The Voice Newspaper: June Edition

JUNE 2021 • ISSUE NO. 1919

What is it really like to be Black and British?

Add your voice to the Survey: www.bbvp.org £2.50

WWW.VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK

Celebrating Windrush Pages 19-30

EXCLUSIVE

WHEN MARCUS MET BARACK Sharing experiences, Marcus Rashford and Barack Obama delved candidly into being raised by single mothers, their drive to give something back to the communities they were raised in, and the moment they each discovered their love of reading.

MEN WHO INSPIRE Raphael Meade

English former footballer

See pages 8

Sir Hilary Beckles

ViceChancellor of the University of the West Indies See pages 10

Melvyn Downes

SAS: Who Dares Wins’

See pages 18

See page 4

RUGBY LEAGUE WORLD CUP 2021

MAKE THE MOST OF RLWC2021 WITH TICKETS, ACCOMMODATION AND EXPERIENCES

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Inside

‘We can't put our trust in a system that does not see us or hear us’

THIS MONTH

The Voice launches first major study with Cambridge University to investigate what it really means to be black and British in 2021

The Queen's Speech: The Bills we need to look out for p6 Errol's mission to get black men tested for prostate cancer p13

There's a new generation of activists – and they're using TikTok p17 Celebrations across the UK this Windrush Day p19-30 Why we should strive to be the fathers we wanted as children p34 Afrobeats Live is back – and it's going to be better than ever before... p42

A NATIONAL survey is launching today as part of a wider research project investigating the “evolution of black British identities” – giving black people in the UK an opportunity to “define themselves in an autonomous way” for the very first time.

The Black British Voices Project is a partnership between The Voice newspaper, the University of Cambridge’s Sociology Department and blackled consultancy I-Cubed.

The research is being led by Cambridge sociologist Dr Kenny Monrose – who understands the complexities of identity as a black man. “For generations who lived through the Seventies and Eighties – a 'crucible' for UK race relations, many black people partly defined themselves by their heritage.”

The survey will cover important issues that matter to the black community including education, business, health, media, youth, sport and policing.

It builds on focus group sessions Dr Monrose and The Voice conducted at the end of last year.

Participants in the Focus Groups were vocal about how they were identified, saying that “terms like BAME are too shorthand, too easy, and makes us even more invisible”.

One participant described feeling defeated: “My voice isn’t heard… What we need is a commitment to grassroots politics which will suit our needs better.” Another said: “We can’t put our trust in a system that doesn’t see or hear us.”

Other group members spoke of valuing Britain but not seeing themselves as part of it. One 24-year-old woman said she no longer sees a future in the UK: “When I was younger I believed I would have options.

I don’t feel like that anymore because I don’t fit in anywhere.”

Many participants also had unset-

Daren Sammy's new challenge as he joins Sky's The Hundred team p46 This issue is 48 pages

KEY ROLE: Dr Kenny Monrose, Principal Research Investigator in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge

tling stories to tell about encounters with the police. Alongside the national survey and focus groups, Dr Monrose is conducting dozens of in-depth interviews with black people across British society – from activists and politicians to LGBTQ+ Church of England members.

He says the interviews can be emotional.

“Some people ran away from their blackness and encountered a lot of self-loathing. But people are desperate to talk about this,” he says.

"We want to hear from normal people on streets up and down the country to uncover the reality of being black in 21st Century Britain,” he added.

Paulette Simpson CBE, director of The Voice, said: "Today, black Britons are still largely misunderstood and misrepresented in many facets of life.

"We must manage and communicate our own narrative on how it feels to be black and British.”

The project is also being supported by the M&C Saatchi and their CEO, Camilla Kemp said: “We are hugely proud to be involved in this important initiative, which seeks to create a comprehensive picture of the black British experience for the first time ever.

"We hope that the campaign we have developed in partnership with The Voice and the University of Cambridge will help to drive meaningful change for the UK’s black community.”

Dr Monrose adds: “Young black people in particular get spoken about, but they don’t often get spoken to.

“We aim to listen. We want to unpack deep-seated feelings and sentiments about the black British experience, and show that we are not a uniform or homogeneous group.

"We can use this information to transform the perception of black people in this country, and help share an authentic and reliable version of black British life that is obtained by consulting with and gaining consent from black communities and their members.”

For more information about this project, and to take the survey, please visit www.bbvp.org or www.voice-online. co.uk

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

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What is it really like to be Black and British?

Add your voice to the new Black British Voices Survey.

It is time to change the narrative. www.bbvp.org

4 | THE VOICE

JUNE 2021

News feature

TWO BLACK ICONS WHO ARE WRITING HISTORY

Former US president Barack Obama met activist and England footballer Marcus Rashford for the first time on Zoom to discuss his memoir. Exclusive by Joel Campbell

B

OTH MEN being authors wasn’t where the parallels ended between former US president Barack Obama and Marcus Rashford, with the English footballer admitting he felt ‘aligned’ with the former head of state just moments into their monumental first ever meeting.

In the historic conversation, which took place via Zoom organised by Penguin Books, Obama and the Manchester United striker discussed some of the themes in the president’s memoir, A Promised Land, including the power young people have to make change, the positive impact reading can have and the importance of giving back to your local community.

Heaping praise on Rashford’s recent off-pitch endeavours, Obama acknowledged the England player was ahead of the

Even if you do something positive on a small scale, that’s making a difference game in comparison to where the American found himself at a similar juncture in his life.

He enthused: “A lot of the young people I meet — including Marcus — they’re ahead of where I was when I was 23.

They’re already making changes and being positive forces in their communities.”

This story falls on the day Rashford’s first ever book You Are A Champion: How To Be The Best You Can Be hits the stores (see page 35) and both Obama and the Manchester-born player discussed the positive impact that reading had had on their lives, with Rashford stating: “Through books, you can grow yourself

in whichever way you want...

Books allowed me to do it my own way.”

Obama was the 44th president of the United States and the first black man to hold that office. He is the author of two previous New York Times bestselling books, Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope, and is the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Last year, he published the first volume of his presidential memoirs, A Promised Land, which was a bestseller around the world and continues to be loved by and connect with readers everywhere.

CANDID

The full conversation, which was moderated by broadcaster and author June Sarpong, is being released in full on Penguin UK’s YouTube channel at 2pm on Friday, May 28.

Sharing experiences, Obama and Rashford delved candidly into being raised by single mothers, their drive to give something back to the communities they were raised in and bringing it back to the reason they were meeting, the moment they each discovered their love of reading.

During the call, Obama dived into how young people can make change through small gestures, saying: “Even if you do something positive on a

small scale, that’s making a difference, and it’s the accumulation of people doing positive things over time that makes us a little bit better with each successive generation.”

In the summer of 2020, Rashford began a campaign, #endchildfoodpoverty, that would see some 1.7 million vulnerable children supported via a £520m government investment, in a quest to eradicate child hunger from across the UK. Along the way, Rashford has formed a Child Food Poverty Taskforce and launched Full Time Meals — a nationwide food education and cooking project designed to equip all children with a vital life skill, building confidence in the kitchen.

In the year working alongside Marcus and the Taskforce, food distribution charity FareShare have distributed 130 million meals to the most vulnerable across the UK. His work has seen him receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester, becoming the youngest person to receive the accolade in the history of the establishment.

In October 2020, he was appointed MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.

Multiple awards and accolades have followed since, each

LEGENDS: Barack Obama was in conversation with Marcus Rashford to discuss Obama’s memoir, inset (main photo/cover: Pari Dukovic) of high distinction and a list too long to go through here, but there is every sense that sitting in the presence of greatness, the young man is far from finished in his charitable works.

On his conversation with Obama, he said: “I mean, it’s quite surreal isn’t it? I’m sitting in my kitchen in Manchester, speaking to President Obama.

“But, immediately, he made me feel at ease.

“It wasn’t long before I realised just how aligned our experiences as children were in shaping the men you see today — adversity, obstacles and all.

“I genuinely enjoyed every minute of it. When President Obama speaks, all you want to do is listen.”

‘When you look at their achievements, it’s hard not to be truly in awe’ Lisa Miller: Principal of Arco Academy Provision for youngsters in danger of permanent exclusion from schools I know first-hand what it’s like to deal with children that look up to Marcus Rashford and as an educator, I really wish there were more like him. The President Obama ‘Yes We Can’ mantra flows through my mind every now and again, and when you look at the achievements of both men, it’s hard

not to be truly in awe. Both are global icons for different reasons and both will remain really important to the black community.

Jeffery Boakye: Author/school teacher Barack Obama represents something, he is a symbol and he actually took the weight of that on in a way that is remarkable.

He was the first black president in the United States, that is huge. Conceptu-

ally, that is a country that was built on the back of slaves, so to have a black president in the White House it was a moment, it was a lot. He had to exude black excellence, which is a real pressure, I know that. All the clichés are true, he couldn’t put a foot wrong. America needed that, the whole world needed that.

Callum Daniel: 12-year-old CEO of iCodeRobots and ‘Diana Award 2020’ recipient Both Barack Obama and Marcus Rashford have shown that if we want

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changes in the world, we cannot wait on others to do it for us, and we need to seek solutions to problems immediately — postponing is not an option.

Troy Townsend: Head of development at Kick It Out When it comes to Marcus Rashford, he has superseded his status in the game. What he

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has done in the past year and some to be honest, has put him on a platform where he is an icon. He’s an icon for young people no matter what your background and he is the type of role model I think everyone would like to have as their son. What he is doing at the moment is creating a platform for young people’s voices to be heard and he’s not sat on his laurels, he’s not just left it at that, he wants to continue to drive change and in doing that he is going to make this world a better place.

For one so young to have that on their resume so early is unbelievable.

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6 | THE VOICE

JUNE 2021

News feature

QUEEN’S SPEECH: THE KEY BILLS TO WATCH T

Police control on protests and voter ID rules are among the controversial changes. By Cordella Bart-Stewart

HE QUEEN’S Speech is written by the Government and sets out the laws that the Government plans to pass during the next 12 months. What are the highlights?

Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill This was the spur of major protests in the last session of Parliament and now it is back, expect further protest.

The protests are against new measures that give police powers to control and prevent nonviolent protests that disrupt or annoy the public or on access to Parliament.

A couple of measures in the Bill are to protect children, and others aim to increase sentences for violent offenders, introduce changes to pre-charge bail, remote juries and remote hearings. However, measures intended to strengthen the law that governs digital information extraction as part of criminal investigations may infringe civil liberties.

The new plan for immigration tinkers with existing regulations and law, including the “points-based system”, which is not “new” but in place since 2008, reintroduces some old practices that worked but were taken away such as giving indefinite leave to people

Some of the proposals may breach the Refugee Convention accepted as refugees, but also seeks to introduce others likely to make it harder for genuine refugees to claim asylum.

Some of the proposals may breach the Refugee Convention the UK helped craft. The Law Society of England & Wales said: “The proposed changes to the asylum system would undermine access to justice and the rule of law.

“The proposals are not supported by evidence or detail – the plan does not provide any rationale or information on how the proposals could realistically operate in practice.”

The Electoral Integrity Bill is said to be needed to tackle electoral fraud. The Electoral Commission states that the UK has low levels of proven electoral fraud and there is still no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud in 2019 – there was only one conviction for someone voting twice.

The few allegations of fraud are mainly people putting the wrong information on nomina-

tion papers or campaign material. This wouldn’t be covered, nor would postal voting.

Statistically, black and other ethnic minorities are already the least likely to vote or have photo identification. There is an argument that removing the ability to participate in the most fundamental of democratic rights amounts to voter suppression.

Mental Health Act reform In 2017, Theresa May ordered an Independent Review of the Mental Health Act 1983, which included looking at why there are more people from ethnic minority backgrounds being kept in a hospital for “their own safety or for the safety of other people”. The review report in December 2018 set out recommendations for Government on how the Act and associated practice needs to change.

Among the recommendations is a clear statement that “police cells, police vehicles and prison cells are not good places for people with a mental health problem” and the law should respect people as individual persons.

It said that NHS trusts, local councils and the police must be made to keep records which show how people from different ethnic communities are being treated and give people an advocate who understands their background and culture. A Bill is yet to be published.

Judicial Review Bill The UK has three “arms of State”: a legislature, an executive and an independent judiciary. This is to prevent concentration of power. Judicial review is the way of challenge the decisions of a public body, which includes the Government through the court.

It is only concerned with whether a decision was lawfully made, all appeal options must be exhausted

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KEY DATE: The Queen announced the laws the Government intends to pass in the next year, set in motion by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and scrutinised by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, inset and the application made as soon as possible but within three months. It is often used in emergencies and where there is a significant public interest.

The first stage is applying to the High Court for permission.

There are two factors behind the decision to interfere with

not appeal the Upper Tribunal decision. Undoubtedly there are some unmerited applications, however, judicial review is available in all areas of law and not used simply to frustrate the Home Office, as is often suggested. Sometimes it is just to get a decision on an application

Cells and police vehicles are not good places for people with mental health problems Judicial Review. Gina Miller’s successful cases in particular when the Supreme Court found that the Government acted unlawfully in ending Parliament early in the run up to the deadline for leaving the EU. The other is the high number of immigration and asylum challenges. In a 2011 case called R v Cart, the Supreme Court agreed that people can seek permission from the High Court against a decision of the Upper Tribunal. The court was concerned that important mistakes of law could become entrenched and immune from correction if an individual can-

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that has languished for years leaving the applicant in limbo.

In July 2020, the Government set up a review panel to look at trends in judicial review and make recommendations for reform.

It made just two, concluding that the current system, evolved over centuries, still works and there is the right balance of power between the executive, legislature and the courts. The Home Office often withdraws a decision and reviews the case once an application for permission is made.

Last year, 32 per cent of immigration judicial review ap-

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plications were successful.

“Proposals on judicial review – which the Government claims are intended to adjust the balance of power between executive, parliament and the courts – risk taking power away from citizens and putting more into the hands of Government. The rule of law and access to justice would be significantly weakened,” says I. Stephanie Boyce, president of the Law Society.

Of course, all of this will be subject to scrutiny by Parliament, but how effective that will be while the pandemic continues is debatable. James Madison said in 1788: “The great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the Government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”

Dr Cordella Bart-Stewart OBE is a solicitor, former governor of

Staffordshire University, external examiner for a national Law

School and co-founder of the

Black Solicitors Network. She is a council member of the Law

Society of England & Wales and

board of IMPRESS, the independent monitor for the press.

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Photography by THOMAS KNIGHTS

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JUNE 2021

Men who inspire

The man that can WEARING MANY HATS: An accomplished carpenter, Raphael Meade is due to appear on Channel 5’s Nick Knowles’ Home Improvements later this year

Not shy to take up a challenge, Raphael Meade has turned his hand to carpentry and martial arts in his varied career – but now, he’s taking on TV, and is due to be making an appearance on our screens soon. By Veron Graham

P

ERHAPS IT was inevitable that Raphael Meade would end up with such a multifaceted career, considering how the star of the upcoming Channel 5 DIY show Nick Knowles’ Home Improvements is described by his wife: “The man that can.”

Speaking to The Voice, Meade, 60, says: “Anytime a challenge comes up, (Katina) tells me that when I achieve my aim, you can’t wipe the grin off my face. Once I’m faced with a challenge, I can’t stop until I achieve it.”

And he has much to smile about: Meade is today an accomplished carpenter and joiner having honed his skills from the tender age of six.

CURIOSITY

Meade was always thought as a youth with his hands in something either dismantling or reassembling because he wanted to know how it worked, his curiosity and versatility has enabled him to parlay his craftsmanship into a burgeoning television career, alongside being a martial arts instructor, coach, teacher as well as a ‘fixer’ and advisor.

Meade’s never-saydie attitude coupled with his gifted hands are attributes he likely inherited from his maternal grandmother and grandfather respectively. “My strongest memory is hearing my grandmother say, ‘There’s no such thing as can’t or ‘You

My grandmother would say, ‘There’s no such thing as can’t’ or ‘you will or you won’t’. It was always, ‘find a way’ will or you won’t.’ It was always ‘find a way.’

“I quote from her daily.

There’s always a way in her book. As for my grandfather, he was a coach driver and mechanic but also a tailor.

“It’s strange how it was kept a secret. I only found these things out when I was at university in my 30s and was researching family history for a dissertation.

“When he smiled, there’s no way you couldn’t like that man. The two of them are so strong in my mind.”

London-born Meade, a father of three (two daughters and a son) and grandfather to four, has invested his childhood experiences, both good and bad, to guide his own parenting. “ I ’ m very tight with all of my children.

Each of them has picked up my loves. My son works with me on tools, my eldest is into

my records and the youngest my comics!”

He adds: “When I think of my father, I think good and bad. He was a stereotypical man of the 1960s – he was a bad boy – all the girls loved him. He was a womaniser, with kids everywhere – I have a lot of brothers and sisters!

“While my mother is in many of my childhood stories, he is in only a few. He was a dancer – I got that talent from him.

“There was nothing he couldn’t do – I got that from him too but in truth I wanted to be nothing like him. The bond I have with him to this day is up and down.”

RELATIONSHIP

Continuing to speak of his father, who was staying with him recently before returning to his birthplace of Montserrat, Meade adds: “I didn’t want that kind of relationship with my son.

“My father only gets on with me for things that benefit him.

I always wanted my son, who’s 31 now, to be able to say anything to me and likewise.”

But he adds: “Don’t get me wrong, there were times when I have to put my foot down when he was growing up – he was the one that was the most trouble out of my children.

“With my daughters, I don’t have any bad stories or headaches.

“But me and my son are over them now, but because I turned around the bad examples I got from my own dad.”

It was an unexpected call from a friend, which Meade initially thought was a practical joke, that started him on an unlikely route into television: “A friend I went into business with put my name forward and while doing a house conversion I was offered a part in Eden.”

In the show, Meade was one of 20+ participants who relocated for a year in a remote part of Scotland to build a selfsufficient community.

This screen debut and the

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jocular social media videos Meade worked on with his son earned him more TV opportu-

ence of fatherhood than he received, what advice would he offer to current and prospective

Someone shouldn’t have to tell you what’s right and wrong for your children nities, including Grand Designs and last year’s popular Tesco Food Love stories advert.

While he awaits scheduling news for his latest TV gig on Channel 5, Meade reflected on his life so far that has taken many turns, from being an admittedly poor academic, who credits his wife of 25 years with refusing to let him quit his university degree, to an admirable semi-retirement career mixing carpentry with coaching and television.

In changing his own familial narrative, by channelling negative childhood experiences into providing an improved experi-

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fathers? “Someone shouldn’t have to tell you what’s right and wrong for your children.

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You should know it instinctively.

“It’s a feeling you need to follow and be able to pass it on.

“The main problem today is that too many parents want to be their child’s friend.

“You can be their friend but you have to be a parent first, and their friend after.

“It means sometimes you have to fall out but the example you set will serve them well.”

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JUNE 2021

Men who inspire – a son of the Caribbean

Caribbean man, global African

PIVOTAL ROLE: Sir Hilary Beckles has moved up the academic ladder at the University of the West Indies and is now vice chancellor of the institution

In this two-part series, we take a look at the life of respected Barbadian academic Sir Hilary Beckles, who sees education as the key to progress

“S

IR HILARY Beckles has already made an impressive contribution and can be expected to continue in the shaping of our destiny as one Caribbean people.”

So said Jamaica’s former prime minister, Most Honourable PJ Patterson, of the vice-chancellor of the University of the West Indies, who, on April 30, was re-appointed for a second six-year term.

Sir Hilary, a Barbadian, is the 8th vice-chancellor of the Caribbean’s premier university, and is a committed Caribbean man who has always expressed regret at the break-up of the short-lived West Indian Federation.

But he is also a global African, with a firm supporter of Kwame Nkrumah’s view that “I am not African because I was born in Africa but because Africa was born in me”.

Framed differently, “no matter where you come from, you’re an African!” according to reggae artist Peter Tosh, whose music Sir Hilary loves.

Beckles is a distinguished historian, university administrator with a social justice agenda, conscious of the decolonising mission of a tertiary level institution located on a former plantation, where the children of the enslaved ancestors now have access, according to the UWI’s legal counsel Laleta Davis-Mattis, who works closely with Sir Hilary, who said: “Professor Sir Hilary Beckles’ notion of education for Caribbean peoples is guided by the philosophy that the education of Caribbean peoples is not a privilege but a right and a passage to the development of the Caribbean region and the re-positioning of people of African descent in world politics and governance.”

I was born in a family with the philosophy that better will come Beckles is a specialist in higher education and development thinking and practice, sportsman (especially in the field of cricket as a player, administrator, educator and developer of cricket talent) and family man.

In 2007, he received a knighthood, Commander Knight of St Andrew (KA), the highest national honour recognised in Barbados “in recognition of his distinguished service in the fields of education, sports and the arts”.

Early life and education But how did it all start? Professor Sir Hilary Beckles was born in Barbados in 1955 and got his early education in Barbados and the UK. He attended Coleridge and Parry Secondary School in Speightstown, Saint Peter, Barbados.

In England, he completed his schooling, attending Pitmaston Secondary School and the Bournville College of Further Education in Birmingham.

He received his higher education in the UK, graduating in 1976 with a BA (Hons) degree in economic and social history from the University of Hull, and a PhD from the same university in 1980.

Family life A middle child of seven, Hilary Beckles has always embraced all members of his family, a few of whom have passed, leaving a deep emotional gap in his life.

According to him, “I was born within a family possessed of the philosophy that better will come, and that we shall overcome”. Those family values were passed on to him by his grandparents and parents.

He was raised by his grandparents while his parents were preparing to have him join them in Birmingham, UK. His maternal grandmother, who has since passed, was a Pentecostal pastor in Redmans Village Pentecostal Church, Barbados. His grandfather was a cane cutter.

He migrated to England in the late 1960s, a Windrush child. His late father, an old school master tailor, taught him the art of concentration, selfdiscipline and love of precision.

From his mother, he inherited a keen sense of social responsibility; so today he always says that he is the sum total of what they made him. He has no doubt passed on these values to his sons Rodney and Biko and his grandchildren, one of whom, his granddaughter, is named after

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him; and always with the support of his wife, Mary Beckles, a UWI graduate, who he praises for her love and support as he navigates his multiple roles.

Professional life Sir Hilary joined the University of the West Indies at the young age of 24 in 1979 and has spent

— increasing participation in higher education for all; alignment — creating value-added relationships with partners to ensure that the university meets the needs of the community it serves; and agility — creating an entrepreneurial university with a diverse revenue base, global presence, operational

Education of Caribbean peoples is not a privilege but a right, and a passage to development just over 40 years at the institution. He quickly moved up the academic and administrative ladder of the UWI: senior lecturer, reader, a personal chair as professor of economic history at age 35 (the youngest scholar to do so at the time, pro-vicechancellor for undergraduate studies (1998), head of the Department of History at Cave Hill; pro-vice-chancellor and principal of the Cave Hill Campus (2002-15) and finally vicechancellor (VC) (2015-present).

He has conceptualised his role as VC as one in which he works with his colleagues in creating a 21st-century university — to reengineer, restructure, reorganise, and give it a new vision and mandate.

The Triple A Strategy, which he conceptualised, is committed to leveraging the resources and capabilities of the university in the quest for the revitalisation of Caribbean development and is built upon the pillars of access

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efficiency and financial stability. Under his leadership, the fifth campus of the UWI, the Five Islands Campus was birthed to address the growing concern about the under-served communities in the Eastern Caribbean.

His stewardship was vital in the university’s debut into the

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prestigious Times Higher Education ranking, in which it was ranked in the top four per cent (now 2.5 per cent) of the world’s best universities, and in 2020 earned the triple first accolade — as the number one university in the Caribbean, among the top one per cent in Latin America and top one per cent of worldwide universities between 50 and 80 years old.

Sir Hilary has spearheaded an aggressive global strategy, which has resulted in joint institutes in New York; Lagos, Nigeria; Suzhou, China; Johannesburg in South Africa; Universidad de los Andes in Colombia; at Brock University, Canada; Havana, Cuba; and Coventry, UK. In 2020, the UWI signed a memorandum of understanding with the European University Institute.

Continued in the July edition of The Voice

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12 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Dotun Adebayo

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PUSH COMES TO SHOVE

T

HE HISTORIC black victory at the High Court in London last month that saw Lambeth Council and the Metropolitan Police paying out a record settlement of more than £900,000 in damages to 34 activists, caused me to lose faith in my natty bredrin and sistren.

As a dreadlocks, I have always considered myself to be part of a wider global radical rasta community for equal rights and justice.

So when I was approached by representatives of one particular ‘house of dread’ looking for funding to cover the cost of a stage at a reparations event in south London four years ago, I reached deep in my pocket and paid for the whole thing – or at least I thought I did – without question.

The issue of reparations is far too great for a £200 cost of hiring a stage to get in the way.

And, Jah know, we could all do with a fun day out (as was promised) for all the family.

As it turned out the event ended up leading, four years later, to the landmark case in one of the highest courts in the land, because the council in collusion with the cops decided shamefully to flex their muscles in an old-style colonialist mentality way from the days when they believed they could control our words and our thoughts.

They decided that they weren’t going to allow a broadcast

Lambeth Council settled before the hearing rather than be humiliated in court

to the gathering by the Rt Hon. Minister Louis Farrakhan nor any other speeches or dissemination of leaflets by anyone in the Nation of Islam (NOI).

It wouldn’t take a genius to see that the authorities had overstepped their mark.

Student Minister Abdul-Hakeem, the NOI representative of Minister Farrakhan in Europe, decided to bide his time and comply and to await his day in court.

Lambeth Council settled a few days before the hearing rather than to be humiliated in court.

Their laughable defence that they had gagged the NOI on law and order grounds because they had received some intelligence from the Met that some far-right groups were preparing to attack if Farrakhan or the NOI spoke.

Lambeth must take us black people for a joke.

Can you imagine, after all the years that the borough has known us since the Windrush days, they are trying to dismiss

JUSTICE: Centre, Minister Abdul-Hakeem Muhammad of the Nation of Islam, with members of the NOI and, second from left, political activist and Green Party candidate Rashid Nix; inset below left, Muhammad with his legal team (photos: Christopher Icha) our legitimate rights to discuss justice and reparations through some ludicrous argument about some ‘bad man’ going to come and run black people out of Brixton.

Anyway, that foolishness has cost the borough a cool mil.

Bro Abu Akil of the Global African Congress UK was one of the successful claimants in the case who was in Kennington Park on that fateful day in August 2017.

He accuses Lambeth and the police of being dishonest in claiming they believed a speech by the minister would stoke up such a backlash that they

had to prevent it. “There’s a propaganda trope,” he says, “that when black people speak up for what is right we are somehow violent and dangerous so you have to prevent us from speaking by gagging us.

“We were there to have

That’s exactly what I would have said. And that’s precisely what the various activists and activist groups that were alarmed and offended by the local council’s misuse of its power said when they convened afterwards to stand up

This court case was everything Garvey, His Majesty and the great pan-Africanists had preached about a progressive discussion on the challenges that we have within our community and indeed to bridge conflict in our communities so you decided to stop the peacemakers from speaking.”

I know what you are probably saying as you read this.

That this fear of the black man and woman speaking has been going on since the days of enslavement and that we can’t let this kind of thing happen again.

for their rights. The rastafari groups whose rights to hear Minister Farrakhan were also infringed by the gagging order, were initially part of the postevent discussions about what to do.

But apparently they melted away one and all long before the case was brought to court and as far as I can gather no one knows why.

When push came to shove they weren’t there. That’s all that matters.

And that as a conclusion is too embarrassing for me to come to terms with.

Rasta should be walking the streets of glory with their head held high because this court case was everything Garvey and His Majesty and the great pan-Africanists – Lumumba, Nkrumah, Mandela and Malcolm X had preached.

Instead, this historic moment will be recorded as a black British class action victory, the first of its kind, despite rasta.

HISTORICAL

The historical records will show no representation of the red, green and gold, which begs the question whether rasta – the most militant of all the black liberation movements when I was a child growing up in the seventies is still fit for its revolutionary purpose, or not as the case may be.

I don’t mean all rastas, only those who turned their backs on this historical moment to hold the powers of Babylon to account.

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

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JUNE 2021 THE VOICE | 13

Prostate cancer awareness Special feature

‘Find out if the warning light is on’

RALLYING CRY: Errol McKellar is urging men to have a health MOT to discover their cancer risk

Errol McKellar survived prostate cancer, thanks to a simple check.

Here, he tells The Voice why every man should get a test

U

SING THE mantra ‘MOT Yourself,’ football coach/ scout, retired mechanic and latterly prostate cancer survivor Errol McKellar has renewed his call for men to take urgent personal action against the disease.

“If you were driving and a warning light came on in your car, what would you do?” he asked rhetorically. “You would attend to it immediately, which is why I’m asking all men

to take a simple PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test to find out if the light is on.”

Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men in the UK: 47,000 are diagnosed per year with the condition, claiming 11,000 lives.

Errol, 63, continued: “That’s 129 men per day, one every 45 minutes dying of prostate cancer which is one of the most curable forms of cancer if it’s caught early.”

While one in 12 Asian men

will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, the figure drops to one in eight for Caucasian men and an alarming one in four of those of black African/ Caribbean heritage.

SYMPTOMS

The condition often develops slowly, showing no obvious symptoms for many years. Often, symptoms are not apparent until the prostate, a gland found in men’s pelvises the size

of a tangerine, has grown large enough to constrict the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out through the penis.

Symptoms may include an increase need to urinate, a poor flow and feeling the bladder is not fully emptied afterwards.

Eleven years ago, unbeknownst to him, Errol’s own warning light was on and he was set to become one of prostate cancer’s 11,000 annual vic-

tims, until his wife, beside herself with his snoring, took up his challenge and booked him a medical appointment.

While in the waiting room, he came across an information leaflet on prostate cancer and asked to take a test.

Another one followed a week

later, then he took a call from the hospital. “They wanted to take me in for a biopsy. When I asked when, they said, ‘this morning’. I told my wife and she advised me to take a cab and she’ll meet me there.

Continued on page 15

14 | THE VOICE

JUNE 2021

Special feature

Prostate cancer awareness

Reach out and book a test – it could save your life

Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE stresses the importance of undergoing a check for prostate cancer - which affects more men than any other form of the disease

P

ROSTATE CANCER is the most common cancer in men in the UK. Although it affects all men, black men are two to three times more likely to develop this cancer than their white counterparts. The death rate is twice as high, and furthermore, black men are more likely to develop prostate cancer at a younger age.

It is essential that black men, in particular, know about their increased risk of prostate cancer.

The reason prostate cancer is becoming increasingly common is unknown; there is much research worldwide to discover the reason.

ELIGIBLE

Every black man over the age of 45 is eligible to have the blood test, called a PSA (prostate specific antigen). To discuss and request a PSA test simply contact your GP. Every GP in the land has been sent a document called the Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme, which says that men, even with no urinary symptoms, can have a PSA on request.

There are some limitations of the blood test which the GP can point out. For example, a raised PSA (above 3 units) does

Black men are far more likely to develop this cancer than white men not necessarily mean that there is prostate cancer. There are other reasons why a PSA may be raised.

More often than not, prostate cancer in its early and therefore curable stage does not present with symptoms, hence the importance of the blood test.

Urinary symptoms which some men may experience include a slow urinary stream, passing urine frequently, or getting up at night or having to get to the toilet in a hurry.

These do not mean the man has prostate cancer. Far more common is an enlarged prostate gland that occurs as men age. However, as these symptoms are indistinguishable from those of prostate cancer, they should be checked out by a health care professional.

Black men face an increased risk of prostate cancer, so a lack of urinary symptoms should

not be the basis for refusing to conduct a PSA test.

It is also worth noting that prostate cancer can run in families. So, if a first-degree relative, such as a father or brother, has prostate cancer, your risk is doubled.

A family history of prostate cancer is therefore a reason for asking for a PSA blood test.

Also, if there is a history in the family of breast or ovarian cancer, the males are at increased risk of prostate cancer.

INFORMATIVE

A digital rectal examination is off-putting for many men. It is not something I stress on, because the PSA blood test is far more important.

However, a doctor feeling the prostate can occasionally detect a problem with the prostate gland even where the PSA is normal. However, I emphasise that the PSA is more informative about the risk of prostate cancer. Men should at least have the blood test even though they may decline the rectal examination (which is the only way of feeling the prostate).

A suspicion of prostate cancer, whether on account of an abnormal blood PSA or an abnormal feeling prostate on rectal examination, will lead to an urgent referral to see a urologist.

DON’T DELAY: It is easy to contact your GP to arrange a PSA test Further tests include an MRI scan and a biopsy of the prostate gland. A biopsy is where samples of the prostate gland are taken and analysed in the laboratory for signs of cancer.

If cancer is diagnosed, keeping an eye on it may be advised

I would urge all black men over 45 years old or even younger to have a blood test as many prostate cancers will never cause a problem (‘active surveillance’). If there is more than a minimal amount of cancer, a more aggressive treatment may be recommended such as surgery or radiotherapy.

The success rate of treatment is very high when prostate cancer is detected early.

Even if the disease has spread (metastasised) there are good treatment options, if not necessarily curative.

I think it is disappointing that we do not screen for prostate

PAINLESS PROCEDURE: A suspicion of prostate cancer can lead to further tests, including an MRI scan

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cancer in the UK. I and others have been having this debate with the NHS and, in particular, the National Screening Committee. European studies have shown that you reduce the deaths from prostate cancer if you screen men at defined

@thevoicenews

intervals using the PSA blood test.

In the absence of a national programme, it behoves men to be aware of their prostate risk and seek a PSA blood test.

As men are reluctant to go to the GP, the Errol McKellar Foundation seek to bring the testing to men in their local communities. The plan is to commission a mobile van, in which men can access information about the prostate and have a PSA test, there and then.

The registered charity Cancer

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Black Care has been informing the community about prostate cancer for the past 25 years.

CURE

In summary, black men are at increased risk of prostate cancer. I would urge all black men over the age of 45, or even younger if someone in the family has had prostate cancer, to get themselves a PSA blood test from their GP. The cure rate is very high when the disease is detected early.

Professor Frank Chinegwundoh MBE MBBS MS MML (Med Law)

FRCS (Eng) FRCS(Ed) FRCS (Urol) FEBU, is a Consultant Urologi-

cal Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust, the Honorary Visiting

Professor at City University of London, School of Health Sci-

ences, Chairman of Cancer Black Care, Trustee of TACKLE (National Federation of Prostate Cancer

Support Groups) and an advisor

to Prostate Cancer UK. Frank was awarded a MBE in the Queen’s birthday honours list 2013, for services to the NHS.

www.voice-online.co.uk

Prostate cancer awareness Continued from page 13

“I didn’t know what a biopsy was and I’m glad she didn’t tell me, because I don’t know that I would have gone. I was given a scan shortly after and was told my prostate was ‘covered in cancer’ and if it wasn’t removed, I could die in six months. I went to my car and broke down in tears.”

In February 2011, Errol’s prostate was removed, followed by three months of radiotherapy, before he was given the allclear. He is continually dealing with some of the serious side effects from his treatment, including bladder control and erectile dysfunction.

“After the op, I still needed radiotherapy because the cancer had begun to travel outside the prostate area,” he said.

“It was my wife’s support that kept me going, as it often is for us men going through treatment, wives or partners and our families. That’s why I say talk to them. Our community doesn’t talk about it enough.

“Our families are important for another reason – if prostate cancer is in your family, it’s even more important that you get tested. If you’re black, even more so. We’ve been asked by (concerned people) in Africa

bill if he took it. He came back a while later waving a letter.

“I questioned my actions again, realising I’d cost myself £200. It turned out he had cancer in 25 per cent of his prostate. Since then, 47 men have walked into the garage to tell me a similar story.”

To win this battle, you have to deal with the emotional and physical CAMPAIGNING issues Countering current advice, Erand Caribbean to come out there and help them.

“The most serious part of this problem is a tough one for any man. I don’t know any men who’ve dealt with it alone. Nine times out of 10, the women in their life knew about it first.”

Errol’s emergence towards improved health transformed him into a vociferous activist on an incessant quest to raise public awareness, with the garage he ran in Hoxton prior to his recent retirement playing a key role.

“Forty-eight men who walked into the garage (after my diagnosis) turned out to have prostate cancer,” he said.

“When I returned to work after six months out, I asked a customer who welcomed me back if he’d had a test. I don’t know why I said it. I promised him 20 per cent discount on his

rol added: “Nationwide, we’re told you should get checked aged 50. If you’re black or have it in your family, have it at 45 – I know people who’ve died with it in their early 40s.”

Alongside setting up the Errol McKellar Foundation in 2018 to harness his activity, Errol has taken on ambassadorial roles with Prostate Cancer UK and ex-athlete Colin Jackson’s Go Dad Run, also brought his campaigning to 10 Downing Street, the Health Secretary and NHS head honcho Simon Stevens. His current focus is organising mobile PSA units to take testing facilities to the streets across the UK. “We are still a long way off, but we’re asking people to donate or sponsor the campaign,” he said. “If men won’t go for treatment, we’ll bring it to them. The (blood) test we’re going to do is revolutionary.

JUNE 2021 THE VOICE | 15

Special feature

It takes 10 minutes and can give results in 48 hours, using a traffic light system: green – all’s fine, come back next year.

Amber – you will be on what we call ‘active surveillance’ – monitoring through specialist, NHS-approved staff. If it’s red, something needs to be done now. We won’t leave anyone, but offer support from the right people. We want the units to go all over the country and each offer 20,000 tests per year.”

Looking back on his own journey, Errol said: “I have survived prostate cancer, but to win this battle you have to deal with the emotional as well as the physical issues.

“We must be determined to fight it because one day, our sons, daughters, grandsons or granddaughters will come up with a cure for this thing.

“In the meantime, we have to keep addressing this ignorance and start talking about it. Prostate cancer doesn’t care about your family or colour. If you ignore it, it will kill you.”

When asked about his own health, Errol said: “I’m doing okay. God is with me. I have to monitor it every year – as a birthday treat! To MOT myself.”

For more information,visit

theerrolmckellarfoundation.com

HIGH PROFILE: Errol McKellar has taken on ambassadorial roles with Prostate Cancer UK.

‘It’s about spreading the word’

‘Everywhere I go, I tell my story’

ONE OF the men who engaged with Errol having been affected by prostate cancer is Lascel Ellis, 52, whose father, Eulie, died of the condition in 2000 aged 67.

When Eulie fell ill, it wasn’t initially clear it was prostate cancer, as his eldest son, Earl, 53, explained: “Doctors told us after his first op what they found was benign. After the second one, we were told it was prostate cancer.”

The siblings later discovered that their maternal grandfather had it when he passed away in 1989, as did his son. It was not discussed with them at the time.

Lascel, 53, added: “We can’t do anything about the past, only the present and future, and it’s important to talk about these things now. This is why I support the Errol McKellar Foundation in encouraging families to open up, talk about it and men to get checked rather than living in fear and pleading ignorance.

Prevention is better than a cure. We have siblings, cousins, nephews and sons – we need them to realise the importance of eating right, exercising and getting checked.”

Earl and Lascel were joined by two of their three sisters, Sharon Ellis, 52, and Joy Hibbert, 51, to underscore the Wolverhampton-born, North London-based siblings’ passion in raising cancer awareness. They lost their mother Rose to cancer, which began in her breasts and spread to her lungs and liver, in 2019.

Earl added: “It’s all about spreading the word. We are of greater risk with parents who passed away with (these types of cancers).

With prostate cancer, we start with a simple blood test and follow by monitoring to see if

ANOTHER of the men who owes his life to crossing Errol’s path is Yorkshire-based civil engineer Thomas Mugazi, a contractor who found himself at carrying out safety checks at Hoxton rail station, when a man came walking towards him with leaflets.

“I thought they were about religion, so I said ‘It’s alright. I’m already a Christian’. When he told me they were about cancer, I said ‘It’s OK. I’ve got my doctor. He told me he’s a prostate cancer survivor and that I can get a free MOT is I get a check,” he said.

“Then he asked how old I was. He said ‘if you’re black and over 50, you are likely to have some form of cancer – your chances are higher than your white colleagues’. I was 56.”

Casting his mind back to that encounter in September 2016, he added: “Sometimes a bad beginning makes for a good ending. I had to go back to him to apologise for him. Take donations to his foundation. I can’t compare what I give to charity for my life.”

Although Thomas took some of Errol’s leaflets, he threw them on to his desk when he got back at work. A fortnight later, while his IT department tended to his PC, to pass the time, Thomas took a look at them. To his horror, he was displaying several of the common indicators of prostate cancer – including going to the toilet repeatedly and then finding he couldn’t go.

The blood test he took revealed he had “an aggressive form of cancer which was about to reach his backbone and likely cause permanent damage. I thought I was going to die”.

Now 61 and married with two teenage children, Thomas had his prostate sprayed through

RAISING AWARENESS: The Ellis family there’s been changes and looking for any indication that something could be wrong.”

“Dad was a fit guy,” said Lascel. “He looked after himself and was never ill, so it was very strange when got sick. If it could happen to him, it could happen to anyone.”

Sharon and Joy, referencing that an aunt has had cervical cancer, also mentioned their own health issues which includes removal of benign cysts and mammograms. Joy said: “We have all spoken to our children about health.”

All of the siblings have had health checks and have spoken to the next generations, which consists of 10 children and two grandchildren.

Lascel said: “There is trepidation each time we go for a test as to what the results will be.

“I understand why some may be in fear but it’s better to know than not. It could prevent further problems down the line.”

FUNDRAISING: Survivor Thomas Mugazi, left, during a cycling event an inserted tube, then five weeks of radiotherapy and hormone injections every 12 weeks for four years. Now feeling much better, he has proceeded to raise thousands of pounds for Prostate Cancer UK through bike rides from London to Paris and Amsterdam, also multiple marathons and half-marathons.

Soon to turn his fundraising efforts to The Errol McKellar Foundation, he remarked of its founder: “If wasn’t for him and his leaflets, I’d be lying in a cemetery. I knew of people who died of heart disease but did not know about prostate cancer. I didn’t even know that my Dad had it and it contributed to his death (in Uganda in 2015 aged 88).

“I don’t mind standing on rooftops and telling everyone to be aware. Everywhere I go, I leave leaflets and posters, telling my story and encouraging men to get checked.”

16 | THE VOICE

JUNE 2021

Finance

Are you going abroad this summer or staying home?

HERE COMES THE SUN: Britons are hoping that more foreign holiday destinations will be added to the Government’s so-called Green List soon; inset below left, a staycation may be a more viable option amid uncertainty

While the Government has given us the green light on some foreign holidays this year, they may not be financially viable, even if they’re considered safe. But there’s more than money to consider as we pack our suitcases, writes Simoney Kyriakou

A

S THE UK’s postCOVID roadmap continues to go as planned, Britons are unfolding their own maps.

For the first time in many years, Britons are not necessarily asking if they can afford a holiday; according to the Office for National Statistics, a staggering £140billion was saved in total during the past 12 months as the pandemic forced everything to a standstill.

Pensions provider LV= surveyed more than 4,000 UK adults – 72 per cent said they had averaged a saving of nearly £5,500 over 2020.

Commentators have speculated that holidays will become a big-ticket item for Brits as restrictions lift.

Where to go?

For most people, the big question is where to go? If you want a foreign holiday, the op-

Insurance is a must – you cannot travel without it tions are limited. Even if you go by the overly cautious Green List, not every country will let Brits in, and you will still need to take COVID tests and selfisolate on return.

Summer breaks to places such as Portugal, which is on the Green List, might seem within reasonable limits, as many hotels and holiday operators have cut their prices to recoup 2020’s losses.

But as with anything, demand and timing affect prices: hopeful people who booked earlier this year will have found much better deals than anyone leaving it until the

Government announcements to book their holidays.

Then there are the usual expenses, such as roaming charges (which apply now we are out of the EU), and bank charges on using your debit or credit card.

Nigel Green, chief executive of the DeVere Group, says: “When you use your debit or credit card abroad in anything other than your destination’s local currency, you could be paying higher than expected exchange fees.”

An extra six per cent is usually added, but these fees can be up to 10 per cent. Moreover, there have also been warnings over the proposed COVID testing using self-administered lateral flow and PCR home test kits.

Ben Paglia, managing director of clinical testing company Akea Life, warned: “The major airlines and travel operators are heavily subsiding these costs to just get people flying and booking holidays.

“My gut feeling is passengers and holiday makers will be picking up the cost for this with increased prices, supplements and surcharges.”

Insurance Travel insurance, unless your holiday package, credit card or provider specifically covers you

@thevoicenewspaper

for any COVID-related cancellations, is a must.

Travelling uninsured may come at a huge financial cost depending on a variety of factors: where you are going, existing health conditions and how many people are travelling.

green-list-rules-for-enteringengland Many insurers have said their standard terms will not honour certain claims relating to destinations where the FCDO advises against “all but essential travel”.

Is it worth having to cover the expense of cancelled return

When you use your card abroad, you could be paying higher-than-expected fees According to the Post Office: “Our cover won’t count if you travel against Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office advice on international travel and Government guidance on travel within the UK. So please check regularly as it can change at short notice.”

This is especially important for people persisting in travelling to countries on the Amber List – including Spain, Greece or Canada – because while it is not illegal to do so, the Government has advised against it.

It is important to follow Government guidelines, which can be found at https://www.gov. uk/guidance/red-amber-and-

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flights or hotel bookings yourself, without insurance cover, if you travel to Amber countries against guidance?

At home A staycation might seem a better option - but once again, insurance will be a must, unless your holiday booking is covered by the provider.

For example, Haven carries a ‘COVID-19 Guarantee’ with a 100 per cent no-quibble refund if your booking is cancelled, up to three days before arrival, if it cannot offer the full experience booked; the park has to close; the UK Government restricts travel; or you cannot

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travel or do not feel safe travelling.

Remember that as UK holiday sites open up, we will be heading into peak season and summer breaks carry a premium.

The later you book, the less likely you are to get the best deal on accommodation and travel - even using last-minute websites.

But TravelSupermarket’s Jeanette Parkin advises: “Holiday prices often drop a little towards the end of the school summer holidays. Look for deals at Easter too, or during one of the other breaks in the academic calendar when prices can be lower than in the summer.”

You must also cover the cost of train tickets or petrol; WiFi or roaming costs for devices; food and drink; and ‘discretionary spend’ on days out.

Without proper planning, those pandemic savings will soon vanish. The Money Advice Service provides a helpful hint: “Treat saving the same as paying a bill, and commit to saving a regular sum each month or week.”

And if you decide 2021 is just too uncertain, keep saving - because your 2022 holiday will be even more awesome.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

THE VOICE | 17

News feature

THE RISE OF TIKTOK ACTIVISM S

Mayi Hughes looks at the role being played by the social media app to help important causes reach wider audiences

OCIAL MEDIA, since its creation, has been a breeding ground for budding activists and political movements.

The unique connection and access it brings to ordinary people has helped birth many of the prominent social movements we see today, including the Black Lives Matter movement. However, the rapidly growing video sharing app TikTok, with features unlike many of its competitor apps, has pushed a specific brand of activism: TikTok activism.

TikTok works by creators uploading three- to 60-second long videos which loop when finished. As users scroll through their feed called the ‘For You’ page, a collation of videos are displayed, carefully selected by a complex algorithm to present users with videos which they should enjoy, based on their

The app is making information accessible to everyone past behaviour on the app. The accuracy of this individual, automatically curated feed is shocking, and different to other apps where you create your feed yourself. And herein lies its strengths.

Due to the algorithm, the app thrives on hashtags, challenges, and video trends. Political activists curate content using these features, which have brought extraordinary attention to various issues. Complicated political topics are simplified and made more accessible to TikTok users, especially the

younger generation, who engage with this political content more frequently than they would on other sites.

Young black British creators specifically are making use of the app’s unique features to bring attention to pressing issues in the community. Take for example Yasmin Finney, a 17-year-old black trans woman from Manchester.

Yaz’s videos educate users on the microagressions and hate she faces as a black trans woman, as well as sharing the intricacies and hardships of transitioning processes

such as hormone intake. Michael Dapaah, pictured below left, is another black creator using the app for good. The 29-year-old actor, rapper and comedian has not confined himself to skits and sketches on his platform, routinely speaking up about important issues to raise awareness. It’s encouraging to see a well-known figure using his already established platform for good, making a case for anti-racism and equality in the UK. Naomi El is a 20-year -old student who rose to fame on the app with her post ‘I’m Naomi and I am black’, a post detailing her struggles and experiences in the UK. Since this viral post,

MESSENGER: TikTok is helping to keep the public informed she has created a platform educating users on intersectional feminism, Black History Month, British politics, and more.

EXCITING

The rise of TikTok activism is particularly exciting because of how different it is to other forms of social media campaigning.

The nature of the app’s algorithm makes virality much more accessible and, unlike other platforms which are being saturated with advertise-

ment, the activism content is raw, and immersive. The app is making important information more accessible, especially for younger generations. Black creators can carve out their own platform and identity on the app, and catapult to impressive levels of popularity.

But above all, the rise of TikTok activism is showing how activists do not have to fit the mould, as they do on other platforms. Anybody can be an activist, and every story is worth telling.

18 | THE VOICE

JUNE 2021

Men who inspire

‘I’m incredibly thankful’ PUSHING IT TO THE LIMIT: Melvyn Downes says his tough upbringing made him the person he is today; below, on screen in the sixth series of SAS: Who Dares Wins

He might be the face of the gruelling combat show SAS: Who Dares Wins, but there’s a softer side to the Stoke-born ex-Army officer Melvyn Downes.

Here, he tells Veron Graham about his past, his ambitions and his gratitude for his line of work

S

PEAKING OF his role in the sixth series of SAS: Who Dares Wins, Melvyn Downes has credited his Jamaican father with instilling a work ethic and self-discipline that helped him rise from a deprived upbringing to become an SAS operative.

Downes, 56, completed 11 years in the SAS, part of a 24-year career in the British Military, and the great feedback on the show, currently airing on Channel 4, is reaching him at his Dubai base where he’s lived with his wife and blended family for the last decade.

Now in series six, the show includes Downes as the newest member of the directing staff (DS) that lead 21 men and women through their paces in the wilds of remote rural Scotland in what has been called the toughest, most unforgiving selection course in the show’s history.

The DS push the recruits to their limits to face challenges like a gas attack, abseiling 130 feet off an oil rig into near freezing water and operating against night-vision equipment as they tackle a task in pitchblack conditions.

“It’s a little strange talking about my time in the SAS, after so long keeping it a secret,” Downes tells The Voice. “The funny thing is I had never seen the show before my wife suggested we watch it during lockdown. She asked afterwards if I’d be in it and I said yes.”

Although days later Downes got a call from a producer offering him a part in it, he doesn’t believe his wife had anything to do with it.

“I don’t think she contacted anyone on the show! I’m a believer in fate – I’ve been in situations and to this day I am not sure how I got out of them.

One of the reasons I took up the show was the opportunity to show people that you can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it. I came from a

People can relate to me and the show because no matter what you want to achieve, you have to apply yourself deprived, working class background and look where I have ended up.

“People can relate to me and the show because no matter what you want to achieve, you have to apply yourself, it’s better to try and fail than fail to try.”

Recalling a phrase he has coined in his recent spate of promotional interviews, he adds: “I’m just a bloke from Stoke,” referring to the Staffordshire city he was born to parents Samuel, of Clarendon, Jamaica and his English mother, June.

DRIVE

“My drive came from my dad.

He gave me the strength and inspiration to rise up through hardship, growing up in the 1970s as one of a handful of black families among 10,000 people living on what was one of the biggest council estates in Europe.”

“Houses got vandalised, my parents got abused and spat at but my dad did what and went wherever he wanted to. He was always well dressed and commanded respect, teaching me to always be honest and stand up for myself. Over time, we made some good friends. Dad was slight in stature but that wouldn’t stop him intervening to protect anyone who was in trouble. He took away all the negatives and turned them

into positives. When he heard I was getting bullied at school he showed me boxing moves and getting me to do press ups and be ready to face them. It’s amazing how much I sound like him now. I disciplined my children in a different way to him – like taking away the PlayStation for a while, not in the way he did as a typical Jamaican man of that time.”

Downes’ disciplined upbringing supplemented his childhood obsession with the military: craving toy soldiers and quickly shifting his focus from academic pursuits, to becoming an Army cadet as a pre-teen. Going on field trips, executing drills and learning to live off the land further fuelled his passion and provided an escape from the bullies.

PATROL

Downes left school at 16 years old and joined the Army – requiring his parents’ permission.

In 1991, he led his patrol into combat in the first Gulf war and completed three tours of duty in Northern Ireland, in charge of a platoon of 30 men. Downes joined the elite special forces in 1994.

During his 12 years in the SAS, he led topsecret missions, served behind enemy lines and achieved the prestigious rank of Warrant Officer.

He adds: “Believe it or not, I wanted to join the military since I was three. As I got older I would watch every war movie I could. I’m proud

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of my career, and especially to have fought for and defended my country and led missions against war criminals and terrorists around the world.

“In my career I’ve seen the best as well as the worst of humanity: when children living in poverty invite you to their home to share their food with you when they have so little themselves, stuff like that stays with you.

“Also having seen active combat and friends killed in action as a 20-year-old.

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“I’m also incredibly proud to have joined such an amazing series as SAS: Who Dares Wins. I’m incredibly thankful for this opportunity, especially at this time in my life.”

There’s no word yet on whether Downes will be involved in the next series of the show – but he didn’t seem to be against the idea!

SAS: Who Dares Wins can be seen on Sundays at 9pm on Channel 4

www.voice-online.co.uk

WINDRUSH JUNE 22, 2021

... 73 years on

CELEBRATE, EDUCATE & REMEMBER

Windrush Generation - 15th October 1961 Nearly 1000 Caribbean nationals arrive at Waterloo Station. Many brought with them packing cases containing treasured possessions.

Supported by:

20 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

ADVERTORIAL

The Windrush Caribbean Film Festival’s theme for 2021 is carnival

T

DIRECTOR: Frances-Anne Solomon

LEADING THE WAY: Garry stewart

he Windrush Caribbean Film Festival (WCFF) mandate is to educate and celebrate the contributions of the Windrush generation - who began arriving in Britain primarily from the Caribbean in 1948. The WCFF also explores the cultural impact of the Windrush generation and their descendants on British life; it examines themes of racism, colonialism and immigration.

The year 2021 marks 73 years since those initial 500 West Indians embarked on that historic journey to help rebuild a war-torn Britain.

The WCFF bridges the gap between the Windrush generations’ experiences and 21st-century perspectives through screenings, talkbacks and a digital storytelling project that will create ten new short films each year.

ceremony. This year, in addition to handing out the coveted Paulette Wilson Award, there will be several new categories, including an Audience Choice Award.

CULTURE

During the Festival, audiences can stream films and engage in discussions from the comfort and safety of their own homes. Patrons can get a Festival Pass, which provides instant access to WCFF 2021 and throughout the festival at their convenience.

The theme for this years’ HISTORY festival is the history of CarniA community interest company, the Windrush val in Britain, from the first indoor celebration Caribbean Film Festival is a nationwide consortium of leading community, business, organised by Clauarts organisations, and educators. Its dia Jones in 1959 directors are Frances-Anne Soloto last year’s virmon, Garry Stewart and Patricia tual Notting Hill Carnival, with a Hamzahee. focus on The theme for this years’ fesCarnival Arts tival is the history of Carnival in Britain, from the first indoor celincluding: Music, ebration organised by Claudia Mas, Costumes, Photography and Jones in 1959 to last year’s virtual Notting Hill Carnival, with a more.

“WCFF’s programme focus on Carnival Arts including: will draw on the artistic music, mas, costumes, photography and more. and cultural influences of The festival will feature, live events Carnival in Britain, not only in VISION: with Q&A sessions. Screenings are London but across the country, Patricia Hamazee supported by the British Film Instias well as exploring the creative tute (BFI). As well as working with and educational legacies of Carthe BFI on screenings, WCFF is also thrilled to an- nival through the artists, artisans and pernounce they are collaborating with Arts Council formers involved,” said, Frances-Anne SoloEngland (ACE) to continue the Discussions and mon, co-founder of the festival. A community Workshop series. These will include talks with art- interest company, the Windrush Caribbean Film ists, masterclasses and carnival-related work- Festival is a nationwide consortium of leading shops. community, business, arts organisations, and edVirtual screenings will run from 30 July to 29 Au- ucators. Its directors are Frances-Anne Solomon, gust, and the festival wraps up with an awards Garry Stewart and Patricia Hamzahee.

FEBRUARY 2021

THE VOICE| 21

JUN 22 -AUG 29

2021

22 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Celebrating Windrush

Showing community spirit!

Forty-two incredible projects are among the many honouring the impact of the Windrush Generation on modern Britain

O

NCE AGAIN communities across the UK will be celebrating Windrush Day on June 22 and throughout the remainder of 2021.

Many of these projects are being supported through the Windrush Day Grant Scheme which provides funding enabling organisations to host a variety of activities to celebrate and acknowledge the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their descendants, and importantly to educate society.

Paulette Simpson, Chair of the Windrush Community Funds and Windrush Schemes (for the Home Office), Stakeholder Member of Windrush Cross-Government Working Group and Chair of the Windrush Day Grant Scheme (for Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government), said: “As we approach Win-

drush Day 2021, I am delighted that 42 projects from across the country will benefit from funding for activities to celebrate and commemorate our Caribbean communities.

“This year we have focused on schools in order to share stories about the Windrush Generation and their descendants, so that children will know, and always remember, the enormous contributions the Windrush Generation made and continue to make for this country.”

We congratulate all 42 projects that have been successful this year. They include: The Prime Theatre, based in Swindon, is creating an online digital learning resource promoted through local radio and which opens in schools today, with teacher training and community activities continuing throughout the summer and during Black History Month.

June 22, 2021

This year we have focused on schools to share stories Wycombe Heritage and Arts Trust’s project is a celebration starting with an event at the Wycombe museum today.

It includes a new museum display focusing on the Windrush Legacies contribution to High Wycombe and the furniture industries.

Previous awardees included the Manchester-based Louise Da-Cocodia Education Trust whose project Women of the Soil focused on the empowerment of young women.

The Trust organised and pro-

duced Windrush Women – The Backbone of the NHS at Z-arts in Hulme. Following in the footsteps of Louise Da-Cocodia, a nurse who worked for the NHS for 30 years, the play focused on three generations of women working in the NHS, highlighting how the Windrush Generation helped shape what the NHS is today.

Together with members of Black Heritage

Southampton Centre, SoCo Music Project ran music-making workshops where participants learnt, performed, and recorded traditional Caribbean folk songs.

Museumand, the National Caribbean Heritage Museum, produced an online book called 70 Objeks n Tings. The project involved conducting 184 interviews with members of the Windrush Generation to create

a book used by families, schools and universities.

Kick it Out produced a radio programme and a film to educate young people and adults about Windrush history and their communities. They developed an education pack that was shared with 23 secondary schools and three universities in the West Midlands which continues to be used as part of an ongoing educational programme.

JUNE 2021

THE VOICE | 23

Celebrating Windrush

‘Let’s celebrate our community’

UNITED: Nottingham residents gather for Windrush Day in 2019; below, from left, Pastor Clive Foster, Veronica Bell and Councillor Merlita Bryan

Pastor Clive Foster says that Nottingham will play its part in commemorating the Windrush Generation

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OTTINGHAM WILL be recognising the third national Windrush Day on Tuesday, June 22 for the Windrush Generation.

Despite the public outrage of what happened to some of the Windrush Generation, we should see Windrush Day as an opportunity to formally celebrate the contribution the Windrush Generation made to the UK. Nottingham, like many other parts of the UK, has been celebrating this generation well before the 2018 issue.

We provide the opportunity for the wider society to understand the sacrificial contribution of this generation to the UK. Windrush Day in 2019 had a range of events across the city which included a colour-

We provide the opportunity for the wider society to understand ful gathering around the Brian Clough statue, the enigmatic manager of Nottingham Forest Football Club, which produced the first black player to play for England, Viv Anderson.

Windrush Day 2020 was somewhat muted due to the pandemic. On a warm sunny summer’s evening outside in the Market Square, social distancing was the order of the day. In front of the Windrush

flag with the motto ‘Windrush Generation: Standing on their shoulders’ we heard from civic leaders and families sharing stories and memories such as working in Raleigh and Boots manufacturing factories, the NHS, public sector and mining industries.

INVITED

Veronica Bell spoke powerfully of her father who died in Jamaica in 2010: “He was invited here by the government to build up the country after the Second World War. As far as he was concerned, he was a British citizen, always had been.”

Councillor Merlita Bryan reminded us of the great fortitude of the Windrush Generation, saying: “They served the com-

munity of Nottingham working in the factories despite the signs that said no dogs, no Irish and no blacks.”

We recalled how Nottingham gave the UK the first black magistrate, Eric Lyons, in 1962 and another well-known magistrate of Nottingham, the Rev Cannon Christian Weaver

said: “Along with my wife and other groups that came over, we have been combating racism so that dignity and justice would reign and we can truly celebrate the Windrush Generation contribution – this noble quest continues.”

Windrush Day 2021 may well turn out to be a hybrid of

celebration and commemorative events given to the ongoing pandemic, but whatever the situation, let’s take this time to celebrate and commemorate the great Windrush Generation that gave so much and took so little.

Pastor Clive Foster is senior minister at Pilgrim Church

Tilbury proud of connections to our history ON JUNE 22 every year, the Port of Tilbury holds a celebration in the London Cruise Terminal to mark Windrush Day. The port played a significant role for the Windrush Generation, as it was their arrival point into the UK from their voyages.

Tilbury is proud of its connections with the Empire Windrush. A major celebration was held in 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of its arrival, with an amazing dance performed

by Phoenix and singing that almost lifted the roof off the terminal.

In 2019, Tilbury had a glorious parade of song and dance led by Til-

BLAZE OF COLOUR: Silk flags with illustrations depicting the story of the Windrush were created in 2019 as part of the celebrations

It is important to remember the positive impact the Windrush Generation had then and now bury on the Thames Trust. The carnival was inspired by the arrival of the Empire Windrush.

EDUCATIONAL

The project engaged with local schools in Tilbury and residents in a programme of educational, dance and silk flag making workshops.

Working with Kinetika, a set of 30 silk flags were made, depicting illustrations inspired by the story of the Windrush. Some of the flags showed the journey and arrival of the Empire Windrush bringing the first group of Caribbean people to settle in the UK, including the famous calypsonian Lord Kitchener.

Although 2020 was a difficult year for us all, the Port of Tilbury created

a short film to mark the day, Commenting on the video, Stuart Wallace, chair of Tilbury on the Thames Trust and chief operating officer at Forth Ports, said: “We are proud of the part the Port of Tilbury played when the Empire Windrush arrived in our port 72 years ago. It is so important to remember the positive impact the Win-

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drush Generation had then and now in our local and national culture.”

Now, 2021 will see a keen focus on education, with over 250 local school children visiting the port.

They will get to see the bridge that many Windrush “pioneers” would have walked across as they arrived in the UK for the first time, as it has

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been turned into an art installation.

Evewright, an Essex-based artist, added 130 images and 35 audio recordings to the walkway, telling Windrush stories.

The Port of Tilbury will continue to hold events and create educational opportunities for the community to celebrate Windrush Day.

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24 | THE VOICE

JUNE 2021

Celebrating Windrush

Four amazing artists shortlisted to create Windrush Monument Four artists put forward to create an iconic piece of architecture to honour the Windrush Generation

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HE WINDRUSH Monument will be a permanent tribute to a generation of arrivals from the Caribbean to Britain – from the arrival of MV Empire Windrush in 1948 and in the decades that followed.

It will recognise how the Windrush Generation have enriched our nation’s history and made invaluable contributions to all aspects of British life, from our health and transport services to our politics, businesses, literature and culture.

The four artists shortlisted to design the monument are all of Caribbean descent and include world renowned, established and up and coming artists working across the visual arts.

The four artists chosen to make up the final shortlist are: • Sculptor and painter Basil Watson has designed public sculptures and monuments across the world including statues of Martin Luther King, Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey.

He was awarded the Order of Distinction (Commander Class) in 2016 by the Jamaican government in recognition of his artistic accomplishments. His family is part of the Windrush Generation.

• Jeannette Ehlers uses a mixture of photography, video, installation, sculpture and performance in her work. Her work addresses complex questions about memory, race and colonialism, influenced by her Danish Trinidadian heritage. In 2018, Ehlers was the co-creator of a significant public memorial in Copenhagen to Mary Thomas (a 19th Century slavery freedom fighter), in collaboration with the Crucian artist La Vaughn Belle.

• Daughter of Windrush Generation pioneers, Valda Jackson works in sculpture, painting, printmaking and moving image creating complex narratives that reflect and question our past and present with intent on influencing our future. In 2017, her collabora-

I look forward to seeing the designs that these exciting artists will produce tive public art practice ‘Jackson and Harris’ won the Marsh Award for excellence in Public Sculpture from the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association.

• Recently commissioned by Hackney Council to create a permanent sculpture honouring Hackney’s Windrush Generation, Thomas J Price has significant experience of creating public artwork.

The British-Jamaican artist works across sculpture, film and photography focussing on representation and perception in society.

London Waterloo station is strongly associated with the stories of many members of the Windrush Generation. It stands at a point where thousands of Windrush pioneers first arrived in London before starting new lives across the UK. The monument will be an ambitious public artwork that stands as a testament to the contribution of Caribbean pioneers in communities across the United Kingdom. It will create a permanent place of reflection and

SYMBOL OF A GENERATION: The works of Valda Jackson, top, Thomas J Price, inset below left and Jeannette Ehlers, left, have impressed the Windrush Commemoration Committee, chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE, who selected the artists

inspiration and be a visible statement of our shared history and heritage.

The artists unveiled were selected by the Windrush Commemoration Committee (WCC), chaired by Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE. Chair of the Windrush Commemoration Committee Baroness Floella Benjamin DBE said: “We are en-

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tering a really exciting stage of this project with the realisation of the monument just around the corner.

VIBRANT

“Our shortlist contains a vibrant mix of talented artists, all with lived experience of the Windrush legacy and we will now see proposals developed into a vision for the national monument to the Windrush Generation in London Waterloo station. The monument will be a permanent place of reflection and inspiration for Caribbean

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communities and the wider public, especially children. It will act as a symbolic link to our past, and a permanent reminder of our shared history and heritage for generations to come.

Communities Minister Lord Greenhalgh said: “Over 70 years ago, when the first passengers on MV Windrush disembarked at Tilbury Docks, it marked an extraordinary moment in the history of modern Britain. The Windrush Generation and their descendants have gone on to play an important role in every area of British life,

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helping to shape the society we are so proud of today.

“I look forward to seeing the designs that these exciting artists will produce to celebrate and honour their contribution to our nation’s vibrant history, right at the centre of our nation’s capital.”

The artists will now be asked to develop their ideas into a maquette, model or drawings to illustrate their design.

Each shortlisted artist will present their proposal via a short film, which will be shared nationally with a focus on the British Caribbean community.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

Celebrating Windrush

THE VOICE | 25

‘Let us come together and celebrate this Windrush Day’ “I always get a feeling of pride on Windrush Day, and this year even more so as we gather with loved ones, either in person or virtually, to celebrate the fourth national Windrush Day. “This is because we are close to revealing the possible artist’s designs for our national Windrush Monument.

“Our shortlist of four artists vying to design the monument include a mixture of world renowned and up and coming artists working across the visual arts. They all have something unique to bring to this project through their own Windrush experi-

UP Projects were appointed

by MHCLG to manage the selection process and ensure the views of the Caribbean community in the UK were sought on what would represent a meaningful legacy.

More than 250 international and British cultural leaders, curators and leaders in the Caribbean community were invited to nominate artists who have the ability and experience to create a significant civic monument. More than 100 artists were nominated, a quarter of whom were invited to express an interest and a longlist of artists, all of Caribbean heritage and many of whom have lived experience of the Windrush legacy, was created.

DIVERSE

The longlist comprised a rich and diverse range of 16 artists, based internationally and in the UK, from London and from regional cities.

The artists represented a range of artforms and approaches including multi-media installation, film, performance as well as sculpture, including Sonia Barrett, Christopher Cozier, Ebony G Patterson, Dominique White and Alberta Whittle.

Over the summer the public will be encouraged to consider the proposals. UP Projects’ team includes a Caribbean Networks Consultant and a Curator & Caribbean Community Engagement Consultant, who will liaise with the Caribbean community as a major part of the public engagement strategy.

This will ensure that a meaningful monument is commissioned to represent the Windrush Generation.

Their views will be taken into consideration by the WCC as they make their final selection.

The winning design is

This part of our history is now being celebrated and taught in every corner of the country ences. The pioneers who walked off the MV Windrush in 1948 and the thousands who followed over the following decades showed great bravery, resilience and fortitude. They left

planned to be revealed in Black History Month in October and the monument is expected to be unveiled on Windrush Day 2022.

Here’s what theses amazing artists had to say...

behind their families, homes and all they knew to step into the unknown. They came to help rebuild Britain after the War as well as in the hope of starting a new life in the UK. They wouldn’t have known at the time but their arrival marked a pivotal moment in British history.

“Over 70 years on, in every area of British life, we are finally recognising the massive contribution of the Windrush

Generation and their descendants. This part of our history is now being acknowledged, celebrated and taught in every corner of the country.

“The Windrush Monument will focus on these experiences – providing a permanent place for reflection and commemoration, as well as a place of celebration, learning and inspiration for our children and for future generations.

“It will sit rightfully at the centre of our nation’s capital, at the

iconic heritage site of Waterloo Station, where thousands of Caribbean people arrived in London before dispersing across Britain.

“I’m thrilled to see the Monument designs start to develop, and I look forward to showcasing them to the general public, especially Caribbean communities whose voices will be pivotal in making sure we celebrate the Windrush Generation with dignity, sensitivity and pride for years to come.

“Happy Windrush Day!” — Baroness Floella Benjamin, DBE

a global audience and bring to the fore the importance of Afro-Caribbean presence and narratives in the public space.”

Photo: Roar Studio, Milan Thomas J Price

Basil Watson

“It is exciting, and I feel privileged that I now have this opportunity to express the aspirations, vision and courage of my parents who took the long sea voyage to England in 1952 as part of that Windrush Generation in search of a brighter future.” Photo: Basil Watson Jeannette Ehlers

“As the child of a Jamaican father and English mother, I have for many years been making artworks that seek to examine the notion of monumental sculpture and address the imbalance of representation within society, which makes being shortlisted for the Windrush Monument Commission feel like a very significant honour.”

Photo: TJ Price Valda Jackson

“Working with hybridity and pan-Africanism, I have long been interested in looking further into that crucial British Caribbean part of my heritage. It will be an honour and a thrilling challenge for me to get in touch with the British Caribbean Community.

“I have a great deal of experience with large-scale public works of art that speak to

“As a daughter of the Windrush Generation, it is an honour to be considered to create a sculpture that celebrates the unique and profound contribution made by Caribbean and Commonwealth people to the life and culture of Britain.” Photo: Georgia Jackson

STANDING TALL: Basil Watson is pictured working on one of his incredible sculptures

26 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Celebrating Windrush

BRIDGING THE GAP 70 years after Windrush, Caribbeans in Britain have found new ways to connect with relatives, says Emeka Forbes

F

OR CARIBBEANS who boarded the Empire Windrush and travelled to England in 1948, the journey took more than three weeks and cost the equivalent of £1,000 today.

The cost and travel time meant that quick trips to visit family back in the Caribbean were out of the question for those who made their homes in Britain.

Living in Britain meant being cut off from friends and relatives ‘back home’ in the Caribbean and across the wider global diaspora, in countries like Canada and the United States.

Over time, more affordable international travel and technological advancements have given rise to a new global connectedness.

In stark contrast to a threeweek transatlantic voyage, the internet has enabled virtual journey times of less than a quarter of a second, helping many families rebuild bridges with relatives in the Caribbean, and enabling them to forge new links.

Advancements in instant messaging and video-conferencing have offered a new way for people living in the diaspora to participate in everyday life with friends and relatives

I actually want to go back and join the party scene – when I was younger I only got to experience parts of St Lucia my mum knew in the Caribbean, shrinking the distance between them.

Helena Hastings-Gayle, a teaching assistant from West London said that using digital platforms for everyday communication made it feel like relatives in the Caribbean were “just down the road”. “[Using WhatsApp], I have long conversations about life, but we also talk about trivial things like clothes I want to buy or clothes I think they would suit,” she said.

“Quick trips to visit family back in the Caribbean were out of the question for those who made their homes in Britain.”

S i m i larly, Lorna Irving, a social entrepreneur and one of a growing number of people born in the diaspora who’ve decided to ‘return’ to the Caribbean, told me that instant messaging had allowed her to communi-

cate with relatives on a “daily basis”.

“Even if you are not communicating with anyone directly,” she said, “you’re aware of the contact taking place. Without the use of digital technology, I would lose the immediacy of the contact I have with a lot of people.”

The ability to instantly connect to relatives more than 5,000 miles away has allowed Caribbeans living in the diaspora to be part of important family events they would otherwise have missed.

ADDITIONS

“There have been weddings and funerals that I’ve attended, and [newborn] additions to the family have been introduced via digital technology”, Irving told me.

Camille St-Omer Donaldson, a charity worker living in London, said that although her family has traditionally come together at in-person reunion events, the increased use of Zoom during the pandemic had spurred a discussion on whether to transition to virtual events instead.

As well as reconnecting families, digital technology is helping to drive a resurgence in people’s consciousness of their roots, and shaping the way they think about the Caribbean.

Technology is offering younger generations of Caribbeans who grew up in the diaspora an up to date glimpse into life in the islands beyond outdated descriptions handed down by older relatives.

“My memories of [St Lucia] are very much rooted in the past,” St-Omer Donaldson told me.

“I now follow a few of my cousins on Instagram and a few St Lucia news and music pages, and it’s weird to say but it’s modernised the country for me.

“I actually want to go back and join the party scene – when I was younger I only got to experience parts of St Lucia my mum knew.”

She added that “without technology, I think I’d only be

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THE WONDER OF TECHNOLOGY: The internet means that we can connect with our loved ones much more easily than in the past (photos: Tima Miroshnichenko/Rodnae Productions) connected to a very old, outdated and historical version of my home country”.

Hastings-Gayle explained that whilst her initial connection to the Caribbean had

Member of Parliament for Brent Central and Chair of the AllParty Parliamentary Group for Jamaica, acknowledged the critical role played by digital technology in bridging the gap

We can play much more active roles in our families’ and friends’ lives even if we don’t get to visit as much as we’d like been solely through her grandparents, using Instagram and WhatsApp had helped her forge closer ties with younger relatives in Jamaica, giving her a “stronger tie to the diaspora”.

“For a long time I never identified as Jamaican, but in the last couple of years, it [has become] one of my highest cultural identifiers,” she said.

“Without technology, I think I’d only be connected to a very old, outdated and historical version of my home country.”

Dawn Butler, the Labour

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between families split between the UK and the Caribbean.

“I’ve been able to attend family weddings I wouldn’t have been able to physically go to and even celebrate birthdays with virtual birthday drinks,” she told me.

“Being able to keep in close contact with communities back in Jamaica is so important and the ease in which we can do so now has improved exponentially in the last decade and even more so since the Coronavirus pandemic has started”.

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Ms Butler added that with the right data protections and security, advancements in digital technology would play an important role in strengthening bonds between the Caribbean and its diasporas.

ROLES

“We can play much more active roles in our families’ and friends’ lives even if we don’t get to visit physically as much as we would like to,” she said.

Rather than serving solely as a historic point of departure from the Caribbean, the legacy of Windrush is one of connection. With the help of technology, new generations of Caribbean’s are finding ways to come together, changing what it means to be part of the diaspora.

Emeka Forbes is a writer and political consultant based in

London. He writes about politics, technology and culture, and civil society. He tweets at @emekaforbes

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2021

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28 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Celebrating Windrush

‘Something for everyone’ L

While COVID may put a dampener on festivities, Windrush Day in Lambeth will be one to remember, says Councillor Sonia Winifred

A MBETH COUNCIL is celebrating Windrush Day 2021 in partnership with the community, with the borough hosting a wide range of exciting, educational and creating events leading up to, and on, July 22.

The theme this year is ‘I Am Here’ to reflect the Windrush Generation’s enduring importance and legacy.

The borough’s celebrations in 2020 featured on live national TV in partnership with ITV, and Lambeth is keen to continue the celebration this year. Of course, like everywhere else, we are restricted to some extent by the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty it has created, but nonetheless Windrush Day 2021 in Lambeth will have something for everyone.

Starting in June we are gathering our residents’ stories and experiences – past and present – to begin the conversations and set the actions for moving forward for an equitable experience of life for all local people.

As part of ‘I am INVITATION: Posters urging Lambeth Here’ Lambeth Counresidents to take part in celebrations cil is working with

We are gathering our residents’ stories and experiences the Pegasus Opera Company who have commissioned composer Des Oliver to create this year’s Windrush Song. The Brixton based opera company champion harmony in diversity by offering opportunities to artists of African and Asian heritage. Des Oliver’s new composition will be played across Lambeth at 10.27am on June 22 to mark the arrival of the Empire Windrush.

Lambeth Council is also working with the Brixton Project who have commissioned

artist Seonaid Gowdie to make this year’s Windrush motif. The striking image created by Gowdie depicts six different faces all put together to make one face, and will appear across Lambeth.

It draws inspiration from the words collective, spirit, future and respect and decided to create something which represents unity within a community.

HOSTILITY

Many in the Windrush Generation faced hostility and discrimination despite the fact they had a right to be here.

The emblem created expresses that regardless of the colour of someone’s skin, whether they were born here or immigrated, we are here. The council is working with schools in the borough to create a new ‘I Am Here’ Windrush-themed educational pack, and there will also

AIRTIME: Lambeth Council is teaming up with ITV this year, who featured Windrush Day 2020 on This Morning, above be an activity pack featuring artwork and music for everyone in the borough to download and to enjoy at home.

Our partners at the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) in Windrush Square, Brixton will be launching a new book on the Windrush Generation. The BCA is the only national heritage centre dedicated to collecting, preserving and celebrating the histories of African and Caribbean people in Britain – so they are an important partner in our celebrations. Next door to

the BCA in Windrush Square is Brixton Library, which will also be running a cultural and educational programme in the lead up to Windrush Day 2021.

Find out more about the programme of events at lambeth.gov.uk/windrushday and join us on social media by following #windrushlambeth Sonia Winifred is Councillor for

Knight’s Hill Ward in Lambeth and Cabinet Member for Equalities and Culture

JUNE 2021 THE VOICE | 29

Celebrating Windrush

Educating and enlightening BREAKING GROUND: Deputy mayor Councillor Anntoinette Bramble is behind the inspiring curriculum resources

Hackney’s school resources help pupils appreciate Windrush

T

HE JOURNEY of the Windrush Generation is an important part of history and one that Hackney takes pride in celebrating, commemorating and educating its community on.

This is conveyed primarily through their groundbreaking work founded by Hackney’s deputy mayor Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, Hackney’s Diverse Curriculum - The Black Contribution which, after launching in October 2020, has been signed up for by more than 1,500 schools worldwide.

Within this nine-week teaching pack of resources exploring black British history and culture are lessons specific to the Windrush Generation.

The lessons help students explore and appreciate the many contributions of the Windrush Generation, which Britain is still benefiting from today.

We take pride in leading the way in how we celebrate their contributions They have been designed to encourage students to consider how the Windrush story is having an impact today and was carefully planned with local historians, to ensure it was reflective of the history of Windrush, while focusing on more recent events that have impacted on the lives of people.

Cllr Bramble explained: “Hackney is proud of its Windrush history, and we take pride in leading the way in how we celebrate their countless and invaluable contributions.

“Education is key to provid-

ing context to today’s political discussions and appreciation of our cultural activity.

“Through Hackney’s Diverse Curriculum, young people can gain a better understanding of the many stories of the Windrush Generation and equip teachers with the confidence to deliver enlightening lessons for their pupils.”

SIGNIFICANCE

Thanks to Hackney’s new curriculum – which is available for all teachers and educators to sign up for – students will discover a catalogue of black stories across the ages, from the arrival of the Windrush Generation to the significance of the rule of the British Empire.

These stories will inspire debate and investigate activism and add enlightening context to some of the political issues which we are all faced with to-

day, including the recent ‘Windrush Scandal’, which Hackney believes is an important topic within schools.

Through the Windrush education packs, young people can develop understanding of the political significance of the history of Windrush and the hope to inspire important discussions on social justice.

They will also add context not only to our past, but our future as we look to Hackney’s

forthcoming Windrush Artwork Commission, which will see the borough welcome one of the UK’s first permanent sculptures to honour the Windrush Generation.

Lessons also reflect on positive influential figures and their impact on UK life, including Sam Beaver King and Claudia Jones.

There are also resources that have been created over several years by the Hackney Museum

that provide a detailed account of the Windrush era from its history and relevance to the borough.

It is hoped that this will be an inspiration to many.

To sign up to Hackney’s

Diverse Curriculum – the Black Contribution visit hackney servicesforschools.co.uk/

extranet/hackneys-diversecurriculum

30 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2021

JUNE 2021 THE VOICE | 31

Men who inspire

Helping to protect others on the streets of London

By Veron Graham

F

ATHER’S DAY this year, on June 20, may again be even more poignant than usual for some, given the impact COVID-19 has wrought on the lives of so many across the world.

The pandemic has given us a greater focus on the safety and security of loved ones – but the sense of danger is par for the course for police families.

Is a career protecting and serving the community as well as raising a family an achievable balance?

We heard from an officer who is seeking to find it, serving Safer Schools Officers and fathers of one, 42-year-old PC Ade Are and PC Charles Darlington, 33.

‘My family are very supportive of my decision’ PC Ade Are hopes to be a governor one day after health reasons prevented a military career VG: How do you balance fatherhood with your role as a police officer?

PC Are: With difficulty, but I manage as any other father can.

VG: Would you encourage your children to pursue a career in policing?

PC Are: Probably not at the moment – my daughter is three years old. If things were to change I would, but it’s too early to say.

VG: What made you select the police as a career option?

PC Are: Health reasons stopped me joining the military.

VG: How would you respond to a comment that you can’t expect the police to treat black people fairly?

PC Are: You can expect to treat people fairly, because that’s what I do!

VG: Were family and friends negative or positive to your career choice and how do they feel now?

PC Are: They were reluctant to begin with but my family are very supportive and support my actions.

VG: What effect do reports of police misconduct in the UK have on you?

PC Are: They affect me just as much

as a normal member of the public: I get disappointed and ashamed.

VG: What’s your response to the verdict in the George Floyd case?

PC Are: I was elated, but with concern.

VG: What are the best things about being a Met officer?

PC Are: The training, and being on the Territorial Support Group gives me that, and also catching criminals.

VG: Where do you see yourself careerwise in five to 10 years?

PC Are: I hope to become a governor.

FAIRNESS: PC Ade Are

‘Join up and make a difference - be part of the solution’ PC Charles Darlington says it took a while for family and friends to accept his job, but he is now a friendly face for his community VG: How do you balance fatherhood with your role as a police officer?

PC Darlington: Fatherhood is important to me; my son is four months old.

Balancing it alongside policing, which is the fulfilling career path I have chosen, has been made easier by the support of my sergeant and my role as a Safer Schools Officer.

I have been given the ability to create more flexible working hours, to support my childcare needs.

I am moving into my seventh year of policing.

some family to accept my role as a police officer.

But as time moved on, they see that I am still the friend and family member they always knew. I might get drawn into conversations I wouldn’t normally be part of, or discussions about what’s happening on the streets.

But they appreciate that I can give them a balanced response to what is really happening and why police have done the things they have. Be that positive or negative.

VG: Would you encourage your children to pursue a career in policing?

PC Darlington: Yes, but I would prepare them for it – the good the bad and the complex. Being a police officer and those within the service have a strong moral compass.

But I would want my children to explore other aspects of working life before joining the police, as this gives them a better understanding of the working world and how others live their lives.

VG: What made you select the police as a career option?

PC Darlington: I had worked in the corporate world after leaving university, and felt that chasing a wage was not my cup of tea. I wanted to make a difference to others and help people in my community. I initially applied to become a firefighter, but budget cuts meant a lot of recruits were let go. I decided to follow in my grandfather’s footsteps and become a police officer.

My final decision to go into

ROLE: PC Charles Darlington is now a Safer Schools Officer this role was when I spoke to two very friendly officers (one community support and one police officer) on an underground train on my way home from work in the city, asking them about how to apply and what to expect.

up and make a difference. If you feel that the community you come from is being treated unfairly please become part of the solution and be that friendly face that your communities sees and police the streets of London.

VG: How would you respond to a comment that you can’t expect the police to treat black people fairly?

PC Darlington: To those people I would say, please join

VG: Were family and friends negative or positive to your career choice and how do they feel now?

PC Darlington: Yes, I lost friends and it took a while for

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VG: What effect do reports of police misconduct in the UK have on you?

PC Darlington: They do, as I feel the backlash from the communities I police first hand.

As well as the people that I interact with and the young people I help.

The actions of one person can have massive ripple effect on everyone’s confidence in the police, but in reality one person’s actions do not reflect those of everyone else within the police.

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VG: What’s your response to the verdict in the George Floyd case?

PC Darlington: I was relieved to see justice had prevailed. It was a powerful moment in policing history in America, where tensions are at an all-time high. It has shown that those who are in a position of power aren’t above the law.

VG: What are the best things about being a Met officer?

PC Darlington: They are too many to count! I will name five; the opportunity to help young people to choose a life other than crime, taking violent criminals off the streets, the chance to meet and help people from all walks of life, having opportunity to try many specialisations within the police and making friends.

VG: Where do you see yourself career-wise in five to 10 years?

PC Darlington: I see myself at a sergeant’s level or higher, specialising in the Dog Section.

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32 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Midlands News

by Veron Graham

SUPPORTING BLACK MEN IN MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES Founder of First Class Foundation among a panel of experts meeting to discuss how to tackle the rise of teen mental issues during the pandemic

T

HE FOUNDER of an innovative project that is helping its members cope with the additional pressures of being young, black and male in post-pandemic Britain is to speak at a prestigious conference in late June.

Nathan Dennis of the First Class Foundation (FCF) will be among a panel of experts, frontline practitioners and third sector advocates at Westminster Insight speaking on the rise of teen mental health issues during the pandemic and how support services must respond.

FCF continues to demonstrate its ongoing success with its Shifting the Dial project which has spawned

We have started getting older black men with lived experience to mentor the younger guys #DearYoungers – a forum that is building mental health resilience in young men whose plight has been exacerbated by COVID-19.

New NHS research uncovered

great disparities in the delivery of treatment for mental health issues on racial lines.

Only 6.5 per cent of black patients received support compared to 14.5 per cent of white British – despite the latter being 10 times less likely to experience severe mental health (0.3 per cent to 3.2 per cent respectively) and are half as likely to experience post-traumatic stress (4.3 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively).

The project is in its third year and works in partnership with mental health authorities aiming to reduce the number of black men being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and to create services that are more culturally appropriate.

MESSAGE: A #DearYoungers session in motion – the forum is building mental health resilience Dennis said: “We conducted an evaluation into the root causes of this increase in poor mental health of members of the black community.

“The main difference we found between black men and other ethnicities is that they do not feel comfortable speaking with a GP if they were feeling depressed or anxious which is down to a lack of trust in the system.

CRISIS

“It’s only when they hit a crisis point that they may consider coming forward. At this point, it may be too late as their mental health spills over.

“We have started getting older black men with lived ex-

POSITIVE OUTLOOK: Participants Ryan Campbell, left, and Rohan Bent

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perience to mentor the younger guys. We strive to create an environment where peer-to-peer mentorship leads with the main goal of normalising discussions around mental health and to make everyone involved aware that they are not alone.

“This involves moving away from the typical masculine top-

to wear that. It hurts to say it but racism happens. Slavery happened. It depends on your view though because they can motivate you, too.

“The opportunities are still there for us to do well, it’s how you take it.”

Fellow member Ryan Campbell added: “What you reap

It hurts to say it but racism happens. The opportunities are still there for us to do well ics of cars, sports, relationships, and confronting mental health head on.”

The project is helping black men to feel more comfortable speaking to a GP, calling for adoption of alternative methods to address mental health issues including music or talk therapy, or gym sessions as opposed to immediate medication.

It also advocates moving consultations away from clinics and into familiar community spaces. #DearYoungers is giving young men the bandwidth to cope with the additional pressure COVID-19 has brought while strengthening each other, sharing practical strategies, including journaling, action planning and ways to be productive under lockdown. #DearYoungers member Rohan Bent said: “It’s harder for us. That’s a fact but we have

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you sow. If you look at things negatively you will attract that negative energy. I decided to join because I knew (#Dear Youngers) would have a positive impact, which it has already.”

Dennis concluded: “A quote was said recently at one of our discussion groups which outlines the essence of what we are trying to achieve: ‘We might not have it all together. But together, we have it all’.”

Dennis will be part of a panel discussion on The Role of the Community for Creating Culturally Informed Safe Spaces That Support Young People’s Mental Health at Westminster Institute’s annual Teenage Mental Health Digital Conference, broadcast online live on Tuesday, June 29.

For more on his session and the full agenda, visit https://wminsgt. link/tmh

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021 THE VOICE | 33

Midlands News

HONOURING OUR CAMPAIGNER

New Windrush Legal Advice Clinic set up in honour of Paulette Wilson who was wrongly threatened with deportation

A

LEADING WOLV E R H A M P TONBORN activist is among the luminaries behind the opening of the new Windrush Legal Advice Clinic, the latest in a series of occurrences relating to Windrush and the fallout from the scandal.

The clinic was set up in honour of the late Paulette Wilson, a local campaigner who was wrongly detained and threatened with deportation back to Jamaica. Paulette came to the UK as a child and lived here for over 50 years.

Since her passing last July, Dr Patrick Vernon OBE has campaigned across the Black Country against the Home Office’s treatment of people from the ‘Windrush Generation’.

Based in nearby Bilston, the clinic will focus on those needing help completing the Windrush Compensation Scheme Forms and assist those who are ‘undocumented’ to obtain documents legitimising their immigration status.

The project, which began in December 2020, is a pro bono legal advice clinic operating on weekdays.

The not-for-profit clinic is being led by a team of professional volunteers including Bridgett Tatham, a partner in Brown and Jacobson, Jahnel Davis, Paralegal and Judith Tatham, also students from the

University of Wolverhampton’s School of Law. Dr Vernon said: “As we approach the third anniversary of the Windrush Scandal, many of the issues are still not resolved around the compensation scheme and status for many of the Windrush Generation and their families.

CHANGES

The late Paulette Wilson and many others were let down, despite recent changes to improve the compensation scheme. Access to legal assistance is still a major barrier and this new Windrush service is an important step forward in campaigning for justice for the Windrush Generation in Wolverhampton and The Black Country.”

Natalie Barnes, Paulette’s daughter, added: “We hope this service can provide the type of support that can help victims still experiencing problems around their status and accessing the compensation scheme.

“It is the kind of service that my late mother would benefit from especially those living in our local communities.”

I n a related stor y,

the Vice Chair of Birminghambased Nehemiah Housing Association, Professor Martin Levermore MBE DL, has been appointed by the UK Government as the new Independent Person to advise on the Windrush Compensation Scheme.

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Levermore said: “I am very pleased and also honoured to be appointed. Whilst my role is to oversee the scheme, ensuring its governance and financial remit remains consistent with the aims and objectives of the scheme, I consider part of my function is to build confidence and trust within the community and to encourage as many from the Windrush community that have been wronged to obtain restitution.

“I will be participating in a range of community

KEY ROLE: Professor Martin Levermore DL and Llewellyn Graham, CEO of Nehemiah Housing engagement events with stakeholders and community groups and I will ensure the Home Office proactively seeks out and encourages affected individuals to apply to the Compensation Scheme in order to maximise uptake.”

Last month, four artists – all of Caribbean heritage – were shortlisted to submit their designs for the proposed Windrush Monument at London Waterloo Station.

The designs will be showcased around the country this summer and the winner will be unveiled

on Windrush Day next year, June 22.

Over in Leicester, city arts organisation Serendipity will follow up the success of the inaugural Windrush Day Lecture in 2020 with an online lecture by Dr Beverley Bryan, J amaican-born retired Professor of Language Education from the University of the West Indies.

A founder member of the Brixton Black Women’s Group and the Organisation of Women of African and Asian Descent (OWAAD), Dr Bryan, pictured left, also a Saturday school organiser and mainstream

primary school teacher, pioneered Black history teaching in her classrooms in the 1970s.

Her long list of credits also includes co-authoring the classic book Heart of the Race: Black Women’s Lives in Britain (1985) which detailed the collective experiences of ordinary black women through slavery, the empire and fight for equality.

The lecture will be streamed online on June 22 at 6pm and will be available for 48 hours after going live.

For more information, visit www.serendipity-uk.com

Britain’s only black glassblower sells slavery piece to V&A

COUP: Chris Day has created a different narrative about historical racism

A STAFFORDSHIRE-BASED artist who “wanted to tell a different story about slavery” has pulled off a major coup by selling his glass and ceramic works to high-profile galleries across the UK and in America – including the Victoria & Albert (V&A) Museum in London.

Chris Day, 52, thought to be the only black glassblower in the UK, has created a different narrative about historical racism.

T h e V&A Mus e u m , b i l l e d as the world’s

leading museum of art and design, has purchased Emmett Till – his work which was inspired by the 14-year old black teenager of the same name who was abducted, beaten and lynched by two white men in 1955, pictured inset left.

VIOLENT

His murder galvanised the emerging Civil Rights Movement in the United States and gave Emmett’s peer, Cassius Clay, then aged 13, his first introduction to violent racism.

The Scottish National Museum has also purchased Day’s Wander which depicts the tale of a luxury racing yacht setting sail from Charleston, South Carolina in 1858, on a voyage across the Atlantic Ocean.

When it returned nearly five months later from West Africa to Jekyll Island, Georgia, it carried 487 new passengers on board – each taken against his will to be sold illegally into the slave trade. The ship was one of the last ever to import slaves onto US soil.

Day is currently in discussion with Rhode Island Museum about the potential purchase of one of his other pieces of work.

The former University of Wolverhampton arts student said: “When I arrived at the university, I was a blank canvas.

“I knew I wanted to tell a different story about slavery but not in the way it’s been done before. I wanted to change the narrative.”

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

34 | THE VOICE

JUNE 2021

Faith

‘Be the father you wanted when you were a child’

LOOKING UP: Fathers’ relationships with their children may require work – but that doesn’t mean that they can be put aside (photos: Monstera/ Nappy)

The everyday stresses of modern life can make developing a special and lasting bond with your child difficult. However, says Rev John Root, by focusing on and embracing the love that the Lord gives us, it may be easier to do that than you think

R

OUGHLY THE first 40 weeks of life are spent in our mother’s womb.

That is the beginning of a close mother-child relationship, which hopefully the mother is able to build on during the early days, and then the early years of her child’s life.

Fathers do not have the advantage of that deeply physical, instinctive relationship with their children.

It needs to be built from the ground up. That’s why it is good that enlightened companies increasingly give paternity leave as well as maternity leave.

Many of us aren’t in the privileged position of enjoying that sort of benefit, but for all fathers it is essential that we make the very important choice to give time right from the beginning to be present with our children and develop strong, involved loving relationships with them. We need to bond with them.

About 20 minutes after my son was born, the midwife sat me down and placed my baby son in my lap.

Usually, I am a fairly unemotional person, but this was far and away the most powerful and emotional moment of my life.

I had a deep sense of joy and delight in a baby who had achieved very little so far apart

None of us had a father as perfect as God. Maybe our fathers in turn knew only bad memories and ways of behaving from their fathers from making my wife feel sick for the past nine months.

I shall always be grateful to the midwife who sat me down to hold my child so that I had that experience of bonding. (If there is a Yoruba midwife from Cameroon who was working in Hammersmith in the summer of 1989, do get in touch; I’d love to say thank you).

Many voices in the Bible speak recognise that our God also has that powerful sense of bonding with his creatures.

The prophet Hosea captures the loving, caring experience of a father: “When Israel was a child, I loved him ... It was I who taught Ephraim to walk.”

Similar feeling is expressed in

Psalm 103, verse 13, which we use at the graveside to comfort grieving families: “As a father is tender towards his children, so is the Lord tender towards those that fear Him.” ‘Fear’ here is a form of trust; knowing that our lives are at their most secure when we put ourselves under the authority of a loving faithful God. ‘Tender’ may be a word we usually associate with mothers. I wonder if we realise that God is a tender father, and he calls all fathers to be like that as well.

But none of us had a father as perfect as God, our heavenly Father. Maybe our fathers in turn knew only bad memories and ways of behaving from their fathers.

PRESSURE

The exhaustion of work, the hurt of racism, the pressure to provide can make fathers bitter and unreasonable.

Ian Wright has described the vicious, destructive cruelty of his father who forced him to face the wall so that he couldn’t watch his beloved Match of the Day. Some people have seen the Bible as justifying that sort of punitive, even violent treatment of children: ‘spare the rod, spoil the child’.

Certainly, an important and demanding part of fathering is to help our children appreciate the importance of self-control and observing boundaries, but that comes best from fathers who have discovered for themselves that God is a loving father.

In his letters Paul teaches about how we are to relate to each other in families. What he says about fathers is curious, for whilst he speaks to both husbands and wives, he simply says that children be obedient, and says nothing to mothers,

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only that fathers shouldn’t exasperate. It suggests both that he assumed mothers’ care for their children is so spontaneous and natural that it requires no teaching, whereas he knew that fathers could be exasperating!

Perhaps by being too ready to criticise, not ready enough to encourage.

So it is important that the New Testament writers retain the original word that Jesus used when talking to God: ‘Abba’, which is like our word ‘Daddy’. It is a trusting, intimate word. One of his most famous stories was of a father patiently longing and waiting for the return of his son who had squandered all his inheritance on prostitutes and gambling.

He saw that being a father can

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be an emotional roller-coaster ride.

Fathers’ Day falls on Sunday, June 20. Even though shops are increasingly using it as an opportunity to find a few more occasions in the year to market cards and gifts, it is unlikely that it will ever match the sentimental bonanza of Mothering Sunday.

OPPORTUNITY

But it is important to celebrate it. That will probably mean celebrating fathers in your own family. It may be an opportunity to help and encourage fathers who you know are under pressure.

It could be a time to work and pray for reconciliation between fathers and mothers, or

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between fathers and their children.

The growing number of children, especially boys, who are growing up without a father in the home to cherish them, encourage them, and give them the discipline of following rules and obeying boundaries, is a growing crisis in our society.

For good or evil, a boy’s first role model is always his father.

Can I suggest that every father who reads this determines to be a better father than his own father had been.

That way our society is sure to grow healthier. There is no greater help towards achieving that than to discover the caring, forgiving, restoring love that God our Father, ‘Abba’, has for each one of us.

www.voice-online.co.uk

Lifestyle Breakin’ Convention in July? p36

B.O.S.S. up for Turner Prize p40

BOOKS AND BOOTS Marcus Rashford

Jeffrey Boakye: Music and British history p44

36 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Lifestyle

Stage

New approach, same vibe with Breakin’s return

Artistic director Jonzi D says this year’s event will be a ‘breakout’ of incredible dance talent

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

A

RTISTIC DIRECTOR Jonzi D has told Lifestyle that his signature event at Sadler’s Wells will be called the Breakout Convention as opposed to Breakin’ Convention.

Like the rest of the world Jonzi is just happy to be hosting his event and getting back to some sort of normal where attending shows is concerned.

Last year took on the mantra of ‘Social DisDancing’ to encapsulate the pandemic-induced conditions which meant we were all stuck indoors watching live streams of our favourite pastimes.

“Breakin’ Convention is coming and there is always silver linings to these things, so in spite of us having the lockdown and stuff this is the first Breakin’ Convention that is going to happen in July,” Jonzi, right, enthused.

He added: “That is special because I have always believed that Breakin’ Convention brings in the summer because usually we start in May but this is the first time that we are fully in July, and just like Stevie Wonder said,

“There is always a silver lining to these things – it’s special that this is going ahead” ‘they’re ain’t nothing hotter than July’.”

From July 1-4, Breakin’ Convention will do two socially distanced shows, two nights each.

One of the biggest draws set to cause a stir at the world’s biggest festival of hip hop dance is Compagnie Niya – Gueules Noires.

The group, choreographed by Rachid Hedli, pay a heartfelt tribute to the migrant workers of the NordPas de Calais Mining Basin, including his father.

Retracing life

in the mines, Cie Niya’s razorsharp breaking and popping skills create evocative images of solidarity, struggle and fraternity. Hedli’s powerful and poetic staging is amplified by original music by Romual Houziaux.

Compagnie Niya is made up of sons and grandsons of the miners who inspired this piece.

The company’s wish is to educate current and future generations about the migrants whose lives and stories are paramount to mining history.

Jonzi said: “Technically proficient at breaking and popping, Compagnie Niya present visually poetic hip hop dance theatre. Choreographer Rachid Hedli is a compelling storyteller. Gueules Noires reflects film noire with sharp, shadowy scenes from the pers pect i ve of North African migrant miners in the north of France. Images of hanging clothes suggest a community of descendants descending down the

Southbank Centre welcomes new Chair THE BOARD of Trustees of the Southbank Centre, London’s iconic multi-arts centre announced the appointment of their new Chair, Misan Harriman, last month.

The appointment was approved by the Secretary of State, Oliver Dowden MP, following the recommendation of the Southbank Centre Board and after consultation with Arts Council England.

Harriman’s appointment follows a comprehensive search process for a visionary leader with a deep passion for the potential of multi-arts programming, and a proven commitment to the power of culture in bringing diverse communities together.

Harriman, inset, said: “We have a great opportunity to project all aspects of the South-

bank Centre’s vision and I am hugely excited to be taking up this new post.

“Working with Elaine, Luke and the team, I’m looking forward to playing my part in the life of an inspiring institution that I have known almost all my life. I believe the incredible mix of arts voices that Southbank Centre offers has never been more important, and has huge potential as we develop a modern, post-lockdown cultural institution, and explore new ways to innovate and bring arts to our communities.”

He succeeds Susan Gilchrist, the first female Chair of the Board, who will reach the end of her board term on July 1.

(Photo: Camilla Holmstroem)

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PROVOKING: Jonzi D promises evocative dance pieces at this year’s Breakin’ Convention mineshaft to their only source of income.

“The dancers’ athletic floor work conjuring composure and rhythm in claustrophobic conditions. Societal power dynamics are ominously at play.

“Musical collaborations fuse live handpan, violin and accordion, over atmospheric hip hop beats. Gueules Noires is a stunning piece of work that literally takes us underground.”

Looking forward to other acts Jonzi enthused: “We have an artist that I am really proud of presenting, actually – his name is Bagsy and his he is a solo artist who does Waacking, which is a style that came from the gay communities in New York and he’s presenting his version of it.”

He says he’s unusual because he is a straight man that does Waacking.

“He has a really beautiful piece in which he is bringing his Nigerian roots – he’s doing a duet with a talking drum and it’s a beautiful piece of work that we developed in Open Art Surgeries, so I am very excited about that.

“With have a next piece by a women called Gemma who is doing a Jazz-popping piece, that’s the only way I can describe it – it’s a sick piece.

“We also have a woman called Patience who has a crew

called Girlz On Point and its going to be a big Nigerian, Afrobeats extravaganza and I am very, very excited about that. She’s got so much energy and she really pushes her voice on stage.”

With the amount of people who can attend the event impacted by new social distancing rules and shows having to be adapted in order to facilitate as many people as possible, while keeping everyone safe, the number of international acts participating in this years event is noticeably reduced.

PROUD

It’s a source of frustration for Jonzi, who said: “We usually have a lot more international artists on stage and I guess the resistance in me is wanting to keep the same festivals that we do because it is an international festival and we are very proud to work with internationals.”

Understanding that he can’t deliver in the usual manner Jonzi has, however, gone some way to ensuring the unconventional is still celebrated alongside the conventional.

He explained: “There is one aspect of the festival which I am particularly excited about.

“There is a film I made a few years back when I was in Uganda, called The Myth of the Night Dancers (Abasezi).

“The film is crazy because, I don’t know if it’s true or whether it’s an old wives’ tale, but it talks about spirits, zombies in Uganda that come out of the ground and they eat people.

“I know it sounds crazy but that’s the reason why the film is so amazing because we actually meet some people who went through this process. One women told me that she ate people.

“I don’t really get scared of things – I’m not a fearful person – but when you’re dealing with people on those levels, it’s a little different.

“But do come and check the film out, it’s on the Sunday. One of the dancers from Uganda will be there to talk about the experience and if this is real or not.

“They’re called night dancers because they appear at night and they are covered in some kind of clay and they terrorise people and cook them and eat them. The film also talks about the breakdance community in Uganda and an initiative called Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU) where they engage literally hundreds of young kids and they have a really studious approach to the way in which they train. It’s featured in the film, I was there and it’s incredible.”

See the full video on the Voice website.

Breakin’ Convention 2021 Date: July 1-4 Ticket price: £15-45 More info: sadlerswells .com

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JUNE 2021

THE VOICE | 37

Lifestyle

Books

‘You have to dream big’ After finding stardom as a footballer, Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford is using his position to tell kids they can achieve their dreams in his first ever book

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

W

E ALL know he’s good with his feet having represented one of the world’s biggest football clubs since he was eight years old, but what many may not have been quite so aware of is the fact that Marcus Rashford MBE is not so bad with his hands, either.

The England player has written a book and his first foray into authorship couldn’t have yielded a more aptly titled end product and as You Are A Champion: How To Be The Best You Can Be hits the shelves, the Manchester United striker looks like he’s scored with another top drawer effort.

Rashford’s off-pitch work, inspiring the generation of children coming up behind him, never seems to cease.

His endeavours last year to ensure children up and down the country continued to get access to free meals during the COVID-19 national lockdown, which saw schools closed and kids forced to home-school, has been widely recognised and lauded.

You Are A Champion: How To Be The Best You Can Be is an inspiring, empowering and practical guide to life for children aged 10+. It’s the book Marcus Rashford wishes he’d had access to as a child.

Written with sports journalist Carl Anka, the nation’s favourite footballer opens up and draws on stories from his own life.

From his early childhood growing up in Wythenshawe to today he uses his own experiences to give children the tools needed for success, showing that it is possible to achieve a dream and that

“Good things take time – I’ve achieved a lot but it didn’t come in one go. Big things rarely happen overnight” success is all about the right mind set.

“It’s hard to know what is possible until you start. You have to be able to dream big and be prepared to work towards your dreams,” Rashford says.

He adds: “Good things take time. I’ve achieved a lot, but it didn’t come in one go – big things rarely happen overnight, and good things rarely happen as if by magic.”

The child food poverty campaigner shows children how positive thinking can change lives: how to be comfortable with who they are; practise like a champion and work hard; how to build mental resilience and stand up for others; how to navigate adversity and discover the unstoppable power of their own voice.

He strongly believes that each child is a champion and already have the tools they need to achieve t h e i r dreams; they just might not know it yet.

E a c h chapter is full of practical advice, engaging illustrations and infographics, including input from performance psychologist Katie Warriner.

Helping people train the mindset skills and practices essential to

thriving under pressure, Warriner’s clients include CEOs, Olympic champions, educational leaders and world record holders.

She has been embedded in Olympic sports for the last decade, supporting many of our most successful athletes at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

The expert input into Rashford’s debut offering didn’t stop there and the player is keen to point out that the end product, written with Anka, represents a team effort.

Currently a reporter for sports media group The Athletic and residing in Manchester, Anka is a London-born journalist and broadcaster who has written for BBC, The Guardian, VICE, NME, GQ and BuzzFeed among other publications online and in print and specialises in writing about pop culture, video games, films and football.

RECOGNITION

Last year Rashford won a Special Recognition Award at Pride of Britain 2020, was a recipient of the City of Manchester Award, was the inaugural winner of the FIFA Foundation Award, recipient of a Special Award at BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year, a recipient of the Football Writers’ Association Tribute Award, and was listed on TIME Magazine’s ‘100 Next’ list, as well as Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list.

Most recently, he topped the Sunday Times Giving List, an annual measure of the generosity of those financially best equipped to make a difference.

Today, Rashford continues to fight for a better future for the next generation, equalling the playing field for all.

You Are A Champion: How To Be The Best You Can Be, is the perfect guide for tweens and teens who are looking for advice on having the best mental mind set to get the most out of their future and opportunities – to be the best possible version of themselves.

You Are A Champion: How To Be The Best You Can Be by Marcus Rashford Written with Carl Anka costs £9.99 and is out now.

VOICE OF A GENERATION: Marcus Rashford hopes he can continue to inspire and support youngsters with his new book, pictured below

38 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Lifestyle

Stage

‘It’s been wonderful’

Woke star Apphia Campbell reflects on her journey of learning and stage adaptation

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

R

OSE THEATRE is thrilled to announce it is reopening its doors once again month and will kick off the season of theatrical productions with Woke.

Written by Apphia Campbell and Meredith Yarbrough, this award-winning production is a new story about the 20th Century African American experience.

The play follows two women’s fight for civil rights. One is notorious Black Panther Assata Shakur; the other, a present-day university student enrolling as the Ferguson riots begin.

Talking to Lifestyle, Campbell said she hoped people would develop a great understanding or empathy for issues black people have been through once they experience the production.

She enthused: “One of the things I wanted to show is how people become politicised and also help people to understand the Black Lives Matter movement and understand what happens when you continually oppress people and to not always believe what you see in the headlines. There’s always a story behind it.

“And it’s been really wonderful to see the journey of the Black Lives Matter movement from when I became aware of them

“One of the things I wanted to show is how people become politicised and also help people to understand the Black Lives Matter movement” which was in 2014. I was still living in China and I was seeing all of the images coming out of Ferguson, so the Black Lives Matter movement happened and I was watching it from abroad.

“I was thinking, ‘What is Black Lives Matter? What is going on in Ferguson? Why are there tanks on the streets?

Why is there war in this black community?’

“I thought that it was really important to help people understand that behind all of the unrest that there is a story and to be empathetic and understand that, listen and understand another person’s point of view.”

Set against a powerful soundtrack of original music and traditional gospel and blues sung live, the two women challenge the American justice system, become criminalised through political activism, and

ultimately are faced with the same choice: stay and fight, or flee?

Woke won the coveted Scotsman Fringe First Award for its premiere season and was highly commended by the judges of the Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award.

Campbell is the creator of the hit-show Black is the Color of My Voice, which played to sold-out audiences in Shanghai, New York, the UK and at Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

STAGE PRESENCE: Apphia Campbell performing in Woke, which is arriving at Kingston’s Rose Theatre

DELIGHT

Expressing his delight at the reopening of the Rose Theatre, chief executive Robert O’Dowd said: “I am very pleased to be able to confirm our summer reopening plans, following what has been an extraordinarily difficult year for theatre.

“All of us at the Rose look forward to welcoming back artists and audiences.”

The Kingston venue is awaiting updates on Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap and hope to reopen safely at full capacity.

It has stressed however that even if measures do allow a return to full capacity, socially distanced performances will be available for most shows in the season.

See the full interview with Apphia Campbell on the Voice YouTube channel

Open-air Romeo and Juliet at Regent

BY JOEL CAMPBELL THE NEWS of the full casting for the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of Romeo and Juliet directed by Kimberley Sykes and featuring Isabel Adomakoh Young, being announced last month was further confirmation that life is getting close to some sort of normal.

Organisers have stated that shows will follow COVID-secure procedures for as long as necessary – including an initial 50 per cent reduction to seating capacity.

Young (Juliet) joined the RSC for the 2019 Swan Season (Venice

Preserved, The Provoked Wife) on completing her training with the NYT Rep. She appeared in Meatballs (Hampstead) and with the acclaimed cabaret company Pecs Drag Kings. As a writer, her trilogy The Lionboy, co-written with her mother under the pseudonym Zizou Corder, has been published in 36 languages and was adapted for the stage by Complicité.

Romeo and Juliet is created by Ciaran Bagnall.

Also confirmed last month were Aretha Ayeh (Benvolia), Ellie Beavan (Lady Capulet), Tom Claxton (Peter), Ryan Ellsworth (Lord Montague), Andrew French (Lord Capulet), Sarah Hoare (Gregora/ Apothacary), Irvine Iqbal (Prince Escalus), Richard Leeming (Par-

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is), Priyank Morjaria (Sampson), Louise Mai Newberry (Lady Montague), Shadee Yaghoubi (Abraham) and Marc Zayat (Balthasar).

SEASON

The 2021 season also includes: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (July 31 - September 25) directed by Timothy Sheader; a co-production with Unicorn Theatre of Anansi the Spider (July 7-24) directed by Justin Audibert for ages three to seven; and Dragons and Mythical Beasts directed

by Derek Bond and Laura Cubitt for ages three-plus (August 13 – September 5).

A series of MOREoutdoor events includes comedy from Aisling Bea, Jimmy Carr, and Luisa

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voicenews

Omielan, and Canned Laughter present a comedy fundraiser in support of The Trussell Trust featuring Lolly Adefope, Kemah Bob, Jen Brister, Bridget Christie, Ed Gamble, Rosie Jones, Jamali Maddix, Rose Matafeo, Mawaan Rizwan and Suzi Ruffell.

The Luna Cinema also present a 20th anniversary screening of Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! and a screening of The Shining.

The Open Air Theatre has also launched its inaugural Creative Team Associates programme providing opportunities for artists early in their career to broaden their experience making large scale work and be supported and mentored by the season’s lead creatives.

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

W

hen we hear “BIGGA”, the term “Larger than life” comes to mind. It is a word that fills one with pride, exudes self-belief and confidence, epitomizing the Jamaican people and as such the product has often been aligned with Jamaican nationalism.

SOFT

Bold, vibrant, colourful and effervescent – BIGGA Soft Drink is everything Jamaican and we have now increased the size of the packing to a 600mL, giving European consumers more vibes in every bottle. The new portfolio has something for every member of the family with a choice of five sweet or spicy flavours including Ginger Beer, Jamaica Kola, Fruit Punch, Pineapple, and Grape which are great company for any occasion or meal.

DRINK JUST GOT EVEN

BIGGA!

THE VOICE| 39

The product was developed by The Jamaica Drink Company – A subsidiary of The Wisynco Group Limited in 1996 and launched in the UK

by Grace Foods UK Ltd in 2013. The beverage can be found locally in multiples in the World Food sections, the Cash & Carry sector, and the Independent trade sector.

The outlook for Bigga is extremely positive.

The demand for our product has been growing steadily even with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the market, making it clear that the brand has been embraced by consumers and customers alike.

The brand looks forward to expanding its offering with more sizes, packages, and flavours for consumers to enjoy.

Find our drinks in the World Foods aisles of all leading supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide!

   @BIGGASoda

For more information, visit www.gracefoods.co.uk | email: info@gkco.com

The Voice 2021 Black Business Guide is now out!

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40 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Lifestyle

Arts

An array of fresh talent

BOSSING IT: The B.O.S.S. collective is one of five shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2021 (photo: Theodorah Ndovlu); below, Coventry’s Herbert Art Gallery and Museum will host an exhibition of the collectives’ works

Collectives shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2021 – and their work is heading to a Coventry exhibition

BY JEROME CONWAY

A

RRAY COLLECTIVE, Black Obsidian Sound System, Cooking Sections, Gentle/Radical, and Project Art Works have all been shortlisted for the Turner Prize 2021.

A London-based collective which works across art, sound and radical activism, Black Obsidian Sound System (B.O.S.S.) was formed by and for QTIBPOC (Queer, Trans and Intersex Black and People of Colour).

The group challenge the dominant norms of sound-sys-

tem culture across the African diaspora through club nights, art installations, technical workshops and creative commissions.

Recent projects include live events at Somerset House, and a Lux/ICO film commission Collective Hum, documenting the polyphony of collectivity.

The jury praised B.O.S.S.’s live performances and their commitment to community, including an online 24-hour fundraising rave, organised in part by members of the collective.

An exhibition of all of the shortlisted artists work will be held at the Herbert Art Gallery and Museum in Coventry from September 29 to January 12,

“The Prize captures and reflects the mood of the moment”

2022 as part of the UK City of Culture 2021 celebrations.

The winner will be announced on December 1, at an award ceremony at Coventry Cathedral covered on the BBC. This is the first time a Turner Prize jury has selected a shortlist consisting entirely of artist collectives.

All the nominees work closely and continuously with com-

munities across the breadth of the UK to inspire social change through art.

The collaborative practices selected for this year’s shortlist also reflect the solidarity and community demonstrated in response to the pandemic.

Alex Farquharson, director of Tate Britain and Chair of the Turner Prize jury, said: “One of the great joys of the Turner Prize is the way it captures and reflects the mood of the moment in contemporary British art.

“After a year of lockdowns when very few artists have been able to exhibit publicly, the jury has selected five outstanding collectives whose work has not only continued through the pan-

demic but become even more relevant as a result.”

Francis Nielsen, cultural and creative director of Culture Coventry, said: “We are incredibly excited to work with the five collectives to pre- sent their work at the Herbert as part of UK City of Culture 2021.

“We pride ourselves on our socially engaged programme, rooted in and relevant to our local communities – something

echoed by the practice of each collective.

“This selection of artists and the timing of this Turner Prize presents us with the opportunity to do something truly exceptional.”

JUNE 2021

This is Brukout!

THE VOICE | 41

by Seani B

Where’s Dancehall?

British drill, rap and R’n’B artists all have a seat at the table – but there’s a huge gap missing...

O

VER THE last few years UK music has grown at a phenomenal pace and in a manner that I have never seen before. I’ve watched artists like Chip, Skepta, Stormzy and Dizzee Rascal grow from boys on the corner into major stars that helped nurture the scene to where it is today.

Artists born in Britain have influenced the next wave to believe that the dream is now very possible, when once upon a time we had to look at shores further afield for that inspiration.

Seeing the likes of Fredo, Santan Dave and more recently Russ and Tion Wayne hit the top of the national charts with unfiltered street music was something that many UK artists could only dream of.

So it seems that Drill, UK Rap, R’n’B and Afro swing all seem to have a seat at the table – but what about Dancehall?

Traditionally dancehall was the music that always had a turnover of artists that had the street buzzing with stars like General Levy, Sweetie Irie, Glamma Kid. Even if it wasn’t directly dancehall, acts like Top Cat lent that bashment flava to the genres of the time like Jungle and Garage.

But in the 2000s I personally believe there was a lull. Maybe that’s why we saw the other genres flourish as the talent and labels didn’t see UK Dancehall

TALENT: Stylo G

has been flying the flag for British artists; inset left, Big Zeeks

as a path to bright lights, big stages and big money, and focused on what seemed to be greener grass.

Two names that continued to fly that flag during that time was Stylo G and Gappy Ranks.

However, in all honesty, two people cannot make a scene flourish, but the tide has been changing of late.

Sian Anderson, who signed one of the leading Dancehall acts in the UK, Alicai Harley to Saint Music/ Parlophone Records, agrees with this sentiment.

“One of the reasons I set up Saint Music was because I could see lots

of UK artist bubbling. You can see now Alicai Harley, Shauna Sade, IQ and Big Zeeks, there’s a community UK people making good dancehall music.

But if those people started to parr with each other a little bit more, if those people went out and did stage shows a little more, they could really cement themselves as the UK dancehall scene.”

Sian further went to explain that this is how it worked in the Afro Swing world, which we have seen grown into movement that dominates the airwaves here and crossed over into Africa bringing the artists with them.

What I have been witnessing on the underground is exactly this. The lockdown pushed everyone to social media and this brought a new awareness of UK Dancehall. With no shows or live events it was down to DJs and artists to bring entertainment.

First it was DJs Juggling, then soundclashes, now the artists have taken control of the LIVE button which has unearthed a

elephant in the room regarding

“The talent has our music, and not just from the UK. I constantly get emails always been with music not presented properly; can you imagine a how this there and is received by label execs or heads of radio stations? those artists HOME have made Business needs infrastructure the first step” and the home of Reggae and multitude of artists that were not getting heard. They used this medium to full effect and even made it clear to me that they meant business.

I had a few Insta “discussions” with the like of Supa Nytro, IQ, Styla British and Big Zeeks explaining how difficult it is to strike the balance of what gets played on the endz to what makes it to national radio.

But if they create the demand in the scene like Sian explained then myself and others would have to take notice.

Creating demand is only one element, though! Ensuring you present yourself in a professional manner for me is the biggest

Dancehall, Jamaica doesn’t seem to have this in place. Sian explains: “In Africa you have Warner Music and they have launched Spotify – Jamaica is not really there yet! So, to assume a major label in the UK has recognised a sick Dancehall act and will reach out and communicate with them just like that, it’s just not heard of.”

Knowing how I navigate in the street of Kingston I can understand. You need to know a man that knows a man and I genuinely can understand that those barriers some may not go through especially as Dancehall is in the streets.

What does that mean for UK Dancehall? I spoke with DJ

Nate who is firmly part of the UK scene as a Radio DJ, Promoter and now producer with his latest riddim compilation Love Dreams that features mainly UK acts “I believe the current UK Dancehall scene is in the early stages compared to Grime/Drill etc – the talent is/has always been there and those artists have found the motivation to make the first step in getting their music out there.

“DJs have also started to pay extra attention to the homegrown talent, after this the next steps will be building the infrastructure to push the movement to the masses and the people pulling the strings inside those corporate buildings.“ In truth every element has a role to play and the most important thing is seemingly that each “department” needs to work towards best practice.

There needs to be a pulling together of the industry as a whole, and an “all for one” attitude to help the business as a whole, not just parts of it.

42 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Lifestyle

Music

The Afrobeats experience The history of Afrobeats will be brought to life in a live event. By Joel Campbell and Anu Babarisa

“T

HE HISTORY and legacy of Afrobeats is remarkable and a great tale worth sharing.”

That’s the motivation behind DJ Abrantee pushing through adversity in order to deliver this years Afrobeats Live.

Celebrating 10 Years of Afrobeats UK, the event returns via a global stream on June 20, and live at the iconic Oval Space, E3, London from July 24, following the lifting of lockdown restrictions in the UK. The event is being co-produced by specialists DLA Media and Besixth, who will onboard a string of live shows, club nights, brunches, virtual parties and digital-story-telling to celebrate the genre’s history, identity and culture, ensuring continuous year-round celebrations.

Afrobeats Live will also extend its live experience to audiences across the world on the new Afrobeats Live X Streaming and Virtual Platform, with the new mode of content delivery

“The history and legacy of Afrobeats is remarkable and a tale worth sharing with the world” recently described as “one of the most explosive new music genres of the 21st century and fastest-growing music markets in the world”, by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek. Afrobeats exploded in the UK in 2011 with the help of DJ Abrantee and acts like Dban’j, Dotstar, Mista Silva, Fuse ODG, May7ven, Atumpan, P-Square, Kwamz & Flava and Moelogo paving the way for the future.

To sustain that growth, Afrobeats Live established the platform and committed to supporting grassroot and established Afrobeats talent.

The organisers promise an inclusive and immersive experience packed with a stellar line-up of entertainers, good music, good time, good laugh, fine African food plus free cocktails on arrival for guests.

Talking to Lifestyle, DJ Abrantee, who is still battling his way back to full health following a stroke in 2017, said: “The history

CLASS ACT: AfroSwagg are supporting the event

and legacy of Afrobeats is remarkable and a great tale worth sharing and celebrating with the world, especially through Afrobeats Live.

“A platform that has been supporting grassroots talent from inception.

“I’m thrilled to be able to celebrate with everyone involved and strongly believe Afrobeats will one day be regarded as popular music and become the norm with ventures like this.”

PIONEERING

He added: “There have been many contributors who aided the popularisation of the now global phenomena Afrobeats; and Afrobeats Live provides an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate as many people as possible.

“If you love Afrobeats, get down to one of the live events at the Oval Space, E2.”

Pioneering a new gateway by creating a unique and interactive experience, Afrobeats Live Series will include a backdrop of high-definition imagery and live video streams from over 100 of the biggest names in Afrobeats, performing and documenting the genres history in the UK between 2011-2021.

Music on the menu will include the best in Afrobeats, Afroswing, Amapiano and Afrodancehall provided by the hottest line-up of DJs. Sign up for tickets afrobeatslive.com

at

Broomfield documentary shines light on gang culture and Death Row Records THE WORLD premiere of Last Man Standing, a compelling new followup to the highly acclaimed 2002 documentary Biggie & Tupac, will be screened this month in a special one night only nationwide pre-recorded Q&A with director Nick Broomfield.

The event will be hosted by Trevor Nelson, before receiving its general release on July 2. The film’s synoposis reads: “Suge Knight, the former CEO of legendary rap music label Death Row Records, was recently sentenced to 28 years’ imprisonment for manslaughter in a long line of violent crimes not typically associated with a highly successful record executive.

“Last Man Standing takes a look at Death Row and how LA’s street gang culture had come to dominate its business workings, as well as an association with corrupt LA police officers who were also gang-affiliated.

“It would be this world of gang rivalry and dirty cops that would claim the lives of the world’s two greatest rappers, Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.

“People have only now started talking since Suge commenced his 28-year sentence. Last Man Standing comes up with compelling new evidence showing the involvement of the LAPD in these murders and their attempt to conceal evidence.”

Presenting new material and evidence never heard before, this hard-hitting feature from multiple award-winning filmmaker Broomfield is being referred to as the definitive story of Suge Knight and the murders of Biggie and Tupac.

TROUBLED

In a statement, Broomfield said: “After finishing Biggie & Tupac in 2002, I became increasingly troubled by the treatment of LAPD detective Russell Poole, who had come up with evidence that LAPD officers were involved in the hit on Biggie Smalls. Russell was vilified by the LAPD and over the years,

@thevoicenewspaper

I watched as his health and wellbeing declined. In August 2015, Russell died of a massive heart attack during a meeting at the LA Sheriff’s headquarters where he was still arguing his theory of the Biggie Smalls murder.

“It was a tragic end that Russell didn’t deserve, however, a few years later people started talking more freely after Suge Knight (whom Russell accused of commissioning the hit) was sentenced to 28 years in prison in 2018. I believed in Russell and I believed in his theory, and people who had never spoken before, who didn’t know Russell Poole, came forward with new evidence never heard

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before that supports his allegations that LAPD officers were involved.”

Book tickets: man-standing

dogwoof.com/last-

www.voice-online.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2021

THE VOICE| 43

44 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Lifestyle

Books

Songs that shaped us Jeffrey Boakye explores the history of black Britain through 28 iconic tracks in his new book ENTHUSIAST: Jeffrey Boakye combines a love of music with social, political and historical analysis in his book (photo: Antonio Olmos)

BY JOEL CAMPBELL

H

E’S DJ’D and he’s a school teacher, so it made sense for Jeffrey Boakye to combine his love for music and education and turn it into a book.

The literary offering he produced is called Musical Truth: A Musical History of Modern Black Britain in 28 Songs.

It’s an unusual number, he admits that, but it just felt ‘right’.

He enthused: “The whole 28 songs thing, a lot of people are asking me, why 28? Is there a some kind of mystical reason, is there some symbolic thing going on? It’s just that I wanted it not to be too extensive a playlist because it was originally aimed at a younger audience, but at the same time I wanted it to be pan-generational.

“So, I was ambitious. I wanted everyone from the age of about 10 to 99 to be able to access this. So I didn’t want it to be a long playlist that goes too deep into the crates, I wanted it to be accessible. I was hovering around 20, and I thought ‘that’s

“I wanted everyone from the age of about 10 to 99 to access this” not enough’ and it reached a point where my tracklist got to 2020 and it was hovering around 28 songs.

“There are a few that didn’t make the cut and a few that I could have added but I stopped naturally around that number.

Maybe I should have gone to 30, but 28 is where I felt right.”

ANALYSIS

Focusing on modern black history, each song acts as a jumping off point for deeper social, political and historical analysis, tracking key moments in the black British narrative.

Redefining British history, the empire and postcolonialism, Musical Truth invites readers to immerse themselves in the music of artists such as Musical Youth, Craig David, Ms Dynamite, Stormzy, Dave and many more. A springboard for

discussion in the classroom and at home, the book offers an incredible way for children, teens and adults to unpack conversations surrounding race, identity, culture and politics, and think again about the narratives in history that have been taught up to now.

Without shying away from some of the harder questions surrounding racism, oppression and accountability within various communities, Boakye believes this is the book for schools wanting to diversify and decolonise the curriculum.

Boakye is a writer, teacher and music enthusiast. Originally from Brixton, Boakye lives in East Yorkshire with his wife and two sons. His previous books include Hold Tight and Black, Listed.

He is also the co-author of What is Masculinity? Why Does it Matter? And Other Big Questions. A passionate educator and commentator on race and popular culture, Boakye has appeared on BBC Radio 4, Sky News, BBC Radio 1 Xtra and many more.

Watch the full interview on The Voice website.

Changing the narrative when it comes to men’s mental health

BY JOEL CAMPBELL TIME TO Talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection looks at the stifling of self-expression and its detrimental impact on mental health.

Podcaster, therapeutic coach and author Alex Holmes, pictured below, delves into the expectations placed on men through the lens of masculinity and how this is impacting their ability to be vulnerable and emotional.

Through his own experiences as a young black British man and conversations on his podcast with mental health experts and friends, Holmes inspires readers to open up and start talking about the things that really matter in life; how we’re really feeling, what makes us tick, our worries, fears and vulnerabilities and how we feel about the big things in life — such as love, belonging and connection.

Talking to Lifestyle, he said: “Time to talk: How Men Think About Love, Belonging and Connection is a conversation start up really and truly.

“It’s a conversation around how

men show up in the world and what that looks like for us from an emotional health perspective. We have had the conversations in a lot of books around men and body image, men and bravery, men and confidence, men and all these different things and like, why we shouldn’t really focus on this sort of stuff, but we don’t really speak about the emotional side of it.

“So I’m somebody who works quite closely with male emotionality, mental health and spiritual wellness, I just tend to look for the more vulnerable aspects, the more emotional side of things to get to grips with that are a part of the conversation because we don’t have it especially, from a therapeutic point of view.”

He adds: “To be a young man — in my case, a young black man — in today’s world is to persistently hold your breath and hope you can come up for air sometime soon amid all the unspoken pressures of what we are, and aren’t, expected to be by those around us.”

Holmes concludes: “Life is worth living. Life is worth fighting for. It’s time to talk.”

Catch the full interview on the Voice YouTube channel (Photo: Andy Commons)

FEBRUARY 2021

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46 | THE VOICE JUNE 2021

Sport TOP SPORTS COVERAGE 24/7 VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK/SPORT

OF SPORT NEWSPAPER

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT

Daren Sammy says that commentating on The Hundred tournament is a new challenge

By Rodney Hinds

I

F FOOTBALL’S Super League has hit the buffers, it’s full steam ahead for cricket’s innovative new tournament which gets underway in July.

The Hundred is a new 100ball cricket competition, featuring eight brand new citybased teams, with men’s and women’s competitions running alongside each other with equal prominence. It’s set to be the blockbuster must-see event of the summer featuring worldclass players on the pitch and epic entertainment off it.

Daren Sammy, for one, is enthused by the prospect of the sport’s new format. The man that lead West Indies to two memorable World T20 triumphs, will be part of Sky Sports’ commentary team – and to say he’s excited would be an understatement.

From his home in St Lucia Sammy tells the Voice of Sport: “The Hundred will bring new entertainment. It’s a different format, so people are curious as to what’s going to happen. With it being in England the tickets are very affordable as well.

“The tournament will be about diversity as it goes into different cities plus the talent that is available and on show. I think it will be an epic event.”

It’s been a challenging time around the globe and sport – and cricket in particular – has and will play a part in global recovery, admits Sammy.

He adds: “You saw the hunger for the game when cricket came back when the West Indies toured England, the viewing figures were sky high.

“Sport has a way of calming things, and can work as

“I have to remind myself that I am on TV and I have to control the emotions” a bridge. With all that has happened in terms of COVID people appreciate sport much more and there’s now a craving for live action.

“It’s a welcome new format.

I think The Hundred will deliver on its promises.”

So who does one of cricket’s most respected captains expect to land The Hundred title?

With a huge smile he confesses: “I have a bias towards my West Indian people like Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran and Andre Russell, among others.

Whoever they play for, that’s who I’m going to be supporting!

“But what I’m looking forward to most is the excitement because we have new rules and I want to see how it plays out and develops.

“I’m a cricketer so I can only imagine what the fans are feeling and how they take it on.”

Sammy, who led the Windies to World T20 glory in 2012 and 2016, admitted that he would love to play in the tournament but he now has a different role, providing his unique insight and knowledge as TV viewers tune into Sky’s c o v e rage.

“Of course I have to be neutral because I’m working for Sky and I have to call it as it is.

“Our job as commentators is to simply share with the

viewers. I’ve still got work to do in terms of the rules and regulations and getting familiar with all the players.

“When I’m commentating I really have to check myself.

I’m still active and watching the games it feels like I am still in the dressing room or and the field, and the expressions I have cannot always come out when I’m on the microphone!

“I have to remind myself that I am on TV and that I have to control the emotions. But then you can flip it, it’s that emotion that the audience wants.

“I’ll have to taper things down a little and when the games get really exciting make sure that it’s still me.”

NEW ROLE: St Lucian star Daren Sammy makes up Sky Sports’ commentary team for The Hundred; inset below left, Sammy with the T20 trophy in 2016; below right, the Sky team in its entirety

PROSPECT

The prospect of working with Kevin Pietersen, Tammy Beaumont, Dinesh Karthik, Zainab Abbas, Stuart Broad and Jacqueline Shepherd in the commentary box stirs Sammy no end. “Sky Sports have put a really good team together, there’s a mixture of talent,” he admits.

“The commitment from Sky to broadcast all the games (men and women) is superb.

“There’s equal pay in terms of prize money and Sky should be congratulated as it is a massive step in the right direction for sport on the whole.

“Attracting younger audiences to the sport is encouraging, too.”

The former West Indies leader is delighted that more diversity would appear to be making its way into the sport and the chilled vibe of The Hundred promises to move things along.

He says: “The England cricket team is a good example if diversity. It’s about building and developing the future who will be England players one day.

“It’s about creating avenues for them to express themselves and dream.”

One man who has done as much as anyone to promote diversity is Barbados-born Jofra Archer who bowled the Super Over that saw England win the one-day World Cup two years ago in a truly memorable finale.

@thevoicenewspaper

Archer will be star performer during The Hundred. So what is Sammy’s view on the man from the Caribbean who ensured that England ruled the world two summers ago?

“God has a plan for everybody that is sometimes biggest than us. I’m proud over the achievements of Jofra and Chris Jordan too in what they have been able to achieve.

“Watching that World Cup final, watching the whole of England relying on this kid from

@thevoicenews

Barbados to win them a World Cup at home was great.

STATEMENT

“I was really happy and proud.

To see him deliver in the manner in which he did put a smile on my face.

“It’s one person but it’s a massive statement that was made. All the black kids that have aspirations of being sports people, he gave them motivation.”

So, what about the cynics

voicenews

that suggest that The Hundred will simply be T20 on speed?

Sammy concludes: “The doubters will always be there but what I see is with everything that we have been through over the last year, here is an opportunity to go out a family-orientated event.

“All those families will be part of history.

“I’m vouching that the players will deliver epic entertainment. I wish I was playing, to be honest.”

www.voice-online.co.uk

JUNE 2021

THE VOICE | 47

Sport

A 2020 vision

LLOYD’S NAME LIVES ON

After athletics coach Lloyd Cowan’s death in January, a new bursary aims to continue his work

By Rodney Hinds

S

PRINT ICON Usain Bolt, London 2012 Olympic heptathlon champion, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Britain’s fastest woman, Dina Asher-Smith, are among the track and field superstars supporting the launch of the Lloyd Cowan Bursary.

Lloyd was an international hurdler who became one of Great Britain’s most successful coaches.

He guided Christine Ohuruogu to World, Olympic and Commonwealth titles over 400m, and Andy Turner to European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles victories.

POPULAR

A hugely popular and much respected coach, Cowan’s death in January 2021 from COVID-19 led to an outpouring of grief from the international athletics community.

The Lloyd Cowan Bursary will award grants of up to £500 twice a year (in March and September). They will be available to coaches, and to unfunded athletes, aged 16-23, for whom

“Our goal is to raise £100k.

We want this bursary to be a lasting legacy in Lloyd’s name” cost is a barrier to accessing developmental opportunities in athletics.

Ohuruogu is part of the team behind the bursary. She said: “Lloyd once told me that ‘everyone has a dream,’ and he aimed to support athletes and coaches to achieve their goals, however, big or small.

“He was always helping build the future of athletics.

“The lockdown has negatively impacted so many young people’s lives and their sporting opportunities.

“This bursary will recognise, encourage and support athletes and coaches who dream of being better versions of themselves through athletics.”

She continued: “I am so proud. This is a fitting legacy for Lloyd, a phenomenal man and coach who lived his life, inspiring young people to thrive.

“However, we need the sports community to help us. Our initial goal is to raise £100,000.

“We want this bursary to be a lasting legacy in Lloyd’s name.”

The international charity and United Nations NGO, the Youth Charter, is supporting the bursary. Its founder and chairman is Professor Geoff Thompson.

GUIDING LIGHT:: Lloyd Cowan pictured with athlete Asha Philip

ESSENTIAL

He said: “One of the essential elements of the Youth Charter’s renewed 2019 Action Plan is to see 10,000 social coaches re-engage and build trust, confidence and respect with young people and communities.

“Thus, we are thrilled to support the Lloyd Cowan Bursary and honour the memory of a coaching great who depicted everything that a social coach is in his ability to inspire people not only on the track, but in life.”

Donation link: https://www. totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/lloyd cowanathleticsbursary

Bid for Watson memorial funds

Paving the way for women

By Rodney Hinds

By Cindy Baptiste

RECENTLY IT was widely reported that a mural of Scottish football star and the world’s first ever black international footballer, Andrew Watson, was the subject of a vile racist attack in Glasgow.

This news comes as a GoFundMe campaign raising money for a Watson memorial was launched in March. The memorial is planned to be installed in Glasgow, the city where he first discovered his love of the game.

Born in Guyana in 1856, Watson moved to England before travelling to Scotland where he attended university.

INSPIRATIONAL FEMALE role models can play a key part in engaging more women to participate in physical activity new research from London Sport and AudienceNet has revealed.

The two organisations unveiled a first glimpse of their findings into how physical activity is perceived, delivered, and led by women in East London.

The research is part of a project alongside Sport England, Essex Cricket, Leyton Orient Trust and the West Ham United Foundation looking at what influences women’s decisions and behaviours relative to physical activity and sport participation.

Most women spoken to during the research felt that exercise was important and identified a range of factors that contributed to good intentions not translating into reality.

For some, there were issues around motivation or feelings of unease around classic exercise/sport settings such as gyms and other public spaces.

And the power of inspirational female role models was clear with participants speaking

HISTORIC

It was during his time there that he joined Queen’s Park, where he won three Scottish Cups and four Charity Cups, and was then selected to play for Glasgow City.

In 1881 he made his debut for Scotland, captaining the team to an historic 6-1 win at the Oval in London.

Campaign organiser and author of Watson’s biography, Llew Walker, is appealing for donations to create a memorial for this Scottish sports legend. In a recent update on the campaign, he revealed that a new BBC Scotland

TARGETED: A mural of Andrew Watson was reportedly attacked by racists documentary entitled Mark Walters – In The Footsteps of Andrew Watson will air soon.

Watson also reportedly acted as Queen’s Park’s match secretary, making him the first black administrator in football.

Not shy about his abilities, Watson combined his time at Parkgrove with his love of athletics, regularly competing in football matches and athletics contests in the same weekend, showing a style of renaissance athleticism that no longer exists in professional sport.

of their admiration for women who juggled responsibilities, broke through barriers, and stayed true to themselves.

Olympic gold medallist Jessica Ennis-Hill, inset, tennis star Serena Williams and US gymnast Gabby Douglas were all highlighted alongside local on-the-ground influencers.

The research aims to facilitate step-change in how local providers, from places of worship and parenting groups supported by local sports clubs to councils and local leisure centres, engage with and reach women in Newham, Barking and Dagenham and Ilford. AudienceNet and London Sport are now consulting with representatives of these locations to support them to facilitate more sessions geared towards a diverse audience, less active groups and local women facing multiple challenges.

Tristan Farron-Mahon, Insight Consultancy Manager at London Sport, said: “This exciting research will help us identify and prioritise the local needs of women and girls and create practical tools and resources that support partners to reach and engage a more diverse audience across less active groups.”

Visit londonsport.org for more details.

48 | THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2021