will help to fill that gap.” From plaits to the Gibson Girl, cornrows to locks, the hi-top fade to funki dreds, The Story of Afro Hair is the ultimate book of Afro hair stories. Kicking off with an explanation of how Afro hair type grows and why, the book then takes readers right back to the politics and fashion of Ancient
Egypt. Speeding forwards to modern times stories from the Kingdom of Benin, Henry VIII’s court, the enslavement of African peoples, the Harlem Renaissance, the beginnings of Rastafarianism, Britain in the 1980s and much more are covered. Chimbiri said: “I wrote The Story of Afro Hair: 5,000 Years of History, Fashion and Styles for the same reason I wrote previous books like The Story of the Windrush. I wanted to help fill the gaps in black history books we offer children. “Crucially, though, I also wanted to offer children books that offer new, fresh, and original information that creates real u n d e rstand-
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ing — not just list of dry facts and dates, but context behind those facts.” There’s no one-stop shop for all things on Afro hair, but Chimbiri was clear on her focus of her book. “Many resources that cover the ‘history of black hair’ actually only tell the story of Afro hair in the USA,” she said.
swer children’s questions about the way they (or their friends) look, inspire understanding and engender pride in the amazing story of Afro hair.”
RESOURCE
“In reality, though, there are differences in the experiences of (English-speaking) black people in Africa, the Caribbean, Britain and elsewhere. “This book has got some big concepts, and it covers a lot of history in huge swathes. Even so, there are still some gaps. I freely admit that I have not included enough about Africa, for example. I also focused more on women’s hairstyles. “I believe this book can be a valuable resource to help an-
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BUATSI IN BUSINESS Light-heavyweight Joshua making his name as one of British boxing’s young superstars By Anshu Taneja
N
ICKNAMED ‘JUST Business’, Joshua Buatsi has rapidly climbed the boxing ladder since he began his professional career in 2017 against Spain’s Carlos Mena. An outstanding professional boxer. An explosive puncher. Signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing stable. An Olympic medallist who has even fought at the prestigious Madison Square Gardens in New York. The ‘other’ Joshua – Anthony – has company!
RIPPLES
Possessing quick hand speed and able to launch long left hooks or raging right uppercuts, he adapts from long to middle range effortlessly and has quickly caused ripples on both the national and international boxing stages. It took him less than two years to claim the British light-heavyweight title. Buatsi has long been recognised as one of British boxing’s young superstars and even caught the attention of a certain Floyd Mayweather while winning a bronze medal in the light-heavyweight division at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
“This young man is so special, so composed... I believe he has the ability to go and beat them all” The former boxer – who retired with a 50-0 winning record – predicted Buatsi could be a future world champion and tried to sign him to his promotional company. Instead, the 6ft 2in Ghanaian born British boxer followed in Anthony Joshua’s footsteps and joined Matchroom Boxing. He was amazed to see ‘AJ’ making shockwaves in the heavyweight division and was convinced his team would be better at managing another Olympic medallist move around the professional ranks commercially. But what does Eddie Hearn think about his prospect and the challenges ahead? “This young man is so special, so spiteful, so balanced, so composed, and I am so excited about his future,” he told online streaming service DAZN. “I believe he has the ability to go and beat them all. British boxing should be very excited about Joshua Buatsi.” Buatsi, who studied at Edenham High School in Croydon, aouth London, and graduated in Management with Sports Science from St Mary’s University in Twickenham, said he would have pursued a
career as a pilot had it not been for boxing. He is very humble and speaks extremely well – having AJ as your manager is certainly rubbing off on him. He is now trained by the renowned boxing coach Virgil Hunter, who previously led American Andre Ward to 32 undefeated fights and the world number one ranking. He believes Buatsi is a great offensive fighter who now needs to focus more on defensive skills and the punches coming back at him. The dangerous and dynamic British boxer has sacrificed a lot already maximising his talents to make it this far.
DYNAMIC: Joshua Buatsi has bright prospects in the sport; inset below left, Floyd Mayweather says Buatsi could be a world champion
COMPETITIVE
Having spent significant time away from his family, including relocating to California for two months for a punishing training schedule before his fight against France’s Daniel Dos Santos earlier this year, he recognises there is more arduous work ahead as he attempts to reach his goal of being the best in a highly competitive light-heavyweight fighting division featuring the likes of Artur Beterbiev, Gilberto Ramirez and Callum Smith. Buatsi, who has a 15-0 record with 13 knockouts, made his US debut on the Anthony Joshua -Andy Ruiz Jr undercard at Madison Square Garden, and is likely to fight once more in America this year before possibly facing Russia’s WBA champion Dmitry Bivol early next spring at the O2 Arena in London. There is also the enticing option of proving himself against the best of British talents including Lydon Arthur, Craig Richards, Callum Johnson and Anthony Yarde. Buatsi’s trainer Hunter likes to get his students to write down a year’s goal, seal it in an envelope and open it the following year to see if they achieved their targets. The rate at which Buatsi’s career is developing though, it may well be worth opening that envelope now.
Anti-racism course backed
By Rodney Hinds
LONDON 2012 Olympic gold medallist Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill is among a number of high profile names that are endorsing a new university anti racism course. Santander, through Santander Universities UK, and the Open University have announced the launch of Union Black: Britain’s Black Cultures and Steps to Anti-Racism, a free online programme for all university communities across the UK, designed to drive cultural change across the sector.
RESPONSE
Developed in partnership with The Open University and leading social learning platform, FutureLearn, the programme responds to Universities UK’s Tackling racial harassment in higher education report which shone a stark light on the racial inequalities that exist across the higher education sector. The programme has been developed by leading academics including Professor Marcia Wilson, Dean of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at The Open University, and includes contributions from Ennis-Hill, pictured inset, Bafta Award-winning film-maker David Olusoga, shadow secretary of state for justice David Lammy, human rights activist Baroness Shami Chakrabarti, artistic director of The Young Vic Kwame Kwei-Armah,
and former England goalkeeper David James, among many others. The course has also been guided by a steering committee including Baroness Valerie Amos and Karen Blackett. The presenter of the course is TV host and former Blue Peter presenter Ayo Akinwolere. Hosted on FutureLearn, the six-hour course will be delivered through a mixture of online learning content, discussion forums, reading materials and interactive activities, and will be freely available to all staff and students at UK universities over the next three years, making it the first programme of its kind to potentially reach over four million students across the UK. Students who complete the course will have the opportunity to be considered for one of 100 Santander development grants of £500 each to support their studies. The awards are being offered by Santander Universities, and administered via the Open University, where students will be invited to take part in a live event to bring together high-profile ambassadors for a curated panel discussion. Ennis-Hill said: “I’m pleased to support Santander’s Union Black initiative. Encouraging conversations and opening dialogue is key a part of tackling racism. It’s fantastic the course will be freely accessible to so many students and staff across the UK, building an increased level of understanding.”
46 | THE VOICE NOVEMBER 2021
Compiled by Sarah Bassett
Celebrating our heroes
The Football Black List is back to honour the magnificent achievements of industry trailblazers A word from Leon Mann and Rodney Hinds
TEAM: Leon and Rodney IT’S THAT time of year again! The Football Black List is revealed. Once again the List is made of black excellence as we continue to seek more diversity within football. All those on the List should be proud as they are genuine trailblazers as are all the nominees. Massive thanks goes out to the judges and the entire team that work tirelessly to make FBL things happen.
The judges are... Edleen John - Director for International, Corporate Affairs and EDI Alistair Bennett - Head of Advocacy, Premier League Mike Riley - Managing Director, PGMOL Simone Pound - Director of EDI, PFA Richard Bevan - Chief Executive, Leaders In Sport Troy Townsend - Head of Player Engagement, Kick It Out Nick Roberts - Head of Media & PR, EFL Chris Paouros - Co-Chair, Proud Lilywhites Kevin Miles - Chief Executive, FSA Bobby Kasanga - Founder, Hackney Wick FC Felicia Pennant - Founder, Season Zine Annette Nelson - Equality and Diversity Advisor, Football v Homophobia Rayan Wilson - Founder, BACK2ACTION Tim Hollingsworth - CEO, Sport England Lungi Macebo - CEO, Birmingham City FC Michael Johnson - Sporting Director, Limerick FC Paul Mortimer - Broadcaster & Consultant Susan Patterson-Smith Head of Pathways and Learning, Crystal Palace for Life Foundation Martin Sinclair - Disability & Sport Campaigner Leon Mann – co-founder Football Black List Rodney Hinds – co-founder Football Black List
Coaching and Management Darren Moore – Football Manager, Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday have started the seas o n s trongly under Darren. He has brought some of the Premier League’s brightest young stars in on loan, like Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Theo Corbeanu and Lewis Gibson. Darren is also a strong and passionate advocate for increasing the number of black managers present in the professional game. Justin Cochrane – Head of Player Development, Manchester United Described as a ‘top coach’ by Gareth
Southgate, Justin is head of player develop ment at Manchester United. He spent nine years coaching at Spurs under Chris Ramsey and has also helped coach England U15s and U17s. He also runs Holler UK, which is an educational programme that teaches teenagers life skills. Nuno EspiritoSanto – Football Manager, Tottenham Hotspur At Tottenham Hotspur, Nuno plies his trade at the very highest level. He was appointed to replace J o s e
LGBTQ+
Mourinho after a brilliant spell at Wolves, where he established them as a solid midtable club and he has been rewarded with a role at Spurs, managing some of the most talented footballers in the country. Paul Hall – B Team Manager, QPR Paul has been instrumental in bringing the youth at QPR into the f i r s t t e a m environment, where he is one of the most respected and qualified coaches in the country. His work was recognised by the Jamaica Football Federation and he was appointed to the Reggae Boyz coaching team.
COMMITTED TO EQUALITY: William Boye set up Ashford Town Women’s FC in 2015 William Boye – Chairman and Manager, Ashford Town (Middlesex) Women’s and Girls’ FC William set up Ashford Town Women’s Football Club in 2015, achieving back-to-back promotions taking them
from the bottom of the football pyramid to Tier 5. He has mentored a number of coaches through their coaching badges and grown the club from one senior first team to five youth teams and two senior teams.
Amy Allard-Dunbar – Youth Panel Education Officer, Football v Homophobia Amy is an education officer for the Football v Homophobia Youth Panel, delivering fantastic workshops on LGBTQ+ and intersectional topics such as race and gender. She regularly takes part in video content and podcast episodes, where she speaks articulately on her experiences as a LGBTQ+ person of colour in football, as well as around other issues within the game.
Administration Dayne Matthieu – Head of Safeguarding and Welfare, Tottenham Hostpur Dayne is responsible for the welfare and safeguarding of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club and its foundation. Her passion and care for the safety of the fans, its community and staff is evident through the policies, training and procedures she has implemented. Calm and empathetic, Dayne is admired and respected by her colleagues.
Fleur Robinson – CEO, Wrexham FC Fleur is a real inspiration, having moved from her beloved Burton Albion, where she was commercial director, to Wrexham where she is now CEO. Rumoured to be the first and only female CEO of black heritage in professional football, Fleur is leading a club that has recently been taken over by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Paul Monekosso-Cleal – Equality Advisor to the Board and Equality Standard Panel Member (at the Premier League) Paul’s devotion to promoting diversity and inclusion has earned him an OBE, while his vast experience and skillset has been sought by the EPL. Paul, below, also influences at board level, so that crucial
decisions which dictate experiences of players are made with key insight and consideration. Sarah Ebanja – CEO, Tottenham Hostpur Foundation Sarah is CEO of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, which means she is at the forefront of driving the award-winning charitable body. As it is heavily integrated within local communities, Sarah, above, is also behind its efforts to deliver and sustain positive change.
Steve Smithies – Chief Executive, Cheshire FA An inspirational leader and motivator, Steve strives to ensure that football celebrates what black and Asian footballers and coaches have done over the years to develop the game, while also orchestrating various initiatives to help them develop and flourish. He has been a trailblazer, not only as a transformational mentor, but now at the Cheshire FA.
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Commercial Claudia Wilmot – Operations Director, Leaders in Sport Claudia has been delivering high-profile, complex projects at Leaders in Sport, where she is behind the full project management delivery lifecycle. She has worked in the commercial sector with heavyweights such as Morgan Stanley, the NBA and NFL. Gus Hurdle – Executive Producer, EA Sports Gus is one of the most senior black British professionals at EA Sports. A former professional footballer with Brentford and a Barbados international, Gus moved across into the film industry after hanging up his boots. Javan Odegah – Strategic Account Executive, Leaders in Sport Javan is a strategic account executive at Leaders in Sport. He is part of the team that has
Media built community calls that leaders have been involved in since the pandemic-induced lockdown and he is continuing to develop this area, being now recognised as the face behind the different available calls. Remmie Williams – Commercial Manager, The FA Remmie manages the FA’s relationship with the senior Women’s England national team and legends players. She is responsible for supporting the delivery of player appearances. Simbi Sonuga – Account Manager, Octagon Simbi is a senior account manager at Octagon, currently managing Mastercard’s sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League. She has worked on some of the world’s largest sporting events.
Ade Oladipo – Presenter – DAZN, talkSPORT, Sky Sports Since starting at Sky Sports News last January, Ade has gone from strength to strength. He hosts his own show on talkSPORT2 and is a regular on talkSPORT covering shows including the Drive Show. Alex Scott – Host, BBC Since retiring from professional football, Alex has graced our screens across various punditry and commentary roles, making her mark with her accessible and knowledgeable demeanour. She has now made history by becoming the first ever female Football Focus host. Andrew Spence – Series Producer, Unedited Andrew produced a documentary which shone a light
Community and Grassroots Andrew Laylor – School Partnership Officer, Manchester United Foundation Andrew began his role as a Manchester United Foundation coach, in a suburb of South Manchester where over 30 per cent of youngsters live in poverty. Ensuring the most vulnerable families received extra support, during the pandemic, Andrew worked on social action projects targeting food-bank distribution and homelessness. Aneequa PrescodWright – Coach, Hackney Laces FC Aneequa, right, started off playing for Hackney Laces, before going on to a
coaching role at their sister club, Limehouse Laces, while also coaching the youngsters at Hackney. She has a track record of successfully helping young girls develop within a grassroots football club environment. Billy Grant – England fan/ podcast/ blogger, Beesotted Billy is one of England’s most recognisable fans and has been at the forefront of challenging racism and promoting diversity for decades. He has organised events, initiatives and countless fan gatherings as part of his ongoing effort to ensure that people feel welcome.
Jawahir Roble – Football Coach and Referee, Jason Roberts Foundation Jawahir was a Somalian refugee who dreamt of playing for the Lionesses and now has FA qualifications, a degree in coaching and is a Nike ambassador. She has broken barriers as the UK’s first female hijab-wearing referee. She referees youngsters at the Jason Roberts Foundation. Patsy Andrews – Grassroots Referee, The FA Patsy has been a grassroots referee for 15 years, breaking barriers as a black female and successfully flying the flag as a role model. She used past discrimination as a catalyst to success. Patsy officiated across countless games and tournaments, before taking her refereeing skills overseas.
THE VOICE | 47
Practitioners on the achievements of black players in the English game, spanning three centuries of football. It has been awarded various media accolades. Fadumo Olow – Social Media Sports Editor, The Telegraph Fadumo is a leading force at Telegraph Women’s Sport, holding the organisation to high standards behind the scenes and at the front of their content. A key voice on women’s sport, she reinvents the way social media can be used to tell the stories of women in sport. Helen Campbell – Multi-Camera Director, Premier League Productions One of the very few black women working behind the camera in the football media, Helen is hugely respected. While working for CBS in the States, a presenter paid tribute to Helen and her abilities on air, in a bid to underline the need for more black women in the media.
Aji Ajibola – Referee, FA Council Referee and FA Council member, Aji is the vice chair of the BAME referee support group and was appointed to the FA Council earlier this year. A very popular figure in the game, he has been leading the way in helping to push for a more diverse refereeing profession. Daniel Mills – Educator, Show Racism The Red Card In 2020, Daniel was the co-host of a series of podcasts exploring the ongoing racism within football. He led a campaign alongside Mind charity which was a major success within non-league football, raising over £3,000. He was recently appointed to Kick It Out’s newly formed Player Advisory Board. Drew Christie – BCOMS Chair BCOMS is a driving force for change within
football media, and Drew is one of its leading creative producers. He commits his time to pushing for a more diverse industry, as well as writing award-winning documentaries. Jackie Ferdinand – Director of Safeguarding & Inclusion, West Ham United Jackie is a leading force in ensuring the club advances in the areas of equality, diversity and inclusion. The club has been awarded the Premier League Equality Standard Advance Level, recognising the ongoing dedication and commitment to raising standards. Liz Ward – Director of Programmes, Stonewall FC Liz leads the workplace, empowerment and community engagement teams. She is consistently striving for workplace equality, with an aim of ensuring the LGBTQ+ community are free to exist and be celebrated.
Players Off The Pitch Anita Asante – Footballer, Aston Villa Women’s Team Anita is a legend in the women’s game, not just for her footballing prowess, but for the work she does away from the pitch. The Aston Villa player advocates for racial equality and LGBTQ+ rights. She promotes the women’s game through her work as a commentator and also with youth organisations such as Goals 4 Girls. Cyrus Christie – Footballer, Cyrus Christie Foundation Cyrus established his foundation in 2020 and has since supported hundreds of young people through various initiatives such as providing food packages, laptop donations and positive online messaging projects. He is committed to improving the
ash from a volcanic eruption contaminated reservoirs.
lives of young people and continues to be a source of guidance for them. Ivan Toney – Footballer & Fundraiser, Brentford FC & St Vincent Volcano Relief The Brentford striker set up a St Vincent volcano relief fundraiser, making a significant contribution himself and vowing to donate an extra £1,000 for every goal he scored at the back end of last season. This came after clean water supplies started running short after
Marcus Rashford – Footballer & Campaigner, Manchester United Marcus’ work away from the pitch demonstrates an unwavering stance against social injustice. He campaigned for free meals in schools before writing to MPs to convince the government to extend the initiative into the school holidays. Marcus, left, has sought to increase social mobility of youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing them with access books. Nikita Parris – Footballer, Arsenal/England & NP17 The England and Arsenal forward has set up her own academy called NP17. It operates with the aim of giving back to young girls who come from deprived areas of Liverpool, equipping them with the tools required for self-development.
48 | THE VOICE SEPTEMBER 2021
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