The Voice Newspaper: March 2022

MARCH, 2022 • ISSUE NO. 1928

Celebrating Black Women SEE PAGES: 3, 4, 14, 15, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29 WWW.VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK

£2.50

YEAR OF THE BLACK WOMAN THE VOICE SAYS

S

O MANY black women are taking leadership roles it needs more than International Women’s Day (on 8th March) to celebrate them.

This year should be declared ‘Year of the Black Woman’.

And we, at The Voice, will be honouring successful black women - in the UK and across the world.

That is why this special edition is dedicated to black women, as we will all year round.

Clockwise from top left: Michaela Coel (actor), Antonette Wemyss Gorman (head of army), Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (author/activist), Diane Abbott (politician), Holly Morgan (footballer), Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock (space scientist).

Inside THIS MONTH

Shopping while black in stores p6

Racing driver Sara driving Jamaica to F1 p8

Celebrating our Sistas - top 20 women p20-21

Butt lift surgery gone wrong p34

Dawn Butler: we must reform the police p36

Remembering Jamal Edwards MBE

By Sinai Fleary LEGEND, visionary and pioneer are all fitting words to describe Jamal Edwards MBE, who has died at the age of 31, following a sudden illness.

Edwards was one of the most influential figures in the entertainment industry and was an integral part of the black British music scene.

His journey into music and film-making began when he was gifted a video camera by his parents for a Christmas present when he was 15.

He used it to document his friends rapping and the culture that surrounded them in Acton, west London, where they lived.

Frustrated he couldn’t find any local rappers on YouTube, Edwards, who was still at school, decided to do it himself – filming them on a “£20 phone” and uploading the videos online.

In 2006, he launched his own online music platform SBTV – which is named after Edwards’ rap name SmokeyBarz.

The platform steadily grew and he travelled around London and the UK to selflessly provide budding rappers, singers, comedians and other creatives, a platform to showcase their talents.

Under the brilliant leadership of Edwards, SBTV went from a YouTube channel to a multi-million pound business empire.

At just 26 years old, the entrepreneur’s company, was worth a staggering £8 million.

SBTV wasn’t just successful financially,

Mandela’s granddaughter: make UK black history digital p48 Where are the black women football players?

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

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

Stormzy, Dave, Krept & Konan, Wiley, Skepta, Emeli Sandé, Ed Sheeran and many others were all featured on Edwards’ platform before they signed major record deals or were noticed by the mainstream.

His platform now has over one million YouTube subscribers and boasts nearly one billion total views.

Edwards was the heartbeat of modern black British music and culture, who pumped new talent into the industry at any chance he got, not because he had anything to gain but simply because he wanted to.

He wanted to ensure our scene grew, flourished and stayed alive and because of him, it has done that and much more.

He is survived by his mother Brenda Edwards, sister Tanisha and stepfather Patrick.

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

This issue is 56 pages CORPORATE AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS Paula Dyke E. paula@thevoicemedia group.co.uk

IMPACT

• Jamal Edwards MBE, media and music mogul, born August 24 1990; died February 20 2022.

p53

EDITOR Lester Holloway E. lester.holloway@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk

it was a cultural phenomenon, too. Long before the buzzwords of diversity and inclusion, Edwards was already actively creating an entire platform for us and by us.

So many of today’s biggest UK artists have credited him for providing them with their big break and helping to catapult their careers to the next level.

NEWS EDITOR Vic Motune E. vic.motune@thevoicemedia group.co.uk

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

SPORTS EDITOR Rodney Hinds E. rodney.hinds@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk

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Celebrating our Sistas

THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE We speak to Antonette Wemyss Gorman, head of Jamaica’s armed forces, about the challenges she faces in her important role

I

T IS EXTREMELY rare for a woman to command their country’s armed forces.

So when Rear Admiral Antonette Wemyss Gorman was appointed head of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) late last year it was a historic moment for female representation globally.

Wemyss Gorman, 49, became just the second woman in history to lead a national army, and is the only serving woman to head a military force at this present time.

She rarely speaks to the media, but gave an interview with The Voice ahead of International Women’s Day, in which she talked about her plans for the army to engage with tens of thousands of young Jamaicans to encourage them to turn their back on crime.

What difference does a female head of army make? Welcoming the appointment, the Jamaican Senator, commented that “women bring some emotional intelligence and a different perspective to what they do”. Did Wemyss Gorman agree?

“Yes, I would say that women

I would say women do bring a different perspective to any task do bring a different perspective to any management job or any particular task that they have. And, in fact, studies have really shown that in defence in particular, the inclusion of the perspective of both genders have had better results, operationally.”

LEADERSHIP

Wemyss Gorman has been called ‘Sister Chief’ by the Jamaican Women’s Leadership Initiative, and has long been seen as a rising star in the JDF, after becoming head of the JDF’s Coast Guard in 2014.

She acknowledged that she is seen as a role model, adding: “It’s motivating me to continue to do my best to ensure that I am setting a good example

and that I continue to provide opportunities for others to be able to achieve what they want to achieve in the military, and demonstrate how it can be done.”

Jamaica is possibly the only army in the world which has quotas for recruitment by gender.

The JDF policy is that 25 per cent of new recruits and those undergoing training must be made up of the minority gender.

Wemyss Gorman explained: “That’s enabled us to ensure that in areas of the force where it was predominantly male, and also in areas that were predominantly female, we have the diversity.”

Wemyss Gorman has served with the JDF for almost three decades.

And even before her historic appointment to the top job, she had clocked up a number of ‘firsts’, including the only woman to achieve a Flag Rank.

What challenges has she en-

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countered in her 29 years in the JDF? “There are physical challenges, there are mental challenges, which I anticipate

ample to the world where many nation’s armies are riddled with a testosterone-fuelled ‘warrior culture’ among male soldiers.

There are physical and mental challenges which everyone will have had in a military career everyone, whether male or female, has had in a career such as the military.

“Personally, I can’t say that there was any specific grand challenge that I can point to.

“I would suppose that I’m a relatively small person, so perhaps people would think that I’m too small to be a military woman.”

While she did not want to go into details, it is likely that Wemyss Gorman will want to crack down on misogyny in the force, and by doing so will make the JDF a shining ex-

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Wemyss Gorman succeeded Lieutenant General Rocky Meade last autumn, following spells as a Brigade Commander, Maritime Air and Cyber Command, and Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard.

She enlisted in the JDF in 1992 and undertook initial training at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Devon, England, before becoming the first woman officer to serve on a Jamaica naval ship.

She is a graduate of the US Naval War College, holds a Master of Science degree with

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distinction in National Security and Strategic Studies from the University of the West Indies, and helped establish the Caribbean Military Maritime Training Centre which provides maritime training to the Caribbean region.

Having taken command of the entire defence force, she is now on a mission to help tackle the “culture of violence” in Jamaica.

EFFECTIVE

She said: “It is my intention to see the JDF engaging up to 20,000 young Jamaicans annually so we can change their ethos and give them a different way of looking at life and approaching life, give them some skills that enable them to be more effective or more productive citizens.

“Whether or not they continue to engage with the defence force, they are now better off from their interaction with

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MARCH 2022 THE VOICE | 4

Celebrating our Sistas

WORLD TO LEAD AN ARMY

MAKING HISTORY: The 49-year-old Antonette Wemyss Gorman excelled in her role as Rear Admiral in the Jamaican Navy and it was no surprise to anyone when she was appointed the head of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and, in the process, became the first woman to take on this high-profile military position us, to be employed elsewhere and productive elsewhere in this Jamaican society.”

There is a lot on Wemyss Gorman’s in-tray, including the degree to which the JDF supports the Jamaica constabulary in dealing with domestic crime, and the extent there should be crossparty consensus on the army’s role.

The 1,400 murders in Jamaica last year, a 10 per cent rise on the year before, means the domestic situation may demand the continued involvement of the JDF in supporting the police.

But it is clear that any future improvement in the situation may lead to a recalibration.

MISSIONS

She has spent over half her career at sea, sailing throughout the Caribbean, including Haiti, The Bahamas, a n d the

Dominican Republic on multiple military and diplomatic missions.

Her time in these roles has clearly focused her mind on

of the beaten paths there are in Jamaica.”

She joked: “I don’t think tourists should come to Jamaica and know somewhere

I do enjoy taking my son around Jamaica, and walking off the beaten track’ changing the way the JDF approach maritime matters, such as deepening partnerships with Spanish-speaking neighbours to the south, such as Costa Rica, Colombia and Honduras.

She somehow finds time in her incredibly busy schedule to be a wife and mother to a teenage son, and to indulge her love of travelling, which mostly involves long walks in Jamaica “because it is the most beautiful country in the world”.

She added: “I do enjoy taking my son around Jamaica.

“I really do like to walk off all

that I don’t know!”

She is also an avid gardener.

But achieving a work-life balance was not easy, she admitted, and there have been many “sacrifices” she has had to make.

Wemyss Gorman is from rural Top Alston, Clarendon, and did not have family in the army so it was not something she thought about as a possible career, but she recalled being introduced to the idea by her schoolmates and “it piqued my interest.”

Her appointment has been

widely welcomed across politics, and even reggae star Shaggy — a former soldier himself — said he was “e x t r e m e l y proud” that she had taken her new role.

The initiatives she has engaged in since taking up the hotseat, like getting the army involved in planting three million trees, shows that having a woman in charge could make a big change in the culture and outlook of the JDF.

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News feature

SHOPPING WHILE BLACK Many black consumers are adopting a form of behaviour called ‘psychological passing’ as a way of coping with being racially profiled while shopping. By Vic Motune

I

T WAS a shopping trip that 41-year-old marketing executive Tina* had been looking forward to for some time.

After landing a new job, she needed several new work outfits and headed to one of her favourite London stores.

However, her experience in the store left her shaken.

“I’d only begun looking at some suits when I noticed a security guard looking at me intently,” she recalls.

“When I looked back to him, I noticed his eyes glanced towards my bag.

“I immediately made the connection to race. He clearly thought I was going to steal something. I wasn’t the only person in that section of the shop, but I was the only black woman.

“I put the items I was trying on back on the rack, tried to shrug it off and moved to another part of the store and he followed me.

By now, I could feel my anger rising. For a moment, I thought of heading straight to customer service and asking for the manager. But, as I was starting a new job in a few days, I didn’t want the negative energy of this experience to be uppermost in my mind, so I decided to just walk out of the store.

“I was really shocked and disgusted and I’ve decided never to shop at that store again. I won’t even buy anything from its online store.”

Sadly, Tina’s experience of being followed and scrutinised by security guards while shoppjng is not uncommon.

It’s so prevalent that the phrase called “psychological passing” has been used to deFLAGGING UP THE ISSUE: Chart-topping singer SZA said she was racially profiled while shopping at beauty chain Sephora

I decided never to shop at that store again, even online scribe it. The recently published landmark Black Pound Report 2022, found that ‘multi-ethnic’ consumers (the term it uses to describe people from black, Asian, and other ethnic groups) defined it as the desire to change and adapt appearance or behaviour to “fit in”, and avoid being racially profiled by security officers and shop workers.

ACCEPTED This was shown to be a significant problem in retail environments, according to the survey.

To be socially accepted, 13 per cent of respondents said they had consciously changed their appearance, while 12 per cent said they had changed their speech.

When you consider how strong black consumer power is (see p10), it is incredible that black shoppers are so disrespected.

When faced with discriminatory treatment, many of the respondents adopted non-con-

TRYING TO ‘FIT IN’: Black consumers say they are adopting ‘psychological passing’ techniques to avoid being racially profiled, according to the Black Pound Report 2022 (photo: m-imagephotography) frontational strategies, such as leaving the store and refusing to buy anything.

Psychological passing is one response to an issue which has been described in the United States as ‘shopping while black’.

Shopping while black can include everything from being followed by security guards, as Tina was, being detained and questioned after making a purchase, being handcuffed on suspicion of shoplifting or being ignored in favour of a white customer.

The issue received worldwide attention in 2019 when chart-topping singer SZA said she was racially profiled at a Los Angeles branch of beauty chain Sephora.

The I Hate U hitmaker, who had previously worked at Sephora, shared her experience on Twitter, revealing that an employee named “Sandy” called security believing she had stolen from the store.

In response, Sephora closed all its US stores for one morning to hold diversity train-

@thevoicenewspaper

ing for the company’s 16,000 employees.

Lydia Amoah, CEO and founder of Backlight, said she hoped it would provide important insights to help businesses, and retail outlets in particular, take action on an issue that often leaves those affected by it aggrieved, offended and frustrated.

“The research told us that

file me or target me as someone who’s going to steal from your store because of how you judge my background’.”

It’s an issue that Amoah has experienced herself.

“Once I was out shopping just happily picking up things and putting them in my basket,” she recalls. “But then I changed my mind about some of the items. So I was putting

His eyes glanced towards my bag. He clearly thought I was going to steal something people of all ethnic backgrounds engage in psychological passing, however, there is a high percentage propensity of consumer from black, Asian and multi-ethnic backgrounds to adopt this behaviour” she tells The Voice.

“What happens is there is an adjustment or behaviour change as soon as they walk into the store. It’s almost like a performance as if to say ‘Yes, I’m here, I’ve arrived, and I’m making it so clear that I’m in your store so please don’t pro-

@thevoicenews

stuff from my basket back on to the shelf, as shoppers do when they change their minds.

“As I was doing this, I noticed a security guard had walked up and down the aisle I was in quite a few times. I just dismissed it. But when I went to another aisle, the same person was there again. Another shopper realised that this person was observing me and following me around the store. As I was leaving this particular person was at the door.”

She continues: “I didn’t look

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at him. But the fact that I’d bought these items was me making a statement to say ‘Look, I’ve bought something. You didn’t really need to do that’.”

Although not her first experience of being discriminated against in a retail environment, it did fire her determination to raise awareness of the issue.

INDIVIDUALS “I want to feel valued as a consumer. I don’t want to feel on edge when I come to a shop wherever I decide to use my disposable income,” she says.

“I would like retailers and businesses to be able to look at people as individuals and train their staff to see that each person has their own background, culture and beliefs. And if you want their business, you have to have a heart for people and treat them well.”

Amoah continues: “It’s not the best idea to profile people.

“Obviously, if you see something happening in the shop that shouldn’t be, you have to pay attention. Nobody’s Continued on page 35

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News feature

Celebrating our Sistas

SARA’S DRIVING AMBITION Sara Misir talks to Rodney Hinds about her dream of getting to the very top in the world of motor sport — and the challenging route she has taken to become recognised as one of the rising stars

A

FTER HER burgeoning equestrian ambitions came to a tragic end in a horrific accident, Jamaican Sara Misir has gone on to carve out a promising career in motor sport.

She was one of 50 finalists from over 9,000 global applications for the Formula One Women’s competition.

The top competitor will be chosen to drive for a McLaren GT team in the 2022 GT Cup Championship. The competition’s final is scheduled for March 2-3 in the UK. Misir is also completing a master’s degree at Florida International University.

RH: How did the love of sport come about for you?

SM: From a very young age, my father has always embedded a competitive spirit in me. I grew up with a lot of male cousins, and we’d always compete right down to things like who could finish their dinner first!

My first love was equestrianism. When I got into high school, I had a lot more choices of clubs, so I did football, volleyball and swimming.

I just dived straight in, as I love competition. I love challenging myself as an individual or in team sport. It’s just a case of making yourself better for the team, which is always something I have loved.

RH: Tell me a little about your riding accident which ulti-

I dislocated my jaw, my eye socket was broken and skull in half mately has shaped your life and career.

SM: I was three years old when I started riding and my dream was to go to the Olympics. At 16, I got a new horse, who was still a baby and still in training.

I was in competition when I got kicked in the face, and it was a traumatic experience. I dislocated my jaw and my skull was in half and I broke my eye socket. I had nine-hour surgery and a lot more after that.

I have a lot of metal holding things together. It was a long recovery, around six to seven months. I couldn’t eat solid food for three months as my mouth was wired shut. I lost 20lbs in one week.

It was very hard to deal with, but I wouldn’t change anything.

I remember reading this quote

by Bob Marley where he said: ‘You don’t know how strong you are until being strong is the only option.’ I live by that.

RH: How key is mental fortitude in life and sport?

SM: I have definitely found out that if your mind isn’t into something 100 per cent, you won’t get far. For example, when I transitioned from equestrianism to motor racing, it was very difficult and people don’t always see the back story. They don’t see when you are at home failing and failing.

I went from the top of my game when horse riding. I was ranked internationally and was heading somewhere, then I went into a brand

new sport which I knew nothing about. There were nights when I didn’t want to do it any more, but I had good people around me. I had a good support group and all my coaches pushing me and my own strong mentality which told me to keep persevering, which has led me to where I am today.

RH: How did you make the transition from riding to motor sport?

SM: The transition was down to my parents, certainly my father. He has a very long history in motor sport. He was the one that said ‘let’s try karting’. For him, it was a safer option than horse riding! So I tried it and fell in love with it. I love the competitive element, especially when you are right beside each other. My friends were karting at the same time. It was almost a seamless transition, but it wasn’t as easy as it looked.

RH: Tell me about some of the challenges of being a black woman in an elite profession.

SM: As a woman, it has been very hard. Travelling and competing has been difficult, too, and it can sometimes be a very hostile environment. In karting especially, you are surrounded by kids that are home-schooled and they’ve been racing since they could walk. So no one is that friendly in terms of opening up to you. In Jamaica, I remember when I had just started racing, people used to run me off the track! They would be over-aggressive as I was trying to pass them. I am slowly earning my respect in the field and slowly it is becoming a nicer environment.

RH: What’s the best thing about what you do?

SM: It’s the continuous challenge and ability to learn new things.

I’m meeting new people and seeing great opportunity open up. I love the competitiveness.

RH: You are doing a Masters in architecture, so how do you fit in studies with your motor sport career?

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IN POLE POSITION: Sara Misir, above and bottom left, has already shown all the right attributes to suggest she can make it to the very top as an elite racing driver SM: I wish I could tell you!

It has been very difficult. My one key has to always stay one week ahead of my work, and that’s what has helped to keep my grades up. Time management has really been helpful.

RH: What do you do with the little time you do have to relax?

SM: I love to be outdoors. I love

Entering the sport so late (at 17), it has been difficult to see opportunities. Right now, I’m just going to be someone that looks to take advantage of any doors that open. If I can go as far as I can, I will. I will put in a work ethic with determination.

RH: When do you expect to be in a car/race again?

I want to be a professional race car driver, and show that the sport is not just for men to be with my dogs and I like to go hiking. Anything to do with the beach. Growing up in Jamaica, the beach is a staple.

So laying down in the sun and going swimming, anything to do with the outdoors I’m about.

RH: Share a little about your motor sport ambitions.

SM: My ambition is to be a professional race car driver.

I want to be winning and showing that the sport is not just for men. I want to be at the top of my game and competing in the GT4 Series. I want to be the best I can be and represent Jamaica well.

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SM: I’m heading to the United Kingdom in late February. My finals for Formula One are early March, so hopefully I will be racing in the British Championships soon.

RH: Give me your view on Sir Lewis Hamilton SM: He’s obviously one of the top drivers in the world and has become a legend. One thing I see him as is an athlete overall.

I admire how he keeps his composure and is non-aggressive on the track when things don’t go his way. He has great control and has kept his etiquette, and I find that so inspiring. Some

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of today’s younger athletes tend to get upset, but Sir Lewis has always shown manners and respect for others, and that is always something I have always looked up at him for.

RH: What nugget of advice could you give to women who — like you — would love to step out of their comfort zone?

SM: I have always lived by the quote ‘If you always do what you can, you’ll never be more than you are’. That has always pushed me out of my comfort zone. It reminds that if I want to do more, I need to push for it, and it’s not going to be easy.

RH: What’s the secret to Jamaica’s global sporting success?

SM: To be honest, Jamaica and its people have such a spirit of resilience. They are such proud people. The talent that flourishes in Jamaica is just so overwhelming and it allows us to be as proud as we are. Anyone that represents Jamaica knows that everyone from the island will push behind them in terms of support. For me, I am just starting my journey and I’ve already had so much support.

It’s amazing to see people come together, and that’s what gives us our pride.

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News feature

Black consumers are flexing their economic muscles With our increasing spending power, businesses need to value black customers. By Vic Motune

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HAT INGREDIENTS does this product include?

Who produced it?

Who is going to profit from it?’

These are just a few of the questions often asked by consumers who want to know more about how business activity impacts on the environment.

For an increasing number of black and multi-ethnic consumers who are also thinking about these wider issues, other questions are being asked: ‘How inclusive is your organisation?’

‘Is your workforce diverse?’

‘Does your organisation ensure equal treatment of black people?’

According to new research from the Black Pound Report 2022, produced by culture change consultancy Backlight, multi-ethnic consumers are becoming an increasingly important economic force.

Black consumers have an annual disposable income of £4.5 billion — the figure for African Caribbean consumers alone is £1.1 billion — and we are increasingly vocal in using that sizeable buying power to challenge UK companies on the issue of race inequality.

The report, which surveyed 3,500 people and is believed to be the most comprehensive study of its kind, found that 93 per cent of multi-ethnic consumers think brands have a

Being conscious about what we buy is a way to pay it forward responsibility to embrace diversity and inclusion compared to 74 per cent of those from a white background.

Diversity in advertising is three times more important to multi-ethnic consumers (24 per cent) than white consumers (8 per cent) and 89 per cent would consider boycotting a brand if it clashed with their values.

Furthermore, multi-ethnic consumers are around twice as likely as white consumers to favour and trust brands that are representative of different communities, have considered ethnic diversity in the creation of their products and services and have diverse staff in their stores and across the business as a whole.

BACKLASH In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests across the world that followed the death of George Floyd in May 2020, black consumers have increasingly called out companies on their lack of diversity. But even before these landmark events, they were making their

GROWING INFLUENCE: Multi-ethnic consumers have an annual disposable income of £4.5 billion (photo: Greta Hoffman, Pexels) views felt. In 2018, H&M was forced to apologise for an advert showing a black child in a green hoodie bearing the words ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’.

The ad sparked a huge backlash on social media, with some calling it ‘disgusting’.

Others said it was ‘negligent’.

Labour MP Kate Osamor tweeted: “hm do you think this imagery is an appropriate representation of a young black boy?”

Since the publication of similar research by the IPA in 2012 and a previous Black Pound Report in 2018, a number of marketing experts have claimed that black consumers are often underestimated as an influential consumer group.

But, says Lydia Amoah, pictured left, author of the Black Pound Report 2022 and CEO of Backlight, this group is one that major brands can no longer afford to ignore. “The death of George Floyd changed the world and businesses saw the

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need to do things differently,” she tells The Voice. “But they must deepen their efforts to reflect their core values if they are going to successfully connect with multi-ethnic consumers.

“Black consumers are ethically conscious researchers, making informed decisions about how they spend and invest. They believe in businesses that champion diversity and inclusion initiatives from the ground up.”

Amoah continues: “From media consumption through to health and beauty product choices, these consumers have distinct motivators. It was really important to the people we surveyed to really understand how products were sourced and made. I think for many of them there was a link to their culture and heritage.

“If you look at products like chocolate, the cocoa used to make it often comes from Africa. So they wanted to know when purchasing goods such as

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this whether their money was going back to a community in a country of their heritage.

“Being conscientious about what they buy is a way for black and multi-ethnic consumers to pay it forward. Businesses must understand and reflect these values to sell their products and services and be truly inclusive.”

The reaction of the business world following the death of George Floyd would seem to indicate this message is getting through. Numerous companies made public statements condemning racial inequality as well as announcing other diversity initiatives.

However, people like Jacqueline Shaw, inset above, who runs Wax and Wraps, an African fabric sewing subscription service, are sceptical that leading brands have learned how to effectively

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communicate with black and multi-ethnic consumers.

She says: “After H&M got in trouble with its ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle’ ad, it hired a diversity manager. I see and hear stories about lot of other companies that also hired diversity managers. It’s encouraging, but is it enough? In H&M’s case, where were the people in the marketing team to say ‘this is wrong’?

“I think companies can only start to relate to and understand ethnic audiences when there are more black and brown people in their key teams such as the marketing team, the HR team and more people from diverse backgrounds at chief executive level. We need companies to foster a culture that allows black employees to speak up and be heard when faced with something like the ‘Coolest monkey in the jungle ad and Continued on page 33

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

Black baby image row and medical racism The fact that a medical illustration of a black pregnant woman caused such a fuss speaks to the experience of black women in the NHS and the dominance of white-centric healthcare

T

HE MEDICAL illustration of the black pregnant woman, vividly showing a black baby in what appears to be the third trimester (advanced) of pregnancy, filled those of us who saw it with wonderment.

The fact that the image, created by Nigerian medical student and illustrator Chidiebere Ibe, caused such a reaction because it had never been seen before, is symptomatic of the issue facing Western provision of healthcare for black people.

Black representation and inclusion in healthcare or the lack thereof, can literally mean the difference between living and dying.

IMAGINATION Prior to this particular illustration, Chidiebere had busied himself diligently turning out multiple medical illustrations of black men, women and children in various medical specialisms such as obstetrics, dermatology and urology with limited to modest interest.

H o w ever, what really captured our imagination was this precradle, prenatal image of black mother and black baby.

There is something particularly profound about being in the womb — we’ve all been there, but with no recollection of being there, let alone being perfectly suspended in the womb’s protective amniotic fluid.

What is also profound is the alarming state of the obstetric

If you have a black doctor, you’re likely to get better care if you’re black care provided to black pregnant women and the concomitant black infant mortality rate.

Black pregnant women are still four times more likely than their white counterparts to die in childbirth. The black infant mortality rate runs at almost two times the rate of the white infant mortality rate, according to the Office for National Statistics (3.7 per 1,000 white compared to 6.7 per 1,000 black — 2019).

Studies have shown that where black mothers and their black babies are treated by black doctors, adverse outcomes (including death) are reduced significantly. This extends to he a lth care across the board, including that provided to black men.

The fact is, if you have a black doctor, you’re likely to get better healthcare if you’re a black person, whilst healthcare quality is not compromised for white patients with black doctors.

There are clearly challenges facing black doctors; the two biggest being unhindered career progression and disciplinary action.

Black doctors are twice more likely to be disciplined than

their white counterparts. Black doctors are more likely to be referred to the General Medical Council.

This reflects the disproportionate regulatory policing of black lawyers and black police officers who are also twice as likely to be disciplined as their white counterparts. Therefore, black doctors have not escaped racist over-policing.

The much publicised racial disparities in the provision of healthcare erodes trust and confidence. Institutional racism in the NHS from white patients to black and brown doctors and from white doctors to black patients unfortunately reflects the society within which we live.

However, as with all forms of racism that affects life chances, it has to be eradicated, or at the very least significantly reduced; no compromise.

Admittedly, it is more difficult to regulate and constrain racist behaviour from patients towards doctors than it is to police racially biased nurses and doctors.

CONFIDENCE Therefore, what is required for greater trust confidence in black healthcare is to decolonise the medical school curriculum so that medical illustrations such as Chidiebere’s are no longer a surprise and ensure that there is diversity and inclusion in diagnostics and treatment — for example, signs and symptoms that show up on white skin often do not show up on dark skin (e.g. meningitis).

We also need to continue the increase in the number of black students admitted to medical school.

Importantly, black doctors need to succeed in a diverse range of clinical practice areas from obstetrics through to

WONDER OF THE WOMB: The medical illustration of the black baby by Chidiebere Ibe, inset left, was striking, but images such as this should be commonplace oncology. The Medical Schools Council reported a 58 per cent increase in black medical students in the five years to 2020.

However, there are just over five per cent of black doctors in London against the black population of 13.3 per

as the disproportionate disciplinary action cannot be down to black doctors being more errant or wayward than their white counterparts. This will of course require a full government-backed investigation with a view to the health secretary

Signs and symptoms that show up on white skin often do not show up on dark skin cent. Therefore, it will take some time for the increase in medical students to filter through and make a material difference.

The health system must stop the disproportionate disciplining of black doctors and nurses,

facilitating change.

Crucially, the NHS must properly investigate and target racial bias in healthcare. Birthrights, a maternity care rights charity, appointed Shaheen Rahman QC in 2021 to lead a national inquiry panel into

the disproportionate black and Asian maternity deaths. This is a very important inquiry, the recommendations of which we await and more importantly, if the recommendations are impactful, whether the health secretary will implement meaningful change.

Sadly, this current government has no heart for addressing racial disparities and injustice.

Furthermore, the Conservative Party has no history of enacting any form of antirace discrimination legislation.

Therefore, I remain pessimistic about the government’s desire for pushing through change concerning the disparities in healthcare provision for it’s black citizens.

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.

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UK Visas and Immigration

Humara’s Secure English Language Test (SELT) journey After Humara Amir completed her studies in Food and Nutrition in her native Pakistan, she and her husband decided to move to the UK for him to complete further study by undertaking his Masters. Humara joined him six months later on a family visa.

Tragedy struck the family when Humara’s husband passed away when visiting family back in Pakistan, but decided that she and her three children would stay in the UK and began the process of applying for her British Citizenship.

As part of this process, Humara enrolled on a Secure English Language Test (SELT) preparation course at QED in Bradford and began preparing to take the Trinity College London Graded Examination in Spoken English at Grade 5 (B1) exam.

After 10 classes at QED, Humara was ready and booked to take her SELT test at Trinity SELT Bradford.

“I was nervous to start with but the examiner made me feel like her friend, so you don’t need to worry and the staff were helpful and put me at ease and all the time helped me and gave me confidence”.

Currently working in a supermarket, Humara hopes, having gained more confidence in speaking and listening in English, that she can study more and use her previous degree to work in that field.

Looking to settle in the UK? Choose a trusted Home Office approved provider of English language tests for UK visas.

CITIZENSHIP, SETTLEMENT AND PARENT/PARTNER VISA APPLICATIONS (A1-B1) GESE: Graded Examinations in Spoken English A speaking and listening in English test available at levels A1, A2 and B1 Provisional result received by 9am the next day and certificates sent within seven days Tests available seven days a week at centres UK wide

Book your test today at trinitySELT.co.uk

14 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Celebrating our Sistas

Big interview

‘RACISM IS WHITE Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu tells Lester Holloway she won’t stop speaking out against white supremacy

D

R SHOLA Mos-Shogbamimu is a familiar sight on TV, including doing battle with Piers Morgan over racism directed at Meghan Markle.

Fearless and forthright, she takes no prisoners in her battle against white supremacy.

An author of the popular book This is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity, Dr Shola frequently enrages the white establishment with her analysis of racism and society.

I caught up with the lawyer, speaker, activist and media commentator to dig a little deeper into what inspires her, and find out how hopeful she is that we will see change in our lifetime.

IGNORANCE Lester Holloway: I want to start where we are, in the middle of the culture war, which is also a time when 57 per cent of the public actually believe the British Empire was a good thing.

How do you combat such ignorance in this atmosphere?

Shola Mos-Shogbamimu: The majority of those will be white — but I’m sure there’ll be some black and brown brothers and sisters shooting off their mouths as racial gatekeepers, because it’s not a difference of opinion if you deny my humanity just to save yours. I believe in engagement between societies, but it cannot be to the extent that one society totally plunders, spoils, steals, kills, kidnaps another society just purely for its benefit.

That’s nothing to be proud of; and that is what the British Empire did. If, in the 21st century, you have people in this

country who can say the British Empire was a good thing, that is pure evidence that our education utterly failed in teaching British history. History has been rewritten to justify killing and stealing in the name of ‘civilisation’ — I mean come on! Do these people have any understanding of the civilization on the entire African continent before the white man ever stepped foot on our continent? What the heck! And today we’ve got white children asking ‘Do you have libraries? Do you drive cars?’

LH: The first library was in Mali.

SM-S: British history must teach about the atrocities done in the name of the British Empire. And the same mentality and standards that drove the British Empire back in the day continue up until today, which is why we still have institutional racism in

this country, with the way people who are not white are treated, particularly from an immigration status. This is all part of the legacy of the British Empire.

LH: I want to go back to racial gatekeepers. The point’s been made by you, Dawn Butler and others, but I’m not sure it’s getting cut-through to the public. Or is it important to put these issues on the table regardless of who buys into it?

SM-S: I don’t think we can talk about race, racism and race relations without talking about racial gatekeepers. We must understand that racial gatekeepers have existed from time immemorial. The people who will put themselves first, over those who are similar to them, all because of their proximity to whiteness and wanting to get the benefits from that. People who will close the gates and create huge obstacles that will stop the progress of other people.

Look at Priti Patel; how can you look at the system that helped your parents come into

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this country, so you could rise to become Home Secretary and now you want to stop other people who look like you from having the same opportunities?

Not all skin-folk are kin-folk.

Whatever position I’m in, I should be helping to bring more people through the same gate I walked through. Heck, we need a whole new set of gates. We

SM-S: Look, when people look at me, I am defined firstly as a black woman. I did not create that title. Whether you’re African, African American, Afro-Caribbean, Afro of Jewish descent, Afro-Chinese descent, the moment there’s a drop of black person in you, black, right? But black comes with all of these derogatory stereo-

History has been rewritten to justify killing and stealing in the name of ‘civilisation’ should not stop talking about the role racial gatekeepers play, but what people must not do is equate racial gatekeeping to difference of opinion. It’s not the same thing.

LH: You talk a lot in your book about black identity and also the struggle against institutional racism. What do you mean by black identity, and the role it plays in resistance?

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types. I’m done with your identity of black people, the way you choose to define us. That’s not who we are. That’s not who I am.

So I need to change that narrative and say, ‘everything you think is wrong about me is exactly what is right about me.’ So in the book I wanted to explain what black identity looks like through the lens of white privilege, and how, quite frankly, I no longer give a flying

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Flamingo. I’m going to tell you exactly where I stand. People are now hearing what we’ve got to say and they’re like ‘I’ve never heard anyone speak like this! You’re not as polite as we expect’. Your words are not polite to me, your words are violence. My mother did bring me up well, but the Nigeria part of me cannot tolerate nonsense, and I refuse to be quiet.

LH: I wanted to get your thoughts on the way forward, because we have the Black Lives Matter movement, which is a continuation of previous struggles, but where do we go from here?

SM-S: What I want people to understand is, when we talk about the next steps on progress on race, racism and race relations, there’s really one question we need to be asking. And this question that James Baldwin asked over 60 years ago, which is ‘when will white people progress?’ That’s the question we should be asked in the blessed 21st Century, okay. Because,

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MARCH 2022 THE VOICE | 15

Celebrating our Sistas

Big interview

PEOPLE’S PROBLEM’

SPEAKING OUT: Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu has always been at the forefront of defending the rights of the members of the black community, and the lawyer, speaker, activist and media commentator has no intention of giving up her continuing fight against racism

quite frankly, they’re the ones holding themselves back, not us.

The continued expectation on black people to win the hearts and minds of white people, to soften them a bit, step by step taking them through like you’re holding in the hands of a toddler, while you are suffering.

While you’re the one bearing the brunt of their privilege and the white supremacy. Is that not madness? I need my white brothers and sisters to get off their blessed behinds, use that white privilege, and demand change. Because what is being done in the name of the colour of their skin is inhumane.

The other thing is, I need my black and brown brothers and sisters to stop trying to be polite.

Has it helped you before? No. LH: You’ve described being called anti-white, being called aggressive and all the rest of it. Those who speak out will be accused as you’ve been.

SM-S: That’s what we have to go through. The reason they use all the stereotypical words

against us is to stop us from talking. That is just a hurdle that you can jump over. Why? Because you’ve been there before. You’ve seen other people there before. And maybe it’s your turn to go through it; get through it so that you can get to the other side.

HUNGER Speaking my mind may make you uncomfortable, but that’s not my problem, because I am in discomfort and I do not see why I should put your comfort over mine. We cannot afford to be afraid of the labels that have existed for centuries. We have to not care about these labels, they do not define you. I am a child of God. Those of you that call me ugly, I point you to the Bible that says God made me fearfully and wonderfully. Let your hunger for change speak through you. And whether it’s in your workplace, on the high street, on the bus, nothing they say will hold you down. It can’t happen.

LH: You’ve had your run-ins

with Piers Morgan. When he was attacking Meghan Markle very aggressively over a sustained period of time, was he effectively defending white supremacy?

SM-S: Without a doubt. In my mind, there are people like Piers Morgan who don’t think how, as a privileged white man, their words align with the underly-

in the 21st century to know better, you have no excuse. You’re not 16. If you’re in your 20s or 30s, why are you not doing better to educate yourself?

Don’t pass on the responsibility for educating you onto me. ‘Oh, maybe Shola can explain it to me’. Shola is tired. Shola also gets exhausted, and you may just get the wrong end of Shola

Speaking my mind may make you uncomfortable, but that’s not my problem ing very visible human abuses that people who are black experience. I said to him what you’re doing is aggravating racial abuse against Meghan Markle. And I know you know what you’re doing. I’ve always thought Piers Morgan knows better, and that is why I said to him that he was using his own white privilege when it came to Meghan Markle.

Honest to God, I expect you

if you come to me with your ignorance, because I will pack it out the door.

I don’t have time for you feeling attacked, because there’s people who are really experiencing real attacks. I want you to get over your fragility and get on board, so we can fight together against that injustice other people are experiencing.

Racism is not just about hating somebody because of the col-

our of their skin racism, it compasses a power construct.

LH: Who inspires you? You quote bell hooks, Martin Luther King and James Baldwin. Anybody else who inspires you?

SM-S: My influences are quite diverse. You know, I’ve seen leaders from across the continent of Africa, people like Nelson Mandela. There’s so many leaders who actually made a difference during the colonial period, after the colonial period.

And when some of them were silenced, murdered. The reason why I don’t just pick one or two is because I’m on this continuous journey of meeting many new people. I am so inspired by the youth of today. The thing that we must all do is continually progress ourselves emotionally, mentally, financially, progress ourselves in influence.

This is why I say to students, you better get into that university, come out with a top degree, go build your businesses, and use your influence to shake the positive outcome.

LH: Being a mother of three daughters, has it influenced your approach to campaigning, writing and commentating? Is it about changing the world they’ll be grown up in? And what do they think of your activism?

SM-S: Being a mother absolutely influences the decisions I make.

Am I doing this to build a better world for them? Heck, yes.

But more importantly, I’m doing what I do to build a better world for their generation and, please God, for my generation, because I’m still alive! I’m not trying to in the words of Fela [Kuti] ‘suffer and smiley’, I don’t want to be suffering and smiling.

I also want to be able to exercise rights that I have.

So, yes, I’m doing it for them, but I’m also doing it for our generation. I am done with the ‘We Shall Overcome’. Right now, the conversation should be ‘we are overcoming’. White supremacy and racism is not a black people problem. It’s a white people problem. And while we fight against it, it’s the responsibility of our white brothers and sisters to end it.

16 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Montel Gordon

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

Zouma kicked harder than the racists W

HEN A video surfaced on social media of French international and West Ham United centre-back Kurt Zouma allegedly abusing his pet cat, there was a zealous outcry from fans demanding he be fined, dropped, and even face prosecution and the sack.

Zouma was fined £250,000 (two weeks wages), dropped by boot sponsor Adidas, and West Ham lost one of their sponsors in Vitality, all within 48 hours.

Everyone has added their two cents into the situation, from sports pundits to commentators and news reporters — even former UFC light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz had some choice words! It’s clear to see it went global.

The topic became more nuanced when ‘mental health advocate’ and former Wigan and Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland went on BBC Break-

Cat abuse video was bad but the players’ critics are valuing animal welfare over black lives fast to discuss the issue and somewhat advocated for him to be abused, stating: “Everywhere they go now and everywhere he [Zouma] goes, he’s going to be targeted, and rightfully so as well, because he deserves everything he’s going to get.”

If this wasn’t bad enough, the worst was yet to come as he remarked: “If it was a racism case, the FA have acted, stepped in, and banned players for six to 10 games. This is

worse, if anything. What is the difference?”

Despite Kirkland’s attempts to apologise and backtrack on the comments, the damage had been done; this was “worse than racism”, in his view.

By no means is anyone justifying the actions of Zouma, but the swiftness of the repercussions taken by the club and sponsors on disciplining him questions why the energy has never been the same for

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: John Terry, centre, was found guilty of racial abuse towards Anton Ferdinand, left, while Luis Suarez, far right, was found guilty of a similar offence involving Patrice Evra photos: Getty Images)

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tackling racism or reprimanding those guilty of racism in football?

When Luis Suarez was alleged to have racially abused Man United left-back Patrice Evra in 2011, Liverpool players warmed up in t-shirts with the message “standing with Suarez” and, when he was found guilty, he was fined a meagre £40,000 and banned for eight games.

The club stood by him for the duration and, when Suarez nearly won the league with Liverpool in his 2013/14 PFA Players’ Player of the Year campaign, he was somewhat immortalised by the Anfield faithful and cemented in Premier League folklore.

Only recently (last year) did Liverpool issue an apology to United and Patrick Evra over their handling of the ordeal, a whole decade later! Or how could we forget the English

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golden-child and Chelsea legend John Terry?

When he was found guilty of racial abuse towards QPR centre-back Anton Ferdinand in 2012, he was fined £220,000, stripped of the England captaincy and banned for four games. Nonetheless, Ferdinand fared the worst out of the two, where he was seemingly demonised and subjected to abuse from Chelsea and England fans branding him a “liar”, leading to a dwindling mental state.

Terry’s career continued to flourish, and his conviction was somewhat brushed under the carpet in his glittering playing career. The then England boss Fabio Capello was so upset with the FA’s decision to strip Terry of the captaincy he quit!

Both cases highlight the complexities of racism and how this topic is a schism for fans.

Zouma’s West Ham teammate and Jamaican international Michail Antonio posed a salient question when asked for his opinion on the situation.

Refusing to justify his actions, Antonio, when asked by reporters outside the Hammers training ground, responded to the query posed by a journalist, asking if what he had done was worse than racism.

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“There are people convicted — been caught — for racism and played football afterwards.

They got punished, they got an eight-game punishment or something like that. But people are now calling for people to be sacked from their livelihood.”

And rightly so – Antonio is asking a poignant question with the evidence illustrating how serious and quickly this matter has been taken by the club and external stakeholders in their discipline of the situation.

Currently speaking, Zouma has rightly lost ownership of the cat and being investigated by the RSPCA over the incident, assisted by not one but two police constabularies eager to help.

Zouma’s brother, who was reportedly filming the incident and is a professional for Dagenham & Redbridge, has been suspended pending investigation over his role as the cameraman.

It’s ludicrous to believe people would want him to lose his livelihood when he’s already been punished more significantly than those guilty of racism. What message does this tell us about society? Do we value animal lives more than we do for black people?

Well, I will leave that to you to decipher…

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FEBRUARY 2022

THE VOICE| 17

18 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

News feature

Policing

POLICING CRISIS: WHERE With reports of racism and misconduct, the country’s police forces are facing a reckoning. By Richard Sudan

L

ONDON’S METROPOLITAN police are in deep crisis following the resignation of Commissioner Cressida Dick — but they are not the only police force.

Others, like Greater Manchester, are also facing demands from black police officers, campaigners and the public, to finally get to grips with a canteen culture of racism in the ranks.

Community organisations are now joining forces to do what the police themselves seem incapable of doing, which is having a serious debate about reform.

In London, the organisation Alliance for Police Accountability and two other bodies are holding public hearings to find out what black Londoners want from the next Commissioner.

SHOCKING The need for reform is undeniable. A recent damning report by the Independent Office of Police Conduct uncovered shocking racism, misogyny and bullying at Charing Cross police station in central London.

To make matters worse, following the release of the report it came to light that some of the officers investigated were still serving.

The officers shared messages about turning “African babies” into dog food, and ‘jokes’ about rape. Yet, the terms of reference of a review into police culture

by Baroness Louise Casey —

We don’t get justice.

They feel they can do whatever they want ordered by Dick in the wake of the Sarah Everard case — fails to mention racism.

This comes 25 years after the Macpherson public inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence identified a “canteen culture” that was creating an atmosphere where racism and corruption thrived.

Black former officer Gamal Turawa, said recently that any cultural change in the police would have to come, not from the top down, but in the canteens themselves.

Research from University College London found that black youth are 19 times more likely to be stopped and searched in the capital.

Black communities across Britain largely lack confidence in policing, and see the force as infected by racism and not trying hard enough to deal with the problem.

Stephanie Lightfoot-Bennett, whose brother Leon Patterson died in 1992 after several days in police custody, sustaining multiple horrific injuries, told The Voice: “Since the death of my brother, I’ve been asked many times why I distrust the London Met and Manchester police. We don’t get justice for our loved ones.

“They feel they can do whatever they want with impunity.”

If Dick is a symptom of a much wider problem in the culture of policing, then it’s important to understand that the issues are not just confined to London.

Manchester Youth worker Kemoy Walker

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER: The nation’s police forces need to ensure good practice after a series of damning reports, and need to work hard to build trust with members of the black community. said: “Young people talk about stop and search and how the police treat black people and young people, and are often disgusted with the officer’s attitude towards them.

“It’s unacceptable and very damaging to a community already damaged by poverty and other problems. Institutional racism is appalling.

Training and reform is needed.”

FIGURES Former Home Office criminologist and Manchester resident David Dalgleish added: “The most recent data in Manchester shows that despite white British people representing over 80 per cent of the city-region’s population, they make up less than half of those stopped and searched by police.

“Greater Manchester’s latest stop and search figures will do little to assure people that much has changed since since recording was introduced as a result of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry” Cold hard data like this paints a grim picture for a city like Manchester which has a large black community.

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Despite the facts, Greater Manchester’s Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson last year denied that his force was institutionally racist, echoing Dick who had earlier declared the Met free of this problem.

Watson’s claim was apparently oblivious to findings that showed that black people in Manchester were four times more likely to have force used against them and five times

the late 1980s and early 1990s said: “Police are only as good as the communities from which they are drawn. Police from towns and areas with low nonwhite populations carry negative stereotypical beliefs and ideas which affect their expectations and policing delivery.

“The rise of awareness of institutional racism and phone cameras has to an extent given a new level of observation to

Despite white British people representing more than 80pc of the Manchester population, they make up less than half of those stopped and searched more likely to have a stun gun against them.

Like London, part of the issue is down to a lack of black representation among the ranks of the police.

Paul Obinna, a teacher and educational consultant who taught in Manchester’s Moss Side during the gang wars of

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police incidents, but there is still a high level of generational mistrust of unfairness and misconduct and on a deeper level, of corruption.”

Racism, mistrust and misconduct remain the recurring themes continuously highlighted by those campaigning for justice. Even the Metropol-

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itan Police’s Deputy Commissioner Bas Javid, brother of Health Secretary Sajid, admitted recently that racism in policing is an issue.

Without a serious overhaul of the Metropolitan Police, and policing more widely, the relationship with black communities may continue to fall.

A Metropolitan police spokesperson said: “The Commissioner has asked Baroness Louise Casey to lead an independent and far-reaching review into our culture and standards of professional and personal behaviour. The review will ask difficult questions to ensure there are lasting improvements to the service we provide for all Londoners.

“We recognise that we need to take urgent action to improve. We are listening to Londoners, stakeholder and our partners. We recognise change won’t happen overnight, but all of us are determined to do everything we can to improve.”

The Voice asked Greater Manchester Police for a response but did not receive this by the time the paper went to press.

www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2022 THE VOICE | 19

News feature

DO WE GO FROM HERE?

By Leah Mahon

A

NDY BURNHAM said Manchester’s police needed a “fundamental reset” to stop the racism experienced by black men and boys at the hands of the police and in courtrooms.

The Manchester Mayor said there was a need to look at all the ‘mechanisms’ that are disproportionately used in the city.

Speaking to The Voice, Burnham said: “We need to be honest about the use of police

We need to be transparent about the inequality, and then you can see the issue powers. The first thing is we need to be transparent about the inequality and then you can see the issue.

“And that’s our commitment to carry on with understanding those figures [about inequality black people face with the police].

“I think we need to broaden it also away from some of the issues... but joint enterprise needs to fall into that.

TIME FOR A NEW APPROACH: Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said the city region’s police force needed a ‘fundamental reset’.

Inset left, Greater Manchester Police chief constable Stephen Watson

“We need to look at all of the mechanisms that are often used by the system to perpetrate forms of discrimination that go against people because of where they’ve grown up or because of the communities they’ve come.”

Reform is a must

By Lester Holloway TRUST AND confidence between the police and black communities has always been low.

The issue of policing culture exists because the institution does not tackle it.

We know the problem is not just a reflection of racism in wider society, and goes far wider than “a few bad apples” — it is institutional.

Criminals should encounter a police force, and everyone else should get a police service.

But in reality, the white suburbs get a police service based on reassurance, and black communities get a police force based on control.

Winning the confidence of black communities isn’t really about changing the top person; it is about the very nature of policing itself; what it’s trying to

We know the problem goes far wider than a few ‘bad apples’ achieve, and on behalf of whom.

In many areas, policing is about the police showing who runs things. Too many stops and searches are defined by ill-defined reasons for the action; and mistrust by the people being stopped as to the true nature of the encounter.

Only eight per cent of stops result in arrests, and less than one per cent in court or magistrate convictions.

Smelling cannabis, and mostly not finding any, wastes everyone’s time. Not only are the vast majority of people stopped innocent, but a significant portion of those arrested are for offences that did not

occur until police arrived on the scene, like resisting arrest.

This is a national problem that demands a national debate about solutions. We need to stop pretending that the term ‘defund the police’ is about disbanding the police; it is about reforming the police, and everyone knows it. In order for the police to be a genuine service, it must reform according to the needs of society rather than an all-consuming fixation with crime, which can sometimes be a cry for help. We need to integrate parts of the police more closely with mental health, drug and alcohol, and other social welfare services, so that collectively these bodies deal with the causes of crime and provide the care and intervention needed.

A conversation must begin into what the public actually wants from the police. I favour a Royal Commission as the best vehicle for a genuine root-andbranch review to reimagine policing for the 21st Century.

Lester Holloway, left, is Editor of The Voice

The UK’s third largest city has previously come under fire for its handling of relationships with the black community after Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson refuted claims that British police forces were “institution-

ally racist” following the reports publication.

Burnham, who commissioned a damning report into the police, faced criticism from Watson, who said the findings didn’t “provide all of the answers”.

Black communities to set the agenda WHILE THE media speculate about who the next Metropolitan Police Commissioner might be, community activists are taking it upon themselves to spark a public debate about what the next Commissioner should do — regardless of who they are.

The Alliance for Police Accountability have joined forces with Black Men 4 Change and Blacksox to organise a two-hour live streamed public meeting to ask black communities what should be done.

STRATEGY The meeting, supported by The Voice, will discuss what Scotland Yard’s anti-racist strategy should be, and how the force can work with black Londoners to make our neighbourhoods safe and root out the racists that profile black youth.

Panellists are likely to include former senior police officers Leroy Logan and Janet Hills, pictured above right; chair of the Independent Scrutiny and Oversight

Board in London Abimbola Johnson; chair of the National Black Police Association Andy George, and Voice editor Lester Holloway.

Elder campaigner Lee Jasper, who is due to chair the session, said: “We need to set the agenda for change so the next Commissioner — whoever they are — are absolutely crystal clear what they need to do to win our trust and confidence, and know we will relentlessly hold them accountable.”

The date and full details of the open meeting will be announced in Voice Online shortly. Visit: www. voice-online.co.uk

Stop and search needs urgent change, insists Butler LABOUR’S FORMER equalities spokesperson Dawn Butler has added her voice to the call for urgent reform of the police.

Writing for The Voice, she writes about her own ‘dehumanising’ experience of being pulled over by cops while driving in Hackney.

She called for substantial reform of stop and search, and a public health-based approach to tackling knife crime.

CONFIDENT Butler, pictured below, writes: “I called for Cressida Dick to step down for the Met’s repeated and serious institutional failings under her leadership.

“Her replacement must now be fully committed to serious reform and to building trust back into the Met, as this is how we will start to create a system that both police and all communities are confident in.”

l Read Dawn

Butler’s article on p36

20 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Celebrating our Sistas

SHINING A LIGHT ON With so many inspirational black women, it was difficult to pick out just 20 to celebrate. Here are just some of the women alive today who have smashed those glass ceilings. By Leah Mahon

Diane Abbott MP

Labour MP Diane Abbott was elected as a Member of Parliament for Hackney North and Stoke Newington in 1987, the first black woman MP to sit in the House of Commons. She has been a tireless campaigner for racial justice and was shadow home secretary under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

Born in London to a British-Jamaican family, she has been a passionate campaigner for victims of the Windrush generation since the scandal first broke in 2018 and has thrown her advocacy behind support for women who experience domestic and sexual violence.

Malorie Blackman

The renowned British children’s writer, Malorie Blackman has been on bookshelves of thousands of black British children and adults with hits like Pig Heart Boy, Noughts and Crosses and her first book, a collection of sci-fi and horror stories called Not So Stupid!: Incredible Short Stories. Her critically acclaimed Pig-Heart Boy — published in 1997 — was later adapted into a TV drama which won the prestigious BAFTA award in children’s drama category while Noughts and Crosses, which Blackman started writing in 2001, was recently dramatised by the BBC to rave reviews by critics and lifelong readers. She was awarded Children’s Book Circle’s Eleanor Farjeon Award and W.H. Smith Mind Boggling Book of the Year Award among other prestigious accolades, and is the author of over 60 books.

Candice Carty-Williams

A breakthrough author for her seering and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Queenie, Candice Carty-Williams' feats in the literary world did not go unrecognised after becoming the first black woman to win Book of the year at the British book awards. In 2016, Candice spearheaded the launch of the Guardian and 4th Estate BAME Short Story Prize, the first inclusive initiative of its kind in book publishing to diversity talent in the publishing world.

The award-winning author has written for the likes of the Guardian, Vogue International and Sunday Times.

Baroness Patricia Scotland Born in Dominica in 1955, Baroness Patricia Scotland arrived in the UK two years later with her family and began her career in law at the University of London.

She was later called to the bar in the Middle Temple in 1977. She became the first black woman to be appointed to the Queen’s Counsel in 1991.

After being named as Millennium Commissioner in 1994 and becoming a member of the Commission for Racial Equality, she was appointed to the House of Lords and made Attorney General by then-Prime Minister Gordon Brown, becoming the first woman to hold the office since its founding in 1315. In 2015, she continued to break more records when she became the first woman to be elected as SecretaryGeneral of the Commonwealth Nations.

Gina Yashere

British-Nigerian comedian Gina Yashere began her career on some of Britain’s most-loved TV shows with guest appearances on panel shows like Mock the Week and was a regular face on BBC’s Lenny Henry Show between 2004 and 2005.

She continued to sell out theatres when she toured and was the first British comedian to perform on the legendary Def Comedy Jam in the US — home to some of America’s comedy greats like Bernie Mac and Chris Tucker.

The award-winning comedian continued to break barriers in her move across the pond

with appearances on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, and Live At The Apollo, as well as being a semi-regular on the primetime The Jay Leno Show at the height of her long career.

Maggie Aderin-Pocock

Maggie Aderin-Pocock is a renowned British space scientist and science communicator.

After completing her undergraduate degree in Physics and PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the prestigious Imperial College London, she went on to work for the UK Ministry of Defence.

Some of her most notable efforts on her return to the science world was her work on a high-resolution spectrograph for the Geminin telescope in Chile. Throughout her career, Aderin-Pocock has been an advocate of encouraging more black women and girls to consider careers in STEM subjects.

Adjoa Andoh

Star of stage and screen in a career spanning over 20 years, Adjoa has featured in cultBritish TV classics like Casualty, Doctor Who and Jonathan Creek.

She is known on the UK stage for lead roles at the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, the Royal Court Theatre and the Almeida Theatre, and helps other young actors get their break in the industry. Most recently, she stars as the formidable Lady Danbury in Shondaland’s Netflix series Bridgerton.

Nicola Adams

Nicola Adams was the first woman to win the Olympic gold medal for her efforts in boxing while also competing in the global event as the first openly LGBT boxer to win a top medal. Her success in the boxing world didn’t go unnoticed as the Olympics didn’t allow women, like Nicola, to compete until 2012. Adams retired in 2019 with an undefeated record.

Her success also crossed over onto the small screen when she appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in first same-sex couple to dance on the show.

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Reni Eddo-Lodge

Nigerian-British journalist and author Renni-Eddo Lodge is lauded for galvanising a long overdue conversation on structural racism and white privilege in Britain.

She published her first award-winning book, Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race in 2017 during a time where questions around racial identity, black feminism and cultural had not yet entered the mainstream. Following the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, her debut book catapulted her to becoming the first black British author to take the overall No 1 spot in the UK’s official book charts.

Moira Stuart

In a radio and television career spanning five decades, Moira Stuart started her BBC career as a production assistant during the 1970s, before moving on to become a BBC Radio 4 newsreader. In 1981, Stuart made the move to television and in turn became the first black woman newsreader to present a BBC News bulletin.

Her array of awards for her life-long career in broadcast journalism has seen her win the TV and Radio Industries Club Best Newscaster award, Women of Achievement Television Personality and most recently the Harvey Lee Award for Outstanding Contributions to Broadcasting at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards 2020.

Margaret Busby

Margaret Busby became Britain's youngest and first female book publisher when she co-founded the publishing company Allison & Busby in 1967.

Born in Ghana and educated in the UK, Bushby went on to advocate for more diversity in the publishing world where her efforts have seen her named Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and recipient of several honorary doctorates and awards, including the London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award and Bocas Henry Swanzy Award. She went on to write for BBC radio and for stage, while also becoming a literary critic.

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MARCH 2022

THE VOICE | 21

Celebrating our Sistas

TRUE INSPIRATIONS Michaela Coel Michaela Coel is an award-winning British actress, screenwriter, director and producer. She first captivated a legion of fans with her varied talents in the E4 sitcom Chewing Gum that she first started writing at just 14 years old. As well as in screenwriting and starring in her first TV slot, she won a BAFTA for her performance and went on to spearhead the critically-acclaimed BBC drama I May Destroy You where she won a BAFTA and Emmy for the lauded mini-series.

Drawing upon her own experience of sexual assault in the show, Cole has continued to be a voice and advocate for survivors of sexual assault and exploitation away from the camera, galvanising for a change in culture on how women are treated within the film and TV industry.

Kamala Harris

Democrat and political powerhouse, Kamala Harris made history on January 20 last year when she was inaugurated as the first woman of colour to serve as Vice President of the United States.

During her first term in office, she has spoken unapologetically about her South Asian and Jamaican heritage.

Before taking the main stage in US politics she was already breaking records when she served as the first woman District Attorney in San Francisco's history between 2004-2010 and as the first African American woman and South Asian American woman in California to hold the office.

Amanda Gorman

The African-American poet Amanda Gorman made history last year as the youngest inaugural poet at just 22 years old.

She dazzled not just the crowd in the US capital, but also the world as she recited her poem titled, The Hill We Climb, where she called for strength, bravery and hope in a nation at the brink of its most diverse. She became the United State’s first-ever youth poet laureate in 2017 and put a spotlight on black women in the literary world.

Tarana Burke

Tarana Burke wanted to give black victims of sexual violence a voice in a narrative that often went ignored in their own community and by mainstream media.

In 2006, the author and activist founded the #MeToo movement to give survivors like herself a safe space to tell their stories in their own way. However, the movement reached new heights when the sexual abuse scandal involving embattled film director Harvey Weinstein broke in 2017. The MeToo hashtag has gone on to become a seminal moment in history for tough conversations on how the media and wider culture deals with victims of abuse.

Shonda Rhimes

Behind some of our most loved and nostalgic television shows is producer Shonda Rhimes. Through her production company, Shondaland, she is known for her array of successful shows like the hit Grey’s Anatomy and political-thriller Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder.

The award-winning producer and screenwriter is behind the most recent Netflix hit Bridgerton, where for the first time viewers have been enchanted by an ethnically diverse cast gracing Regency England for the first time.

Claudette Colvin

Before Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white person, just months earlier there was Claudette Colvin.

On March 2, 1955, the 15-year-old civil rights activist refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus in defiance against racist Jim Crow laws in 1955. She went on to challenge the segregation laws in court as one of four women plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle. The case was historical and successfully overturned bus segregation laws throughout Montgomery and Alabama. Today, at 82, Colvin is admired for her often unknown role in igniting the Montgomery Bus Boycott.

Cori “Coco” Gauff

At just the tender age 15, professional tennis player Cori “Coco” Gauff became the youngest woman to qualify for Wimbledon and win a Wimbledon match since 1991. She beat one half of the record breaking tennis duo the Williams sisters, when she knocked out five-time Wimbledon champion, Venus, during that winning match. Gauff is also the youngest ranked player in the Women’s Tennis Association’s top 100 and credits looking up to both Serena and Venus Williams for her journey into professional tennis.

Andrea Jenkins

In November 2017, Andrea Jenkins made history after becoming the first openly transgender black woman elected to public office in the US. The poet and historian was one of two transgender people to win a seat on the Minneapolis City Council.

The trailblazer for LGBTQ+ rights went on to break records again only in January 2022 when she was elected as the first transgender official in the US to lead a city council. Jenkins has amassed more than 25 years in public service as a policy aid and non-profit director.

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made history when she was appointed as the first woman and the first African person to head the World Trade Organisation last year.

The Nigerian-born economist now sits in the role of directorgeneral and is representative of the 164 countries that make up the WTO. After studying economics at Harvard, she served as Nigeria’s finance and foreign minister, while also balancing a 25-year career at the World Bank. There, she was a staunch advocate for advancement in underdeveloped countries.

22 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Midlands News

by Veron Graham

APPRENTICE KEITA LAYING THE TRACKS FOR CAREER SUCCESS Rising star has benefited from many ‘incredible experiences’ on HS2 programme and has now become a permanent employee on the project

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HE ONCE controversial apprenticeship levy is laying the foundation to make major inroads in the job market across the Midlands, particularly for young people. The levy — a fund charged of qualifying businesses by HM Revenue and Customs — is held centrally by government. Businesses who wish to appoint apprentices can apply for the levy to fund up to 95% of the costs of training their apprentices.

One stand-out example of the difference the levy is delivering is Birmingham-based Bintou Keita, the award-winning former project management apprentice, who is being regarded as a rising star in the regional apprenticeship community.

For her contribution to the industry and her involvement in

It’s given me a platform to share my voice as a female BAME apprentice the BAME Network operated by her employer HS2, Keita was recently named as Apprentice of the Year in the Transport and Logistics category in HS2’s BAME Apprenticeship Awards.

She has since successfully completed her apprenticeship and graduated to become a permanent employee in HS2’s project management team.

Hailing from the Kings Norton area of Birmingham, Keita joined HS2’s apprentice cohort in 2019 and studied at the National College for Advanced Transport Infrastructure to complete her apprenticeship standard.

COVID-19 meant that faceto-face learning was paused, but this didn’t stop her from successfully completing her qualification from the Association for Project Management and helping to organise events on behalf of HS2’s Race Equality and Cultural Heritage Network.

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ACTIVE ROLE: Star apprentice Bintou Keita. Inset left, Keita, right, among Apprentice of the Year winners Keita also plays an active role in HS2’s Future Talent Network where she supports the next generation of apprentices and organises social and virtual events aimed at improving their industry knowledge.

OPPORTUNITIES She said: “My apprenticeship journey has been filled with incredible experiences and opportunities. I have been lucky enough to get involved with many exciting events including the ‘Work It’ Group for the Careers and Enterprise Company where I recorded videos to encourage young women to consider an apprenticeship in engineering.

“I recently started a new role as a Project Coordinator for HS2’s Interchange Station in Solihull, where I will continue to champion diversity in the construction industry.

“HS2 has given me a platform to share my voice as a female BAME apprentice.”

Keita could prove to be a standard bearer in the West Midlands: over two thousand people across the county stand to follow her into permanent employment, through the £32 million secured by The Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund, set up by the West Midlands Combined

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Authority (WMCA) in 2019.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “Thanks to the generosity of large organisations donating their unspent apprenticeship levy to us, more than £30 million has been raised to boost apprenticeships across the West Midlands. That means thousands of people making the first step in their careers, with hundreds of local SMEs taking on staff they wouldn’t otherwise

HS2 hopes to enable other employees to emulate Keita’s success.

Its talent & development manager Karen Davis said: “Throughout her two-year apprenticeship, Bintou has consistently championed the role of BAME communities and women in the construction industry and we are so happy that her efforts have been recognised externally by the BAME Apprenticeship Network. The BAME Apprenticeship

Young people especially have been benefiting, which is important as they have been hardest-hit by the pandemic have been able to afford. Young people especially have been benefiting from our levy cash, which is incredibly important given they have been the hardest-hit by the pandemic.

“I encourage all large employers across the West Midlands to get involved and donate their unspent levy, as well as urge people looking for work and SMEs looking to take on apprenticeships to check out our levy scheme and see how it can benefit them.”

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Awards highlight the benefits that diversity brings to organisations, regardless of the industry they represent.

“The HS2 project provides a unique opportunity for career development for anyone enrolled on its apprenticeship and graduate programmes.

“HS2 has committed to creating 2,000 apprenticeships during the life cycle of the project and has already welcomed over 650 new apprentice starts.”

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MARCH 2022

THE VOICE | 23

Midlands News

BRUM’S FIRST BLACK MP Popular councillor following in the footsteps of late Labour MP Jack Dromey in Birmingham Erdington

A

POPULAR MIDLANDS councillor is making history as she enters the House of Commons as Birmingham’s first black MP. At the time of writing, Cllr Paulette Hamilton was about to face the voters in Birmingham Erdington, following the death of veteran MP Jack Dromey, who died in office in January.

She is the current cabinet member for health and social care on Birmingham City Council and has served on the local authority for 17 years.

A victory would see her join Taiwo Owatemi (Coventry North West) and Claudia Webbe (Leicester East) as the only black female MPs in the Midlands. Eleanor Smith (Wolverhampton South West) lost her seat in 2019.

Following the announcement of her candidacy, Cllr Hamilton told party members she was

I’ll put Erdington into everything I do, and tackle the issues that are affecting them “incredibly proud” to have been selected and that her thoughts centred on Dromey’s loved ones: “We are all still grieving and this by-election has come about in the saddest of circumstances.

“My offer to voters is simple — I’ll put Erdington into everything I do. I’ll listen to local people and tackle the issues that are affecting them. This election will be a simple choice for voters. I know

people are feeling really let down by this government and are worried about the future.

“They see prices going up in shops, gas and electricity bills rising, and a government failing to do anything about it.”

RUN-OFF Cllr Hamilton’s victory in the Labour selection was another historic moment: she secured the selection by a wide margin, with 82 votes out of 114 cast after from her party’s constituency members, beating Ashley Bertie, the only other candidate, who at just 30 is a former Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands. It is reportedly the first all-black run-off to find a byelection candidate in a major UK political party.

Taking his defeat with good grace and using it as opportunity to pay tribute to the wellloved Dromey, a former employer, Bertie said: “Huge congratulations to Paulette Hamilton, who I know will be a real champion for Erdington. I promised in my speech, win or lose, that I would be by her side knocking on doors and fighting for Erdington. I can’t wait to get stuck in. That’s what Jack would have wanted.”

The Conservative Party selected local councillor Robert Alden. The by-election will take place on March 3.

Course aiming to inspire A Wolverhampton lecturer is leading the roll-out of a ground-breaking course aiming to provide pathways of aspiration and success for students from black and ‘Global Majority’ backgrounds.

The JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) programme offers students a range of workshops, mentoring, conferences, events and networking to create focused guidance to unlock their potential.

Ahecia Taylor, pictured inset right, lecturer in business management in the University of Wolverhampton’s Business School, said: “Black and Global Majority refers to people who are black, African, Asian, brown, dualheritage, indigenous to the global south,

and or, have been racialised as ‘ethnic minorities.’ Globally these groups currently represent approximately 80 per cent of the world’s population, making them the global majority now, and with current growth rates, notwithstanding the COVID-19 pandemic, they are set to remain so for the foreseeable future.

“The JEDI programme is about making fair attainment possible, making ambitions visible and providing equity to the communities that need it most.

“JEDI provides students with the opportunity to see and hear people with similar lived experiences as themselves and to show them the potential of the things they can achieve.”

AIMING TO MAKE HISTORY: If Councillor Paulette Hamilton is successful in being elected, she will be Birmingham’s first black MP. Inset left, Paulette beat Ashley Bertie to the nomination

NEWS IN BRIEF •฀ Stalking co-ordinator amongst new female safety provisions across Derbyshire.

Women and girls across Derbyshire are to benefit from a raft of safety improvements following Police and Crime Commissioner Angelique Foster’s budget announcement for 2022-23. This includes the creation of a “stalking co-ordinator” post in response to an increase in reported incidents. Tackling violence against women and girls and the provision of tailored support for victims feature strongly in the Commissioner’s Police and Crime Plan.

The Stalking Co-ordinator post has been developed to ensure the quality of investigations across the force and increased support for victims of stalking or harassment. This new role

will also work with police and partners to increase powers to deal with offenders. The Budget also enables extra night-time patrols and a focus on offender management to tackle violence against women and girls.

•฀ Night-time Nottingham patrols bolstered in response to public transport survey.

In response to a survey on female safety on public transport in Nottingham, high-visibility policing operations are in place on the city’s tram network as part of a wider campaign.

The operation has been funded by a grant of over £250,000, secured by Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commission in partnership with Nottinghamshire Police and other key partners as part of the Home Office’s Safety of Women at Night

Fund. Commissioner Caroline Henry said: “I wanted to see my funding making a tangible difference. Reducing the fear of crime is just as important as reducing the risks and the presence of extra officers is clearly giving women more confidence to go out and enjoy themselves.

“We are doing everything possible to make our city an even safer place to live and visit. I want to see people having a great night out, which in turn boosts the local economy.”

Inspector Arnie Ahmed, of the City Centre neighbourhood policing team, said: “Since stepping up patrols on the city’s transport network, we have received extremely positive feedback with many women and girls saying the additional presence of officers helps them to feel safe.”

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

24 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Lyndon Mukasa Eye on the Diaspora

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

Africa’s resources cannot be allowed to fuel the Western green revolution The great continent must share in the technology and benefits of the world’s post-fossil future

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HEN BORIS Johnson announced plans for a new “green industrial revolution” last November, he promised Britain would become a global leader in green technology. But there are many other countries vying for that title. China has outlined plans for a green industrial revolution of its own.

While a technological shift is greatly needed in order to move industries away from a dependence on fossil fuels, the focus on technological advances underlies two problems.

The idea that technology, and not substantial structural change, is what will solve the climate crisis is misguided. Resources needed for such technological changes depend on the same extractive and exploitative practices that have ravaged the global south for almost four centuries.

At the centre of this exploitation will be the African continent that is seeing increased competition from foreign powers for access to the mineral resources that would be needed to make the green industrial revolution a reality.

What has often been left out of the majority of discourse on the proposed green industrial revolution, is just how critical African labour, land and resources have been towards powering the economic growth, development and industrial revolutions of the Western world.

The exploitation of African resources has been an integral part of this, particularly after the colonisation of the continent in 1885 by European powers.

Africa has 40 per cent of the world’s gold deposits, 90 per cent of known chromium and platinum reserves and the largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds and uranium.

To put this in perspective, the uranium used in the devel-

Africa has the largest reserves of diamonds and uranium opment of the nuclear bombs that the United States dropped on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in 1945 came from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), thus Africa was critical in the development of the atomic age.

Whether it is much of the electronic devices that you use which rely on tantalum, with 71 per cent coming from Africa, or 58 per cent of the cobalt for your batteries, it is more than likely that the critical resources and minerals needed for modern life to function in an industrialised society were sourced and extracted from somewhere in the African continent.

This trend of sourcing resources for technological development is not likely to shift anytime in the future.

DISCUSSION

At COP26 there was little discussion on how unequal value chains across the developing world need to be addressed in the context of the climate crisis. The advent of a Westernled green industrial revolution is likely to continue and even intensify this pattern of extraction and reliance on African land and resources to achieve this.

With the increasing investment in green technologies this has been accompanied by an increased interest in extracting raw materials in order to build the green industries of the future.

The need for more solar panels and efficient batteries will almost certainly come from African minerals and resources.

This has been accompanied by increased land grabs by for-

CRUCIAL: African labour, land and resources have been vital for powering the West’s economic growth (photo: Getty Images) eign entities. Over 60 per cent of all uncultivated arable land is found on the continent with investors spending over $100 million for more than 40 hectares of land.

Competition with the West and other wealthy countries looking to secure their development, such as China and Brazil, are responsible for this significant trend.

Many analysts argue that this will drive economic development across the African continent and that many parts of Africa are on the cusp of their own industrial revolutions.

According to a report by global management and consulting firm McKinsey & Company, Africa has an opportunity to leapfrog the previous indus-

trial revolutions to the fourth industrial revolution.

However, there is little evidence to suggest that the intensification of demand for African resources will spur such

involved in child labour with 31.5 million currently trapped in unsafe working conditions.

Your laptop or mobile phone has cobalt and tantalum likely sourced from exploited regions

The need for more efficient batteries will almost certainly come from African resources changes. In fact, it is very possible that the drive for natural resources will fuel greater exploitation across the continent.

Currently in some countries, such as the DRC, child labour already accounts for some of the resources extracted for today’s technology. More than 72 million children in Africa are

of the DRC with most corporations and manufacturing companies refusing to monitor how the minerals were sourced.

The reality is that for Western countries to obtain the resources to shift their industries towards an environmentally friendly output, they will need to obtain these resources

cheaply from exploited labour in the global south.

This detachment from the urgency of action needed to meet the challenges of the climate crisis is in part due to the desire to preserve the large scale consumption that characterises capitalism well into the future.

However, this green industrial revolution lacks the revolutionary characteristics of its namesake and represents more of the same patterns of development in the Western world.

Even more concerning is that just as with the first industrial revolution, Africa is set up to play a key role in making this “revolution” a reality for the West.

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

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THE VOICE | 25

My mum was so won over by police camaraderie when I joined the force, she signed up too olice Constable Michael Thomas says his family were initially worried about his safety and on-the-job racism when he signed up to the Police, but after 11 years in the force he’s only ever felt camaraderie from his colleagues. Michael’s mother was particularly impressed by the sense of team spirit in the police and wanted to get involved. And, at the age of 53, she was delighted to be accepted as a Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) in Leicestershire Police.

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Michael’s proud that his mum has joined the force and knows her colleagues will always have her back. “I have experienced some degree of racism from the general public but never from my colleagues. I can only speak positively about a working environment where officers rally around and support each other.”

He adds, “It’s really important for people to know that policing has come a long way from old stereotypes, and any incident of racism is dealt with robustly.”

As an Operations Trainer, Michael finds instructing officers in first aid and safe policing highly rewarding. “I enjoy the diversity within my role, every day is different, and I know I am helping people – this keeps me motivated and driven.”

He adds, “A career within the police offers many varied and interesting experiences. People are not often aware of the range of roles on offer.”

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26 | THE VOICE

MARCH 2022

Celebrating our Sistas

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY EVENTS Here are just some of the events taking place across the country to mark International Women’s Day, on March 8, with a focus on black women and racial diversity

Women and the pandemic: lecture to explore the obstacles and solutions THE LEEDS African International Women’s Day Lecture 2022 will highlight the many obstacles women have faced in the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic with millions of women having been pushed out of the workforce

by COVID-19 and some now

are turning to downscaling in their careers or leaving it behind altogether.

This Leeds-based event aims to bring attention to the disadvantages that women have faced at the dawn of the pandemic, and how best to cultivate equality by celebrating

achievements together as a sisterhood.

Soaring With Didi in partnership with the Leeds African Communities Trust has chosen to support the International Women’s Day 2022 with a lecture titled The Contributions of Women of African Descent

to Leeds City to best convey the struggles and triumphs of black women today.

Heart Centre, Bennett Road, Headingley, LS6 3HN. March 19, 3pm-5pm. Please visit Soaring with Didi on Eventbrite. co.uk to secure your spot.

Gender expression given key platform to take centre stage IN A SERIES of curated talks, interactive workshops and solution-focused seminars dedicated to black women and their muti-faceted identities, CURLYTREATS will for the ninth year running hold

the Dear Black Women festival this International Women’s Month.

In a time of seeking gender equality, the mainstream media continues to ignore the important narrative of black

women, their achievements and impact on popular culture.

The event calls for awareness of the intersecting identities in black womanhood, while celebrating and driving conversation around these is-

sues, giving black women a space in gender expression.

International Ctre, 1 Shortlands, London W6 8DR. March 5, from 11am-7pm. Tickets: Free

Driving the debate on wage equality AS PART OF CIPD Manchester Branch and the Work & Equalities Institute, they will be driving debate on women’s right to equal pay and, despite improvements in the radical charge in feminism, they will explore how black and ethnic minority women still struggle to achieve equal pay even between their own female counterparts.

However, proposed EU

measures might mean a step forward in the fight against the gender pay gap and creating opportunities for workers to gather data demonstrating potential pay discrimination.

Professor Jill Rubery, from the Work and Equalities Institute, will lead discussions on this and the UK’s role in narrowing the pay divide.

Online, 8.30am-9.30am. Free

STAR TURNS: Comedienne Angie Le Mar, author Carol Stewart and wellness guru Pamela Windle are all pencilled in to appear at the Sheffield Hallam University event on March 5

Empowering musical women DONNE, a charitable foundation that makes positive change in the fight against gender inequality, will be holding a free and informal drop-in event that showcases a series of short musical performances, from string quartet to saxophone and harp duo written by female composers. New musical works from the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM) will have its premiere on the star-studded night.

A panel discussion with five women who are already “Breaking the Bias” in the music industry includes Dr Michelle Phillips

(music psychologist and deputy head of undergraduate studies at the RNCM), Abi Kitching (conductor & singer), Rachel Graham (project director at arts organisation TiPP), Kathryn Williams (flautist & researcher) and Angela Slater (composer).

If you want to see more women represented in classical music, this is not to be missed.

Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge St, Manchester,

M1 5BY. March 7 from 6-10pm.

Tickets: Free

Coming together to break through the bias BLACK NORTHERN women are commentating International Women’s Day 2022 again after a celebrated former years where they sought to “Break the Bias” that black women face.

Under the powerful theme and words “Imagine a gen-

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der equal world, a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination, a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive, a world where difference is valued and celebrated and together we can forge women’s equality”, this event aims to spark

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conversations on how best to combat systemic inequalities and strengthen the sisterhood of black women.

The award-winning comedienne Angie Le Mar, the founder of Abounding Solutions, and author Carol Stewart, as well as health

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and wellness expert Pamela Windle, are all expected to make keynote experiences.

Sheffield Hallam University, Howard Street, Sheffield, S1

1WB. March 5 from 9.30am4pm. Tickets: £11.37 – £27.54

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MARCH 2022 THE VOICE | 27

Celebrating our Sistas

FUTURE’S BRIGHT WITH THESE YOUNG LEADERS We celebrate five rising stars who already have a track record of success behind them

I

N A MONTH where we celebrate and focus on the achievements of black women, we can’t overlook the importance of the next generation.

Amazing black women are rising through the ranks, and we profile five young women who were featured in the Top 10 of Future Leaders magazine, a distinguished list of 150 of the

Chiamaka Elumogo, 22, University of Buckingham, Medicine (MBChB) WHEN Chiamaka joined her university, she decided that it was time to do something about the long-standing culture of institutional racism that existed at her previous school. She initiated and coled the Youth Against Racism at Norwich School Campaign by writing an open letter to her former high school.

It was signed by over 200 pupils and alumni, exposing their long-standing culture of

UK’s most outstanding black university students.

They have already achieved many things. From the young woman who is tackling childhood obesity and got the Prime Minister to ban unhealthy food ads on TV before 9pm, to an anti-harassment initiative campaigner, these are certainly women to watch for the future.

institutional racism. The aim was to encourage the school to not only acknowledge and correct their issues with racism, but to transition into an actively anti-racist institution.

More than 50 accounts of racist abuse, dating as far back as the 1970s, were documented.

Chiamaka’s campaign bore results. The school has now hired an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion officer for the first time, set up regular meet-

ings with ethnic minority parents, introduced conversations about racism and cultural identity into their PSHE curriculum, and pledged to implement lasting changes by engaging with external organisations and to be held to account.

And in April 2021, she became the spokesperson and media representative for the anti-street harassment campaign, Our Streets Now, which seeks to end sexual harassment.

Tasha Mhakayakora, 20, University of Warwick, Sociology (BA) FOLLOWING in the footsteps of the past 12 young people who have headed Future Leaders, this year’s number one, Tasha Mhakayakora, is a remarkable young woman who has been involved with a number of good causes since she was a teenager.

However, it is for the leadership she has shown in changing the narrative around child obesity that she was awarded the top spot in this year’s edition of Future Leaders.

Tasha was made co-Chair of the

Oyindamola Adeniyi, 20, Hull York Medical School, Medicine (MBBS) OYINDAMOLA co-founded the Black Excellence Network, a social enterprise designed to increase the participation of black students in competitive courses and top universities.

Within her role as cofounder, she is also Head of the Year 13 Mentorship Programme and Head of Marketing.

She is responsible for designing the scheme, as well as creating safeguarding rules. The mentorship programme currently has more than 100 mentors and mentees.

At her university, Oyindamola also led the Hull York Medical School (HYMS) Connect Programme, a quality improvement project and local initiative to help bridge the educational attainment

Bite Back 2030 Youth Board, an organisation founded by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, soon after joining them as a first-year student at Warwick.

Bite Back campaigns are aimed against a flood of unhealthy food which has resulted in more than three million being overweight or clinically obese in the UK. She spearheaded a 9pm watershed campaign to ban junk food advertisements on TV and made a video that contained six calls for action that was

viewed 41,000 times on Twitter. Tasha followed it up with an open letter published in The Guardian and called on the government to act.

Boris Johnson heard what Tasha was saying and incorporated the watershed ban within the Government’s anti-obesity strategy.

But she didn’t stop there. A couple of months later, Tasha saw an opportunity to save food standards and protect child health during the Brexit trade talks and appeared in a

Lauren Pereira-Greene, 20, UCL, Medicine (MBBS, BSc) CAPITAL COURSE: Lauren is studying at University College London

gap between African Caribbean medical students and other ethnic groups.

She wants to work in obstetrics and gynaecology or be a GP, and be a consultant for start-up social enterprises.

LAUREN founded an organisation called DIMA (Diversity in Medical Academia) which supports and encourages under-represented groups to get involved in medical research and academia.

She provides advice and guidance to other team members as well as organising talks, events and mentoring programmes. Having been awarded the Laidlaw Under-

graduate Research and Leadership Scholarship, Lauren will undertake research into the mechanisms underlying psychosis in adults, following childhood trauma.

Outside of her academic studies, Lauren is Inclusivity Officer for her medical school’s rowing club. She is working towards psychiatry and possibly doing journalism on the side.

film, #Save Our Standards, alongside Jamie Oliver and a number of other celebrities that was viewed 1.4 million times and resulted in 50,000 people writing to their MP. The result: parliament voted to uphold food standards and child health.

Tasha has continued her impressive leadership journey, speaking on behalf of the charity at a number of international conferences as well as on mainstream news and current affairs TV and radio programmes.

Melody Stephen, 22, Manchester Uni, LLB with International Study DURING her time at university, Melody made her mark by taking up a number of different leadership roles.

Included among them was a Teach Black Studies researcher, where she implemented changes to the curriculum to combat the erasure of black history.

Her hard work and dedication to this important cause resulted in the creation of a new Black Studies course at the University of Manchester.

Melody was recently elected into the role of General Secretary of the student union, and is also on the Board of Governors of the University of Manchester.

She is tasked with scru-

tinising and advising the senior management team on issues such as finance, crisis management and strategic plans.

As Urban Lawyers North president, she oversees a team of 15, as well as two additional groups consisting of at least 30 people altogether.

In addition to securing sponsorship from leading global firms, Melody has overseen and orchestrated the expansion of the society into three different universities.

She wants to work for the United Nations in law or consultancy and be involved in community leadership.

28 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Celebrating our Sistas

WOMEN LEAVING OUR Palma Black describes how a painful family bereavement drove her to support other Black women in overcoming their own personal traumas

I

’M NO stranger to the concepts of Black self-organisation and Black leadership, or of organising empowering events.

In the early 1990s, I was among a small group of Black political activists who founded Britain’s first Black-led anti-racist movement, the Anti-Racist Alliance (ARA). I played an integral role organising many conferences, national demonstrations and protests.

Growing up in south London, racism was commonplace. In the early ’90s, there was an alarming number of racist murders that were not reported in the mainstream media and, as we now know, police re-

Racist thugs, inspired by the extreme right, were literally getting away with murder sponse was poor. Racist thugs, inspired by the extreme right and ignored by the police, were literally getting away with murder.

Although short-lived, the ARA made a huge impact, most notably outlawing racial harassment and violence, shining a light on police and media indifference, changing attitudes towards racism and bringing attention to the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence. Following my stint in politics, I worked in community development and regeneration in London and the south east.

Years later, when my sister received a terminal cancer diagnosis, my life was to change.

STRESS Until Pauline’s diagnosis, I wasn’t fully aware of the link between stress and

DRIVING CHANGE: Soul Purpose 360 CIC aims to inspire and motivate Black women (photo: Getty Images). Inset left, founder Palma Black cancer, our lifestyles and our mindset.

I was, by now, a trained coach so I decided to use my coaching skills to empower Black women to over-

Cultivating Black Women for Social Change SOUL PURPOSE 360 CIC is hosting an International Women’s Day event on Saturday, March 5 at Croydon Town Hall. Cultivating Black Women for Social Change is exclusively for Black women.

The event, hosted by Patricia Wharton from Chalkhill Community Radio, will launch a report examining the personal challenges Black social entrepreneur women face, showcase inspirational and motivational speakers, including research participants, and offer practical

workshops by industry experts — all Black women.

Speakers include Rossana Leal, Marcia Brock and Nureen Glaves.

Cultivating Black Women for Social Change, Saturday March 5, 9am to 5pm, Braithwaite Hall, Town Hall Croydon, CR0 1XW Info & Tickets: bit.ly/SP360iwd2022 Contact: soulpurpose360@gmail.com SoulPurpose360.co.uk @SoulPurpose360

@thevoicenewspaper

come personal challenges and obstacles. I began organising an event for women, but when Pauline died in March 2018, I was consumed with grief and

ulting in the Cultivating Black Women for Social Change research and this event. Black women are the cornerstone of our families and our com-

I truly understood what it meant to be ‘broken’ and why ‘healing’ was important had to cancel it. I truly understood what it meant to be ‘broken’ and why ‘healing’ was so important in the grieving process. Later, while reflecting on my experience, I reached out to Black women entrepreneurs to ask about their experiences.

Listening to their testimonies spurred me into action, res-

@thevoicenews

munities. However, we are often held back by personal challenges — real and perceived. We carry the burdens of our past and present experiences, which prevents far too many of us from living truly fulfilled lives.

Soul Purpose 360 has shown me that there is a growing ap-

voicenews

petite among Black women to take a more proactive role, not just in our own lives, but in our communities, too.

The enterprise inspires and motivates Black women to grow in confidence and recognise the value of their lived-experience, enabling them to contribute positively to society.

Members of the national Black Women’s Networking & Empowerment Circle are committed to #BreakTheBias by challenging negative narratives about Black women, working collaboratively and supporting others to find their soul purpose.

Palma Black is founder & director of Soul Purpose 360 CIC

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MARCH 2022 THE VOICE | 29

Celebrating our Sistas

BURDENS BEHIND US It’s easy to see why Rossana is a good Buddy

Nureen is able to feed into all the goodness

Rossana Leal, CEO of Hastings Buddy Project, winner of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCR) Woman of the Year Award 2019

Nureen Glaves, Founder and CEO of Feed Me Good CIC NUREEN STARTED Feed Me Good CIC eight years ago out of a love and passion to teach communities how to feed themselves “good, healthy and nutritious foods”, regardless of their background, income or religious briefs.

Nureen describes herself as a proud Black woman who is also disabled.

COMPASSION She said: “I am partly sighted in my left eye and deaf in my left ear, plus I’m dyslexic.

“My mother, brought me to England from Jamaica when I was three years old to give me a better chance.

“She deliberately raised and treated me as an able-bodied person on par

with my siblings, and I credit her for that, because it instilled in me resilience and compassion for others.”

Throughout her journey of Feed Me Good, Nureen has served more than 3,000 members of various communities across London and the south east.

Her work has been recognised by brands such as IKEA, the Eden Project, the

School for Social Entrepreneurs and London’s South Bank University. Her social enterprise has been commissioned by many housing associations, councils, charities and the education section.

She said: “Soul Purpose 360 is more than a group; it’s a safe space to connect, empower and share.”

Inspirational Marcia is not only Smart, but has also shown she’s a resilience warrior Marcia Brock, CEO Smart World & SmartKid WHETHER IT’S living with multiple life-threatening illnesses or climbing the ladder of success, Marcia is a remarkably resilient individual who just keeps going.

Since the age of 19, Marcia has received the type of devastating diagnoses most people would rarely see in their lifetime.

SURVIVOR She is a five-times cancer survivor, who was told she would not live past her 30th birthday, she suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a rare inherited condition, and lupus, an autoimmune condition.

Despite this, Marcia went on to become the UK’s

youngest Microsoft female engineer and followed up with being the first Black woman to complete the Cisco Wireless Networking qualifications.

Having founded Smart, a project management company, in early 2000, Marcia

has been a part of numerous projects helping to bring the Smart brand, and more, to the world.

A “thought leader”, Marcia founded Trinity Collective, Smart World, SmartKid, Rock Brand, Brown Talent, London Bridge Ladies Who Latte, co-founded WeRockTeam with movements called AllGirlsRock and AllBoysRock, Unity in the Community, Black Love, Wealth Makers, Forex Education and more.

Marcia can inspire any audience, but she is not simply an inspiration, she is a “resilience warrior” who knows what it takes to overcome adversity whilst living with chronic illnesses.

Her story will move people into action as she sees every day as a new beginning and a golden opportunity to gain that “winning” perspective.

ROSSANA AND her family fled Chile in 1976 when she was nine after her father was detained and tortured by the Pinochet fascist dictatorship.

With the secret police looking for her mother, the family, including two brothers and a sister, undertook a dangerous journey, travelling through Argentina to London and to Scotland, where they settled. “My family’s life was turned upside down. I knew my father had been tortured

in Chile, but he refused to speak about it. My mum had also been badly treated.”

As a child, Rossana witnessed her parents struggle to learn English, to find work, and get up in the morning.

“As a child refugee, you become an adult immediately, you have to make it better for them,” she said.

The Hastings Buddy Project was set up to replicate

the solidarity and welcome Rossana felt when they arrived in Scotland. “It meant the world to me, that people who knew nothing about Chile welcomed us and tried to make us feel better. As an adult, I knew that could help newly arriving people seeking refuge in Hastings,” she said.

“It’s about creating friendships and bringing people together — creating a bridge between local families and people seeking refuge,” she added.

Of her UNHCR award, she said: “Refugee work can be very worthy, but it can be quite difficult for people with lived-experience like myself to lead, because we’re often seen as victims. We are meant to be the rescued ones — not the ones leading these things.”

30 | THE VOICE

MARCH 2022

Dotun Adebayo

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

News

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

Too cold to chill in grey UK Shivering is nature’s way of telling us we’re no longer in Africa — we shouldn’t have to spend more to be warm

N

OW IS the winter of our discontent. And, as you know, there is nothing more miserable than a cold winter.

Food’s up. Fuel’s up. Heating’s up, NI’s up. Interest rates up. The only thing that’s gone down is the temperature.

In short, the cost of living is going through the insulated roof for everybody and we’re all in this together, remember, so why should black Brits be penalised for simply feeling the cold more?

Look, we all knew that all the free money that the government was chucking about during the pandemic (the furlough etc) would have to be paid for at some time or other. Not to talk of all the money that’s been wasted from the government’s war on COVID and the subsequent recovery cash.

We were always going to have to pay a high price. Well, payback time has come. And as James Brown warned us, ‘Gotta pay back... need some pay back’.

But I thought that we would have to pay for it equitably. So that those who have to keep their heating turned up to survive — like the elderly, the infirm and people

FROZEN OUT: When Bob Marley toured Britain in the winter, it was so cold he lost one-third of the Wailers (photo: Lee Jaffe)

BIG FREEZE: The government should give us a black winter payment (photo: Patrik Giardino/ Getty Images)

Why should black Brits be penalised for feeling the cold more? of African heritage, would be given some kind of subsidy to take into consideration their mitigating factors.

It seems the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, is minded that the elderly and infirm should not have to make the choice between eating and heating, but he has so far said nothing on behalf of those of us who were made in the shade of a bright and sunny lineage without the shivers. Because shivering is the African body’s way of reminding you that you are out of Africa.

GENE You laugh? Well the scientists reckon there is a reason why some people can deal with the cold better than others. And the answer is, as you would expect, straight outta Africa, as these things so often are.

As you know, we all came out of Africa. No matter where you come from. No matter your race, your colour, your physique, we all came out of Africa. Original man is an African, ergo we are all Africans. Just as no one is in any doubt that Beyonce is out of Africa, why should anyone question whether Adele or Madonna is outta Africa? The clues are there. Seek and you shall go blind trying to study their features and every kink in their hair and every curl on their lips. Having said that, there is no way Her Majesty the Queen

doesn’t carry a bit of Africa with her wherever she goes.

Apparently, a gene mutation allowed our ancestors to venture north back when Europe was like the North Pole. I guess that’s why they call dem times the Ice Age. Well this gene mutation adapted some of our fibres. Think of a chicken. You have the white meat and the dark meat. Which do you prefer? You see what I mean? The chicken leg is darker because its fibre is denser. Or the other way around (I can’t remember). Brown fat, though, is definitely thermogenic and heats us up without us having to shiver.

The mutation in the gene apparently helped the African ancestors of Europeans (who migrated from Africa into Europe 50,000 years ago) to cope with the colder climate by wasting less energy on shivering.

This mutation tends to be seen less frequently in ethnic groups associated with warmer climates

– one per cent in Kenyans and Nigerians, 11 per cent in Ethiopians, 18 per cent in Caucasians, 25 per cent in Asians.

We can deduce from those figures that the genetic polymorphism that increased over thousands of years amongst people who migrated north to cooler climates is virtually ab-

honeymoon — can you imagine?

If I’d had done that, I would have returned from the honeymoon a divorcee. Trust me.

You come to my house and the central heating is full on in the summer. My mother-inlaw, who lives with us, wouldn’t have it any other way.

But do you get why Bob

We are 73 winters on and counting and, frankly, we are still not used to this cold thing sent amongst those of us who stayed behind.

Which explains why our post-war presence in Britain since the Windrush is counted by the numbers of winters. We are currently 73 winters on and counting and, frankly, we are still not used to this cold thing.

Especially indoors.

I’ve got a mate who went to the Ice Hotel in Sweden for his

Marley refused to tour Europe in the winter time? When he came over to play Sundown in Edmonton, north London and Leeds Polytechnic with The Wailers in 1973, he decided “never again”.

That cold, cold tour cost him one third of the triumvirate that was The Wailers, soon to become the greatest band in the world, when Bunny Wailer

decided that he didn’t want to tour no more. Do you get that?

And that was of course the whole premise of the slapstick stereotype movie Cool Runnings: we don’t like it up us when it’s snow.

Given that many families in Britain are descended from ancestors who didn’t migrate north 50,000 years ago, our chill threshold is far lower than those of indigenous Brits who see nothing wrong with wild water swimming in January or February, not to talk of cutting a hole in the ice on a lake and plunging in (apparently it’s good for your health. I just think I’ve got too much African in me to survive that level of Arctic conditions).

Is it too much to ask the government to follow the science and ‘level up’ for black Britons this winter with an extra black winter payment? Because this winter of discontent is giving us the shivers. And then there’s the cold war.

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

MARCH 2022

Muyiwa Olarewaju Nothing But Truth and Light

THE VOICE | 31

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Why do so many fall prey to Tinder swindlers?

The Lord will provide... So why do so many go to crooks for their needs, especially when it’s gone on for thousands of years?

E

VERYONE’S RUNNING helter skelter trying to prove their love to “The One”. Netflix’s Tinder Swindler has, however, pulled back the veil from the reality of the desperation for love.

Like many, I watched the story of Simon Leviev, below, aka Shimon Hayut, somewhat feeling sympathy for the women.

My wife, on the other hand, had a choice word for the women involved every five minutes.

For her, it was unthinkable that any sensible woman would behave like these women — that these women could be so gullible.

The question is, can that be really true? If it is, how is it that our community is awash with

stories of men with children in every borough of London? A brother of mine, in his quest to build his relationship with his father, travelled to his father’s country only to discover another family that he and his siblings knew nothing about, including a brother about the same age as he was that had the same first and middle name as he did.

It’s so easy for us to look at others and see the flaws. A perfect description of the Tinder swindler can be found in poetic text that was written about 2,030 years ago by a fabulously wealthy Jewish King and poet who himself was said to have had a harem of 700 wives and 300 mistresses:

TINDER TROUBLE: Dating via the Tinder app can lead to genuine romance, but it can also lead to a great deal of pain and heartache, so be careful when going down this potentially rocky route (photo: Getty Images) “…Someone who struts around taking advantage of unsuspecting souls and deceiving others is to be avoided.

With a wink of his eye, a quick shuffle of his feet, and a slight gesture with his hand, he signals his roguish treachery.

With a warped mind and twisted heart, he constantly looks for his own gain at others’ expense, causing friction everywhere he goes….”

Proverbs 6:12-14 The Voice Version Recently, a couple of scandals blew up in the world of Gospel music. In both cases the men were married and held highly in the community but were both said to have a track record of bad behaviour. These cases aren’t new.

About 20 years ago, I remember discovering that a community leader was sexually propositioning some young ladies in their 20s in his care.

I got a few brothers over there

and marched the ladies out of the house. The leader is still well respected in the UK but we’ve never spoken about it.

Blogs are awash at the moment with lessons to be learnt for the Netflix documentary.

However, I would argue the lessons are nothing new. Are we to say we didn’t know that “looks can be deceiving”, “trust must be earned”, we are to “look

through church service to the other and in the process leaves us open to the sharks?

Could it be the ideals of community are slowly eroding or (being redefined) so that when we see someone erring our position is to mind our own business for fear of being castigated, shamed and cancelled on social media by the very person we’re trying to help? Don’t we need to speak up

For her, it was unthinkable any sensible woman would behave like these women beyond the online persona”. Of course we know all these things, so why is it that so many are still falling prey to the swindlers?

Could it be that our hunger for quick fixes where love or money is concerned, drives us from one investment seminar promising fast returns to the other, or from one break-

more, whether it’s when we see the young man whose lifestyle is hurtling towards a crash or the uncle who has again betrayed the trust of his family?

Do we need to ask the young cousin who doesn’t seem to have any form of income where on earth they are getting the Loubeton & Balenciaga shoes

from? Do we dare to ask the auntie why this is the third man in five months that will sleep over? Some of the stories that are shared on the Naked Love podcast on Premier Gospel Radio with the social media star Khafi and Theo Manderson make my bald head grow hair.

The great Marcus Garvey made it clear that all we need is within our reach as a community: “You at this time can only be destroyed by yourselves, from within and not from without. You have reached the point where the victory is to be won from within and can only be lost from within.”

To borrow the words of the choir director Hezekiah Walker: “I need you, you need me, we’re all a part of God’s body. Stand with me, agree with me we’re all a part of God’s body. It is His will that every need be supplied, you are important to me, I need you to survive.”

This is the only way we deny swindlers.

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

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32 | THE VOICE

MARCH 2022

Lerone Clarke-Oliver

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

Soul searching for equality A REPORT RECENT from the Home Office shows that since the start of the pandemic, reported cases of homophobic hate crimes have increased seven per cent to 17,135 across England and Wales, while transphobic hate crimes have increased by three per cent to 2,630.

As such it’s no surprise that a number of studies have explored the provocation behind homophobia, and what makes homophobes tick.

A number of studies have explored the foundations of implicit biases, perhaps none more famously than the 1996 study, Is Homophobia Associated With Homosexual Arousal? by the University of Georgia — a study that is regularly reexplored.

HOSTILE

Results consistently find that participants who ‘implicitly’ self-identified as heterosexual were however aroused when presented with images of men — these same men were likely to be hostile towards gay people.

The working theory is that homosexual urges, when repressed out of shame, or fear, are likely to be triggered and expressed as homophobia.

Freud famously called this process a ‘reaction formation’: the angry battle against the outward symbol of feelings that are inwardly being stifled.

I’m left wondering why our own people would participate in that violence

In the same way that antiblack racists are often expressing deep jealousy of black people, some homophobes are acting on immense frustration.

Those intense emotions should serve as a signpost to self-reflection and instead sometimes manifest as hate and violence towards others.

Homophobia is a complicated violence, one informed by beliefs, cultures and lived experience. In a seminal essay by critical race theorist Devon Carbado, he argues that for some black men, heterosexuality is the only currency they have in an anti-black world.

He suggests that homophobic sentiments from these men can be a way of expressing allegiance to the dominant culture.

What connects anti-black racism and homophobia is not only the harm both cause to those living at the intersection of black and LGBTQ+, but how important

both are to the continued oppression of already marginalised people.

If homophobia can be an expression of stilted samegender desire and a way for heterosexuals to pledge allegiance to those who continue to them harm, homophobes should consider a little selfreflection. What is gained from homophobia for the perpetrator is small, but the consequences for its targets are enormous.

If black people across the UK, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity, continue to face daily violence and aggression, I’m left wondering why our own people would participate in that violence?

PROGRESSIVE

Despite the lies peddled about black people being more conservative or homophobic than others, I believe black people to be some of the most progressive and understanding.

We understand more than most the impact of racism, discrimination, and violence, but those who feel compelled to bully and reject people who are different have the same soul-searching to do.

Whichever way you cut it, you’re either hiding your own desires or behaving in ways white people expect you to. I know what type of person I’d rather be.

STRONGER TOGETHER: Black people understand more than most the impact of racism and discrimination, so why are we bullying people who are different? (photo: Getty Images)

Is Pride in London’s new leadership really up to the job?

PROMISES: Pride in London has much to do to rebuild the trust it’s lost with black people

ON MARCH 18, 2021, the entire community advisory board at Pride in London resigned, citing a ‘hostile environment’ with allegations of racism and the bullying and gaslighting of volunteers of colour.

The day prior, Rhammel Afflick had quit his role as director of communications for Pride in London, citing concerns regarding institutional racism throughout the organisation.

Afflick was the most senior black person volunteering for the non-profit organisation and had

been part of Pride in London for seven years.

By 2022, new leadership at Pride in London had formed, spearheaded by Chris JoellDeshields.

On January 28, 2022, Pride in London issued a press release largely congratulating itself and its newly formed ‘partnership’ with UK Black Pride. However, Pride in London did not have a partnership with UK Black Pride, and queer black Twitter was quick to call this out.

One user wrote: “Really sad to

watch @PrideInLondon try to use @UKBlackPride as some sort of marketing exercise to cover the racism allegations they’ve never dealt with. Especially when UKBP seem to know nothing about it.”

A statement to The Voice from UK Black Pride reads: “We are definitely not collaborating with or in partnership with Pride In London.”

Pride in London repeatedly shows the community what it is it stands for, and it’s not black people.

It would appear Pride in London

has taken to shamelessly aligning itself with UK Black Pride, calling into question whether Pride in London’s new leadership is really up for the task set out before it.

Pride in London continues to take whatever stance happens to suit its interest on any given day and without doing any of the necessary work to rebuild the trust it’s lost. It remains to be seen if Pride in London can live up to its promises, but if their recently fumbled announcement is anything to go by, it doesn’t look promising.

Lerone Clarke-Oliver is a PR, publicist, artist manager and ghost writer. He is a commentator on the black LGBTQ+ community and contributor to a number of media outlets.

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MARCH 2022 THE VOICE |

33

News feature

Harnessing power of the black pound Continued from page 10

challenge it and say that it’s wrong. Then you know they’re really making an effort.”

It’s a point that critically acclaimed author Frances Mensah Williams agrees with. “If you look at my industry, the publishing industry, several reports have highlighted the lack of diversity among those working within it” she says. “Inevitably, this leads to a lack of diversity in terms of the kind of products they put out. If you don’t have people who will be

open to stories that aren’t of their own direct experience, then there is a greater chance that those stories will be overlooked, neglected or excluded. That is a problem for a company trying to reach and connect with diverse audiences.”

One initiative which has highlighted the growing influence and activism of black consumers is Black Pound Day. Its founder, So Solid Crew member Swiss, said he wanted to create an event that would celebrate blackowned business-

RAISING THE PROFILE: Swiss from So Solid Crew founded Black Pound Day. Inset below left, Georgina Fihosy, owner of Afrotouch Design

es and give the community a financial and emotional boost, after the anger over George Floyd’s death.

BRANDS Aided by social media, which gives consumers the ability to directly interact with brands they follow, the inaugural Black Pound Day in June 2020 was a huge success attracting support from several high-profile celebs.

Hundreds of black business owners revealed on social media they had experienced their biggest growth in sales following the event. And the hashtag

BlackPoundDay became the number one trending topic on Twitter in the UK. Speaking at the launch of the event, Swiss told The Voice: “The day can help our community shape an economic agenda.

When we have control of our economic agenda we can move from a position of power and we can effect change politically.

This is really important. If we’re a community that’s not in a po-

sition of power we can’t effect change in a way that can have a positive outcome for us.”

Georgina Fihosy, owner of Afrotouch Design, which produces African-inspired greeting cards, believes that the economic activism highlighted

by Black Pound Day will be around for a long time to come.

“Black consumers want to spend their money where they know they are being catered

“The NHS saved my wife’s life so giving back was the least I could do!”

W

hen Kayode Aderinwale, 47, moved to the UK from Nigeria in 2009, he quickly realised just how important the NHS was.

One day when his wife suddenly became seriously ill, Kayode was unsure of what to do.

Desperate, he rang the emergency number and within 5 minutes, an ambulance was outside his house.

“Such speedy healthcare is not available in Nigeria so I was both shocked and overjoyed by the quick response” says Kayode. He was further amazed by the care and treatment his wife received once they reached the hospital.

“The NHS saved my wife’s life so giving back was the least I could do!” laughs Kayode.

Prior to joining the NHS, Kayode had been an accountant for almost 20 years. Although he had a deep appreciation for the NHS, Kayode only started thinking about switching careers when his niece was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. To better understand her condition, Kayode did some research and discovered some of the long-term symptoms, which included slow brain development and learning disabilities.

HEALTHCARE “Although there was no cure for cerebral palsy, I learnt that there were treatments available to help people with the condition be as active and independent as possible, which is what I wanted for my niece,” shares Kayode. He was also happy to learn that the NHS offered a team of healthcare professionals to come up with a treatment plan that would meet the child’s individual needs.

Inspired by what he had learnt and motivated by what he could achieve, Kayode decided to join the NHS as a Learning and Disability Nurse. “It was a drastic change in terms

of roles but at the heart of it, they both involve trust, diligence and care,” says Kayode. This sense of responsibility was not lost on Kayode and his passionate and caring nature is what allowed him to easily make the transition. “Before people trusted me with their money and now they trust me with their lives!” he exclaims.

REWARDING Kayode soon embarked on a three-year Nursing degree, which included a placement at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.

He recently graduated in 2021 and is now a qualified Learning and Disability Nurse at Oxleas NHS Trust in Dartford. In his new role, Kayode works closely with people with learning disabilities and mental health issues. His day to day responsibilities involve the administration of medication, physiotherapy, physical and mental health treatment, and liaising with other multidisciplinary team members, including social workers, clinicians and psychologists - depending on his patient’s needs.

“My role is extremely rewarding. Everyday I am helping to transform someone’s life - little by little. It’s so satisfying to watch people grow and progress and to know that you played an important part in their recovery - nothing can compare to it,” says Kayode.

During COVID-19, Kayode helped to administer vaccines for people with learning disabilities. One particular patient had a phobia of needles and was terrified to get the jab. But Kayode was able to calm him down using relaxation techniques and other coping methods that helped to reduce the patient’s anxiety. He was able to successfully administer the

jab; ensuring the patient and his family were protected during the pandemic.

Kayode describes working for the NHS as a great privilege and encourages others to apply for the range of roles that are available. “If your goal is to create a positive impact on the lives of real people and you want to contribute your skills to making people’s lives better then the NHS is the place for you,” says Kayode.

QUALITY Kayode also enjoys the work-life balance that comes with the job.

“My work offers me enough flexibility to spend quality time with my family,” he shares. Kayode and his family love travelling, learning about new cultures and meeting new people.

“My goal is to travel the whole world, though that might need to wait until I retire!” laughs Kayode.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown, now more than ever, that the future of England’s health and social care system relies on its people.

Now in its fourth year, the ‘We are the NHS’ campaign is back to champion the extraordinary work of nurses, AHPs, and healthcare support workers to inspire a new cohort to consider a career in the health service and be part of the NHS’s future.

■ To find out more about the range of roles available,

Search ‘NHS Careers’ today for more information

for,” she tells The Voice. “I feel that this has led to some black consumers spending more with black-owned businesses and the Black Pound Day initiative has really helped to promote this.

“In my opinion, black consumers will be loyal to, and spend money on, brands when that brand is seen as being culturally relevant, socially responsible and conscious, as well as authentic.”

34 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

News feature

The bottom line: Black women heading to Europe for butt lifts Experts issue warning that lives are being put at risk by ‘the world’s most dangerous surgery’. By Sinai Fleary

T

HOUSANDS OF black British women are travelling abroad to have cosmetic surgery to enhance their bodies.

According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ISAPS), the Brazilian butt lift (BBL) is now the fastestgrowing cosmetic surgical procedure in the world.

Since 2015, the number of butt lifts performed globally has skyrocketed by 77.6 per cent.

The BBL involves removing fat from one part of the body, like the stomach, and then reinjecting it into the bottom — to give a fuller look.

The procedure has been labelled by experts “the world’s most dangerous cosmetic surgery”, as one in 3,000 operations result in death.

In America, 53-year-old Maxine Messam died amid suspicions that she had died after a botched butt implant.

She was dropped off at a New York hospital naked from the waist down. Police believe she was injected in the bottom with an unidentified substance and warned that butt implants can be fatal.

Despite the possibility of dying, many black British women are risking it all for the “perfect” bum.

Speaking to The Voice, anonymously, Selina Campbell (not her real name), 43, from Leyton, east London, revealed she recently travelled to Turkey to have a Brazilian butt lift, tummy tuck and liposuction.

She said: “I put on a bit of weight over lockdown, even though I am quite sporty — no matter how much exercise I did, I always had a bit of a belly. I could never wear jeans or leggings without a long top because my stomach would always be sticking out or hanging over my waist.”

Last April, after speaking to a friend who also had the same procedures, she decided to travel to Turkey in September 2021 for the operations. The total cost for the three surger-

ies was £4,600 and the price also included her hotel stay, airport transfers and aftercare.

Prior to going under the knife, Selina weighed 14 stone and was a UK dress size 14.

She told The Voice that while she was staying at the Turkish hotel, she noticed a vast number of young black British women recovering after having a BBL. She said: “Istanbul is becoming like an international hub for surgery now — there was British women on every floor of the hotel. On my floor, most of them were from London. Given that we are only about three per cent of the UK population, I would say young black girls were over-represented at the hotel and most of them had a BBL done.”

Selina stayed at the hotel 10 days before returning to the UK. Recalling her recovery, she said: “The stomach pain afterwards was horrific, because it is like they cut you in half.”

CONFIDENT

ON THE RISE: Brazilian butt lift surgery is now the fastest-growing cosmetic surgery procedure in the world, experts say known about safer techniques of fat injection into the bottom.

BAAPS has warned BBLs are dangerous because the fat injected into large veins can travel to the heart or brain and cause severe illness and death.

The origin of the BBL can be traced back to Brazil in the

1960s. A celebrated Brazilian plastic surgeon called Ivo Pitanguy is widely credited as the creator of the BBL. In black communities, having a fuller booty has historically been a desirable feature for women to have, long before it became mainstream

because of reality TV stars and social media influencers.

During the 2000s, popular culture was celebrating women with naturally curvier bodies and singers such as Beyoncé and Rihanna were the faces of female body positivity.

However,

When Selina returned to the UK, she developed deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and almost died — but insists she had the condition prior to having cosmetic surgery. “The DVT I developed is nothing to do with the surgery, they did nothing wrong — it’s a condition that can be brought on by flying, being inactive or having surgery and I did all three of those,” she stressed.

Selina told The Voice she is now a UK dress size 10 or 12 and “is now very confident and has a new lease of life”.

She urged anyone thinking of having a similar surgical procedure to “do their research, look at reviews and find out if the hospital or surgeon has had any deaths on the table”.

Selina is now planning to return to Turkey in a couple of years for a breast reduction.

In the UK, the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) has advised its members not to carry out BBL surgery until more is

@thevoicenewspaper

over the past decade there has been a shift to promoting a more surgically enhanced look of women’s bodies — which is driving the demand for BBLs. According to research

by ISAPS, the demand for buttock augmentation — the procedure used to Continued on p42

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Far left, Maxine Messam died after being dropped off at a New York hospital after a suspected butt lift. Left, it’s long been speculated that Kim Kardashian has had booty implants (photo: PA Images)

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voicenews

www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2022

THE VOICE | 35

News feature

Psychological impact of racial profiling

MAKING CHANGES: Sephora closed all its US stores for one morning to hold diversity training after SZA’s accusation

Stores could be breaking the law if they treat you less favourably because of race Continued from page 6

saying that you’re not supposed to do that.

“But I will say that it’s highly important to treat each individual well, understand their concerns, and serve them well.”

According to the 2010 Equality Act, it is illegal for anyone providing goods, facilities or services in the

UK to discriminate against someone because of race.

This means that you can take action in the civil courts.

However, a spokesperson from Citizens Advice said: “If you want to take action about discrimination, you need to be reasonably sure unlawful discrimination has taken place according to the Act.”

The Voice approached the British Retail Consortium (BRC) to respond to concerns about the fact that many instances of discrimination faced by shoppers happened in retail outlets, however the BRC declined to comment on that point.

However, a spokesperson said “our members are aware of the issue and are working to remove in-store bias as well as work internally to make

the workplace more inclusive through impetuses such as our Diversity and Inclusion Charter”.

IMPACT Amoah is unequivocal about one way the situation can be addressed.

“I believe that what we need are stronger laws,”

she says. “I’m really passionate about this, because the psychological impact on consumers, who as a result may choose never to return to the store again, or shop online just because it’s easier, can be really damaging.

“I want people to walk into stores and feel valued, not to feel afraid about something that has an impact

on their mental health.

Black, Asian and multi-ethnic consumers have incredible value and have contributed towards the economy over centuries.

“They’re an audience to be admired and respected.

“Businesses are beginning to understand this, but there’s still more work to do.”

* Tina is not her real name

NHS PLEDGES MORE SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS AND SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AND ABUSE

O

NS data shows Black people in the UK disproportionately experience sexual assault and

abuse.

“Such speedy healthcare is not availableVictims and survivors of sexual and domestic abuse are being encouraged to come forward for NHS help and care, as part of a major campaign backed by a £20m boost to specialist services.

Two new clinical lead roles for domestic violence and sexual assault are also being created, alongside dedicated domestic violence support for the NHS and integrated care systems across the country.

The new campaign – which has backing from the Duchess of Cornwall and former prime minister, Theresa May – is launching on the first day of Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, and will highlight the specialist support offered at dozens of sexual assault referral centres (SARCs) in England.

This campaign is particularly pertinent to the Black community showed a 2.9% prevalence of sexual assault amongst Black people, compared to 2% for White people.

SUPPORT While the majority of victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse are women and girls, health service leaders are encouraging anyone who needs support to turn to the NHS at one of the country’s 24-hour centres. SARCs offer confidential specialist, practical, medical and emotional

support to anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted, or abused - regardless of when the incident happened.

A new survey found two in five people aren’t sure or do not know where to get help after being sexually assaulted, with 72% unaware there are NHS specialist sexual assault services who can offer confidential support. More than half of people who have experienced sexual assault also say they did not seek help afterwards.

SERVICES It comes as NHS England announces a £20 million funding boost for sexual assault and domestic violence services over the next three years, including enhanced support services for victims and survivors of sexual assault and abuse who have complex, trauma-related mental health needs.

Debbie Liverpool, SARC Manager, said: “Sadly, Black people are more likely to experience sexual assault and abuse. Yet, we see very few Black people come through our centres.

It is important that establishments such as churches, community centres, education providers, hospitals and medical facilities support with dismantling the stigma that surrounds this issue, so everyone, irrespective of race, gender or age, feel able to seek the support they need.”

The new campaign comes as a survey of more than 4000 people across the country, conducted by Censuswide, found over half (56%) did not seek help from any organisa-

tion or service after the incident, while almost half of respondents (46%) cite fear of being believed as the biggest barrier to accessing services.

The number of people receiving help from NHS SARCs halved after the first lockdown compared to 2019, despite official figures showing that domestic abuse and sexual assault had

increased.

Also backing the new campaign are a number of organisations and charities who work closely with SARCs, including Safe arms, a non-profit organisation that deals with domestic abuse and violence.

Sexual assault referral centres provide a safe space and dedicat-

ed care for people who have been raped, sexually assaulted, or abused.

If you have been raped, sexually assaulted or abused and don’t know where to turn, search “sexual assault referral centres” to find out more or visit www.nhs.uk/SARCs to find your nearest service.

36 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Dawn Butler

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

Labour MP for Brent Central

We need policing reform — starting with stop and search I F YOU haven’t seen my new documentary exploring the effect that stop and search has on our communities, then please watch it.

I was delighted to make this documentary, which premiered recently on Byline TV’s YouTube channel, to raise awareness of the negative impact stop and search has on so many people — especially people of colour.

When I was pulled over in a vehicle, along with a friend, in Hackney in 2020 due to an officer ‘error’ inputting the registration, it felt dehumanising being surrounded by police cars with lights flashing — especially as we had done nothing wrong.

I know this is a regular occurrence for people of colour, as I heard so often in making the film, including here in London.

That is what my film sought to do; give a voice to those who have been affected and highlight why we need urgent reform.

Official figures show black people are nine times more likely to be stopped and searched.

They are also six times more likely to be stopped while driving than white people.

We cannot continue to rely on a system that disproportionately targets black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.

Acknowledging institutional

STOPPING THE SEARCH: This police policy is one that has created a great deal of anger and frustration among many communities, and needs to be addressed (photo: Getty Images)

We cannot continue to rely on a system that targets BAME communities

racism does not mean that every officer is racist — but if the system is institutionally racist, the outcome will be racist whether the individual is racist or not.

I also want to make clear that stop and search is ineffective.

Between 2010-2018, only 15 per cent of people stopped and searched were arrested.

When you continue to use something so unsuccessful, all you will do is foster negative interactions and relationships with certain communities.

It is counter-productive as well as wrong.

Now that we will have new leadership in the Met Police following Cressida Dick’s resignation, there is an opportunity for change. I would like to see a public health-based approach to knife crime, which has been successful in Glasgow.

I am also determined to work with police to ensure practical changes and improvements in its training programmes. Our

police service should also reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

One of the many practical solutions I’ve called for is the implementation of the recommendations from the Macpherson report, which were made in 1999 following the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence but still haven’t been fully

implemented. One example is Section 61 of the report, recommending that a record is kept of all stops made by police, which would include the reason for the stop, the outcome and the self-defined ethnic identity of the person stopped.

Stops should be based on police intelligence and reasonable suspicion only – the colour of a

person’s skin should not be the cause for reasonable suspicion.

I called for Cressida Dick to step down for the Met’s repeated and serious institutional failings under her leadership.

Her replacement must now be fully committed to serious reform and to building trust back into the Met, as this is how we will start to create a system

that both police and all communities are confident in.

They can start by listening to many of the voices in my documentary and implement much-needed reform to stop and search practices.

You can view part 1 of my documentary here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wcR7-Zigls

Let’s beat prostate cancer together

NOTHING TO BE EMBARRASSED ABOUT: Seeking medical advice early could save your life (photo: Getty Images)

I ENCOURAGE everyone to watch Embarrassed, the short film about prostate cancer made by Sir Steve McQueen.

Embarrassed aims to dispel the myths around prostate cancer, encouraging black men to ask their doctors for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test, while also spreading the message between family and friends: the cancer is curable if caught and treated in the very early stages.

As you will see when you watch, it’s a highly impactful short, starring four prominent black actors: Idris Elba OBE,

@thevoicenewspaper

Chiwetel Ejiofor CBA, Micheal Ward and Morgan Freeman. I completely support this vital campaign to raise awareness for this terrible disease.

Many people will be shocked to learn that one in four black men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. This compares with one in eight white men who will be diagnosed and one in 14 Asian men.

It is vitally important that all our communities, from all backgrounds, are aware of the risk.

One of the goals of the campaign is to

@thevoicenews

voicenews

ensure that all men who fit that higherrisk category, including all men with family history of prostate cancer, are proactively offered a test to screen for prostate cancer.

I have written to the Government, informing them of this important campaign and its vital goals. Readers can help by spreading the word, as talking about it could truly save someone’s life.

I am so thankful to Sir Steve McQueen, Patrick Cox and all those who made this video. Let’s all come together to support this cause and help save lives.

www.voice-online.co.uk

Spotlight

MARCH 2022

THE VOICE | 37

‘I COULDN’T BELIEVE THAT I WAS BEING PAID TO SING’ G

RACE NYANDORO is a freelance opera singer who has worked for companies such as Birmingham Opera, Pegasus Opera and Opera Holland Park.

Born to Ugandan and Zimbabwean parents, Grace grew up in north London.

Grace has been praised for her “warmly inflected and expressive singing” and is passionate about the outreach and community projects she contributes to, aimed at making opera accessible.

R e f l e c t ing on how she got into music, she said: “I was a really shy child, but my mother could see that my sister and I loved music, so she encouraged this by making us join our local church children’s choir.”

This was the start of Grace’s musical journey.

She joined more choirs at school and became an accomplished saxophonist.

She later went on to study music at the University of Edinburgh — and it was there that Grace discovered the world of opera.

“As a young black musician, I had unconsciously decided the world of opera was not open to someone who looked like me.

“Instinctively, my teacher realised this and introduced me to wonderful black opera singers like Leontyne Price and Jessye Norman.”

After university, Grace auditioned and was accepted to study at Trinity Laban, a prestigious music college in Greenwich.

“It was an intense experience, learning

REMOVING BOUNDARIES: Grace wants opera to be accessible to all

to sing is an expensive business,” she said.

“I had some financial help, but it was hard to study and have to work, too,” she added.

However, Grace does not regret her choice to enter the opera industry.

She added: “I remember the first day of rehearsals on my very first opera production.

I was so excited, I couldn’t believe I was being paid to sing!”

Grace is also passionate about making opera accessible for all through outreach and community projects and regularly works for Birmingham Opera in this capacity.

FORTUNATE She enjoys working with Birmingham Opera on outreach projects, and has also worked with ENO Baylis Opera Squad and English Pocket Opera which work extensively in schools across the UK. Grace was chosen this year for The Royal Opera House Engender x WeGrow mentoring programme.

She added: “I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to do what I love especially since the pandemic, I hope to encourage more people to engage with opera.”

You can hear Grace sing in the newly commissioned opera; Herday for Coventry city of culture festival from March 8-12, 2022. Visit grace nyandoro.co.uk

38 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

News feature

ALBINISM AND ME: A OF SUCCESS IN THE Exclusive by Sinai Fleary

A

POPULAR PHOTOGRAPHER with albinism is urging the black community to be more open about the health condition.

Albinism affects the production of melanin — the pigment that provides colour to skin, hair and eyes.

People with the condition have a reduced amount of melanin, and sometimes no melanin at all, and for black people with albinism, having their blackness questioned is very common.

Speaking exclusively to The Voice, Daniel Oluwatobi from Peckham, south-east London, said: “When I was at primary school, I got asked loads of questions like ‘what are you?’

“And when I was younger, I would say ‘I’m going to be honest with you, mate – I don’t know’.

“When I was a kid, I didn’t know for sure, but I assumed I was black because I had two black parents, even though I looked so different to them.”

Mr Oluwatobi’s parents moved to the UK in the 1960s and 1970s from Nigeria and he comes from a “loving and sup-

portive” family and has seven siblings.

“My family accepted me regardless, and sometimes when you are around people, you can feel like you are just being tolerated, but with my family, it was always unconditional love,” he said.

His older brother also has the condition and acted as a “protector” when he was growing up in Millwall — which once had a notorious reputation for racism.

He said: “My older brother told me to own who I am and embrace my uniqueness.

He would always say ‘our difference is our superpower’ and that has always stayed with me.”

“We were in a predominately white area, but within that there was a tiny black community, so I was a minority within a minority, dealing with being black and having albinism,” he added.

INHERITED Albinism is an inherited lifelong condition that can affect anyone from any ethnic background.

There are two main types of

the condition, Oculocutaneous Albinism (OCA), which is the most common type, affects the skin, hair and eyes.

The second type is Ocular Albinism (OA), which is a rarer type that mainly affects the eyes.

According to Albinism Fellowship, the rare genetic disorder affects around one in 17,000 people in the UK — but they believe this is an underestimate.

Mr Oluwatobi told The Voice that people are not as “ignorant” as when he was a child, but recalled some of the misconceptions he heard growing up.

He said: “The most common one I heard is that we are vampires because we can’t stay out in the sun, and that is not true, we can – we just need to wear a lot of protection.”

One of the most notable figures with albinism in the black community is Dancehall music legend King Yellowman.

@thevoicenewspaper

He was born in Jamaica in 1956, but was abandoned by his parents and grew up in Maxfield Children’s Home and then Alpha Boys School orphanage.

a long-lasting and illustrious career and is still recording and touring today.

Mr Oluwatobi told The Voice that he first became aware of the Dancehall star when a

he is an artist and a legend in his own sense.

“Everybody knows him and I guess, in a way, you do want that kind of legacy, too.

“I want my work to precede me, and that is what is so important about King Yellowman, people know his music and artistry. And that is my goal in life, for people to know my work and what I stand for.”

My brother told me to own who I am and embrace my uniqueness — he would say ‘our BULLYING difference is our superpower’.

The photographer said he would like to see the black commuI was a minority within a nity be more open about how those with the condition are minority, dealing with being treated.

He said: “We are as normal as black and having albinism everyone, we may look differGrowing up, he was shunned due to having albinism.

The talented DJ released his first album in 1982 and it propelled him on to the world stage.

He has since gone on to have

@thevoicenews

security guard at a shopping centre in Peckham kept calling him Yellowman, but he never understood why.

He said: “I looked Yellowman up online and found out who he was, and it was great to see

voicenews

ent and lack melanin, but treat us normally, you don’t need to act differently around us.”

The 31-year-old experienced horrific bullying when he was growing up, from both white and black children.

He said his parents showered him with love but didn’t tell him about the condition

www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2022 THE VOICE | 39

News feature

BLACK MAN’S STORY FACE OF ADVERSITY IN THE FRAME: Photographer and videographer Daniel Oluwatobi, middle left and far left, is more than comfortable in his own skin, and admits he has taken a great deal of inspiration from Dancehall music legend King Yellowman, left

because they wanted him to have an ordinary childhood and have a sense of “normality”.

But looking back now, he believes that sheltered life left him unable to explain to others who he was.

He said: “I don’t blame my parents in any way, they wanted to protect me. I found out about albinism very late, when I was 15, and began researching for myself.”

The father-of-two admits discovering the full extent of his condition was a shock.

He said: “It was hard for me, because I was now aware that I was different and knew about the challenges that I would face throughout my life.

“I’m not able to drive because I am partially sighted and when I get on the bus I would have loads of people staring me.

“I knew it would be hard going into relationships.”

Despite the hurdles he faces, Mr Oluwatobi, who is known in the creative industry as DB Captures, is living his dream

as a successful videographer and photographer.

He has worked with British Rhythm and Blues singer Ella Mai, which he says “was the catalyst to everything I do now”.

He describes himself now as “booked and busy” and has landed key jobs on campaigns with major brands such as Red Bull, Tik Tok and Levi’s.

His unexpected big break came when he was on holiday in Portugal in 2019.

He said: “Burna Boy put out a tweet on Twitter saying he needs someone to capture his performance at the Afro Nation music festival and loads of people started tagging me.”

Eventually, the post went viral and the award-winning Afro Beats star’s team managed to track the photographer down.

He said: “They asked me ‘do you have your equipment on you?’ and I was like ‘yeah, why?’ My mouth dropped, I couldn’t believe it. They want-

ed me to film for Burna Boy at Afro Nation. It was one of my first major bookings as a photographer and it literally has changed my life, I have been booked and busy

battled clinical depression. As he is partially sighted, he has adapted how he works in order to continue in his dream job.

“I didn’t want to let that get in the way of my aspirations

that I have albinism be an excuse.”

His interest in photography and videography began when he was 15 years old and given his first creative opportunity in a theatre company by his older brother. He started singing at the age of nine and has a real passion for music.

By the time he was 18, he was filming weddings.

Mr Oluwatobi is full of positive energy and has big plans for 2022.

I am a black man with albinism, it doesn’t change my ethnicity or my nationality. I am as black as a dark skin man, with SHOWCASE two black parents, there is no He disclosed to The Voice that he difference — the only difference is working on the biggest project of his life and will be reis I have a lack of melanin leasing new music, and has no ever since.”

Mr Oluwatobi is currently embracing the opportunities and blessings because he has had his fair share of trials and tribulations.

During his mid-20s he struggled with his mental health and

and I just learned how to shoot based on my disability, so I shoot sharper because I know my eyesight is not as good, but my images still come out great,” he said.

He added: “I have learned to adapt and not let the fact

plans of slowing down.

He said: “I want to sign up with an agent and put on an exhibition to showcase some of my work.”

He explained to The Voice that, over the past four years, he has been on a journey of selfdiscovery and self-love and is finally comfortable in his own

skin. He added: “I am a black man with albinism, it doesn’t change my ethnicity or my nationality.

“I am as black as a dark skin man with two black parents, there is no difference, the only difference is I have a lack of melanin.”

Mr Oluwatobi says the albinism community is not hypervisible, and he does feel he has to “represent” being in the public eye.

He said: “Unfortunately, we live in a society that doesn’t see us.

“But you have got to close the door on the negative stuff people have said to you, and open the door to what you are going to say to yourself, and build on that day by day.”

He added: “This idea that we need to be put away in a cave is wrong.

“We should be treated fairly and equally like everyone else, because everyone deserves respect and to be treated like a human being.”

40 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2022

New campaign encourages Black Africans and Caribbeans experiencing mental health problems to try NHS talking therapies

A

new NHS campaign is encouraging people struggling with their mental health to seek confidential help from NHS talking therapies.

Research found that Black people are a third less likely to ask for professional help and are especially encouraged to make use of the range of free services available for anxiety, depression, and other common mental health problems – either by self-referral or by contacting their GP. A survey commissioned by NHS England and NHS Improvement found that more than 1 in 3 (36%) Black respondents who reported mental health issues didn’t seek professional help because they didn’t feel comfortable talking to other people (compared to 22% of the general population).

Mental Health Therapist Antoinette said:

“The myth that mental health isn’t a Black issue can make us hesitant to admit or talk about depression or anxiety. NHS talking therapies are 100% confidential, so you don’t have to worry about what anyone thinks. Your free video or in-person consultation will put

you at ease and help you find the right kind of support for you.”

The NHS offers a range of talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), counselling and guided self-help.

Support is offered in a number of ways, including as an online course, over the phone and via interactive text messaging and one-to-one or group therapy.

If you’d prefer to talk in a language other than English, you can talk to therapists who speak your language or work through a confidential translator.

Idriss was helped by NHS Talking Therapies. He said:

“I wasn’t comfortable about talking about my thoughts and feelings, especially with a stranger. But it turns out it was exactly what I needed. NHS talking therapies made me realise that holding things in was part of the problem.

It helped that it’s all confidential, I felt I could finally open up and unburden myself.”

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42 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

News feature

RISE IN OPS OVERSEAS Many people are choosing to head to Europe and elsewhere for surgery, but an expert warns that care is needed when seeking procedures Continued from p34

improve the volume and shape of the buttocks —has increased by 38.4 per cent in 2019 and by 65.9 per cent since 2015.

Susan Fleary is a former secondary school teacher from north-west Birmingham. She underwent weight loss surgery in Belgium two years ago.

She told The Voice that in 2013, she noticed buttoning up trousers was becoming increasingly painful and her stomach was so large

They found that I had a very large fibroid, which was the size of a full-term pregnancy people thought she was pregnant, but she wasn’t.

She raised her concerns with her doctors, but says she was quickly dismissed

and told “it’s obesity”. She says she tried all the popular weight loss clubs, met with dieticians and tried all the fad diets going, but her stomach remained large and hard.

FIBROID She was eventually referred for a scan and got the shock of her life.

“They found I had a very large fibroid, which was the size of full-term pregnancy,” Ms Fleary recalled. “I was struggling to breathe,

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SUCCESS STORY: Susan Fleary said she was happy after having a gastric bypass in Belgium I had pain in my back and knees.”

Ms Fleary’s weight had spiralled out of control and she was a UK dress size 30 at her heaviest.

She said: “After a while, I stopped checking my dress size, I got to about a size 30 and after that I just stuck to elastic clothing.”

Ms Fleary was told that she would have to lose weight in order to have the fibroid removed or to be considered for weight-loss surgery on the NHS.

always hungry and said “the hole for the food to pass through is like the size of a one pence coin, and you have to chew your food like baby food”.

She knew this wasn’t going to work long-term, and so she decided to do her research to find options for an alternative surgery.

In August 2020, after finding a surgeon on Facebook, she travelled to Belgium to have a mini-gastric bypass — which cost her £5,800.

Since her operation, Ms

Medical tourism may not be a new phenomenon in itself, but in cosmetic surgery, it’s clearly increasing at a galloping pace.

Countries vary in their requirements of medical professionals She then put herself on an intense, low-calorie diet and said she managed to lose five stone.

In 2014, she had a gastric band fitted, but she now insists that “it was the wrong procedure”.

“The band doesn’t work, the tightening of the band around the stomach is very painful,” she said.

“I could feel it when I sat down and I was frightened to eat, because I would regurgitate my food,” she added.

Ms Fleary insists she was

Fleary has gradually lost weight and has gone from a UK dress size 26 to a 14.

She said: “I eat what I want and I eat in moderation and the right portion sizes.

“I’ve lost weight slowly, but I am so happy.”

Ms Fleary told The Voice that weight-loss surgery is not “a quick fix” and “you have to work extremely hard to keep the weight off”.

She also encouraged those people who may be considering surgery to get a full health check done on themselves to ensure they do not have any

undiagnosed health conditions before going ahead.

According to BAAPS, those returning to the UK after having surgery abroad are often in need of urgent followup care.

They also warned of serious complications from BBLs ranged from severe bacterial infections including MRSA and pseudomonas, tissue dying (necrosis), scarring, wound ruptures (dehiscence) and abscesses.

BURDENING Consultant plastic surgeon and BAAPS president-elect Paul Harris said: “Medical tourism may not be a new phenomenon in itself, but in cosmetic surgery it’s clearly increasing at a galloping pace, and botched procedures are over-burdening our health service.

“Countries around the world vary in their requirements of medical professionals.

“Some require insurance, some don’t, some follow a strict screening process or cooling-off period, and many don’t.

“Therefore, many patients find themselves having to rely on care back in the UK.” In February 2019, motherof-one Khelisyah Ashamu, 26, died after having a gastric bypass in Turkey and in August 2020, social worker and mother-of-three Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, died following liposuction and a BBL in Turkey.

Lifestyle Jonzi D and Sadler’s Wells are back with Breakin’ Convention p46

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44 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Lifestyle

Art

Feel the love

BY RODNEY HINDS

G

ET UP, stand up and make your way to The Bob Marley — One Love Experience at London’s Saatchi Gallery.

Discover and celebrate one of the world’s most beloved and unifying musical and cultural figures in this unique exhibition.

The Bob Marley — One Love Experience makes its global debut at London’s Saatchi Gallery for a limited 10-week exhibition, which comes to an end on April 18.

Visitors will be able to witness previously unseen Marley photographs and memorabilia as well as immerse the audience in Marley’s lifestyle, passions, influences, and enduring legacy through multi-sensory experiences, accolades and neverseen-before giant art installations.

The exhibition will also include a celebration of his musical legacy

through a unique listening experience and his love of football, family and other passions will come to life in an array of experiences throughout various rooms.

Cedella Marley, CEO of Bob Marley group of companies, said: “We’re thrilled to see it come to life and debut in London, which had a very special place in Daddy’s heart.

“The experience can be enjoyed by all generations and we look forward to continuing to spread Daddy’s music and message to the globe.”

One visitor told Lifestyle: “Bob Marley and this exhibition is all about the vibe, love, the sound and diversity of people — and I mean all people.

“It so inspiring seeing so many people from different walks of life coming together to celebrate what Bob Marley has given us.

“I can feel the one love here.”

For details, visit bobmarleyexp.com or follow @bobmarleyexperience on Instagram and Facebook

Photos: Thierry Lagrin

Artist Boyce to represent Britain with multi-media display at La Biennale in Venice THE BRITISH COUNCIL has commissioned artist Sonia Boyce OBE RA to represent Great Britain at the 59th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, presenting a major solo exhibition of new work, from April 23 to November 27, 2022.

Boyce’s exhibition will be a new multi-media installation comprising video, sound, wallpaper and sculptural objects, throughout the galleries of the

British Pavilion. The new work will show the vitality of collaborative play leading to artistic innovation, a central tenet of Boyce’s practice, as well as the importance of taking intuitive creative risks.

At the heart of Boyce’s work is an empowering exploration of gestures and events, with an underlying focus on the personal and political subjectivities behind them.

On the British Council Com-

mission, Boyce commented: “Few would question the enormous challenges we have collectively faced over the past two years. What has shone through, for me, in this journey to create a new body of work is the irrepressible spirit of human creativity.

“The people that have agreed to go on this journey with me have shone bright.”

Emma Ridgway, Shane Ak-

@thevoicenewspaper

eroyd Associate Curator of the British Pavilion at Biennale Arte 2022, said: “Sonia Boyce depicts intimate social encounters to explore dynamics between people, often with a focus on unexpected gestures.

“Working across drawing, photography, video and installation for the last 20 years, Boyce’s artistic enquiry centres on how identities are performed, particularly when individuals

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are aware of being seen. We are looking forward to sharing this new exhibition, born out of this outstanding artist’s creative collaborations, at the British Pavilion this year.”

Emma Dexter, British Council Director Visual Arts, Commissioner of the British Pavilion and chair of the British Pavilion Selection Committee, said: “I am delighted that Sonia Boyce will place creative experiment,

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collaboration, improvisation and dialogue at the core of her British Council Commission 2022, in an installation that will be quite unlike any other in the long history of the British Pavilion.

“Boyce is an artist whose work embodies inclusiveness, generosity and the importance of working together, and I have no doubt that it will prove to be a truly inspirational addition to this year’s Biennale Arte.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2022

THE VOICE | 45

Lifestyle

Gardening

‘Everyone’s a gardener’ TV star Tayshan Hayden-Smith says we can all learn a lot from getting in touch with nature NEW RECRUIT: Tayshan HaydenSmith is the latest member to join the team on the BBC’s Your Garden Made Perfect show

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

T

AYSHAN HAYDENSMITH graced our screens last month as the latest member of the green fingered gang on the BBC’s Your Garden Made Perfect.

Hayden-Smith, also known as the Grenfell guerrilla gardener for his work on the Grenfell Garden of Peace, told The Voice there was once a point he thought his life would look very different than it does today.

Last year saw the launch of Your Garden Made Perfect, a spin-off to the popular BBC Two series Your Home Made Perfect.

The first series proved a big hit with viewers as the show revealed garden designs to homeowners using the latest visual technologies.

From big budgets to low-cost tips, winning designs are chosen and then built in real life.

Hayden-Smith joins the gang to help them find low-cost and sustainable solutions when the budget is looking tight.

He’s also attempting to change the narrative on what your typical gardener looks like.

He told The Voice: “I think as someone who’s, I guess, relatively young and someone who’s not who you would have typically seen, and it pains me to say that, but not typically perceived as a gardener, you know, someone who plays football, someone who has dreadlocks, someone who has mixed heritage, I look at the perceptions of what a gardener is and that’s not what I think of when I think gardening.”

He added: “I’d like to think I’m breaking that mould slightly.

“The way I put it is that I’ve got family in all different parts of the world. And gardening is intrinsic to the way that they live. It’s a lifestyle, it’s part of their life.

“And so, in the UK, actually everyone’s a gardener.

Everyone has the capacity and the ability to be a gardener.

I think it’s just about making people aware and putting them in touch with nature.”

INSPIRED Born and raised in North Kensington, Hayden-Smith was inspired by the Grenfell tragedy to create the Grenfell Garden of Peace.

He adopted the name the Grenfell guerrilla gardener at the time. He is passionate about being a part of a more inclusive environment in the horticultural scene.

The founder of the Grow2Know CIC, a not-for-profit organisation which aims to showcase the power of knowledge in your

“I rely on the grass

that I play on at football and that’s all down to gardening”

surrounding environment, planting seeds in the minds of young people and giving them the necessary tools to make a positive impact on their communities, life could have been very different for HaydenSmith had he decided to follow his initial passion which saw him using his feet rather than his hands.

“Ten years ago, you wouldn’t have been able to separate me from football,” he enthused.

“I had a football, at my feet, every second, every day, (going to) parties in football tops, that was the kind of person I was.

Football was just my passion, my vision.

“There’s three things in my life that take me to a different realm, to a different place, football, gardening, and music.

“I think they’re all linked in some way, shape or form.

It’s just a way of expressing myself.”

On the connection between

two of his most loved vocations, he added: “Football was a passion of mine. And from a very young age, I was quite a technical player and that attracted some interest from some academies when I was younger.

“I was signed to Brentford.

I had a little stint at QPR and I was on trial at Newcastle, although they didn’t sign me.

Then I looked abroad. I started as a professional footballer in Austria.

“So, I’ve done a bit of travelling, football’s taken me to amazing places and given me amazing experiences. And it’s funny, because, I make the link between gardening and football.

“I’d say nature and football really because I spent a majority of my life growing up in parks.

I live in Notting Hill and down the road to me is Holland Park and Hyde Park. And you know, whether it’s playing football, using trees as goalposts or kicking a ball in a bush and having to wait to get your ball back, or having to retrieve a ball by climbing a tree and getting

it from the branches, we’ve all been there.

“I mean, my shots weren’t perfect, so I was always immersed in nature. I was never one to be indoors, sitting in a room, playing games wherever it might be. I was always outdoors.

INFLUENCE “So, I feel like nature is kind of at the heart of everything I do. When you look back, and hindsight’s a beautiful thing, you do think that must have had a massive influence on my life.

“I kind of rely on the grass that I play on at football and that’s all down to gardening but a lot of people don’t make that link.”

Comfortable with being the visual reference point for the black community in the world of horticulture, Hayden-Smith

wants to reach more people and specifically educate young people about the environment, while encouraging community cohesion and strength.

His designs are always about using nature to bring people together and he has vast knowledge of medicinal and sensory planting.

“I think there’s a feeling from the black community that the industry of horticulture is not welcoming, but actually, you know, it’s as simple as planting a seed,” said Hayden-Smith.

“I know for a fact that for my uncles, my aunties, my granddad, gardening is part of their lifestyle. Everyone’s a gardener, it’s part of us. It’s part of our life. It’s part of our mind, our soul and our body. I think we just need to get out there and be in the garden.”

46 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Lifestyle

Dance

Breakin’ the Convention Sadler’s Wells is so ready to take hip hop to its heart

BY JOEL CAMPBELL FTER TWO years of restrictions, I’m happy to say Breakin’ Convention is back,” an ecstatic Jonzi D tells Lifestyle. You can literally hear the relief in his voice when he sits down to talk about this year’s upcoming show.

The Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist is always positive where the International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre is concerned and, now lockdown is over, his fervour knows no bounds.

Before waxing lyrical about this year’s attractions, though, he had a message for his beloved black community.

With Breakin’ Convention representing the origins and evolution of hip hop culture from around the world and around the corner, Jonzi D wants to ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to be in the building.

Through its international festivals and tours and professional development programme, Breakin’ Convention is at the vanguard of the global development of hip hop theatre artists.

“Let’s be frank, Breakin’ Convention always sells out. So, it’s important that people get their tickets early,” said Jonzi D, below. “The reason it usually sells out is because the Sadler’s Wells season brochure comes out. Therefore, people from earlier are just booking up the tickets, when usually when we do Breakin’ Convention specific

A

promo, that’s a bit closer to the time. By then, tickets have sold out. So what you have to do is book tickets early.”

Back for its 19th year, platforming innovative, authentic dance rooted in the streets and presented live on stage, Breakin’ Convention takes place from Friday, April 29 to Sunday, May 1.

In true tradition, audiences are encouraged to arrive early for activities in the foyers, including live DJ sets from awardwinning mixmasters, panel discussions, impromptu dance circles, graffiti art and dance workshops with artists.

Breakin’ Convention sees renowned Australian choreographer and b-boy Nick Power present his piece Between Tiny Cities in the Lilian Baylis Studio.

ENERGY Dancers Aaron Lim and Erak Mith perform the duet in the round, blending the raw, wild energy of b-boy battles with skilful improvisation and choreography, offering a cross-cultural perspective on style, culture and locality. Between Tiny Cities is performed as part of a UK tour.

Compagnie Niya arrives at Breakin’ Convention with Gueules Noire. Choreographed

by Rachid Hedli, the work pays a heartfelt tribute to the migrant workers of the Nord-Pas de Calais Mining Basin, including his father.

Retracing life in the mines, Compagnie Niya’s razor-sharp breaking and popping skills create evocative images of solidarity, struggle and fraternity.

Hedli’s powerful and poetic

STAR TURN: Hip hop artist Salah leads a sample session for kids at the Buell Theatre in the US, when the Denver Centre for the Performing Arts presented Breakin’ Convention, which is coming to Sadler’s Wells (photo: The Denver Post via Getty Images) staging is amplified by the original music of Romual Houziaux.

London-based dance artist and performance maker Amanda Pefkou performed in Breakin’ Convention’s Open Art Surgery in 2021 and presents a passionate krump piece inspired by her Cypriot lineage as well as her mother.

With the full line-up to be announced, Jonzi D spoke about some of what he was most looking forward to.

“I look forward to the DJs, the dance cyphers, and all the immersive elements of Breakin’ Convention that we’ve missed so much.”

He added: “We’ve been doing it throughout lockdown, which has left us quite limited to national acts, but this time we are coming back.

“We’re international and we can sit close together again.

Boy Blue are back after a brief hiatus, and also check out their

@thevoicenewspaper

All the info ...

Breakin’ Convention 2022 International Festival of Hip Hop Dance Theatre Sadler’s Wells, EC1R 4TN Performance nights: April 29, April 30 & May 1, 2022 from 6pm Tickets: £15-£40 Ticket Office: www.sadlerswells.com work at the Barbican in March.

“And we’re really excited to announce Bird Gang from the UK, and they are collaborating with a magician. Bird Gang have always liked to play with illusion, wearing masks and stuff, but this time they are going in.

They are in the Magic Circle now.

“I spoke to them recently and they were not giving up any of their secrets, they are sworn

@thevoicenews

to not tell anyone about how they do their tricks. I can’t wait to watch them because I am going to be watching from the sidelines, in the wings, so I am going to be checking out all of their Magic Circle secrets.

“We’re also really glad Compagnie Niya are with us.

“They’re from the north of France, and were meant to be with us two years ago but quarantine restrictions stopped that from happening.

“They will be here doing a whole night on the Friday night of that weekend. They use proficient popping techniques to tell their story.”

Ukrainian contortionist and dancer Kate Luzan makes her Breakin’ Convention debut with her striking take on hip hop, adding her signature moves in high heels into the mix.

Luzan has performed across fashion campaigns and commercials, as well as on multiple

voicenews

dance television shows, including So You Think You Can Dance Ukraine.

Jonzi D added: “I want to mention Luzan because she is from the Ukraine and, as we know, there is potential strife going on there, so I just hope and pray that she is able to come over to London.

“She is an amazing soloist who does all of her work in high heels. It’s not definable, I think her work is mad special.”

Since its inception, Breakin’ Convention has been committed to the development of hip hop theatre artists by providing a variety of participatory opportunities.

Lockdown couldn’t dampen the spirit encapsulated by Jonzi D and his movement.

So 2022 looks to be more of the same – and then some.

Watch the full interview online: www.voice-online.co.uk.

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2022

FRIDAY LATE 18 March

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48 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Lifestyle

Technology

‘We must never forget our history’ Mandela’s granddaughter helps to bring legendary figure’s statue to life in AR experience

BY JOEL CAMPBELL UKWINI MANDELA told Lifestyle that ‘blood had been spilled’ in order for her to be sitting where she is today and that it was totally unacceptable that celebrating black history had been relegated to just one month a year in the UK. The granddaughter of Nelson Mandela was in London last month to promote the launch of tech company Snap’s ‘Hidden Black Stories’ project, in partnership with the Black Cultural Archives.

The AR (augmented reality) experience will be a permanent virtual fixture in Trafalgar Square and was timed to coincide with the release of Mandela from Robben Island 32 years ago.

The project is aiming to encourage ongoing education and attention on Black British History.

Tukwini, pictured inset right, said: “Today is the anniversary of my grandfather’s release from prison, so it means even more to me and I couldn’t be

T

“This quest for ensuring black people are included in our history is a personal one” more excited that Snap and the Black Cultural Archives have invited me to attend as part of their mission to make Black history more visible, so it’s never forgotten.”

RECOGNISE

Research conducted by Snap, the Black Cultural Archives and Research Without Borders found that on average, less than a third of Brits recognise famous historical black figures, about half the level of those that recognise similarly important famous white figures (63 per cent).

Significantly, there are over 175 statues of named individuals in the UK, and just 21 are of black and minority ethnic individuals. The whole of Trafalgar Square, the iconic place where Nelson Mandela made his

ICONIC: The augmented reality technology allows Nelson Mandela’s statue in London, which is in Parliament Square, to be a permanent virtual fixture in Trafalgar Square. Right, Mandela powerful Make Poverty History speech in 2005, will become an immersive history lesson – telling Snapchatters the stories of Black British History that live behind the more famous monuments of the iconic London location.

On working with Snap and being in a position to continue her grandfather’s work, Tukwini enthused: “We are part of the Thembu tribe in South Africa and my grandfather really told us about who the Thembu’s

were. We come from a royal bloodline.”

She added: “The Thembu nation was a collective of people from different groups, people who were dispossessed, people who were looking for a new life.

So, the king really embraced diversity in its truest form and he formed the Thembu nation out of that.

“This quest for diversity and this quest for ensuring that black people are included in our history, is a personal one. I think

why Snap did this in an online environment, is that they could capture more minds and really get these kids to engage with their own histories.”

REINFORCED

She added: “That my grandfather’s statue is a permanent statue, that this display is a permanent display, is a really good thing, because it means it’s a message that will be reinforced over and over again. It’s not just being done for Black History

Month because I think that to take black history and relegate it to a month is offensive as far as I am concerned.

“Black people have contributed so much. Blood was spilt in order for you and I to be sitting here having this conversation. So, I think that we need to take it a little bit more seriously and I am glad that Snap is doing that.” l Watch the full interview on The Voice website: www.voiceonline.co.uk

Great great-grandmother Mary celebrates century T’S NOT EVERY day you turn 100, and it was a very special occasion for great-great grandmother Mary Stephenson.

She came to the UK from St Catherine, Jamaica, in 1961, and remains lively and sharp of mind despite being born the year Stalin took control of the Soviet Union and Jamaicans were rebelling against British rule.

Mary, whose husband Alfred passed away in 2009, received a birthday card from the Queen last month at her Nottingham home.

I

“100 years of her beauty, spirit and love is awesome for us all to admire” She was baptised at the age of 90, and her family says that her secret could be thanking the Lord for everything!

Grandchild Karen, who lives in Canada, said: “Mum-

my Mary is the epitome of love.

“Family is definitely the key to her longevity as well as her utter positivity.”

She added: “She just cares and keeps in touch with everyone.”

Her grandson Khamau, also from Canada, added: “100 years of her beauty, spirit and love is so awesome for us all to admire.”

Mary has been described as being in very good health, and she still lives independently in her own home with help.

@thevoicenewspaper

MARKING A MILESTONE: Mary Stephenson received a birthday card from the Queen on turning 100. Above, Mary, who came to the UK from Jamaica in 1961, in her younger years

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www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2022 THE VOICE | 49

Lifestyle

Technology

Mastering the Metaverse Expert Tara on a mission to ensure black people are represented in virtual community

BY JOEL CAMPBELL SO, YOU done some reading, but you’re no closer to understanding what the Metaverse is, right? Have no fear, Lifestyle caught up with Tara Collingwoode-Williams, an expert in the field.

Not only is Collingwoode-Williams well versed on the multiple facets that present themselves as being an integral part of what the Metaverse actually is, she’s also on a mission to ensure that black people are represented in this nascent space, including your avatar.

“The Metaverse is a broad concept, as it focuses on bringing together different technologies which in their own right are still growing and maturing,” Collingwoode-Williams explains.

“But essentially it’s about building a virtual community and figuring out how to connect in different social contexts within it.”

Collingwoode-Williams isn’t like most of us — she’s been aware of the Metaverse for a very long time, and this knowledge inspired her walk into all things VR/AR (virtual reality/augmented reality).

Currently completing her PhD as part of the IGGI (Intelligent Games and Games Intelligence), Collingwoode-Williams is also developing the next generation of technological minds as a lecturer in computing at the famous Goldsmiths University in London.

If the advancement in this online experience really represents the impending way forward, and all signs are that the world is heading for the Metaverse in some shape or form, then for Collingwoode-Williams, it’s

important black people have a hand in steering the development in terms of what these platforms look like.

“It’s important to highlight the interdisciplinary nature of the Metaverse and how this is allowed for many industries to find their place in its emergence and development,” Collingwoode-Williams says.

“During lockdown, we saw many people take to remote work and socialising in VR, as a way to attempt to keep the same level of productivity whilst escaping their isolation with applications such as Rec Room and Alt Space.”

NEW FRONTIER: Tara CollingwoodeWilliams believes the virtual world has a lot of potential

EMBODIMENT “With the emergence of these social spaces we have embodiment (the feeling of owning a virtual body) and this gives the user the agency to depict how they wish to be perceived in the virtual world,” she adds.

“I’m a black woman in tech, and I have many other interests and attributes I feel define me, I’m now in a position to explore the different creative ways I can portray my identity in VR, it doesn’t matter if I’m short or tall, now I have the opportunity to change perspectives or even the playing field.

“Not only that, but it is shining a light on new ways we can communicate, interact with each other and share moments.

“Meeting and slapping a high five even though we are miles apart. We could even have this meeting in the Metaverse.

“We’d see each other in our chosen avatar form and depending on how we are immersed, the technical set-up, you will be able to see my non-verbal communication, how close I lean in, where my focus is, I can point at

something within the 3D space, you’d have the means of turning around to look at it, I can bring in an asset I made for us to in-

ing of escape the virtual world has to offer. Her actual area of expertise is the ‘Embodiment and Social Interaction in im-

“It is shining a light on new ways we can communicate, interact with each other and share moments” teract with or take a virtual picture — 360 stereo version and head tracking and hand tracking offered by headsets such as the Oculus Quest 2 provide these capabilities.”

Collingwoode-Williams admits she has always loved games, always loved the feel-

mersive Virtual Reality’ and she has worked with North Virginia’s Serious Games Institute consulting on an augmented reality learning solution for medic training, the George Mason University on their Mixed Reality Module, and with Facebook’s USTechSolutions publishing a

paper at IEEE VR 2020 about their work together.

Her passion for seeing the development of a diverse Metaverse space is forged from an educated standpoint.

“There is a lot of research surrounding the impact of embodying an avatar, for example, influencing the user’s self-perception and behaviour towards others. In one study, research suggested that participants assigned taller avatars behaved more confidently in a negotiation task.

“Research also suggests that embodiment can even explore complex psychology such as implicit racial bias, but perhaps more on that later.

“In line with my previous point on user-generated content, there’s a need to provide tools that democratise content creation, an advantage can be giving users more freedom on how they customise their avatar’s look on different social platforms. Larger selections of Afro styles, for example, Bantu knots, box braids. Black inspired accessories. Do you see something missing? You can bring it to the Metaverse. You can bring it.”

Learn more about the Metaverse and Tara Collingwoode-Williams in our full interview on The Voice website now

First movers can have a definite advantage in the virtual world, says Positron CEO IMMERSIVE FILMMAKER and CEO of Positron Jeffrey Travis sat down with Lifestyle to talk about how 2022 marks the rise of the Metaverse and virtual reality and its impacts on the future of tech investment.

Big tech companies have ridden the wave and made trillions over the past 15 years in mobile computing, but now these tech giants are turning their attentions to controlling the doors of the metaverse and looking

at virtual reality as the next big tsunami.

Lifestyle wanted to know if the little man had already missed the boat, or was there still space for curious minds to create their part of the Metaverse?

Travis enthused: “I think there’s definitely always a first mover advantage. And I think in terms of creating or disrupting that technology, I think it’s always interesting.

“If you look at history of technology and companies, it’s not necessarily

always the first movers that end up having the long-term solution.

“Google was not the first search engine, or even the third, when it came around.

“Having said that, though, I think that there is a lot to be said for companies that are kind of claiming the space and finding ways to create and establish themselves in terms of a platform, a brand or a connection really, to consumers.

“We’re still very much in the early days. It’s one of those things where it’s a bit of a wild west, it’s pioneer times for web three in the Metaverse.”

Travis has big plans of his own for the future.

His company Positron are passionate about elevating VR storytelling to the next level for audiences around the world.

Giving a brief insight, he said: “I think what’s exciting is that we’re

going to find ways to transcend beyond just having a video call — the limits of space and time to be able to have a deeper sense of what it’s really like, just how today being in person face to face is definitely not the same as a Zoom call.

“There’s a reason why we still long for meeting in person.

“I think that we’re going to have opportunities to approximate that a lot closer in five years.”

50 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Lifestyle

Music

Sean Paul’s return to UK will be like a breath of fresh air

After the asthmatic Jamaican star spent months in total lockdown, he can’t wait to get back on stage

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

B

EING ASTHMATIC, Jamaican artist Sean Paul told Lifestyle he had no desire whatsoever to step beyond the perimeters of his humble abode during lockdown and, as a result, he can’t wait to get out and perform at his upcoming tour of the UK. Kicking-off in Edinburgh, Scotland, Paul said the Scorcha Tour will be hot stuff as he hits the stage for only the second time in over two years. The period will also see him release his eighth studio album.

“I’m really looking forward to the tour this summer, kicking-off the album,” Paul enthused.

“I’ve been telling people this album is dropping and I’ve kind of held it back. So, definitely, in summer, the album and the tour, same time in the UK. It’s going to be a hot nine days. You know what I mean.”

If you follow Paul on his social platforms you might already be aware of his love for homegrown produce. It’s been a good year so far for the health conscious artist as he doesn’t take his wellbeing for granted.

“When I started the year I showed everybody on Instagram, the little farm I have, a 30foot farm, Pak Choi, lettuce etc, doing well.

“I’m looking forward to the tour this summer. It really is going to be a hot nine days.

You know what I mean”

STRUTTING HIS STUFF: Sean Paul has missed putting on his live shows just as much as his fans have missed seeing him perform. But all that is about to end with his upcoming UK tour (photos: Getty Images)

“I reaped some this week, so growth is going on this year.”

He added: “I haven’t travelled much. I’ve travelled once since this whole pandemic and that was a show in Boston, just this December gone.

CAUTIOUS

“I kind of locked off. My last tour was in Australia with Shaggy, and, when we were coming back over, Shaggy was laughing at me, saying I’m making the plane smell like a hospital, because I was spraying up the plane and had my mask on. I was just being very cautious.

“I have asthma. So the first two cases that hit Australia were when we were on our way back home.

“It felt like a race, like I tried to reach home before this thing spread around the place.

“So the first five months I was

just locked off at home. I started going to the studio after that and kind of prepared myself to feel more as I should.”

Paul is the undisputed biggest crossover dancehall artist of all time with over 26 million records sold across seven studio albums. A prolific talent with a staggering 6.6 billion audio streams and 4.3 billion video streams, he’ll be very much in

demand when he hits the UK. The Gimme The Light singer will be supported on the tour by Sean Kingston and intimated there were a number of other artists who have approached him to join the show.

“Big up to Sean Kingston.

I mean, last time I toured with him was in the UK and in Europe and that was probably 2012 when I had the Mohawk.

Days Like This promising the best is yet to come FOLLOWING THEIR year-on-year success, Days Like This (DLT) founder Anthony Iban told Lifestyle at the end of 2021 his team needed to ‘take a moment and reflect’, before announcing their next big play.

Leading the way where the ‘brunch and day party’ scene is concerned, the DLT team were keeping their cards close to their chest at the time of being featured in The Voice, but last month they announced the new date and venue for one of their summer highlights.

DLT Malta takes place this June and signals a new era for the brand.

Speaking to Lifestyle they said it was the only way to kick-off the summer season.

“Taking the brand to Malta is a really big deal for us, and we have so many things planned to make sure everyone in attend-

READY FOR ACTION: The DLT team are planning to take Malta by storm in June

ance will leave the experience truly feeling like they were a part of something special.

“We have epic artists, DJs and venues supporting what we’re doing, and we are so excited for people to have the time of their lives with us this June. With us, the best is always yet to come.”

With two sold-out events in Ghana in December and previous successful brunches in Nigeria, Ghana and Ibiza, their latest and biggest announcement yet further cements Days Like This’s status as a global brand.

Check out www.voice-online.co.uk for more details.

@thevoicenewspaper

@thevoicenews

We’ve kept in touch and it’s a good look.”

Paul added: “I’ve have a couple friends reach out to me, that’s in the music industry, big stars and, they’re like, they want to join the tour.

“So, I’m trying to work out logistics of all that, right now. I guess I would confirm closer to the time.”

You get the feeling that Paul is on a bit of a mission with the music at the moment. His Live N Livin album, released last year, was a real collaborative effort featuring top-tier names, and the spirit of unity seems to permeate throughout all of his work.

He promises to cater for all of the fans that have supported him over the last couple of decades, but he also wants to introduce them to the new music as well.

“When I tour, even if I do oneoff shows, I try to give people a

voicenews

couple of new things, but the hits is really what I do,” said Paul.

“So there will be some new material on this show from Live N Livin, which was an album I released last year in March.

“That’s up for the Grammy this year, big up to everybody involved, from Buju, to Busy, to Junior Gong, Squash, Skillibeng, Govana.

“It’s been a great feeling to put that together. And I’m looking forward to putting out Scorcha this year, which features, Jada Kingdom to Stylo G, Tove Low, Shenseaa and Gwen Stefani. The single I just released with Sia, Cheap Thrills, is big vibes.

“I’m coming in summer, first time back on the road. It’s going to be kinda crazy.”

Watch the full interview with Sean Paul on the Voice website now.

www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2022

This is Brukout!

THE VOICE | 51

by Seani B

‘The legendary Miss P’ Let’s all salute the talented first black female presenter to have her own specialist show on BBC Radio 1!

NE OF THE main motivating factors for sitting and writing this column every month is the opportunity it gives to meaningfully engage with other lovers of our music and culture across the board.

This rang true last month when my “Five-Point Caribbean Music Plan” certainly raised debate, conversation and opinions being aired! Many thanks to everyone who got involved, let’s keep the dialogue going!

“You don’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you are from”. It’s a wellknown saying that rings so true within music circles.

O

IMPORTANT Acknowledgment of those who came before us is very important and ensuring the path of history is retold accurately, which in turn should help to inform and shape the information to newer generations.

One of my principle careers is that of being a national and international radio broadcaster.

I am proud to say I have been on BBC network radio for 20 years this year.

The road for me, to be in a position to celebrate the music I love on air with listeners, was made smoother by a number of pioneers. So salute to the likes of Tony Williams, Daddy Ernie,

MAKING RADIO WAVES: Ranking Miss P, left and inset, was a BBC radio celebrity throughout the world (photo: Getty Images), and, below left, worked regularly with Annie Nightingale and Janice Long

“We were keen for people to hear the music of the black muscians” David Rodigan and our subject for this month’s column – the Ranking Miss P. Music was clearly in her blood and seemingly part of her destiny – her sister is Rita Marley and her brother Lepke was one of the foundation cornerstones of reggae broadcasting in this country.

The legendary DBC – Dread Broadcasting Corporation – was Lepke’s invention, complete with its iconic logo of a dread with headphones on and a spliff in his mouth.

For those who don’t know, DBC is regarded as the first black-owned, black music radio station in Europe.

To put that in context, without it you probably wouldn’t have had WNK, Choice FM, Capital Xtra or 1Xtra.

Britain in the 1980s was

no easy place for lovers of black music, and DBC began by broadcasting only on Friday nights on 103.8fm in London.

Speaking in 1980, Miss P made the reason for its existence clear.

She said: “We want to give a chance to the black musicians and producers to have their music heard.

“When we play the songs, it gives an opportunity to listeners to go to the record shops and ask for it. In turn it forces the record shops to enquire about the tracks as their distributors, and it helps the records become more visible. Reggae is loved by millions of people, and we want to help it be seen by an even bigger audience.”

In the early 80s,

Miss P was approached by the BBC to create and perform the trailers for the black magazine TV programme Ebony. That level of authenticity encouraged the BBC to offer her a guest slot on Janice Long’s Radio 1 show.

By the mid-1980s her talent could not be denied and she became the first black female presenter to have her own specialist show on BBC Radio 1.

Culture Rock became a staple for reggae fans throughout the UK every Sunday, and it introduced reggae programming to many areas across the country.

It wasn’t long before a wider international audience came calling, and once again she broke new ground.

The BBC World Service gave her the first worldwide radio programme to be aired. At its height, her audiences topped

100 million globally. That is a truly phenomenal number in this day and age, so you can only imagine the impact it had over 35 years ago.

GUESTS One of her many strengths was her radio production.

Her music programming was second to none, and her move to BBC Greater London radio saw the show The Friday Night Jam seamlessly interweave R ’n’ B and reggae each week with a raft of special guests.

The popularity of the show saw her lead a new line-up of Sunday programming, harking back to the previous Sunday reggae radio shows with her show Sunday Best.

Sandwiched between shows presented by Lindsey Wesker and Norman Jay, this show gave reggae the daytime

prominence on a large station that it deserved.

Miss P had many strengths.

She had an incredible production ear and was an award-winning presenter, as well as possessing a will and determination to smash down any barriers in her way.

Her career not only took in radio, but also spread into TV, voice-overs, album production and consultancy.

There’s no denying whatsoever that she was a real all-round music industry professional.

However, her most valuable assets lay in her drive and determination to support the reggae music industry by her hard work and her constant strive for excellence in anything she took part in.

Much of what she did was about the development of the community and bridging the gap between local, national and international spaces.

52 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2022

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HOLLY’S BIG AMBITION KEEPING IT IN THE FAMILY: Holly Morgan with her dad Rohan and, below left, in action with Leicester City Women

Holly Morgan talks to Rodney Hinds about her future after Leicester City and family success

H

OLLY MORGAN has been involved in football since a very young age. She made just under 300 appearances for Leicester City Women as a player and captain. Towards the latter stages of her time at Leicester, she became a first team coach, capping off a 17-year period with the East Midlands club.

Alongside playing, Holly also became a qualified solicitor.

She completed her law degree at the University of Leicester, the Legal Practice course at De Montfort University and a training contract at SHB solicitors.

She talks to Voice of Sport’s Rodney Hinds about the highs and lows at Leicester, which included winning the Championship, the future and a lack of diversity within the women’s game…

RH: Why the lack of black women in the top tier of English football?

HM: Firstly, I think representation matters. If a club set-up is not diverse or at least provides representation across the board, I struggle to see how different perspectives and cultural understandings of

“With plenty of years in the game, I have a lot to offer elite professionals” different individuals can take place.

Players will go where they feel comfortable, seen and heard. But also, player selection comes into question when it is being looked through one lens.

Also, you very rarely see players coming from African and Caribbean countries to play in the FA Women’s Super League (WSL). The FA Women’s player points-based system impacts this to a degree. Is the sport accessible to all when entry to play is hindered through these points? I definitely think so.

Certain countries of a particular demographic are most definitely at a disadvantage and I think this provides a reason for why few players of Caribbean and African heritage play in the WSL. RH: Your time at Leicester City has ended now,

give me an insight into that conclusion?

HM: I became involved with Leicester as an 11-year-old girl, passionate and full of love for the game. After a 17-year period, playing, captaining and coaching for a place I once called home, I will now move on to new and exciting ventures.

Did it end the way I thought it would? No, not at all. The decision was hard to take, but nothing will hold me back from moving forward in a positive and honest direction.

I am now an FA-registered intermediary, founder of Morgan Sport Management. With plenty of years in the game, I believe I have a lot to offer elite professional athletes and I am incredibly excited for this next chapter of my life.

RH: How proud are you to be part of the pioneering Morgan football family?

HM: Incredibly proud! As a family we have given everything to ensure that Leicester City played in the WSL. Through the challenges and struggles, the ups and downs, we were always committed to moving forward in a positive, meaningful and sustainable way, never wanting to stagnate or plateau on that journey.

A family achieving this kind of success in the footballing world is not ordinary.

A successful black family, achieving what we did, while having to navigate through many barriers and challenges

due to the colour of our skin, was not an easy task and one that I don’t think will occur any time soon in the near or distant future. For the trials and tribulations we have faced, the contributions we have made to LCFC Women and women’s football, I am an incredibly proud Morgan.

RH: Can you see the day when the England women’s senior team has the diversity of Gareth Southgate’s squad?

HM: I want to say yes, but the lack of development and progress in producing an England women’s senior team that is representative of all leads me to be quite hesitant. Football needs to be accessible for all.

Academies to some girls presents a fantastic opportunity to learn and develop their craft in a competitive environment, for others, it

is simply a barrier. Inner city kids and girls who require support with travel and costs cannot afford to be in such environments.

The economic and social barriers for Asian and black households is not new information.

We know the struggles of work-

“The selection process needs to embrace differences in people” ing-class ethnic minority families is much worse.

However, is there enough support to ensure these girls aren’t being forgotten or just left on the side? Absolutely not.

The second strand to this argument is that there are not enough coaches in place who are diverse and represent different backgrounds and cultures.

Therefore, it almost feels like players are being seen through the same lens. If there were more coaches who looked like me, who understood me, and had a better understanding around my culture, I know I would have felt less alone and better understood while navigating through youth football and beyond.

The selection process and the way in which talent is identified needs to embrace and acknowledge the differences in people, which will ultimately lead to a stronger and competitive selection of players.

Overall, when you look at the FA Women’s Super League, the top tier of women’s football in England, it is predominantly white. Whether that’s in its managers and coaches, or players, it remains unchanged in its development, therefore I can’t see the day as clearly as what I would have hoped for an England women’s senior team to show diversity and representation across the board.

54 | THE VOICE MARCH 2022

Sport

Let’s all Goggle and Giggle!

Abena goes to greats lengths to make swimming more accessible. By Karen Palmer

A

VISIONARY YOUNG woman has launched a family swimming club named Goggle and Giggle.

Abena Gray’s business is aimed at those who are water phobic or have poor breathing techniques. Goggle and Giggle also takes on swimmers who were unwell and are recovering, as well as those living with longterm illness. There are branches of Goggle and Giggle in central and south-east London.

Abena, a former lifeguard, came up with her swimming venture in 2010. She observed users in the pool where she was working, and realised there was a dire need for one-to-one swimming lessons as so many people were struggling in the pool. They either could not swim or they had very bad techniques and this spoiled their enjoyment of the water.

“Swimming is an important life skill, and it is important children do it” Abena knew there were group lessons of varying standards around, but ultimately the most effective method of teaching was private tuition.

Once a person really knows how to swim, she believes they can have maximum fun in any pool or open water space.

They could swim and, therefore, keep fit more often, and they might save themselves or rescue someone else in danger of drowning one day.

As well as providing private tuition for enthusiastic learners and athletes, Abena and her swimming tutors use various methods to teach.

A b e n a , whose parents are from Jamaica, started to take on a few clients and soon be-

came inundated with bookings.

Then she took on staff to assist with the demand, and Goggle and Giggle was formed. At its height, the business had 15 swimming tutors. The innovative business name was suggested by parents and children who are long-term clients. To date, she has taught over 5,000 children and adults. Her youngest client was two and her eldest was 85.

Abena said: “The 85-year-old could not swim two years ago.

Now he does 100 laps a week and has brought his children and grandchildren to learn to swim also. It’s a beautiful thing to see.

“Swimming is an important life skill, and it is important to me that children learn to swim.

It is easier to learn as a child, and many parents have chosen Goggle and Giggle for their child’s swimming tuition and have never looked back.

“They have later joined Goggle and Giggle themselves to improve skills or learn swimming from scratch. Swimming is fantastic for health reasons, too, as it exercises the whole body and even once-weekly swimming sessions can help to make a person fitter or lose weight.”

With a large swimming school, Abena has a strong team of fully qualified swimming

MAKING WAVES: Abena Gray has seen her popular swimming classes flourish; inset, Abena helps a youngster get used to the water

tutors. Martin is one of the senior coaches. Clients of Goggle and Giggle don’t just have a few lessons then disappear. They tend to stay for years.

One satisfied parent said: “The team is fantastic, so attentive, so professional and tuned to your own individual needs.

“My daughter has been swimming with Martin for three years now and her progress has been fantastic! She always enjoys

her lessons and always comes back with a smile on her face.”

Goggle and Giggle also offers separate lessons to pregnant women and teenagers, while there are women only classes, too. The business also provides private tuition – in half-hour sessions for any person of any age.

The business was affected

by COVID-19. Tuition stopped during the strict lockdown periods but continued once leisure

and shops were able to open again. Now it’s all systems go with COVID-19 safety rules still followed.

It’s time to Goggle and Giggle!

Goggle and Giggle launched a Family Swimming Club on Saturday afternoons, from February. It takes place between 4pm and 6pm in Bermondsey, London, SE1 5JT.

Who will be crowned the world’s best sportswoman in 2022?

By Rodney Hinds A GLITTERING collection of the world’s greatest sportswomen have been nominated for the 2022 Laureus World Sports Awards, following a ballot by global sports media.

Despite continuing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the return of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, football’s European Championship and other major tournaments and events in 2021 provided unforgettable drama, and these Laureus World Sports nominees were cast in starring roles.

Six nominees have been selected in each of seven categories, and the names of the winners will be revealed in April, following a vote by the Laureus World Sports Academy – the world’s ultimate sports jury – made up of 71 of the greatest sporting legends

SETTING THE PACE: Elaine Thompson-Herah, left, and Allyson Felix are among the favourites to take the major global honour

of all time. Several historic Olympic performances dominate the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award category:

Elaine Thompson-Herah matched fellow Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt with gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay; Allyson Fe-

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lix passed Carl Lewis as the most decorated track and field US Olympian; Australian swimmer Emma McKeon’s four gold and three bronze

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medals tied the record for the most won by a woman in a single Olympic Games; and American swimmer Katie Ledecky won two more gold and two silver medals.

Also shortlisted are world No1 tennis player Ash Barty, who won the Australian Open in January, and Alexia Putellas, captain of FC Barcelona’s women’s team.

Laureus Academy member and athletics legend Michael Johnson said: “There’s an athlete who just completely dominated their sport last year.

“Elaine Thompson-Herah, 100m, 200m, repeating as champion, which is very difficult to do, and threatening one of the oldest and most impressive world records in the books, the women’s 100m. I mean, we haven’t talked about anyone threatening that record for years.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

MARCH 2022

THE VOICE | 55

Sport

A 2020 vision

BEST OUT OF AFRICA! Aisha Hughton explains how and why the BoA awards ceremony has become so successful

A

ISHA HUGHTON is the chief executive officer for the Best of Africa Awards (BoA).

The hugely popular awards showcase the very best of football on the continent and, as she tells Rodney Hinds, this year’s awards are set to be something truly special.

Rodney Hinds: Explain some of the thinking behind the Best of Africa awards?

Aisha Hughton: Best of Africa was founded in 2011 by Francis Nkwain, with the initial dream to support and celebrate the philanthropic work of African heritage football players in the British leagues.

Francis was irritated by the negative narrative that surrounded African players and wanted to give them a platform to share their positive stories and also to create a sense of community amongst the players.

Fast forward to 2022 and 10 awards dinners later, we’ve had the pleasure of welcoming the the likes of Fatma Samoura, Stormzy, N’Golo Kante, Vanessa Kingori, Diamond Platnumz, Rio Ferdinand, Asisat Oshoala, TayC, Wilfried Zaha, Luol Deng and Yaya Toure into our BoA family.

RH: You are now interviewing key names for the Best of Series.

Who will you speak to and why?

AH: We kicked-off our series with Ghana-born British light-heavyweight champion boxer Joshua Buatsi. He is a perfect example of what Best of Africa is about. Not only is he successful in his field but he’s now using his experience and his position to help others.

His foundation strives to educate and increase safety around boxing on the continent. In the interview, he speaks about the dangers of boxing and how every time a boxer enters the ring they put their life at risk, so it’s vital that the highest safety procedures are in place.

Through the interviews we want to get a real feel for our guests. Who would have thought a boxer’s favourite film would be Titanic! Our future editions will feature people from a variety of fields, such as Aston Villa and Burkina Faso, Bertrand Traore and philanthropist DJ Cuppy.

RH: You have Ghanaian heritage, and can obviously see football on the continent continuing to grow. Explain the potential.

IN GOOD COMPANY: Aisha Hughton, above, with her father Chris; right, Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha, rapper Akala, basketball player Luol Deng and Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante AH: Everybody needs good influences and good role models to develop. There are so many more African players playing at the highest and professional levels in football, this can only encourage the younger generation. This has also seen the football levels of the African teams increase. The recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) has been the most popular African tournament to date and the scenes in Senegal was an indication of what AFCON success means.

There is such a buzz around Africa and it’s an exciting time to be African. More people are interested and appreciating African culture, from the music, to the food and clothing. I feel in years to come we will see a lot more Europe-based footballers choosing to play for their country of heritage.

RH: Ghana have a massive couple of World Cup qualifiers against Nigeria coming up.

How do you see them going?

AH: Ghana are going to win both games obviously!

We’re going into the games as the underdogs which in my opinion

gives us the advantage. World Cup 2022 here we come!

RH: Explain a little about your dad’s influence on you in regards to football.

AH: My first real football memory was when dad played for Brentford, and me and my brother Cian went on the opentop bus in celebration of Brentford winning the old Third Division title — not your average football experience, I know.

After that, my interest in football grew. It started to become something me and my dad bonded over and we still do to this day.

I would attend reserve team games with him when he was checking out his opposition.

He gave me a real understanding of the game

and a real passion for it. He encouraged me to seek a career in football, and that’s what pushed me to work at Sky Sports News.

I’ve have always been, and continue to be, his biggest champion, but now the roles have reversed a bit and he champions me in my work on a daily basis. He’s one of the people I call to ask for advice, he helps me when he can with my two daughters, giving me time to work, he’s my soundboard and he’s the first person that arrives at any of our BoA events.

RH: As a black woman in football, describe how you’ve been accepted or not.

Explain some of the challenges and plus points.

AH: I’ve always had an advantage with my dad be-

TOP STARS: Rapper Stormzy and footballer Anita Asante have both picked up BoA awards

“Everybody needs good influences and role models to develop” ing in football. I wasn’t just seen as a black female in football, I was seen as ‘Chris Hughton’s daughter’, so my challenges have been fewer than the average, but things have come a long way since I started in 2002.

Being in the industry, I’m aware and get to see first hand some of the real challenges that exist for women and the further challenge of adding race, too, but there are a lot of organisations now like the Football Black List, Women in Football and We Are Nutmegs that focus on the positive steps and the continuous push towards respect and equality in the game.

I’m a black woman who serves as CEO of Best of Africa, and in our house, in particular, we make a conscious effort to give visibility to the contribution and, most importantly, leadership of women in the game.

We are seeing match officials now in the men’s game like Salima Mukansanga, who recently refereed at AFCON games and we have strong women lead-

ing the governing bodies, like the Secretary General, Fatma Samoura of FIFA. The challenge is to see that progress continue.

RH: What can the community/attendees expect from this year’s BoA awards?

AH: Bigger but even better! We’ll be increasing numbers slightly, but it’s still important to keep the family feel we’ve created at our events. The biggest difference from our previous dinners will be more inclusions of other genres.

Best of Africa had been associated with football for many years but we’ll continue celebrating some of the most amazing and inspiring people from the world of business and entertainment, and other sports outside of football. We’ll also use digital platforms to allow more people to hear the stories and share the experiences of those in the room.

RH: Where do you see the awards in another decade or so?

AH: This year saw our first ever event on the continent. We hosted a BoA XChange dinner in Cameroon in January, which was a really proud moment for BoA. We hope to hold more events on the continent and across the globe over the coming years.

Our real long-term goal is not just to be the people that highlight and celebrate but the people that implement.

56 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2022