The Voice Newspaper: April 2025

The Caribbean takes on Africa

Jamaica, Nigeria, Trinidad and Ghana set for Unity Cup showdown

Is Britain Home?

Wretch 32’s new album and Voice

Lifestyle takeover ask the question

‘THEY STOLE OUR FUTURES’

Black people wrongly labelled ‘educationally subnormal’ demand public inquiry into the racism that destroyed their lives

MAISIE BARRETT was one of countless Black children failed by Britain’s education system in the 1960s and 70s after being placed in an educationally subnormal (ESN) school at age six.

Now, she and other survivors led by MP Kim Johnson want government action to deliver justice for their stolen futures.

›› p10 &12

Maisie Barrett as a child. “Without the ESN label, my future could have been different” she says (Pic: supplied)

Maisie Barrett today

6&13

4

“They didn’t want to see a Black face — so I hid mine”: Black women’s struggles in the modelling industry

Digging deep: how Black Britons are growing their own food amidst rising costs

33

16

“The Commonwealth’s future is bright”: Baroness Patricia Scotland reflects on nine years of leadership

Supporting Black employees means action, not just words, says Cynthia V Davis

46 Celebrating excellence in the Football Black List

44

Lifestyle guest editor Wretch 32 talks to The Voice about new release Home?

The Voice says

ESN schools stole Black children’s futures – it’s time to make amends

NOEL GORDON (above) was four years old when his future was stolen from him. As a child Maisie Barrett was told, over and over again, that she was a “dunce.”

They, along with thousands of Black children in Britain, were wrongly labelled “educationally subnormal” (ESN) and placed in schools where they were condemned to failure.

Deprived of a proper education, stripped of their self-belief, and left to navigate adulthood without the skills they should have been given, they were victims of a system built on racist assumptions.

Now, they are demanding justice –and the government must listen.

The ESN scandal was not an accident. It was the deliberate consequence of an education system that viewed Black children as inherently less capable.

Influenced by racist theories, education authorities used biased IQ tests to funnel Black pupils into institutions that provided little more than basic literacy and numeracy. Many left unable to read or write properly, their futures shattered before they even began.

The harm done to these children did not end when they walked out of the school gates.

For decades, they have lived with the stigma, the lost opportunities, and the knowledge that they were set up to fail.

Their pain is not abstract – it is real, lifelong, and devastating.

Now, survivors and campaigners, led by Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson, are calling for a full public inquiry, a government apology, and financial compensation.

This is not just about the past; it is about addressing the systemic racism that persists in Britain’s education system today.

Today’s school-to-prison pipeline, the disproportionate exclusions of Black children, and the failures to acknowledge Black students’ potential are all echoes of the same biases that led to the ESN crisis.

The government cannot bury this injustice. It cannot claim to be committed to racial equality while ignoring one of the greatest educational betrayals in British history.

Justice for ESN survivors is long overdue – and the time to act is now.

1Wonder no longer – Stevie has been confirmed. Music legend is the final BST Hyde Park headliner to be announced

2Leon Bailey opens up about friendship with Raheem Sterling

3Jamaica is thriving: ‘Do Business in Jamaica ‘ event for young entrepreneurs

4Jamaica call up for Charlton outcast: Kaheim Dixon makes the cut

5

Chris Eubank unravels his iconic battle with Nigel Benn

6Smiley Culture’s grandson hospitalised with head injury

7Nigeria steps up pursuit of Arsenal star Ethan Nwaneri

8Black children with Down’s sydrome are invisible; groundbreaking photography exhibition by Misan Harriman

9ESN schools: “My childhood and future were stolen by a racist system – I won’t stay silent”

10Crawley railway station murder: man jailed for life for killing teenage mother of his child

THE POWER OF A NAME

British-Nigerian actor’s new children’s book inspires cultural pride by tackling the issue of name bias. By

Vic Motune

LONDONER Chidinma Ifunanyachi grew up answering to two different names – one at home and another on official documents.

Her Nigerian family who had emigrated to the UK called her Chidinma, but the name on her birth certificate was Cheryl. Her parents feared that her traditional Igbo name would invite discrimination and bullying often faced by children with African names and so wanted to protect her.

Like many first-generation immigrants, they also thought that her Igbo name might be seen as “too foreign” or “too hard to pronounce.”

For many children from diverse backgrounds, this experience is all too familiar. In a Britain that prides itself on multiculturalism, mispronunciations, name changes, and outright avoidance still plague classrooms and workplaces.

But now, Ifunanyachi, a BritishNigerian actor and filmmaker, is making sure the next generation embraces their names – and the cultural heritage they carry.

Her new children’s book, The Importance of Names, aims to instil confidence in young readers by highlighting the beauty of cultural identity.

Based on real-life experiences, the book follows a young girl, Sekpurualakelechi, who is bullied for her “difficult” name. In an attempt to fit in, she adopts the name Sophie.

But when her aunt overhears her being called by this new name, she takes the time to explain the deep cultural and familial significance

behind her real name. Through this journey, Sekpurualakelechi learns to take pride in her heritage, realising that her name is a gift, not a burden.

A personal story, a universal struggle

For Ifunanyachi, this story is deeply personal. Born and raised in Camberwell, south-east London, to British-Nigerian parents, she grew up with an understanding of why they had made the choice to name her Cheryl on official documents.

“My mum’s side of the family comes from the Igbo tribe,” she explains. “My name, Chidinma, means ‘God is good,’ but my birth certificate says Cheryl. I love my legal name, but it doesn’t fully represent who I am or where I come from.”

Her parents’ concerns were not unfounded. Studies show that people with non-Anglicized names often face biases in employment, education, and social interactions.

A 2024 survey by Samsung of 2,000 UK adults that was commissioned to understand how widespread name bias is found that nearly half of the respondents from minority ethnic communities said they felt they’d been treated differently because of their names. It also found that 24 per cent of people had witnessed someone suffering workplace discrimination for the same reason.

But Ifunanyachi believes the conversation must shift and argues that society must learn to respect and appreciate different cultures.

“People, especially children, are made to feel like their names are a

RESPECTING CULTURES: Chidinma Ifunanyachi’s new children’s book, The Importance of Names, aims to instil confidence in young readers by highlighting the beauty of cultural identity

problem,” she says. “Some even start shortening them or answering to completely different names just to avoid the embarrassment or frustration of constant mispronunciations.”

Breaking the Cycle

The Importance of Names is more than just a children’s book; it’s a cultural statement. Ifunanyachi hopes it will empower young readers to re-

claim their identities and challenge the notion that names need to be simplified to be accepted.

“This book is for every child who has ever been told their name is

‘too difficult’ or ‘too long.’ It’s also for the people who think it’s okay to rename someone just because their name isn’t familiar to them,” she says.

The book’s message is especially timely. In an era where people are increasingly encouraged to embrace their authentic selves – choosing pronouns, celebrating diverse identities – Ifunanyachi points out that the same respect should be given to names.

“In many cultures, names carry deep meaning. They reflect history, family ties, and even aspirations. They’re not just sounds – they are stories,” she emphasises.

Though this is her first foray into children’s literature, Ifunanyachi is no stranger to storytelling.

As an actor and screenwriter, she has made it a mission to represent her heritage proudly.

She recalls a pivotal moment when she realised that if she wanted to succeed in the entertainment industry, she needed to embrace her full identity – including her name.

“I knew that when I walked a red carpet or saw my name in credits, I wanted it to be my name – Chidinma Ifunanyachi,” she says. “Difficult to pronounce or not, people will have no choice but to learn it because they’ll be seeing it everywhere.”

A message for all generations Ifunanyachi hopes her book will spark important conversations between children, parents, and educators. She encourages schools to make an effort to pronounce students’ names correctly rather than defaulting to nicknames.

“It’s not just about politeness; it’s about respect,” she says. “If we can make an effort to pronounce names like Tchaikovsky and Schwarzenegger, we can do the same for African, Asian, and Indigenous names.”

HIDDEN HISTORIES OF BLACK LONDONERS WHO ESCAPED SLAVERY

A NEW exhibition launched at Tower Hamlets Town Hall, Whitechapel, is aiming to uncover the hidden histories of Black Londoners who lived in the East End during the transatlantic slave trade.

The ‘Communities of Liberation’ exhibition showcases the stories of African residents in Tower Hamlets between 1567 and 1802. It is based on research and creative work by six local residents who explored archival collections to piece together these overlooked narratives.

The exhibition, launched in early March, began with an African blessing and libation ceremony. It

features artwork, poetry, podcasts, and creative writing, alongside archival sources that shed light on the presence of Black people in the East End over 300 years ago.

Cllr Kamrul Hussain, Cabinet Member for Culture and Recreation, said: “Tower Hamlets is proud of its rich history. It has been a place of refuge for centuries for people who have settled here and worked and lived together, making a new life for themselves and their families.

“Until now, there has been no public recognition that so many people from Africa and the Caribbean lived and survived here from

the mid-1500s – during the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

“This milestone exhibition changes the narrative. It is a big step on the way to our vision – to create an outdoor public memorial to honour the lives of these individuals.”

Among the stories featured are those of Sabinah, who was transported from Jamaica and found refuge in Whitechapel; Pompey, a trumpet player in Bethnal Green; and Ann, a “maid” in Limehouse who escaped her captor.

The project is funded by Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant programme, which

celebrates working-class histories.

Sean Curran, Head of Inclusive Heritage at Historic England, highlighted the exhibition’s impact.

“Communities of Liberation demonstrates the power of engaging with heritage” he said. “Through uncovering overlooked stories, contemporary community voices are amplified and the lives of those who are often forgotten are remembered.”

After its run at the Town Hall, the exhibition will tour other venues across Tower Hamlets throughout 2025, coinciding with a public consultation on a permanent memorial, set to be installed in 2026.

RICH HISTORY: A libation ceremony was held to launch the Communities of Liberation exhibition

‘I USED MY WHITE ASSISTANT TO HELP SEAL DEALS’

Exclusive: Black British fashion charity boss Angel Sinclair reveals how she was forced to hide real identity to get contracts with top brands. By

ALEADING BLACK

British fashion charity boss was forced to hide her real identity in order to sign deals with top brands in the industry.

Angel Sinclair, CEO and founder of Models of Diversity (MoD) – a renowned charity –says she is speaking out about racism in the UK modelling industry after feeling forced to use her white assistant as the face of her business for several years, in an effort to get deals with top fashion brands.

Sinclair has campaigned for more diversity in the fashion, beauty and media industry since founding Models of Diversity (MoD) 15 years ago.

However, despite her experience, she says she often felt obligated to “make herself small” and ‘downplay’ her role as the charity’s founder in order for the organisation to succeed.

Speaking exclusively to The Voice, she said: “I decided that I am no longer going to do meetings where I downplay myself.

“What I’d often have to do, I would make my colleague, Marie, do all the meetings; I

downgraded myself. I would let her run the meetings and, as a white woman, she would get the results.”

Sinclair made the decision to remove herself as the face of the business, after she was invited to a face-to-face meeting in Manchester with a brand after several promising discussions over the phone.

She explained: “Someone came in and said, ‘do we have an Angel Sinclair here?’ and I replied, ‘Yes, that’s me’ and when I said that the colour drained from her face.

“I stayed professional and got up to shake her hand and the woman barely touched the tips of my

“I would say to Marie ‘they don’t want to see a Black face’ and I said, ‘I will prove it to you’ and I did”

- Angel Sinclair

Sinai Fleary

fingers. The meeting went south from there and all the promises that were made over the phone or by email, none of the promises were kept.

“I went away from that meeting feeling utterly deflated.”

From then on, Sinclair and her assistant, Marie O’Halloran, hatched a plan to switch roles to see how brands would respond to the charity having a white, middleclass woman as its CEO.

“I would say to Marie ‘they don’t want to see a Black face’ and I said, ‘I will prove it to you’ and I did.”

SHOCKED

What followed came as no surprise to Sinclair, but O’Halloran told The Voice she was shocked at the stark difference in attitudes when she presented as the charity’s founder.

“We had a meeting with a big brand, and I took it, and it was all friendly and very promising.

“When I said I would like to introduce you to our CEO because she is here and introduced Angel, the woman representing the brand was so cold afterwards,” O’Halloran recalls. “I saw the difference directly.”

Sinclair has no regrets about

what she did and believes that if she didn’t take the drastic action that she did her business wouldn’t exist today.

But after years of having to hide the fact that the CEO of her company is a Black woman, Sinclair is ready to stand proud and represent the charity she has built from scratch for the last 15 years.

“You’re going to see my face!” she says.

Recounting the discrimination she has experienced since founding Models of Diversity, Sinclair revealed that she is often ignored when attending award ceremonies and has even had instances where other CEOs do not want to shake her hand.

“I’ve been at events where, when I sat at the table, and I’m the only Black person, they ignored me and only talked to my colleague who’s white. I remember once trying to make conversation and an industry person turned her back on me.

“None of them spoke to me, and there was me and about two other

CHANGE IS NEEDED: Tinar Dandajena, who is a curve model, calls for a shift in the industry’s European beauty standards, noting how darker-skinned models with more traditional African features or body types are often excluded

people who were people of colour in that room.”

According to Sinclair, there is still a “lack of fair representation in the industry” and darker skinned models are being continuously erased and replaced with mixed race models.

“In their eyes when I ask them, they think they have ticked that box, but it’s a mixed-race model, she’s light skinned, kind of European-looking and they

think that they have made that quota that they have a Black model,” she says. Alarmingly, she notices when Black models are used in campaigns, they are often “sexualised” and given “the Jezebel look”.

“A lot of the high street brands that do use Black models sexualise them. They are given the Jezebel look, meaning hardly having any clothes on,” she says. “The boobs that are falling out of dresses, they

News Feature

want Black models that look like that.”

Sinclair is on a mission to continue to call out the colourism – discrimination against someone based on their skin tone – which she says robs darker-skinned Black female models of lucrative opportunities.

CENSUS

While it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how many dark-skinned models feature in fashion and beauty advertising campaigns, what research has been done shows they are underrepresented.

Last year, the UK published its first-ever fashion industry census survey, entitled the UK Fashion DEI Report, which was a collaboration between the British Fashion Council, The Outsiders Perspective and the (Fashion) Minority Report with the support of McKinsey and Company.

It found in UK advertising campaigns, 43 per cent of models featured were people of colour compared to a dismal nine per cent in 2012.

While on the surface this may appear like something to celebrate,

DECISION: Angel Sinclair, the CEO of Models of Diversity (MoD), says she has had to “downplay” her leading role in the organisation and use her white assistant as the face of her business for years, to get deals with top fashion brands

(photo: Linda Blacker)

concealer and foundation to ensure they do not end up looking “grey” due to a lack of make-up artists who can cater to Black skin.

Curve model and MoD ambassador Tinar Dandajena recalls a London Fashion Week experience where a nervous makeup artist admitted, “I have just never done make-up on a Black person before.”

The result was so poor it had to be redone. “It can knock your confidence,” she says.

SILENT

Many models stay silent for fear of losing work. Dandajena is calling for make-up artists to provide portfolios proving they can work with all skin tones before being booked for fashion shows and campaigns.

there is no further breakdown of the people of colour category into specific racial or ethnic groups.

It’s important to note that the term people of colour is often used to refer to everyone who is not white.

The inaugural report published in January 2024, also states that 50 per cent of the models who appeared on the runway at London Fashion Week (LWF) – based on the assessment of 16 luxury fashion brands in 2022 – were people of colour, an increase from 23 per cent in 2017.

But again, the report fails to specify what percentage of these people of colour models were Black or dark skinned.

And according to the UK Fashion DEI Report, only nine per cent of executive and board level positions in the UK fashion industry are held by people of colour. Again, there is no further breakdown of race.

Black models who have worked at LWF have echoed Sinclair’s concerns about the discrimination in the industry.

They told The Voice that instead of just focusing on modelling, they are often forced to bring their own

“Some people are not blessed to be able to speak up,” she adds, urging industry-wide change.

The curve model is originally from Zimbabwe and believes the industry still holds on to a European standard of beauty, which excludes darker-skinned models who have more traditional African features or body types.

“I personally believe the beauty standard for as long as we can remember was based on the white woman, so the mixed-race girl is the closest representation to that, while being able to also tick that diversity box,” she says.

“The darker skinned girls that are used tend to have white features like the smaller nose leaning to

DIFFERENT RATE: Supermodel Iman (above) recently revealed that she was paid differently to her fellow white models; (left) reflecting on her London Fashion Week experiences, Tinar Dandajena recalls an encounter with a make-up artist who admitted to never working on a Black person before, a situation that “can knock your confidence” (photos: Getty Images/Babs Gorniak)

that standard of beauty that we’ve always followed.

“It’s very rare to see darkskin models with a broad nose in the industry.”

Dandajena credits Jamaican model Grace Jones for breaking down some barriers in the industry, but says issues also extend to body shape.

“Black girls are known for our curvaceous bodies and our shape. We have hips and boobs, but when they are choosing the models, they will choose the woman with a straight figure, similar to the white beauty standard which still remains.”

Dandajena, who is a support worker, hopes to pursue modelling full-time but wants to see an industry that is a “true representation of the society we live in”.

Pointing to the findings of the UK Fashion DEI Report, Sinclair says urgent change is needed at the top.

“I’ve found out of all the brands that I have worked with, not one of them had a person of colour on their boards,” she says.

“That really shocked me. They are predominately white and predominately males.”

In recent years, fast fashion brands like Shein and Fashion Nova have both been accused of plagiarising the work of independent Black fashion designers, something Sinclair says shows a lack of respect for Black talent and creativity in the industry.

She said: “These designers have had to go online and expose them and some have resorted to going to court. Where’s the fairness in that?

“If you like that designers work, work with them, bring them on board, don’t steal designs and then pass it off as your own. That says to me there is a lack of respect, they don’t value us enough. With white independent designers, you hardly hear about them having their creations ripped off.”

Sinclair is critical of tokenistic gestures in fashion, like Black squares on social media, without real action. She recalls a mixed-race fashion student who was called a monkey and dismissed when she complained: “They told her to get over it. That is what we are up

The entrepreneur, who worked in domestic violence services for 14 years, says: “I never experienced racism at all. But doing this job, I do.”

Model Alison ClineWilliams, an anti-ageism campaigner and a MoD ambassador, reveals she wears a wig on set due to hairstylists’ lack of expertise with Black hair.

“If I am going on set, then I am wearing a wig,” she says.

She also avoids the risk of mistakes after make-up artists left her looking ‘grey’. I find that infuriating – they are meant to be qualified, yet test three or four shades before finding mine.”

Cline-Williams questions model selection, saying: “I’m put forward for things, but when you look at the final production, they pick models that don’t look like me.”

She finds diversity in the industry sorely lacking.

“They might have four models but only one Black model – where is the diversity in that?” she asks.

In 2017, Bajan superstar Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty and revolutionised the beauty industry with her brand which has 50 different shades of foundation.

INCLUSION

With Rihanna at the helm, the entire operation has grown into an empire, worth $2.8 billion (€2.16bn, in which she has 50 per cent ownership.

The star has unapologetically pushed for better diversity and inclusion, but Cline-Williams says she is yet to see make-up artists embracing the brand – despite it being a hit with consumers.

She added: “I just find that there is still a long way to go, I don’t think I’ve ever been to any modelling job where they have put a Fenty Beauty foundation on my face.

“They all go for these designer names, but not what is necessarily suitable for our skin.”

Black models like Tyra Banks, Iman, and Naomi Campbell have excelled but still faced racism.

In 2021, Campbell revealed she was excluded from shows “because of the colour of [her] skin.”

Iman shared on Campbell’s Unfiltered show that her “rate was different to white girls – it was an unspoken rule.”

Sadly, it seems, such discrimination persists today.

CHALLENGES: Alison Cline-Williams (left), model and anti-ageism campaigner, and (above) supermodel Naomi Campbell (photo: Getty Images)

SOWING THE SEEDS TO GROW A HAPPIER LIFESTYLE

More members of the Black community are now producing their own fruit and vegetables in their urban gardens — and it’s so easy to see why. By Sinai Fleary

FREDA ANNA vividly remembers the first time she pulled a ripe tomato from the vine in her small London allotment.

It was during the lockdown, a time of uncertainty and isolation, but in that moment, as she held the freshly grown fruit in her hands, she felt a deep sense of connection.

“I hadn’t done anything before then, but I started to realise I really enjoyed it – and everything survived!” she tells The Voice

some difficult times, so I was in the garden, just growing things and trying out different vegetables. It became a form of therapy for me,” she explains.

Her experience is not unique.

For Anna (pictured above), a professional chef and founder of Grow Box, a community gardening project in Canning Town, east London, growing her own food started as a hobby but soon became a lifeline.

“I found myself going through

Across the UK, a growing number of Black Britons are turning to urban gardening as a means to combat the soaring cost of living. With food prices reaching record highs and many struggling to put fresh produce on the table, the tradition of homegrown food – deeply rooted in African and Caribbean heritage – is making a strong resurgence.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the average cost of groceries has risen in recent years, reaching a peak increase of 19.2 per cent in March 2023.

These steep price rises have pushed many individuals and families to seek alternative ways to feed themselves. Community gardens, home allotments, and even small balcony spaces are becoming essential sources of fresh food.

A tradition revived For many in Britain’s Black community, growing your own food is not a new concept. It is an intergenerational practice, passed down from parents and grandparents who cultivated their own land in Africa and the Caribbean.

Anna, who is of Ugandan heritage, grew up hearing stories of her grandfather, Yonesani Karemire, a successful farmer.

“My mum grew up on a farm in Uganda, and her whole life was agriculture” she says. “My grandfather built his wealth on farming – he never went to school but was able to send all his children to university from the profits he made,”.

A framed quote in her grandfather’s living room read: ‘People will mock you for working like a peasant on the farm, but when it comes to eating, you eat like a chief.’

That wisdom stayed with Anna, reinforcing her belief that self-sufficiency through growing food is a powerful tool, especially in challenging economic times.

“With food prices going up, I

tell people: if you eat something every day, why not consider growing it? Even if it’s just herbs for cooking,” she advises.

Turning urban spaces into gardens

Anna’s Grow Box project, which launched in September 2024, was born out of a desire to share her knowledge and help others gain access to fresh, affordable food.

Located in an area dominated by high-rise flats with limited green space, the community garden has become a hub for locals who want to learn how to grow their own food.

“There’s something so profound about planting a seed, waiting, and then tasting the first harvest. It changes how you view food,” she explains.

The initiative has been met

Divica Reid’s tips for starting a balcony garden

l Start small

l Supply yourself with grow bags

l Plant flowers to attract bees for pollination and to add some colour to the balcony

l Sort yourself out with some soil and you can get local soil

l Check for pests

with overwhelming demand, with residents eager to participate in the free workshops.

“We only have a two-year lease on this space, but I hope we can prove to the local council that it’s worth keeping.

Community gardens like this can provide food security – if something is too expensive in the supermarket, you can grow it here and share it with your neighbours,” she says.

Anna also teaches food pres-

l Make sure you are not causing any environmental issues/ being a nuisance to your neighbours

l Try growing herbs, like mint, which is easy to grow and can be used in cooking and drinks

l You don’t need to buy anything expensive, recycle and upcycle

ervation techniques, drawing from her experience as a chef.

“Fermenting and pickling are not just ways to extend the shelf life of food, but they also have major health benefits, especially for gut health,” she notes.

Growing against the odds For Divica Reid, an author and educator from College

Park,

PASSION FOR GARDENING: Author and educator Divica Reid, from north-west London with her father Byron. She took up balcony gardening (left) during illness

HERITAGE: Anna’s grandfather, pictured, built wealth through farming, funding his children’s education

PROFESSOR GUS JOHN: STILL BLAZING A TRAIL AT 80

Activist calls on Black communities to regain a sense of collective responsibility for our future.

By Richard Sudan

PROFESSOR GUS JOHN

has been blazing a trail as an educator, writer, and activist for decades. His lifelong commitment to advocating for racial and social justice since arriving in the UK to study theology at Oxford University in the 1960s has garnered deep respect.

John was an instrumental figure in launching the Black Supplementary School Movement, an antidote to the structural racism that still permeates academia.

As recently as last month, he took part in a parliamentary discussion led by Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson, demanding justice for individuals labelled as “educationally subnormal.”

He highlights the work of Mollie Hunte, “one of only two Black educational psychologists for decades, who, with Waveney Bushell, saved hundreds of Black children from being misdiagnosed and wrongly placed in special schools.”

FASCISM

Speaking to The Voice shortly before marking his 80th birthday, John outlined why, now more than ever, our communities must organise to counter the rise of fascism.

Central to this, he emphasised, is celebrating and honouring the foundational role Black women play in strengthening our communities.

“It is common to reference women in the Caribbean Education and Community Workers Association, the Black Panther Party, OWAAD, or the Race Today Collective,” he says. “But what is less well known is the pioneering work of Black women in film, publishing, performing and visual arts, and education management.”

He cites figures like Pearl Con nor-Mogotsi, who established the first Black theatre agency in the UK, and Jessica Huntley, who, with her husband Eric, found ed Bogle L’Ouverture Publications and published Walter Rodney’s works.

However, John stresses that support-

ing Black women isn’t just about recognising pioneers in industry or academia – it’s about looking at the community holistically.

“We must never forget the thousands of Black mothers who, as heads of single households, battled schools, police, career officers, courts, and employers, often against members of their own families, in defence of their children’s rights.”

Two cases in recent years exemplify the racism Black women and girls still face. John points to the mistreatment of Diane Abbott and the Child Q scandal in Hackney, stressing the need to call out racism wherever it appears.

“We, collectively, have a duty to call out misogyny, systemic racism, and anti-Blackness when we witness abuses like those suffered by Diane Abbott, both within and outside her own party.”

The treatment of Abbott, he says, is a wake-up call to organise independently of traditional party politics.

“If Diane Abbott can be abandoned by her own party after the racist comments made by Tory donor Frank Hester, no one is safe,” he says. “We might have a Black foreign secretary, but the material condition of Black people has not shifted in 60 years.”

John is blunt about the state of UK politics. “The state and its attitude towards the Black presence has not changed. It is not surprising that Keir Starmer and David Lammy are part of a Zionist project that ignores what is happening to Black people in this country. Labour is trying to outrun Reform, seeing them rise in the polls and chasing their votes.”

He believes the two-party system is broken.

“The Labour and Conservative parties are identical on too many issues. The Labour Party may have always been racist, but it wasn’t

always so defeatist regarding the power of ordinary people to govern themselves and represent the most marginalised.”

John reflects on the experiences of early Black migrants.

“Those of us who arrived in the UK in the 40s, 50s, and 60s made Britain home to at least two generations of people like ourselves, yet we have never been made to feel legitimately part of British society,” he says. “When Theresa May sent vans around saying ‘Go Home,’ she put all of us under the microscope, regardless of where we were born.”

THREAT

The rise of the far right in the UK, he warns, poses a serious threat.

The riots following the Southport tragedy exemplify this danger.

“Before the facts were established, protests turned into street attacks on Black, Muslim, and non-white people, with hotels set ablaze.”

With the politics of Nigel Farage and Reform moving closer to the political centre and Labour appeasing rather than countering racism, the academic believes that racist street violence is gaining legitimacy.

John argues that Black communities must look to historical solutions. The Black Saturday Schools Movement helped counter an unequal education system; similar grassroots organising is

“Those of us who arrived in the UK in the 40s, 50s, and 60s made Britain home to at least two generations of people like ourselves, yet we have never been made to feel legitimately part of British society”

needed now to fight fascism. Might solidarity with other minority communities provide a key to moving forward? Gains in equality policy and trade unionism were historically made possible through Black and Asian solidarity.

“It was customary for us to join one another’s struggles,” John recalls. “The West Indian Standing Conference, the Indian Workers Association, and the Pakistani Welfare Association in places like Bradford made common cause against state repression.”

He believes the state’s failure to combat the far right was deliberate.

WARNING: Professor Gus John says communities must organise to counter the rise of fascism

“The government took so long to identify the domestic terrorism of the National Front or the BNP. They were allowed to roam freely. I lived it, on the streets of Handsworth and Moss Side.”

If the problems are clear, John says, so are the solutions. “Black and non-white people are in the firing line, and the projections are that things will become more perilous in the years ahead.”

His message is that Black people must reinvigorate the historical sense of togetherness their elders had when they first arrived in Britain.

Since 1948, he argues, every piece of immigration legislation has been designed to keep Black people out.

“The only way to counter the rising tide of fascism is to fight back with any available means” he says.

But beyond resistance, John believes progress depends on rebuilding alliances – even with communities that have sometimes been guilty of anti-Black racism.

“Despite the difficulties, millions of people of all backgrounds joined Black Lives Matter protests, which speaks to the immense potential future generations must tap into.” His call to action is clear. “It is absolutely necessary for us to mobilise and regain a sense of collective responsibility for our future and our destiny in this place.”

WAKE-UP CALL: John highlighted the racism faced by Diane Abbott

ESN SCHOOL SURVIVORS CALL FOR PUBLIC INQUIRY

Many Black children were placed in ‘Educationally Subnormal’ schools in the 1960s and 70s. Now, decades later, they are demanding justice.

NOEL GORDON was just four years old when his life was altered forever. Born in 1966 to Jamaican parents who had arrived in Britain as part of the Windrush generation, he was diagnosed with sickle cell disease as a toddler.

Concerned for his health, his parents were told that a special state boarding school would provide the care and education he needed.

Instead, it was an ‘Educationally Subnormal’ (ESN) School, where Black children were disproportionately placed, often on the basis of biased IQ tests designed to label them as intellectually inferior.

Gordon vividly recalls the impact. “It was soul-destroying. There were no proper lessons, no exams, no qualifications. I left school a blank template,” he says. “The most damaging thing was the lack of self-belief. That was sucked out of children like me.”

Speaking to The Voice in a 2023 interview, Maisie Barrett, another survivor of the ESN system, describes being told repeatedly that she was “backward” and “a dunce.”

She was placed in a school where expectations were set so low that she left unable to read or write properly. “I was just a child. They took away my future before I even had a chance,” she recalls.

Their stories are not unique. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Black children were wrongly placed in ESN schools during the 1960s and 70s, victims of systemic racism embedded in Britain’s education system.

Now, decades later, they are demanding justice. Survivors of the ESN scandal are calling for a full public inquiry, a formal apology from the government, and financial compensation for the lifelong impact of their wrongful placement.

A system built on racism

The concept of ‘educationally subnormal’ was first introduced in 1945, when children with perceived intellectual disabilities were placed in special schools.

However, by the 1960s, it became clear that Black children

By Vic Motune

were being disproportionately categorised as ESN, funnelled into schools that taught little more than basic literacy and numeracy.

This racial targeting was no accident. It was underpinned by the influential theories of psychologists such as Hans Eysenck, who wrongly argued that Black people were genetically less intelligent than white people.

IQ tests were developed to support these racist theories, with questions that favoured White, middle-class cultural knowledge. As a result, Black children – many of whom spoke Caribbean dialects – were set up to fail.

The consequences were devastating. “It was a betrayal,” says Noel. “They took our childhoods, our education, our confidence, and for many, their ability to have a successful career.”

The fight for justice

The scandal was first exposed in the 1971 book How the West Indian Child is Made Educationally Subnormal in the British School System by Bernard Coard, a Grenadian academic and youth worker.

His work detailed how Black children were systematically disadvantaged by an education system riddled with racism. Following mounting pressure from Black parents and activists, the government eventually abandoned the term ‘educationally subnormal’ – but the damage had already been done.

Despite the removal of ESN categorisation, racial bias in education persisted. In 1985, the Swann Report confirmed what Black

communities had long suspected: systemic racism was the root cause of Black children’s educational underachievement, not any inherent lack of ability. The report urged the government to implement anti-racist policies and improve representation of Black teachers and curriculum content.

However, nearly 40 years later, many of its recommendations remain unfulfilled.

According to Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson, a public inquiry into ESN schools is the only way to ensure accountability and the only way to stop others going through Gordon and Barrett experienced.

“The same patterns of racial exclusion that drove the ESN scandal are still with us today,” she says.

“It was soul-destroying. There were no proper lessons, no exams, no qualifications. I left school a blank template. The most damaging thing was the lack of self-belief. That was sucked out of children like me”

“We see it in the schoolto-prison pipeline, where Black students are disproportionately excluded and criminalised. We need a full public inquiry to expose the full extent of the damage done and ensure this never happens again.”

The call for an inquiry is gaining momentum

Earlier this month, an event at the Houses of Parliament – hosted by Johnson and supported by Leigh Day Solicitors – brought together legal experts, activists, and survivors of ESN schools to push for justice.

the racial disparities they say still plague the education system today.

Speakers included human rights barrister Leslie Thomas KC and representatives from No More Exclusions, who have long campaigned against racial disparities in education.

For survivors like Barrett the fight for justice is deeply personal.

“We were children,” says Barrett. “They stole our futures. Now we want them back.”

Gordon agrees.

“We lost so much because of those schools,” he says. “We need real accountability, real justice.”

The goals of campaigners who gathered at the House of Commons earlier this month are clear.

As well as a full-scale public inquiry to investigate the extent of the ESN scandal, and compensation for negligence and posttraumatic stress, they want to see meaningful reforms to address

While the ESN scandal may seem like a dark chapter from the past, a number of reports in recent years have highlighted the fact that Black children continue to face systemic barriers in education today.

“We need a radical and structural overhaul,” says Johnson.

“Greater accountability, better teacher training, and policies that actively dismantle systemic racism in education. Without that, we are failing another generation of Black children.”

History repeating itself?

Johnson points to recent statistics: Black Caribbean students are up to six times more likely to be excluded from school than their White peers in some local authorities.

They are also disproportionately placed in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs), which have some of the

lowest academic outcomes –just one per cent of students in PRUs achieve five good GCSEs. “Exclusion has become the new ESN,” Johnson warns. “The same biases that led to the ESN crisis still shape education policy today.”

Recent policies, including increased school exclusions, stricter discipline measures, and police presence in schools, have further exacerbated the issue. Critics argue that these measures disproportionately affect Black students, reinforcing systemic racism within the education system.

“A public inquiry is not just about historical reckoning,” Johnson says. “It is about making sure history does not continue to repeat itself.”

The Road Ahead

The ESN scandal remains one of the greatest injustices in Britain’s education system, with long-lasting consequences for those affected. As survivors call for a public inquiry, the government faces mounting pressure to acknowledge and atone for the harm that was caused.

With this year marking the 40th anniversary of the Swann Report, campaigners say that a burning question remains: will the UK government finally confront this painful chapter in its history and ensure that no child is ever again subjected to such an educational betrayal?

n For more on this story please see page 12

RACIAL TARGETING: Teenagers outside a north London comprehensive school in 1975. Many young Black people at the time were labelled as educationally subnormal (photo: Kypros/Getty Images)

IMPACT: Noel Gordon

EXCLUSION: Liverpool Riverside MP Kim Johnson

40 Years of Black British Lives published by The Voice shares the narrative of the Windrush Generation and their descendants in Britain.

The book chronicles stories of education, politics, entertainment and sport amongst others as told through the pages of The Voice. It is an essential read.

‘THEY STOLE OUR FUTURES. NOW WE WANT THEM BACK’

Maisie Barrett was just six years old when she was wrongly placed in an Educationally Subnormal (ESN) school – a system that robbed countless Black children of a proper education. Labelled as less intelligent due to racist psychological theories and biased IQ tests, she spent years in a school where learning was almost nonexistent. At 13, a Black psychologist recognised her potential and helped her escape, but the damage was done. She couldn’t read or write properly, limiting her career prospects and leaving lasting scars on her confidence – even as a parent. Now, Barrett is fighting for justice, supporting other survivors, and demanding a public inquiry into the ESN school scandal. Here, she shares her heartbreaking story

I AM Maisie Barrett, born in Birmingham to Jamaican parents who moved to England in the 1950s. I grew up in Leeds.

In 1965, at the age of six, I underwent a superficial assessment – an evaluation that shaped my early life. The headmistress handed me something and instructed me to open the door, go downstairs, and come back up again. Somewhere along the way, I must have forgotten her instructions.

Upon my return, she labelled me as “backward”, a decision that had devastating consequences for my life.

That assessment concluded that I had an IQ of 36, which led to my placement in an ESN school for the educationally subnormal children; a dumping place for Black children in the

SURVIVOR: Maisie today

60s and 70s, even if they were intelligent. There, life was relaxed, as no real work was expected of me. With an IQ as low as 36, I was not expected to learn. Such a low IQ is typically classified within the range of ‘severe intellectual disability.’

I believe that without being labelled as ‘educationally subnormal’ my natural skills and talents could have shaped a very

FULL OF POTENTIAL:

A young Maisie Barrett was held back by an education system that failed her

different future. My creativity might have led me to become a playwright or a director, while my nurturing nature and empathy could have guided me toward social work, or teaching in my twenties, a time in my life when I should have achieved these things.

My leadership and imaginative thinking might have thrived in community roles or in running my own business. With the right support, I know I could have achieved much and contributed significantly, providing the best life for my children as a single mother.

When I was 13, my mother took me to a Black psychologist who assessed me and told me I was intelligent and promised to help me escape the confines of the ESN school. She kept that promise, and I was transferred to a girls’ high school. However, by then, it felt too late.

Coming from an environment devoid of real learning, I was thrust into subjects like English, geography, and science; names I was hearing for the first time. I struggled because I couldn’t read or write properly.

Learning had been an illusion in the ESN school – I spent my days tracing letters and numbers, playing games, doing PE, and going to my teacher’s friend’s house to drink juice and biscuits.

My teacher read to me, so I didn’t have to read. And one of my main jobs in the school was to wash White children who came to school dirty with nits in their hair. My teacher told me I would make a good nurse, but no one at the school told me I had to learn to read and write first.

When I went to the mainstream school, I was placed in the bottom class, surrounded mostly

“One

of my main jobs in the school was to wash White children who came to school dirty with nits in their hair.

My

teacher told me I would make a good nurse, but no one at the school told me I had to learn to read and write first”

by Black children. They couldn’t understand why I couldn’t read or write or participate in class discussions.

When they couldn’t bully me physically, they ignored me, isolating me completely. That silence, that sense of invisibility, chipped away at my confidence and self-esteem.

When I left school at 15, I carried the burden of an education system that had failed me. I still couldn’t read and couldn’t even fill out a simple job application for a cleaning position.

The years spent in an ESN school left me with a sense of helplessness, a belief that I wasn’t capable of achieving anything meaningful. It wasn’t that I was inherently lazy, but after years in an environment where I wasn’t expected to learn or grow, I had developed a lazy attitude to life.

During my teenage life, I slept all day, not because I didn’t want

EARLY DAYS: Maisie Barrett as a child around the time she was placed in an ESN school (photo supplied)

to work, but because I didn’t know what to do. I hated cleaning and felt unable to do such a job all day long.

I daydreamed of being an actor, wife, and mother. I wanted children but lacked the confidence and self-esteem to teach them those skills and guide them with wisdom.

I had no stable job prospects to provide for them. My limited vocabulary made me feel dull and unable to engage with anyone, including my own kids.

It wasn’t until I was 52 that I got my first real job – as a dyslexia tutor, but after just two years I was made redundant.

Now, I have a zerohour contract job, where if students don’t show up, I don’t get paid. I have no pension, no financial stability, and I’ve never experienced the joy of a holiday.

a Black condition of thousands of British Black families that was predicted by E. J. B. Rose in 1969, director of race relations in Britain, who warned that by 2000, Britain would have a Black helot class unless the educational system was radically altered. I see now how my own pain, stemming from being labelled as ‘educationally subnormal’, has influenced my sense of inadequacy and reflected on my children. The cycle of trauma and missed opportunities didn’t end with me – it rippled into their lives, and that is the heaviest burden and pain of all – just because I was a BLACK CHILD!

PARENT: Maisie with her son

I went on to defeat the objective of the racist education system by gaining three degrees and an MA in Professional Writing while my children were mostly institutionalised.

The trauma of my childhood – the neglect, the lack of opportunity, and the constant reinforcement that I wasn’t good enough – left scars that I unknowingly passed on to my children.

They’ve spent much of their lives battling their own mental health struggles, with one of them constantly going to prison. This is

Bernard Coard’s book, How the West Indian Child is Made Educationally Subnormal In the British School System , highlights that Black children were intentionally placed into subnormal schools. The government should recognise this harm and offer a public apology and compensation to those affected, impacting generations.

As a published author of four books, I want to assist ESN survivors in sharing their stories for justice. If you are interested in writing your autobiography, visit the link below. I look forward to connecting with you. And please support our fight for justice.

l https://windrush-advocacygroup.eventbrite.co.uk/

continued from page 6

north-west London, gardening has been a personal and practical necessity. After a period of ill-health left her confined to her home, she found solace and purpose in tending to a small balcony garden.

“Since falling ill, gardening helped me build my strength by doing small tasks like watering and maintaining crops. It kept my mind active and gave me a reason to get up every day,” she says.

Reid, who once owned an allotment, had always enjoyed growing her own food. But when the pandemic hit, those skills became crucial.

“When the lockdown happened, I fell ill and couldn’t work, but tending to the balcony garden gave me purpose every day,” she recalls.

“Gardening on the balcony helped me to build my strength by doing small tasks such as watering, and maintaining the crops and it also kept my mind active.”

Her balcony, measuring just three feet by six feet, became an unlikely but successful urban farm. “I experimented with everything – salad greens, cucumbers, tomatoes, even beans. My biggest success was growing ginger and corn,” she says.

She now runs balcony gardening workshops, teaching others how to grow food in small spaces.

“There’s a lot you can do with vertical gardening, lightweight pots, and even hydroponics. I want to show people that no matter how small your space is, you can still grow something useful,” she says.

Community and connection

Beyond the financial benefits, urban gardening has fostered a renewed sense of community and mental well-being for many Black Britons. “There’s something so therapeutic about getting your hands in the soil,” Anna says. “It helps with stress, anxiety, and just feeling connected to nature in a way that we often lose in city life.”

Reid says her passion for gardening comes from her father Byron, who taught her how to budget and save money by growing your own vegeta-

bles when she was a child.

“He’s from Jamaica and he grew up there, came over here as a child and he never forgot his roots and he tried to instil those life-humbling grounding values within us,” she says.

“I can never thank him enough for instilling in us the importance of growing your own food and knowing the benefits.”

Reid’s father learnt about growing produce from his grandparents and the term “work the land” was very common in the Caribbean country.

“I think people have used that with a very negative connotation due to the history of working land back in the day, but what people don’t realise is the land is the most important part of your life, because out of that you can live,” she says.

Over 90,000 people are on waiting lists for the UK’s 300,000 council-owned allotments, with wait times varying. In Wandsworth, for example, some applicants have waited as long as 18 years.

But Reid urges people who want to grow their own food to use windowsills or any other available space this summer to grow their own food.

She said: “It’s good for your cognitive ability, its good for relaxing the mind and for those with mental health issues and to destress.”

Reid has published a book entitled, Home Guide to Balcony Gardening, which is a simple six-step guide to starting your own food garden in small spaces.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect families across the UK, the movement towards self-sufficiency through urban gardening is likely to keep growing.

Whether on a small balcony, in a community allotment, or in a repurposed city space, Black Britons are reclaiming an old tradition to build a more sustainable future.

“It’s simple, fun and it gets you outside and an hour of your time every day just to water and maintain and that is not asking a lot – but the rewards are huge,” says Reid.

“You are learning life skills and there is no better skill to learn, than one that is going to feed you.”

Freda Anna’s top veggies you can start growing in April

l Carrots

l Broad beans

l Tomatoes – they need a longer growing season

l Beetroots

l Lettuce

l Onions – start from seed or get onion sets (which you can get from the pound store)

l Courgettes

l Sweetcorn

l Aubergines

l Chillies

l Squashes

l Cucumber

l Herbs like thyme, mint, sage and rosemary

– you can start them at anytime

‘WORKING THE LAND’: Divica Reid (far left) proudly holds the cucumbers she has harvested; (left) some of the tomatoes she has grown in her balcony garden

Dr Julie Hammond

Health Matters

HEALTHCARE AI SHOULD ENSURE EVERYONE IS TREATED EQUALLY

Evidence shows that Artificial Intelligence in many medical areas is not considering the Black community

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

is rapidly transforming everyday life. From facial recognition unlocking our phones to personalised shopping recommendations based on our browsing habits, AI is not just influencing how we work, communicate, and make decisions, it is also increasingly impacting the delivery of healthcare services.

The integration of AI into healthcare is already showing significant benefits.

For example, NHS England has approved the use of AI systems that help prevent missed bone fracture diagnoses.

There are ongoing pilot studies evaluating AI’s potential for early cancer detection.

AI technologies are also currently being used to help healthcare providers identify individuals at higher risk for conditions like diabetes and heart disease so that they can provide preventive care before symptoms develop.

Patient engagement is another area seeing dramatic improvements through AI innovations.

AI-driven chatbots and health apps offer 24/7 health advice, symptom tracking and medication reminders, providing convenience and a level of privacy that traditional appointments cannot match.

Despite these benefits, as AI becomes embedded in medical systems, there are growing concerns about its potential to worsen existing health inequalities.

Is AI biased?

Recently, I came across a social media thread highlighting racial bias in AI. Someone had asked ChatGPT to show an image of the ‘perfect birth’.

The results were revealing: the ‘perfect birth’ showed a happy White couple with a midwife or doula at a water birth at home. When the same prompt was adjusted for a Black mother, the image showed a Black woman looking sad, alone in a hospital bed, with a doctor standing nearby.

I was saddened to see such a clear depiction of racial bias within an AI tool. I repeated the test myself. The result had slightly improved. The Black mother was now smiling in a birthing pool, but she was still alone with a medical professional present in a clinical setting.

This subtle improvement shows that AI can learn when challenged, but it also highlights how deeply embedded racial bias is in AI-generated content.

AI mirrors its training data; biased data creates biased results.

A 2019 US study found a hospital algorithm less likely to refer Black patients for extra care than White patients with similar conditions.

The algorithm had been trained on healthcare spending data, and because less money was historically spent on Black patients’ care, the algorithm incorrectly assumed Black patients were healthier.

Research also shows that AI-based skin cancer detection and symptomchecking algorithms are less accurate for people with darker skin tones because they are predominantly trained on data

AI can be a powerful force for health equity but only if the technologies are intentionally designed with Black communities in mind from the start

from White patients, increasing the risk of misdiagnosis for people of colour.

The roots of AI bias

AI is not inherently neutral. It reflects the biases in the data it has been trained on and the systems that create it.

If the data used to train AI contains racial bias, the AI system will replicate and reinforce those disparities, leading to unequal outcomes.

We know Black patients are underrepresented in clinical research data. As a result, there is a risk that AI may struggle to assess our health needs accurately.

Likewise, if the developers who are creating these AI-powered tools lack diversity or overlook cultural differences, AI may miss important health patterns in Black communities and be culturally inappropriate.

Collaborating for better solutions

Experts agree that involving diverse communities in AI development is essential to reduce bias and meet all patients’ needs.

There are already several promising UK-based initiatives working to address this challenge:

l The NHS AI Lab has started involving patients and the public in shaping AI projects.

l Birmingham’s STANDING Together initiative is consulting with communities to establish standards for AI healthcare data.

l The London Inspire Black Health Inequalities Summit, held last month, delivered in partnership with CAHN is the UK’s largest gathering focused on Black health. The summit brought key stakeholders, policymakers, and health professionals together to explore how digital health solutions can be effectively implemented in the Black community.

At this event, Consiliaris delivered a workshop on Embracing Diversity in Digital Health: AI, Culture and Ethnicity.   The workshop showcased SeeYoo Health, an AI digital triage and diagnostic platform designed with cultural inclusivity and fundamental ethical principles at its core.

SeeYoo Health enables the secure management of non-critical health conditions in real time, giving healthcare professionals and patients seamless access to medical records and health data that accurately reflects the whole population.

What needs to happen

AI holds the potential to revolutionise healthcare by improving access, diagnosis, and treatment, but it must work for everyone.

ISSUE: AI reflects biases in training data, potentially reinforcing disparities. The under-representation of Black patients’ experiences in AI training data may lead to inaccurate health assessments, culturally inappropriate tools and may worsen existing health inequalities, says Dr

For Black communities, staying informed and engaged is crucial.

Understanding how AI works and ensuring that there is diverse representation in the data used by AI systems will help ensure it becomes a tool for progress rather than deepening inequality.

What can you do?

As AI becomes more common in healthcare, we can take steps to ensure these technologies work in our interest:

l Ask questions: When receiving AI-driven care, ask if the system was tested on diverse populations.

l Participate in research: Join medical studies and AI pilot programmes to help build more inclusive datasets.

l Pursue careers in healthtech: Encourage people to enter AI development and healthcare technology to create more equitable solutions.

AI can be a powerful force for health equity, but only if the technologies are intentionally designed with Black communities in mind from the start.

l Dr Julie Hammond is a multi award-winning GP, health advocate and innovator. She is the founder of the mamAR app: www.mamarhealth.com and is also writing a book on The Fourth Trimester due to be released in 2026

Julie Hammond (photo: Getty Images)

Scotland

THE COMMONWEALTH IS A BEACON OF CO-OPERATION

As Baroness Patricia Scotland prepares to end her nine-year tenure as Secretary-General, she reflects on how the Commonwealth has strengthened ties and proven that unity drives global progress

NELSON MANDELA

once said, “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

As I reflect on my nine-year tenure as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, I find deep truth in these words.

In a world marked by rising geopolitical uncertainty and the erosion of multilateralism, the Commonwealth does not simply endure, it is thriving.

We have reaffirmed the relevance of our shared values, demonstrated the power of collective action, and laid a foundation for future generations to prosper together.

From a group of eight nations in 1949, the Commonwealth has grown into a dynamic family of 56 member states, encompassing a third of the world’s population.

Our commitment is not bound by treaty, but by a shared belief in democracy, the rule of law, and a global common good.

That is why, at a time when many international institutions are faltering, the Commonwealth remains a beacon of unity and purpose.

Economic advantage

Our strength lies not only in our values but also in our economic

potential. The Commonwealth Advantage – rooted in common legal systems, language, and business practices – lowers trade costs between member states by 21 per cent.

Pan-Commonwealth trade currently stands at $800bn (£619bn), projected to rise to $1tn by 2026 and $2tn by 2030. Intra-Commonwealth investment has tripled during my tenure, demonstrating the confidence and opportunity within our network.

Economic growth is not just about numbers, it is about people. Through initiatives like the Commonwealth AI Consortium and Innovation Hub, we are equipping our citizens with the skills and opportunities to lead in the digital economy.

With 60 per cent of the Commonwealth’s population under 30, investing in youth is an imperative which our member states are embracing.

Climate leadership

The existential threat of climate change is the challenge of our times. Our most vulnerable member states are profoundly exposed, so the Commonwealth is at the forefront of practical action.

Our Climate Finance Access Hub has unlocked over $400m

UNITED: Athletes of Kenya take part in the closing ceremony for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, 2022. Investing in youth is a key priority for member states, says outgoing SecretaryGeneral Baroness Patricia Scotland (photo: Getty Images)

MAKING

CONNECTIONS:

Baroness Patricia Scotland, outgoing Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, attends the opening ceremony of Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa, October 2024 (photo:

for vulnerable nations, enabling projects like nature-based seawalls in Fiji and sustainable energy solutions in the Caribbean.

The Commonwealth Blue Charter and the Living Lands Charter are protecting a third of the world’s ocean and a quarter of its land, ensuring sustainable stewardship of our planet’s vital resources.

But the Commonwealth’s scale power can be decisive in fostering global agreement. Consensus among our Heads of Government

in 2015 helped to deliver the Paris Agreement, just as consensus in 2022 helped to deliver the Loss & Damage Fund at COP28.

The fight against climate change demands continued leadership, and the Commonwealth must remain a driving force in securing climate finance, advancing adaptation, and championing the voices of small and vulnerable states on the global stage.

An expression of solidarity in action

At its heart, the Commonwealth is an expression of solidarity in action.

Over the past nine years, our Good Offices team have worked quietly yet effectively to de-escalate political tensions in dozens of member states, safeguarding democracy and stability.

Our Universal Vulnerability Index is reshaping how the world views development finance, showing that need, not outdated metrics, should determine access to resources.

And when the world was hit by an unprecedented pandemic, the Commonwealth’s spirit of collaboration enabled us to

skilfully navigate the crisis.

From health system support to economic recovery initiatives, we stood together and worked together – because that is what we do.

Embracing innovation

The forces which will shape the world’s economic future – artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and new frontiers of knowledge – do not recognise national borders.

The question is not whether we will choose to be affected by these changes, but how we will harness them for the collective good.

Through partnerships with global tech leaders, the establishment of the Commonwealth AI Academy, and cross-border initiatives to modernise public service delivery, we are ensuring that our member states are better equipped than they have ever been to embrace and shape the future.

A Commonwealth for the next generation

As I prepare to pass the baton to my successor, I do so with a profound sense of optimism.

The Commonwealth today is

stronger, more connected, and more relevant than ever. Our continued strength will rely on the Commonwealth’s capacity to deliver continual progress.

In this spirit, the theme of this year’s Commonwealth Day, ‘Together We Thrive,’ is a call to action. In an era of great change, the Commonwealth stands as proof that cooperation, partnership, and mutual respect are not relics of the past, but the keys to a prosperous future.

The world is watching. And as history has shown, when the Commonwealth acts with unity and purpose, the impossible becomes reality. If the Commonwealth continues to stand together, act together, and thrive together, it will continue to succeed –now and for generations to come.

l THe Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC is the sixth Commonwealth Secretary-General. She was born in Dominica and is the second Secretary-General from the Caribbean and the first woman to hold the post

Getty Images)

Clothes weren’t the focus of the Ukrainian president’s trip to the White House — until they were

BLACK LEADERS of the world, listen up — this is a message to you rudies. If you’re going to Washington begging a bly over the next four years, please check your wardrobe before departing and leave all the cultural stuff like kente cloth and trainers at home where they belong. You’re not going to need them.

Why?

Why, you ask. Did you see the way president Trump and his vice, JD Vance, duffed up the Ukrainian president, Zelensky, for coming to the White House in his military fatigues the other day? They accused him of dissing the programme by not wearing a business suit at a business meeting.

Poor Zelensky didn’t know where to put his face. You could see him thinking: “What’s what I’m wearing got to do with it, we’re at war with Russia for crying out loud.”

But the message from the White House is loud and clear to all who have ears to hear. That’s why I’m sending out this S.O.S. to heads of states in Africa and the Caribbean that if you’re thinking of paying Donald Trump a visit at the Oval office, you better come suited and booted. Or else.

Which of course is a problem for African/Caribbean world leaders whose preference might be to fly their cultural flag in a quadrille dress or bandana skirt.

Put it this way, Nelson Mandela, pictured right, would have been given short shrift in this new world order if he had rocked up to the White House in one of those colourful African shirts he was so renowned for wearing.

I can hear J.D. Vance shouting: “Nelson, did you not get the memo? Where’s the suit? You can’t rock up to the White House without a jacket. What are you like!?”

Kwame Nkrumah wouldn’t have got an invite to meet the president, either. Nor Jomo Kenyatta. Let’s face it, the way some of these great Black leaders dressed none of them would have made it past the U.S. marine guards at the gates of the White House currently. Of course, nowadays Black leaders ain’t on that “dress to im-

Dotun

I AGREE, ZELENSKY — SUITS JUST AREN’T FOR EVERYONE

press on them where you’re really coming from” tip no more. These days they’re all wearing lounge suits, even though it says on the invites from the Palace “formal evening dress or cultural equivalent”.

At the recent Commonwealth Day celebrations (no, I didn’t know there was such a thing ei ther), the King even called for unity in these “uncertain” times. What clearer message is there of unity than all the heads of state wearing the same clothes? What clearer message is there

Nelson Mandela would have been given short shrift in this new world order if he had rocked up to the White House in one of those colourful African shirts he was so renowned for wearing

that we’re all speaking the same language — even if English is not your mother tongue. And didn’t the native Americans used to say, ‘White man wears forked suit’?

Renowned Savile Row tailor

Ozwald Boateng will no doubt disagree, but cometh the hour a suit does not a Black man make. Oh, we look good in a suit. There’s nothing quite like a Black man with a shining bald head in a pinstripe. You can’t beat it.

But just because we look good in a double-breasted doesn’t mean we look right. I’ll leave the whether we should dress up like that or not to you. But be honest, do you not feel more like a White man when you’re in a tux?

And as everybody knows, we’re not as good at acting like a White man as White guys are. Which puts us at a diplomatic disadvantage if we’re wearing their clothes. And that’s not just politics. It’s in everything. We know how empowering it is to be able to wear our hair to work. Is it not equally empowering to wear ‘our’ clothes to work.

Whether ‘our’ clothes be trainers or tracksuit bottoms. Would we not feel much more comfortable about who we are, what we are and how we can make the best of ourselves consequently.

I know, I know. I didn’t want to

mention race either, but what suits a White guy doesn’t necessarily suit us.

I mean, imagine president Trump in a dashiki or full-on Nigerian agbada. Dressed like that, all you have to do is put a plate of jollof rice in front of him and he’ll be saying ‘Nigeria is the second greatest country that the world has ever known’ before Ghanaians start complaining to the president that their jollof rice is actually tastier than the Nigerian one. (Yeah, right).

But it’s not just what you wear but what you don’t wear that matters.

Here is a comprehensive list of other fashion items to avoid if you were made in the shade: Ties. They were not made for us to wear. On the contrary, they were made to hang us from a sycamore tree in a lynching, according to the Nation of Islam.

The NOI is strictly clip-on.

T-shirts. The scruffy look don’t look good on Black people.

Cowboy hats. I know, I know, there were Black cowboys, too, but for some reason the cowboy hat doesn’t sit well on our heads. Even when it’s been worn by the actor Cleavon Little, the coolest

sherriff that ever did ride into town in Blazing Saddles. Having said that, Beyonce pulled it off (forgive the pun) for her Grammy-winning album Cowboy Carter, so it may be that Black women can pull off (or put on) a cowboy hat without having to feel like they are mimicking White guys.

Cor blimey trousers. This wide-legged baggy jeans that Madness sang about all those years ago, look all right on White teens, but just look wrong on Black teenagers, whether your old man’s a dustman and lives in a council flat or not.

Budgie smugglers. Me nuh

know what name so but it nuh suit me.

Ripped jeans. Nuff said.

Blouse and skirt. Strictly for the ladies. And do remember when you go to Carnival this summer that our enslaved ancestors in the Caribbean dressed up as White men and women to mock their so-called slave masters and mistresses on the one day a year they were allowed off from their daily toil in the hot sun to enrich the British. Don’t forget that. That’s what the Carnival costume parade is all about. We wore their clothes to mock them. Now that we wear their suits to impress, who is mocking us?

TARGET: Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky faced criticism for wearing military attire during a White House meeting with US president Donald Trump and vice president JD Vance in February

(photo: Getty Images)

NIGEL FARAGE: BRITAIN’S FUTURE PRIME MINISTER?

The Black community has a role to play in determining the future of one of Britain’s most controversial figures

IN AN age of political uncertainty and realignments, one figure remains a lightning rod for debate in the UK: Nigel Farage. The former UKIP leader and current Reform UK figurehead has long been a divisive yet undeniably influential force in British politics.

Charismatic to some, polarising to others, he continues to challenge the establishment, prompting speculation about his future. While critics dismiss him as a populist agitator; never forget that populists are popular for a reason.

The idea may not be as implausible as it once seemed, but could Farage one day become UK Prime Minister?

And if he does, what does that mean for Black Britons?

The case for Farage Farage possesses an astute understanding of economic and political sovereignty, a crucial factor that resonated with many during the Brexit referendum.

He grasped that for many Britons, the referendum was not merely about trade but about control — over borders, laws, and national identity. His ability to connect with voters on these issues set him apart from other politicians who — rightly — focused on economic arguments but, erroneously, sought to nullify, sideline, and exclude the deeper sentiments driving the public mood.

Farage’s appeal also stems from his authenticity. Whether or not one agrees with his politics, his direct approach, his unfiltered rhetoric and his ability to ‘state the bleeding obvious’ resonate with many.

Beyond his loyal supporters, he appeals to a wider audience, drawing in disillusioned voters who feel ignored by the elite.

His skill in storytelling — casting himself as the voice of the unheard — has strengthened his influence in British politics. The decline of traditional party structures across Europe and the resurgent rise of the

right-wing in France, Italy, and Germany boosts his prospects. If the Labour government fails to adequately address key voter concerns such as cost of living, immigration, and public services, Reform UK, under Farage, will capitalise on this.

As Britain’s political landscape continues to fracture, a growing number of voters feel abandoned by the traditional parties.

The belief that neither Labour nor the Conservatives truly represent — or even like — them is pushing disillusioned citizens toward Farage’s Reform Party.

In an increasingly polarised climate, those who challenge centrist positions on issues such as migration, marriage, gender, the family, or war and peace, often find themselves dismissed as morally suspect. This dynamic is creating a groundswell of support for Reform, which capitalises on the alienation many voters feel.

Labour and the Conservatives, recognising this shift, have adopted a strategy of fear when addressing Farage’s insurgent movement.

Labour hopes its newly formed government will be granted the time to prove itself, whilst the Conservatives, having squandered their opportunity in office are treading water, waiting to see their fate unfold.

Another key factor in Farage’s favour is the media’s treatment of him. Voters follow the contours of

Much like Donald Trump in the US, the relentless stream of negative press and media coverage may, paradoxically, work to his advantage

politics, not the detail. This works in Reform’s favour.

Much like Donald Trump in the US, the relentless stream of negative press and media coverage may, paradoxically, work to his advantage, and instead of diminishing his appeal, it reinforces his image as an outsider battling the establishment; deepening his support amongst those who hitherto have felt ignored. In this scenario, the media will bring into existence the very thing it is trying to avoid.

The obstacles to his premiership

History has shown that political insurgents rarely make it to the highest office. Whilst Farage has/ is undeniably reshaping British politics, his party remains a long way from winning the keys to Downing Street.

The first major hurdle is the UK’s first-past-the-post electoral system. Unlike proportional representation, it favours established parties, making it hard for groups like Reform UK to gain parliamentary seats.

In the 2024 general election, Reform received around four million votes, 14 per cent of the total, but secured just one per cent of seats in the house of commons.

Meanwhile, the Liberal

Democrats, with 12 per cent of the vote, secured 11 per cent of the seats, while Labour, with 34 per cent, claimed 64 per cent of the seats.

Farage’s rise is threatened by Reform UK’s potential for internal conflict and unclear leadership succession.

Richard Tice and others aspire to lead, but their ability to sustain momentum is uncertain.

Without a clear vision, Reform UK risks remaining a protest party, not a credible government. Farage’s influence also wanes when global events dominate headlines, reducing the media attention he so needs.

The Conservatives and Labour could still counter Reform UK by addressing key voter concerns like housing, healthcare, jobs and immigration.

But the insurgent appeal of parties like Reform UK makes this challenging.

A critical moment for British politics and the Black community

As Britain’s political landscape shifts, the Black community must remain vigilant. Populist movements are, by definition, popular and attract widespread support — including from within the Black community.

Political movements like Reform

UK thrive on public discontent, and while their promises may seem appealing, history has shown that while populists claim to represent the people, they often sideline or undermine the interests of minority communities, using divisive rhetoric to build support while deepening social inequalities.

Rather than remaining passive observers, or critics, the Black community must seize the advantage to actively shape the Reform UK Party’s political direction.

This means that those in the community who share some of Reform UK’s views should engage directly with the party through membership, advocacy, or active participation.

Black Britons must play an active role in influencing policy and softening the party’s more divisive edges.

Without such involvement, Reform UK risks becoming a movement that prioritises the pursuit of power for its own sake

and sidelining the very issues that matter most to all Britons — including Black Britons.

The rise of Farage and the Reform Party is a symptom of a deeper malaise in British politics.

The old parties are tired, the system feels broken, and the electorate is angry. Farage thrives on that anger, but whether he can turn it into power is another matter.

Democracy, as they say, has a way of correcting itself.

The question is whether the correction will come in the form of a Farage premiership or something else entirely.

One thing is certain: we should not underestimate him.

l Dr Floyd Millen is a political scientist, and the author of Thatcherism Hayek & the Political Economics of the Conservative Party

APPEALING?: Constant

negative media coverage about Nigel Farage may strengthen his outsider image; below, Black Britons who share some of Reform UK’s views should engage directly with the party and play an active role in influencing policy and softening the party’s more divisive edges, says Floyd Millen

(photos: Getty Images)

‘WE’RE ALL ABOUT THE ACTION, AND NOT THE TALK’

Diaspora investment, government commitment and legacy-building: NDDIS 2025 making sure the focus is not just on business, but on the futures of Nigerians. By Estelle Uba

THE 12th edition of the Nigerian Diaspora Direct Investment Summit (NDDIS) once again demonstrated that Nigerians abroad are doing far more than sending money home – they are building the future.

Held at the Copthorne Tara Hotel in London, the summit brought together an array of government officials, business leaders, finance professionals and enterprising members of the Nigerian diaspora, all with a shared mission of strengthening Nigeria’s economy.

With the theme “Mobilising the Nigerian and African Diaspora to Support MSMEs and Job Creation for Sustainable Development”, the summit underscored the critical role the diaspora plays in advancing economic growth, fostering innovation and creating job opportunities in Nigeria.

Putting the spotlight on MSMEs: the backbone of Nigeria’s economy

Prince Bimbo Roberts Folayan, the founder of NDDIS, set the tone for the summit with an impassioned welcome address.

“We’re not financial experts,”

he said. “What we do is create a marketplace where people can come together and discuss business. You can bring your micro business and talk to others, transforming it into a small business. And if small businesses come together, who knows? We could produce a big company.”

Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) dominate Nigeria’s business landscape, accounting for 86 per cent of employment and contributing 50 per cent of the country’s GDP. However, with an estimated $32.2bn (£24.8bn) credit gap, according to an IFC report, access to finance remains a major hurdle. The event spotlighted funding opportunities to empower young and small-scale Nigerian entrepreneurs, with banks and financial institutions pledging to support diaspora-led initiatives. The summit didn’t stop at dialogue. True to its reputation, NDDIS moved beyond discussions with its ‘deal rooms’ – private spaces where entrepreneurs, investors and government representatives could strike highvalue business deals on the spot. As Charles Ajayi-Khiran, the facilitator of the summit, put it, “We are not all talk. We are about action.”

“You can bring your micro business and talk to others, transforming it into a small business. And if small businesses come together, who knows? We could produce a big company”

While Nigeria’s diaspora has contributed over $90bn (£69.5bn) in remittances over the past five years, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), urged the diaspora to do more by sharing knowledge, skills and resources.

“Remittances are great, but we need to go beyond that,” she said passionately. “No matter what, nobody can ignore the Nigerian diaspora. Not anymore. India, China, Pakistan – they don’t talk about their development without the diaspora; Nigeria should not be left behind. We need to see ourselves as one big family living in different rooms. My brothers and sisters, let’s work together to take Nigeria to where it belongs: the top of the mountain.”

Matching governments’ words with action: partnerships, skills training and ecotourism

PASSIONATE:

Prince Bimbo Roberts

Folayan, founder of the Nigerian Diaspora Direct Investment Summit

- Prince Bimbo Roberts Folayan, the founder of NDDIS

A highlight of the summit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Bauchi State Government and NDDIS, designating NDDIS as its Project/Resource Mobilisation Partner. Bauchi State showcased

six strategic interventions in education, healthcare and economic growth, while the Katsina State delegation also expressed interest in formalising a similar partnership with NDDIS. Representing Senator Bala Mohammed, the Executive Governor of Bauchi State, Aminu Hammayo, Secretary to the Bauchi State Government, delivered a presentation which celebrated Bauchi State’s reputation as the “Pearl of Tourism”.

He invited the diaspora to invest in Bauchi’s flourishing tourism sector, providing examples of

natural attractions such as Yankari Game Reserve and Sumu Wildlife Park, which cement the state’s position as a popular destination for eco-tourism.

The Nigerian government also demonstrated a commitment to job creation, with Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, MFR, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Job Creation and MSMEs, emphasising the importance of collaboration between federal and state governments.

Alongside the President of Nigeria, it is also the responsibility

STRENGTH IN NUMBERS:

Attendees at the 12th Nigerian Diaspora Direct Investment Summit in London. The event showcased Nigerians abroad as nation-builders, uniting leaders to drive economic growth beyond remittance

of governors to create jobs since businesses are domiciled in their states, he said. He added: “Through our National MSME Clinic, we reach out to the different governors to say ‘Excellencies, we, as the federal government, can provide XYZ. Can you meet us halfway?’ And with that, we’ve been able to launch 13 industrial hubs.

None of these hubs were funded from the federal government’s coffers; instead, from strategic partnerships. The only way to grow any economy is through partnerships.

Adekunle-Johnson went a step further, extending an invitation to NDDIS to “bring the summit to Abuja.” He pledged support in securing sponsorship and facilitating even more impactful deal room sessions in Nigeria, ensuring that small businesses reap the benefits.

Dr Afiz Oluwatoyin Ogun, Director-General of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), announced that the government agency had just completed the training of some 29,000 artisans, and was poised to scale up the programme to train 100,000 more to

international standards. Dr Ogun detailed three exit strategies for ITF trainees: job placement, ‘talent export’ and business incubation. The first involves collaborating with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria to match trained artisans with 9-5 jobs, while the second requires partnering with other countries to identify skill gaps abroad, training artisans to meet those needs, and facilitating their placement overseas. The final strategy, he said, “is where the diaspora comes in”.

LEADER: Councillor Sunny Lambe, who is also Deputy Mayor of Southwark, urged diaspora investment in his borough, which includes Peckham, a district dubbed ‘Little Lagos’ because of its vibrant Nigerian community

Urging the diaspora to channel their resources into ventures that will yield lasting benefits, he remarked: “Many of us send our money home for birthdays and Christmas – things that won’t benefit us. If Nigeria is better, we would all go home. It is time we start investing (in these artisans). ITF will monitor these MSMEs, and your money will not go down the drain. Ladies and gentlemen, come home. Nigeria is sweet.”

Echoing the importance of diaspora investment, Councillor

Discover Nigeria

Sunny Lambe, Deputy Mayor of Southwark Council (which serves Peckham, a district dubbed ‘Little Lagos’ because of its vibrant Nigerian community) said: “Southwark is always open for business, and there’s actually one important business opportunity that is coming up: Did you know that the Bakerloo Line extension is now live again? We need people around here, around the world, to come and invest in all the opportunities that Old Kent Road is going to bring. Very soon you’ll be begging us to have a place there, so I encourage everyone to please come and invest in Southwark in the UK.”

Looking ahead: Securing a legacy for the youth and sustaining momentum for the future

A standout presentation came from Dr Moji Davids, Group Managing Director of Xtralarge Farms & Resorts, who introduced the audience to the untapped potential of agro-tourism. Her company, which operates 14 farm locations across Nigeria, Benin, and Cameroon and employs

around 1,000 people, aims to host one million tourists annually at its farm resort in Ogun State.

“We are bringing entertainment, fun and excitement to the farm to change people’s perception of agriculture,” Davids explained.

She added: “Since I was a child, I’ve always heard the expression ‘Children are the leaders of tomorrow’. If agriculture is going to be the business of tomorrow for Africa, and these children are not being exposed to it, then it is going to be a problem.”

VOICE

Perhaps one of the most stirring messages of the day came from 20-year-old Immanuela ChijokeOgwurike, medical neuroscience student and TEDx Speaker.

Lending a voice to the youth of Nigeria – the country with the largest youth population in the world and a median age of 18.1 years – Chijoke-Ogwurike’s words resonated deeply:

“Creating jobs and impacting the economy for the betterment of our nation is also about legacy — the idea of building something today that is handed down to the next

generation tomorrow. Leadership goes beyond ‘I.’ When you invest in people, you make a statement that their dreams matter, and that no dream is too big.”

This message perfectly encapsulated the heart of NDDIS 2025: investing not just in businesses, but in the lives and futures of Nigerians.

The summit ended on a high note, with commitments from stakeholders to continue driving diaspora engagement, MSME financing, and mentorship programmes. The execution of the MoU with Bauchi State, the finalisation of a similar agreement with Katsina State, and the establishment of more deal room sessions in Nigeria are all on the horizon for NDDIS.

As Temitola Adekunle-Johnson reaffirmed, “Small businesses must survive. We can’t have a nation without them.”

With NDDIS remaining steadfast in its mission to bridge the gap between the diaspora, the government in Nigeria and the UK, and the private sector, the future of Nigeria’s MSMEs is indeed brighter.

HIGHLIGHT: The signing of the MoU by Prince Bimbo Roberts Folayan and Aminu Hammayo (left)

VITAL: MSMEs drive Nigeria’s economy but face a $32.2bn credit gap. The event highlighted funding opportunities, with banks pledging support for young and diaspora-led entrepreneurs

CELEBRATING THE GLOBAL CREATIVITY OF NIGERIA

THE House of Lords provided the stage for a landmark gathering of leaders, policymakers and cultural innovators from the UK and Nigeria’s creative industries.

Hosted by Lord Stephens and organised by Eryca Freemantle, the founder of EATOW (Embracing All Tones of Women), the event, An Audience with The Honourable Obi Asika, delivered an intimate and impactful keynote on fostering equitable partnerships and celebrating the global influence of Nigerian creativity.

EATOW also launched the upcoming trade mission from the UK to Lagos and Abuja from June 4-10, 2025 to empower professionals seeking to develop partnership and drive innovation within the creative and beauty industries.

The day’s discussions at the House of Lords transitioned into an inspiring evening celebration at the Africa Centre, further solidifying the bonds of collaboration and innovation between the two nations.

The day was hosted by Yemisi Mokuolu, founder and CEO of Hatch Ideas Worldwide Ltd and Hatch Africa, and co-hosted by Bolaji Olatoye, CEO of Altitude AI Consulting.

Stronger partnership between African nation and the UK can help create a brighter future

The session at the House of Lords was followed by a keynote welcome from Lucy Haine, Global Digital Commerce & Marketplace Lead of the UK Department of Business & Trade, who formally announced Nigeria as a trading partner to the UK. Freemantle highlighted the mission of her organisation to build bridges through culture, creativity and collaboration. She emphasised the importance of empowering creative professionals and fostering partnerships that drive global change.

“This gathering is a testament to

MAKING IT

the dynamic spirit of Nigeria’s creative industries and the opportunities that arise when we collaborate across borders. Together, we can inspire innovation and create a future defined by equity and empowerment,” said Freemantle.

Keynote address: “Nigeria everywhere”

The Honourable Obi Asika, Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and Co-Chair of the UK-Nigeria Technical Working Group, delivered a powerful keynote address titled Nigeria Everywhere and fireside chat with Yemisi Mokuolu.

He outlined initiatives such as the Creative Leap Accelerator Programme (CLAP) and the Creative Economy Development Fund (CEDF), which aim to transform talent into opportunity and provide structured financing for creatives. Asika also called for practical partnerships with UK institutions to co-create platforms, co-productions and infrastructure that further strengthen the creative ecosystem.

“Nigeria’s creative industries are not just culturally dominant; they are economically impactful. From Afrobeats to Nollywood, our talent is shaping global narratives and, with strategic partnerships, we can expand these opportunities even further,” said the Honourable Obi Asika.

Panel

Discussions: building bridges across borders

The event featured two dynamic panel discussions:

1. UK & Nigeria Collaboration, moderated by Yemisi Mokuolu, explored strategies for fostering cultural and economic ties. Panellists included Ed Emeka Keazor, DJ Abass, Femi Oyeniran and Hannah O’Leary.

2. The Business of Media, Culture & Entertainment, led by Bukky George Taylor, delved into the evolving dynamics of the

“Strong partnerships thrive on mutual respect and shared vision. Together, we can create a future where creativity knows no borders”

- Eryca Freemantle

industries. Panellists included Adesope Olajide, Chioma Ude, Chidi Okeke, Natasha Manley and Nike Awoyinka.

Both panels underscored the importance of shared values, mutual respect, and a commitment to equitable partnerships in driving sustainable growth.

A call to action: equitable partnership and proudly Nigerian

The event was closed by Oba Nsugbe, Chair of the Africa Centre. He highlighted that the overarching theme of the day was a call for equitable partnerships that empower producers and creatives and foster inclusive growth. Attendees were encouraged to embrace the ethos of being Proudly Nigerian while

INFLUENTIAL:

The Honourable Obi Asika is the Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture,

building bridges that benefit both nations.

Evening celebration at the Africa Centre

The evening concluded with a vibrant reception at the Africa Centre, where dignitaries, creators and policymakers continued the day’s conversations in a relaxed and celebratory atmosphere.

About EATOW

EATOW (Embracing All Tones of Women) is a global organisation dedicated to building bridges through culture, creativity and collaboration. Its mission is to empower creative professionals, drive innovation and foster crosscultural partnerships that inspire global change.

creative

HAPPEN: Eryca Freemantle organised the House of Lords event

A CULTURAL EXTRAVAGANZA

Ojude Oba 2024: a showcase of fashion and prosperity in Yoruba tradition.

By Emmanuel Solate

THE OJUDE OBA is celebrated in the southwestern part of Nigeria by the Ijebu people.

The people of Ijebu are a subethnic Yoruba group in the southwestern part of Nigeria. The Ijebus in present-day Ogun state share boundaries with Ibadan, Oyo state, the Egbas in Abeokuta and the Ilajes, very close to Lagos. They are closest to the lagoon waters of Epe, Ejinrin, Ikorodu, and Ogun Waterside. Ijebu is divided into Ijebu Ode, Ijebu Igbo, Ijebu Imushin, Ijebu Ife and Ijebu Ososa. Ijebu is a combination of two words, Ije and Ibu, which means “feed of the deep” of the ocean.

The Ojude Oba Festival is one of the significant cultural and religious events celebrated annually in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. This vibrant festival, which takes place three days after Eid-el-Kabir, gathers the Ijebu people to honour

the Awujale (the paramount ruler of Ijebuland) and to celebrate their rich heritage and traditions.

History of the Ojude Oba celebration

The Ojude Oba Festival dates back over a century to the reign of Oba Adesumbo Tunwase, the Awujale of Ijebuland in the late 19th century. Initially a religious celebration by early Muslim converts in Ijebuland to thank the Awujale for his support and to seek his blessings after the Eid-El-Kabir (Ileya) festival, it has since evolved into a major cultural event that includes people of all faiths.

The festival has also been linked to Chief Balogun Kuku over a century ago. In 1896, 41 Ijebu men were baptised by Reverends R. A. Conner and E. W. George, to advocate monogamy. This prompted Chief Balogun Kuku’s conversion to Islam, forsaking Christianity due

to its restriction on polygamy. His influential conversion significantly boosted Islam’s followership.

Ojude Oba Festival 2024

The Ojude Oba Festival is renowned for its colourful processions. The event features various age-grade groups known as “regberegbes”, dressed in elaborate attire. Each group parades through

the streets to the Awujale’s palace, showcasing their unique dances, music, and performances. The regberegbes are known to compete amongst themselves to put on an impressive display, showing their strength, wealth, and fashion sense. Egbe Bobasete Okunrin Omooba turned out as the bestdressed age grade. Egbe Bobagunte Okunrin Akile Ijebu and Egbe

Bobamayegun Okunrin Asiwaju emerged as first and second runners-up in the male category. In the female category, Egbe Bobagunwa Obinrin Omooba came first.

Another highlight of the festival was the parade of horse riders, often descendants of noble families, who display their horsemanship skills adorned in splendid Yoruba traditional regalia.

Julius Popoola is a distinguished figure in software engineering. He began his journey at Brunel University, graduating in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, then furthering his studies at Concordia University in Montreal.

Over his illustrious career, he has contributed to leading organisations such as Slalom, BCG, Sky, BP, Mobihealth, Vision RT, and Future Electronics. With proficiency in Java, Python, and C#—among others—alongside extensive experience in GenAI, cloud computing, database management, and continuous integration, Popoola has consistently delivered innovative solutions across multiple industries.

Beyond professional work, he has authored influential research, including “Performance Evaluation For Tracking Algorithms Using Object Labels” at ICASSP 2008 and “Ayo, the Awari Player” at CEC2004. These publications reflect his commitment to advancing the field of software development, demonstrating both academic rigour and practical expertise.

Popoola’s impact extends beyond the corporate sphere, thanks to his dedication to mentoring aspiring technologists—particularly within African and Caribbean communities. In 2024, he addressed more

is a versatile filmmaker, writer, cultural curator, documentarian, and music executive dedicated to showcasing Africa’s rich artistic heritage on a global scale.

As the CEO of Showlate Entertainment Limited, he has been at the forefront of promoting African storytelling through film, music, and cultural festivals.

Over the next five pages Emmanuel celebrates some of Nigeria’s most iconic festivals.

than 1,000 youths at the University of Ibadan, emphasising fundamental software engineering concepts.

He has also delivered several presentations illustrating how digital skills can unlock significant economic opportunities and how software can revolutionise the energy sector through monetisation and efficient management strategies.

His consistent dedication has garnered recognition from organisations such as the Nigerian British Business Forum, which honoured him with a Merit Award in 2024. Additionally, he has provided technical consultations to several community-focused entities, including BYP Network, Niyo Hair and Beauty, RCCG Praise Tabernacle, and WeAfric, reflecting his passion for socio-economic progress.

In all his endeavours, Popoola exemplifies the ideal blend of technical prowess, academic rigour, and community engagement.

His story, spanning three continents and multiple industries, continues to inspire those keen on harnessing technology for both professional success and the betterment of society. He remains committed to empowering others through knowledge-sharing and ongoing visionary leadership.

EMMANUEL SOLATE

COLOURFUL:

The Ojude Oba Festival

Discover Nigeria

THE POWER OF A GODDESS

Osun-Osogbo Festival: a timeless celebration of Yoruba heritage.

By Emmanuel Solate

THE Osun-Osogbo Festival

is an annual cultural and religious event in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, held every August to honour Osun, the Yoruba goddess of fertility, love, beauty, and water.

For over 600 years, it has served as a link between the Yoruba people and their heritage, making it one of the most significant and enduring festivals in Yorubaland.

Recognised by UNESCO in 2005, it stands alongside other Yoruba cultural heritage elements like the Ifa Divination System, Gelede Festival, and the recently inscribed Sango Festival.

Historical origins

The festival’s origins are deeply connected to the founding of Osogbo in the 15th century. According to legend, early settlers led by Olutimehin encroached on Osun’s sacred grove while clearing land for

their settlement. The Osun goddess appeared to them, warning against desecration. In exchange for allowing them to stay, she made a covenant: they were to honour her annually with sacrifices and rituals, and she would bless and protect them. This agreement has been upheld for centuries, forming the foundation of the Osun-Osogbo Festival.

Rituals and activities

The festival unfolds over two weeks, beginning with “Iwopopo”, a traditional town-cleansing ritual to rid Osogbo of evil influences. This is followed by the lighting of “Ina Olojumerindinlogun,” a sacred 500-year-old 16-point lamp symbolising continuity and tradition.

A major highlight is the Ataoja of Osogbo’s visit to the Osun Grove, where he offers prayers and sacrifices. The Ataoja, both a political and spiritual leader, reaffirms

ADVERTORIAL FEATURE

The Africa Centre celebrates 60 years of cultural excellence

THE AFRICA CENTRE proudly marks its 60th anniversary, celebrating six decades as a vibrant hub for African heritage, culture, and dialogue in the UK.

Established in 1964, The Africa Centre has been instrumental in fostering connections between Africa and its global diaspora, serving as a platform for artistic expression, thought leadership, and social change.

The milestone will be com-

memorated through a series of events and initiatives that highlight the Centre’s legacy while setting the stage for its future. These celebrations will feature cultural performances, exhibitions, panel discussions, and community engagements designed to honour the rich history and evolution of African culture in the UK and beyond.

A Legacy of Influence and Inspiration Since its

the community’s commitment to Osun, seeking her continued blessings.

The festival culminates in a grand procession from the Ataoja’s palace to the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, a UNESCO World Heritage

Site. Thousands of participants, dressed in colourful traditional attire, partake in drumming, dancing, and singing as they accompany the “Arugba,” (which translates as the calabash carrier), a young virgin maiden appointed

by the Ifa oracle to carry a sacred calabash filled with offerings for Osun. The Arugba’s role is highly symbolic – she serves as a spiritual vessel, believed to carry the prayers and hopes of the people.

Upon reaching the Osun Shrine,

ENDURING: The OsunOsogbo Festival culminates in a grand procession to the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove

final rituals are performed by the Ataoja and priests, invoking Osun’s blessings for prosperity, fertility, and protection.

Cultural and spiritual significance

Beyond its religious aspects, the Osun-Osogbo Festival is a vibrant expression of Yoruba identity and tradition. It attracts thousands of devotees, tourists, and dignitaries, reinforcing the cultural importance of Osogbo as a spiritual hub.

The festival’s recognition by UNESCO further highlights its global significance as a heritage site worth preserving.

As a living tradition, the Osun-Osogbo Festival continues to thrive, showcasing the resilience of Yoruba culture and the deep-seated reverence for Osun, the divine protector of Osogbo.

Kano Durbar Festival: a majestic celebration of culture and heritage. By

Emmanuel Solate

THE Durbar Festival in Kano has always been celebrated annually for over 200 years. In precolonial times, it was initially a military parade, organised by the Emir to display the readiness of the troops and to celebrate religious and significant political events.

The Durbar began in the 1900s after the city of Kano was included in the colonial government of the British empire after the Battle of Kano. The first significant Durbar in Nigeria was held on January 1, 1900, marking the transition of the Royal Niger Company to an Imperial Protectorate. The Kano Durbar festival was used as a public display of Kano’s traditional history and culture to welcome Emirs, governors, colonial district heads, and notable guests such as the Prince of Wales who visited Kano in 1925 and Queen Elizabeth

SHOW OF HORSEMANSHIP

II in 1956 before Nigeria gained her independence in 1960.

The Kano Durbar festivities

The Kano Durbar or Hawan Sarki (Riding of the King), is an annual cultural, horse-riding festival synonymous with the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr, marking the conclusion of Ramadan. This festival is celebrated in many northern Nigerian cities; however, the Kano Durbar is the

founding, The Africa Centre has played a crucial role in shaping discourse on African identity and representation.

Over the decades, it has welcomed esteemed thinkers, activists, and artists, from Nobel laureates to emerging voices redefining the continent’s narrative. The Centre has been a key gathering place for pioneers in the arts, politics, and academia, strengthening the bonds between Africa and the world.

Looking to the Future As it enters its seventh decade, The Africa Centre remains committed to innovation and inclusivity, evolving to meet the needs of new generations. The Centre continues to champion African excellence

most prominent. Each day of the festival holds significant importance, scheduled as follows:

The first day (Hawan Sallah)

The Emir and his entourage ride to the Eid prayer ground and then through different quarters of the city, meeting the State Governor and delivering a Sallah message. Each group is led by the district head (Hakimai) or a titled nobleman from the emir’s court (Masa-

(left) Artist Stella B performing at The Africa Centre

through its dynamic programming, fostering cross-cultural dialogue and empowering diverse communities.

“The Africa Centre enters this year celebrating our 60th anniversary with a profound sense of pride, gratitude, and excitement. This anniversary is not just a reflection on our past achievements but a moment to envision the future,” said Olu Alake, CEO of The Africa Centre. “We are excited to build on our legacy, amplifying African voices and perspectives.

As part of its celebrations, the charity is inviting its diverse communities to share any memories they have of their time at the Centre.

The collection will be part of a living archive that will be one of the key legacies of this milestone year.

rauta). During the Durbar, the Emir makes a stunning appearance, clad in a variety of hues and decorated with regal regalia.

The second day (Hawan Daushe/The Oldest Ride)

The Emir visits the Palace of the Queen Mother and several city quarters, culminating in a cavalry salute (Jahi) to the Emir at the palace (Gidan Rumfa). It features a series of historic family quarters

and a return to the palace through the Kofar Kudu gate for the Jahi, where horsemen gallop across the esplanade of the Great Mosque with swords drawn, passing the Emir and stopping to salute him.

The third day (Hawan Nassarawa/Victory Parade)

The Emir pays a visit to the Nassarawa Palace, prays at his ancestors’ tombs, and pays homage to Kano State officials.

SPECTACULAR:

The Kano Durbar is an annual cultural, horse riding festival synonymous with the Muslim holidays

The fourth day (Hawan Dorayi)

The Emir tours the Dorayi Palace outside the city, before returning to the city in a grand procession with the horsemen to the Gidan Rumfa, accepting greetings along the way. The Durbar concludes at Kofar Kwaru as the titleholders give the Emir one final salute before he leaves for the palace. This day starts before 8 am, and involves a choice between visiting the Dorayi or Fanisau palace.

A CELEBRATION OF UNITY

Okazi Emii Festival: celebrating unity, tradition, and the Ndi Igbo culture.

By Emmanuel Solate

ACCORDING TO traditional sources, the Okazi Emii Festival has ancient origins that date back to the time of Adam. This festival is revered as one of the most significant festivals in Igbo land, symbolising honour for the Igbo people worldwide. It is celebrated on December 31, and festivities usually extend into January.

Emii is one of the ten villages that makes up the Owerri North Local Government Area in the south-eastern region of Nigeria. It was once an autonomous community located in Imo State, close to the city of Owerri.

Originally comprised of ten villages, the ancient Emii town underwent a division into three distinctive communities – Mbaoma, Ezimba, and Emii Central Community. Mbaoma autonomous community encompasses Ubaa

(alternatively spelled as Ubah), Umuawuka, and Emohe. The inhabitants of the ancient Emii, now dispersed across these three autonomous communities, identify as Igbo speakers of the Owerri dialect and proudly refer to themselves as “ndi Owere” (Owerri people).

Annually, the Okazi Emii Festival marks the culmination of the year, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Emii people.

Afor

Day and the pursuit of peace

ROOTED IN TRADITION:

The Okazi Emii Festival is revered as one of the most significant festivals in Igbo land

Emii Akirioche Festival and the New Yam Festival

Additionally, Okazi Emi Festival is not to be confused with the Ite Okazi Festival, which is an annual celebration of the new yam harvest. Held in August, it features traditional dances, music, and feasting. Both festivals share a common element — the use of Okazi leaves, a key ingredient in Igbo cuisine.

Ongoing significance and global celebration

The Emii Festival takes place on the last Afor day of the year in December, a period marked by peaceful coexistence and favourable weather. During this time, individuals are encouraged to resolve conflicts, mend long-standing family disputes, and foster an environment of love and unity. It is believed that anyone who engages in violence during this period will face consequences. Burials and burial ceremonies are prohibited to maintain an atmosphere of tranquility.

The festival holds significance not only locally but is celebrated by Igbos worldwide. The Okazi Emii Festival is a significant cultural event in Owerri and attracts both indigenes and tourists alike as many Igbo do travel to Emii for the celebration. It stands as a cultural beacon, promoting love, peace, and resolution of differences among the Igbo people. It features processions by different masquerades and age group clans, such as the famous “Ogbuamuma” Masquerade group from Umuawuka Emii, Owerri North, Imo State and Onyirimma Masquerade, from Mbaoma Emii.

The essence of this festival is that it is celebrated to bring communities together to further settle and correct their differences. The festival serves as a unifying force, emphasising the shared connection among these communities, with Okazi leaves acting as a symbolic thread that binds them together.

The Okazi Emii Festival, deeply rooted in history and tradition, serves as a celebration of unity, cultural identity, and the wholesomeness of the Ndi Igbo culture of the Emii communities.

Opobo Nwaotam Festival: a vibrant festival in Opobo, Rivers State. By

Emmanuel Solate

THE Nwaotam Festival in Opobo Kingdom, Rivers State, Nigeria is a colourful and culturally rich event that highlights the distinctive customs and history of the Opobo people.

The festival is rooted in the cultural heritage of the Ibani people but its influence extends to other regions where the Ibani people and their traditions have migrated. Celebrations of the Nwaotam can also be found in communities such as Bonny, Andoni, Egwanga, Aba, Lagos, and Port Harcourt.

Opobo Kingdom

Opobo Town is located in Opobo/ Nkoro Local Government Area in Rivers State, Nigeria. Opobo Kingdom is made up of 67 War Canoe Houses that are grouped into 14 sections also known as “polos”.

Origins of the Nwaotam Festival

The Nwaotam Festival in Opobo Kingdom, Nigeria, has its origins

WARDING OFF THE SPIRITS

Discover Nigeria

among the Ndoki people of present-day Abia State. Historical traditions suggest that the Ndoki people had long-standing interactions with the Ibani people of Bonny and Opobo.

The Nwaotam masquerade has ties with the ancient deity worshipped by the Ndoki people, known as the Ottam. This cult was deeply entrenched in the spiritual

practices of the Ottam tribe, who were known for their distinctive physical markings and rituals. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Ottam were introduced to Bonny as part of the European slave trade, where they were described as robust individuals with notable tribal marks. The Nwaotam masquerade evolved from these ancient worship practices. Originally emerging

from a mythical grove in Mkpajekiri near Ohambele Ndoki, the Nwaotam cult developed as the local deity, representing the spirits worshipped by the Ottam. The masquerade was integrated into Opobo culture when the Opobo people, under the leadership of Captain Uranta and with the assistance of King Arthur Mac Pepple, transported the original totem —

a mummified Nwa-Ottam head — from Azumini to Imo River, and eventually to Queens Town by 1920.

Pre-Festival

rituals

Days before the festival, members of the Nwaotam masquerade groups, known as Ntuma in Queens Town and Mkpa in Opobo Town, engage in a period of

RITUALS: The Nwaotam Festival in Opobo Kingdom includes colourful boat regattas

spiritual preparation. They spend seven days in the cemetery or the forest, paying homage to the ancestors (Ndi Itchie) and fortifying themselves with spiritual power. During this time, they adhere to a strict diet, consuming only yam, corn, or plantain prepared by themselves, avoiding food prepared by women. This ritual underscores the importance of purity and respect for ancestral spirits.

Festival activities

The festival comprises several activities, including masquerade (Black and White garment) display, cultural performances and colourful boat regattas. Before the festival begins, tribal groups spend the night at sea, engaging in prayers and rituals to ward off evil forces. This nocturnal vigil at the seashore is a preparatory act that sets the stage for the masquerade’s entrance. The festival officially starts with a procession along the seashore, marking the beginning of the celebrations. The masquerade’s performance is structured around age groups, each contributing to the festive atmosphere with their unique traditions and rituals.

Rwanda, often referred to as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” is a picturesque landlocked country in East Africa with diverse terrains celebrated for its stunning lakes, lush rainforests, diverse wildlife, and captivating landscapes. The capital city, Kigali, has garnered international acclaim for its cleanliness, safety, and burgeoning culinary scene, offering visitors a wide selection of bars and restaurants with scenic views, relaxed atmosphere and warm hospitality. Notably, Kigali has been recognized as one of Africa’s top must-visit cities, attracting tourists with its array of culinary offerings, vibrant culture, economic growth, and natural beauty.

RWANDA

Africa’s Emerging Investment Hub Rwanda has rapidly positioned itself as one of Africa’s most attractive destinations for investors, thanks to its business-friendly environment, strong governance, and strategic economic policies. The country’s commitment to innovation and impressive economic growth present numerous opportunities for both local and international investors. Key factors contributing to Rwanda’s investment appeal include World-Class Infrastructure, with a modern international airport, great roads and internet everywhere. Stable and Secure Economy with robust economic policies which create a secure environment for long-term investments.

Booming Sectors: Investors are thriving in key industries such as tourism, real estate, technology, agriculture, and renewable energy, each benefiting from government incentives and strong infrastructure support.

Activities in Rwanda offers a wide range of activities for nature enthusiasts and culture seekers alike for those seeking nature and rural experiences just a few hours from Kigali, Rwanda offers:

Coffee and Tea Farm Tours: Visitors can explore local agricultural practices and savour some of the best coffee and tea in the region.

Volcanoes Forest National Parks: Rwanda’s national parks provide incredible wildlife experiences, such as observing baboons or trekking with mountain gorillas. The rich biodiversity and stunning landscapes make these excursions a highlight for any visitor.

Nyungwe Forest National Park: Features extensive hiking trails with breathtaking views.

Cycling: With the terrains and safe roads, it’s a cyclist dream.

Water Sports: Visit the scenic Lake Kivu for kayaking, swimming, fishing or just relaxing.

Museums and Cultural Sites:

• Kigali Genocide Memorial: commemorating the victims of the 1994 genocide.

• Rwanda Art Museum and the Presidential Palace Museum for the country’s history and culture.

RwandAir operates daily to Kigali from London Heathrow. Flight only from £750pp

7 nights package from £1049pp

Includes flight & hotel. t&c applies

British actor Ariyon Bakare announced as new WaterAid ambassador after inspiring trip to Lagos, Nigeria

Ariyon Bakare –British actor, writer and director known for his roles in Mr Loverman and His Dark Materials and set to star in the upcoming Doctor Who series – has become WaterAid’s newest ambassador after returning from an inspiring trip to Lagos, Nigeria to see how clean water and decent toilets can change lives for good.

Ariyon’s enthusiasm for supporting WaterAid – an international charity working to ensure everyone everywhere has access to clean water - sparked from his own experiences in his teenage years, where he grappled with homelessness.

Ariyon said: “It was a fight for survival. I was fortunate to find a home eventually, but the lingering empathy for anyone struggling without fundamental human rights has never left me.”

In addition to this, Ariyon has a deep passion for Nigeria and Lagos - his father’s hometown and the beating heart of the Nollywood film industry. Ariyon describes Lagos as “a city like no other— vibrant and electric. From the bustling markets of Balogun to the shimmering coastline of Victoria Island, every corner of Lagos tells a story of innovation and survival.”

Yet, beneath its energy, Lagos struggles with a crisis –

access to clean water. While being one of the fastestgrowing cities in Africa, only 36% of schools and 15% of household members have access to basic services, like clean water and safe toilets. This is having a major impact on health, education, and women and girls across the urban coastal city – something Ariyon witnessed firsthand during his trip.

Ariyon described his return to Lagos as “emotional and profoundly eye-opening”, witnessing entire communities battling with the devastating consequences of an inadequate water supply. He met school children who had no clean water to wash their hands, girls who were missing school during their periods, and women who had to walk miles daily just to collect water.

One of the students he met, Happiness (14), has dreams of becoming a dancer, but told Ariyon she often misses schools when

she is on her period.

Another girl, Mary (13) aspires to be a barrister, but says she fears drinking water at school because of its foul smell – she knows it will make her sick.

Ariyon also visited communities and schools where WaterAid had worked with partners to refurbish the toilets and sinks in the school. They even added separate female-friendly toilets, meaning every girl there can manage her periods privately and hygienically, allowing them all to enjoy a healthy and fulfilling school life.

Ariyon said:

“When children have the essentials, the change in their spirit is captivating. These changes mean these children can be children again, their

laughter filling the school playground. And that is all thanks to clean water. The biggest takeaway from my trip was that access to a safe and functioning water supply transforms daily life.”

Ariyon’s most recent role as WaterAid’s ambassador was delivering the opening speech at the Water and Climate Reception hosted by His Majesty The King at Buckingham Palace last month.

Ariyon shared the stories of the people he met in Lagos to an audience of global leaders, decision-makers and highprofile guests.

Ariyon concluded: “Water has a role in

protecting every part of our existence. It’s not just about having clean drinking water; it’s about education, opportunity, equality, health, and livelihoods.

“I hope that by sharing stories about the importance of clean water, I can inspire action to create a brighter, more resilient future for both this generation and the next, in Lagos and beyond. Change starts with water.”

The Voice caught up with Ariyon Bakare regarding his work with WaterAid

What is your favourite thing about Nigeria and Lagos?

Stepping onto Lagosian soil wasn’t just a journey but a homecoming. In Lagos, I didn’t just find the city my father spoke of— I found a piece of myself.

What inspired you to work with WaterAid?

Water is a basic human necessity—something so many of us take for granted. With the devastating effects of climate change, there’s never been a more critical time to advocate for clean water.

If you could change one thing in the world today, what would it be?

If I had to pick just one thing— it’d be making sure everyone, everywhere, has access to clean, safe water. It shouldn’t still be a struggle in 2025.

Who’s your hero, and how have they influenced your

You have

idealistic image of Lagos,

however, it made me quite emotional, even frustrated, that a country with so much potential was deprived of something so basic: clean water.

What’s one dream or goal you hope to accomplish through your work with WaterAid?

My charity work is in its early days. I’m learning, listening, and understanding how best to show up. WaterAid does incredible work. Not just about installing taps or building toilets—it’s about long-term change. That’s why I’m proud to support WaterAid

Lagos: Kadri (12) and Almi (12)

Lagos school: Chioma (13) and Veronica (14)

Water and Climate Reception, Buckingham Palace

Lagos school: Happiness (13), Mary (13) Malik (13) and Osideko (13)

Ariyon Bakare

Ian Jones

PHOTO CREDIT: WaterAid/ Tom Saater Lagos

Cynthia V Davis

The backlash to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion commitments is under way as organisations around the world step back from previous commitments and policies

OVER THE last few months, we have seen a troubling trend of organisations across the world rolling back their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) commitments.

Major corporations such as Google, Meta, and Disney have significantly scaled back their DEI initiatives, often in response to political pressures and shifting societal landscapes.

Yet, despite this regression, many organisations continue to champion DEI and recognise its critical role in creating inclusive and equitable workplaces.

At Diversifying Group, our mission has always been to create workplaces where people from all backgrounds can bring their authentic selves to work. To us, this is not just a moral imperative, it’s a business necessity.

Why we still need workplaces where everyone belongs

When employees feel safe and valued for who they are, they thrive.

Authenticity creates engagement, creativity, and loyalty, all of which lead to stronger business performance. Conversely, when people feel pressured to hide aspects of their identity to “fit in,” it results in stress, disengagement, and ultimately, higher turnover rates.

Reflecting on my own journey, I remember vividly when I first moved down south from Leeds.

My broad Yorkshire accent was part of who I was, yet my then-boss advised me to adopt a “posher” accent so clients would understand me better.

That moment was devastating, it made me feel like my identity was a barrier to success, something I had to suppress to be accepted. It was a stark reminder of how workplaces can unintentionally strip individuals of their authenticity.

Experiences like these fuelled my passion for founding Diversifying Group, ensuring

The call to action: invest in ERGs for meaningful change

While ERGs have the potential to create real, lasting impact, many are run by passionate employees who take on this work in addition to their day jobs and often without the necessary time, budget, or organisational backing. This is where businesses need to step up.

If companies are serious about DEI, they must do more than just establish ERGs, they must properly fund and resource them. That means allocating budget for training, events, and external support, providing dedicated time for ERG leaders to carry out initiatives effectively, ensuring leadership engagement to drive action and not just conversation.

Supporting Black employees and all underrepresented groups requires more than performative

REGRESSION: Major corporations, including Google, have scaled back their DEI efforts due to political pressures, yet many organisations still champion the vital role it can play in creating truly inclusive workplaces (photo: Getty Images)

THE POWER OF AUTHENTICITY IN THE WORKPLACE

that workplaces become spaces where everyone is empowered to be themselves.

Safe spaces: the key to belonging

A truly inclusive workplace doesn’t happen by chance — it requires intentional action, commitment, and accountability.

If leadership doesn’t prioritise inclusion, it simply won’t

happen. Addressing diversity and inclusion, especially if they are areas where an organisation may be falling short, can feel uncomfortable. But these conversations are essential. When businesses create safe spaces for employees to share their lived experiences, it creates trust, dismantles barriers, and drives real progress.

One of the most effective ways

to build this environment is through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs).

When properly supported, ERGs are more than just social clubs — they become powerful drivers of change, shaping policies, improving retention, and creating a genuine sense of belonging.

I recently worked with a Race ERG network within one

of our client’s organisations, co-facilitating listening sessions to better understand the experiences of Black employees. The insights we gathered were profound, leading to tangible policy changes that directly improved workplace culture and support for Black colleagues. These were not just conversations, they were catalysts for action.

Addressing diversity and inclusion, especially if they are areas where an organisation may be falling short, can feel uncomfortable. But these conversations are essential

statements. It requires real investment, both in financial and structural support.

ERGs can be a powerful force for inclusion, but only if organisations give them the tools they need to succeed. As businesses navigate the evolving landscape of workplace inclusion, they must ask themselves: are we truly empowering our employees to bring their authentic selves to work? Or are we simply ticking a box?

For me, the answer lies in action. It’s time to resource your ERGs properly and ensure that the individuals leading these efforts are supported and not just expected to do this vital work on top of their existing responsibilities. Only then can we truly build workplaces where everyone, especially Black employees, can thrive.

n Cynthia V Davis CBE is a Black British entrepreneur, employment expert and diversity advocate. She is CEO and Founder of Diversifying Group, a DEI services organisation, and co-founder of Diversifying.io, a diversity- focused careers platform

Lyndon Mukasa

Eye on the Diaspora

HEADING TO CATASTROPHE!

What

can

Africa

and the Caribbean expect from the failures of COP?

WE ARE living in an era of unprecedented crisis as the world hurtles towards climate catastrophe.

In the last few years, the Conference of the Parties (COP), the annual meetings to put forward strategies for combating climate change, has gained greater global attention.

As the urgency for dealing with the climate crisis has grown, COP has received more coverage as it seems that with each year that goes by, we get closer to passing tipping points that we will be

unable to reverse. At the latest COP29 that was held in Azerbaijan in 2024, a number of agreements on national commitments and transparency on climate reporting and adaptation measures were

made. There was criticism on climate financing goals that, despite being increased to $300 billion by 2035, fell short of the 1.3 trillion to 2 trillion per year needed to provide support

while allowing developing countries to adequately transition to net zero carbon economies.

At COP28 in Dubai in 2023, the conference was equally criticised for its modest targets and lack of ambition, this was the case at COP27, COP26 and COP25 in the years before.

Frustration from Africa and the Caribbean

The general takeaway from COP is that the necessary measures and urgency needed to mitigate the worst effects of climate change are not being adopted.

Small island states such as those in the Caribbean and developing countries in Africa are among the most vulnerable to the worst effects of the climate

crisis whether that be in the form of more frequent and powerful hurricanes, droughts, storms, flooding and desertification which could all disrupt agriculture, food systems and livelihoods across both regions. It is therefore no surprise that small island states in particular have put forward some of the most ambitious climate mitigation targets such as pushing to set the target to keep the global carbon emissions below the preindustrial levels that would keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees.

Unfortunately, it was generally agreed at COP21 in 2015 to limit global temperatures to 1.5 degrees instead of below it and because of the lack of substantial action by rich, industrialised countries, we are on track to exceed 2.7 degrees above preindustrial levels by the end of the century. This would be catastrophic for small island states in the Caribbean and Pacific which would make life very challenging across Africa particularly along the Sahel region.

The reality of the situation

The sad reality is that COP, while useful in gathering nations from all over the world in an attempt to coordinate a collective response to climate mitigation, it has largely been co-opted and used by rich countries to negotiate ways to maintain the capitalist system of extraction for as long as possible despite the overwhelming evidence of the climate crisis we are in.

IS THE LOSS OF

At the same time, it hasn’t helped that the last few COPs have been held in oil-producing states like Dubai and Azerbaijan that both have an interest in maintaining the status quo.

Over 2,400 fossil fuel lobbyists were present at COP28 for negotiations, while COP29 had more fossil fuel lobbyists than representatives of the ten most climate-affected countries. It is clear that the goal is to slow down progress on climate mitigation. Therefore, it is evident that African and Caribbean countries need to work outside of whatever is agreed at COP in order to survive the 21st century.

Fortunately, most countries in both regions seem to recognise this. In Africa, strategies like the Africa Risk Capacity (ARC) allow African countries to pool their finances together for a collective response to climate disaster. Countries like Kenya and Ethiopia have both increased spending and investment on renewable energy in order to pursue development that doesn’t harm the planet.

In the Caribbean, similar regional responses are being consolidated with the Bridgetown Initiative that was launched by Mia Mottley in Barbados to produce innovative climate financing options such as debt for climate swaps which allows financing to be accrued for adaptation and resilience projects and, hopefully, more independent initiatives will be developed in the future.

WESTERN AID REALLY SUCH A BAD THING?

THE RECENT reduction or withdrawal of Western aid to developing nations has sparked concerns about its impact on vulnerable communities, particularly in Africa and the Caribbean.

Countries such as the US, UK, France, Germany and Belgium have all reduced aid budgets, raising fears that this could lead to setbacks in health services, such as an increase in HIV infections in South Africa.

However, the discussion on aid is often framed in terms of “soft power” and “influence,” obscuring the ways in which aid has been

historically used as a tool of control. Economist Dambisa Moyo argues that aid fosters dependency rather than development, particularly in Africa. Since the 1960s, despite over $1 trillion in aid, there has been little significant improvement in living standards . Instead, aid has often stifled local industries by flooding markets with cheap goods. In Kenya, donated textiles hurt domestic producers, while in Haiti, USAID’s distribution of low-cost rice in 1996 and 2010 devastated the local rice industry, increasing

unemployment and economic contraction.

Many political elites in Africa and the Caribbean remain comfortable with the status quo of dependency. For aid withdrawal to be a genuine opportunity, a fundamental shift in economic policies is vital. Africa and the Caribbean must use this period of Western division to rethink their development strategies and assert greater economic and political autonomy.

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

CONCERN: At COP21 in 2015, world leaders agreed to limit global warming to 1.5°C, but inaction by industrialised countries may lead to a 2.7°C rise, threatening island states in the Caribbean and African countries (photo: Getty Images)

‘IT’S CRUCIAL TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY IN CLASSICAL MUSIC’

East London School of Music’s

Fiona Dwanell Pacquette speaks to The Voice as her school celebrates its tenth anniversary

THIS MONTH the East London School of Music, based in Hackney, celebrates its tenth year anniversary.

Its Music Director, Fiona Dwanell Pacquette, told The Voice about some of the special events taking place this month to mark the special milestone.

“On April 5th, ELSOM will hold a day dedicated to thanksgiving, celebration, and praise,” she said. “The following day, we will be participating in the “Play The Organ 2025” initiative organised by the Royal College of Organists, which aims to encourage communities to engage with the experience of playing a pipe organ.

“Lastly, on April 10th, we will conclude our 10th anniversary week with a special music event, highlighted by a visit from a senior member of the Royal Family to our school.”

Fiona, from East London, is an awardwinning trained musician proficient in several instruments, including the piano, pipe organ, flute, and cello.

as one of the 33 Trinity Champion Centres for 2023/24 and 2024/25, reflecting a level of consistent success in administering Trinity examinations. Its examination pass rate has consistently remained at 97 per cent since 2016. A significant number of students at the school are from the Black African and Caribbean communities.

Additionally, she serves as an arranger for orchestras and ensembles and as a Director of a music school charity and a choral society. She founded and has managed the East School of Music since April 2015 with a clear vision in mind.

She added: “The primary objective was to offer classical music education to individuals of all ages within the Hackney community.”

ELSOM attained charity status in October 2021, which Fiona says significantly enhanced the school’s ability to connect with various organisations and secure funding, thereby enabling them to extend their outreach to more communities.

Additionally, ELSOM became a registered private examination centre under Trinity College London and has been recognised

Individuals between the ages of five and 105 are invited to participate, irrespective of their skill level, ranging from novices to seasoned practitioners. The school offers a diverse array of courses, including piano, pipe organ, voice training, strings, brass, woodwind, and music theory, which is a mandatory subject. Currently, ELSOM is conducting a complimentary three-year classical music initiative aimed at adults over 40, senior citizens, caregivers, individuals facing isolation, and those dealing with mental health challenges –starting on April 1. There is also an opportunity to join the community choir or orchestra.

Such experiences have made a positive impression on the students, their families and on the communities from which they have come, as Fiona told us: “Classical music has significantly benefited our children and youth by alleviating stress and anxiety, enhancing attention and concentration.

“It is crucial to promote diversity within classical music; unfortunately, historical factors such as lack of awareness, financial obstacles, and insufficient representation have hindered this progress.”

l For further information on the East London School of Music (ELSOM), contact them at: info@ elsomonline.org.uk

l Darell J. Philip is a teaching assistant, academic mentor and award-winning journalist

ELSOM pupil Isaac giving a violin solo

VISION: Fiona Dwanell Pacquette playing the Westminster Abbey organ in 2017; inset,

‘OUR VOICES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER’

Launching the Parliamentary Black Caucus is one way for Black groups to be heard

WHETHER IT is climate change, the rise of the far-right, the future of artificial intelligence, or the persistent challenge of race and gender pay gaps; in 2025, I believe we stand at a pivotal moment in the history of British politics. Our voice is more important than ever.

The truth is, there are certain areas of society where we have shared concerns as Black and minoritised groups, and what we must do is be far more organised and vocal about those shared concerns.

That’s why I was so proud to recently announce the launch of the Parliamentary Black Caucus, a bold new initiative that brings together Black and minoritised Members of Parliament and Lords with a shared mission: to tackle racial inequality, advocate for equality, equity and justice for all, and ensure that Parliament reflects the rich diversity of the country it seeks to represent.

EQUAL

The cross-party Black Caucus will work together to promote a fairer, more equal society, where Black communities are heard, respected and fairly represented – so that all our diverse communities can live better.

Founding members include myself, Diane Abbott MP, Lord Bailey of Paddington, Lord Woolley of Woodford and Josh Babarinde MP. This Caucus is cross-party because I wanted to ensure fairness for all in society and throughout our political system. Ultimately, we all want fairness and a society that works for all – we’re not getting that right now. For a lot of Black and minoritised groups, we are struggling against the stream, and it has always been that way.

Most people I know have said that they were told by

their parents that they need to be twice as good to get the same recognition, and that they will be judged twice as harshly.

It seems perverse.

So, how do we move forward and build a society where everyone gets treated fairly, regardless of their background?

We do that by having the honest and difficult conversations. And with social media, they are now global conversations.

That is why I thought it was so important to launch this Caucus and ensure it was crossparty. We must work together

Representation matters. When communities see themselves reflected in Parliament, it fosters trust, inspires the next generation, and validates lived experiences

to build fairness, for the good of the country. Doing so will ensure that race is not a just a political football between parties – we want to avoid culture wars. This is serious business; it’s about moving society forward together.

I launched this initiative as, for far too long, issues affecting Black and minoritised communities have been underrepresented in policy and overlooked in decision-making.

While progress has been made, the persistence of institutional racism, socioeconomic disparities, and systemic inequalities reminders us our work is far from finished.

This initiative is important now because we can see the rights of Black and minoritised groups, as well as women, being rolled back across the world.

We must learn this lesson and tackle this divisive, destructive, racist and misogynistic rhetoric and policies.

As the first ever elected Black female government minister in the UK, I am determined to do my part to help underrepresented communities. I want to build an escalator of success, and lay the foundations for a lift, so that we make the journey of those coming behind us faster.

With the Parliamentary Black Caucus, we want to advance meaningful change, both within Parliament and across the

country. Our mission is clear: to provide a united voice on the issues that disproportionately impact Black and minoritised ethnic communities in all areas of life. We will advocate for policies that create opportunities and remove barriers for all.

We will address modern challenges – like climate change, the risks of artificial intelligence, and persistent gender and race pay gaps. But we must recognise those who came before us, because we stand on the shoulders of giants.

Bernie Grant, one of the UK’s first Black British MPs, set up the first Black Caucus. Together, they shattered glass ceilings.

We draw strength and inspiration from the struggles of Black campaigners for equality over the centuries. Bernie Grant campaigned tirelessly for the elimination of racism and is one of those individuals to whom we owe so much.

Representation matters. When communities see themselves reflected in Parliament, it fosters trust, inspires the next generation, and validates lived experiences.

Black communities make the UK the successful, vibrant, and diverse place that it is today.

Over the years we have made significant contributions to British society. We are politicians, doctors, nurses, bus

FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT:

Dawn Butler recently launched a cross-party Parliamentary Black Caucus to tackle racial inequality and improve Black and minority ethnic representation in politics; below, Bernie Grant, a pioneering Black British MP, founded the first Black Caucus and fought tirelessly against racism

drivers, artists, refuse collectors, entrepreneurs, journalists, judges, shop assistants, teachers, lawyers; the list goes on. We must tell that positive story.

Despite this, we are still subject to structural racism. This needs to change. In an increasingly disparate world, where forces on the far-right are coming together to roll back hard-won civil rights and freedoms, we are uniting to push for a fair and just society for all. We will work towards a fairer society in which everyone, regardless of the colour of their skin, has access to the rights, services, and opportunities that they deserve.

PROGRESS

Beyond the UK, we aim to unite with Black caucuses around the world. This includes the pioneering US Congressional Black Caucus, which has achieved huge progress in America over the years.

We believe that by addressing institutionalised racism and working to create a just society for Black communities, everyone will prosper. I always repeat the words, ‘without your rights I cannot have mine’.

We do not just need to address what is broken; we need to build something better. By working together across party lines, we can bring our diverse perspectives and lay

the groundwork for future generations of Black and minoritised leaders. Unity is powerful. This is a movement rooted in the belief that diversity strengthens our democracy, and that we shouldn’t just tolerate differences, we should accept them. I am filled with hope, positivity and determination as we embark on this journey. We must work together in a way that cannot be undermined easily. After all, let’s remember that Black and working-class White people have more in common with each other than they do with the top one per cent. That is why we must band together.

I’m inviting more of my parliament colleagues to join us this journey. And to the communities we serve, the Parliamentary Black Caucus is here to listen and to advocate on your behalf. Together, we can build a future where equality isn’t an aspiration but a reality. The Parliamentary Black Caucus is how we can drive that change in Parliament.

l For more information, visit our website: https:// parliamentaryblackcaucus.uk/ l Dawn Butler is the MP for Brent East

‘I WOULD UPCYCLE TO TELL NEW STORIES’

Inspired by the past and those who have come before him, artist Yinka Ilori MBE is doing it his own way. By Wretch 32

THERE’S NO better way to introduce Yinka Ilori MBE other than the way he’s written about on that popular website that sounds like ‘encyclopedia’.

A British artist and designer who has worked with furniture and public spaces, Ilori’s work includes architecture, interior design, graphic design, textiles, sculpture, and furniture.

His art knows no bounds and he’s a man I truly respect.

I wanted to find out how home had inspired his journey, and of course where he considered home to be. Before that, he broke down a bit about how things all started for him.

“I studied furniture and product design, that was 10-plus years ago. I have always been obsessed with furniture, chairs in particular. Architecture, growing up in north London just by Angel, being surrounded by creative minds whether it was music or whatever it was, I have always been inspired by how objects tell stories.

“So I found myself, for a number of years collecting chairs at charity stores and from skips, that sort of thing and then I would upcycle those things to tell new stories. The stories were about the love of my roots, being a British Nigerian, Nigerian British, living in London and

how I can celebrate my parents’ journey and their story through objects.

“I think we take objects for granted, chairs in particular. We cry on a chair, we argue on a chair, we throw chairs, we do everything on this one object and it’s such a humble object within our homes and for me it was the easiest tool from which to tell stories from.

“That’s how that started and then after that I had museums contact me in order to acquire the chair and so we have chairs in the museum of London, The MET in the US and other museums have bought chairs that have in their chair collection.

“Chairs were my first love. That’s how it started out.”

Wretch 32: Speak on the use of colour in your work, it’s a standout feature of everything you produce.

“I grew up in north London like I said but I’m a Nigerian man. If you ever see Nigerians and what they wear, the clothes are really colourful.

“If you’ve been to a Nigerian party it’s energetic, the colours on show are vibrant, it’s also very unapologetic. So, my use of colour came from seeing my parents experience joy when they wore traditional attire and it was colourful. In my house we never wore black. If I wore black my mum would ask if I was ok. That stayed with me.

“I found that whenever I wore bright colours people wanted to connect with me more, they were able to engage more and it opened up more conversations with people who I didn’t even know. So for me it’s an extension of my roots, my heritage.

“If you have ever been to Nigeria, the energy is reflected by what people wear.”

W32: Musically, who has inspired you along the way?

“I’m not just saying this because you are doing this interview but the likes of yourself, Lano, Dizzee Rascal and Skepta, to name a few. In my estate that’s what the sound was.

Obviously you had Jay-Z and Nas, and he was one of my favourites, but that was the US. It was more who spoke like me, who looked like me and had slang like me. It was you and the artists I’ve mentioned.”

W32: What about designers?

“For me at the time when you are going to a design school, whether its furniture, architecture, fashion, you’re probably only going to see one or two black person in the class. And it’s the same with the books, you’re probably only going to see one or two architects or designers that are Black. The only person at the time that I could say inspired me and still does is David Adjaye. He’s one of the most celebrated Black architects internationally.

“He’s one of the first people I ever saw at that level. Black, Ghanaian, African and creating work to a high level with big institutions, museums, galleries. He was doing everything.

“He’s been a mentor for me, still a mentor now.

WEIRD

“Another person would be Yinka Shonibare. I remember studying him for my dissertation at university. His work looks at Dutch wax prints and post colonialism. Those two people have inspired me and still do. They have had long careers and stayed true to themselves.”

W32: You’re a recipient of an MBE, what’s that been like? And does it mean another level of responsibility?

“When I got the MBE it was actually at a weird time, I got it during the pandemic.

“With the MBE there are so many mixed reactions with what it represents, we can’t ignore that and I am very conscious of that.

“I think for me the important thing is how am I able to inspire

the next generation of architects, designers and creative thinkers in the space that I am in. One of the things we can forget is that when I was starting out, I got a loan from the Princes Trust, £3,500.

That kick started my career and without having that grant and that loan I think it would have been quite difficult because at the time there weren’t that many spaces for me to get grants from.

“For me, it’s a title, it doesn’t add or take away from any work that I am doing. It’s nice to be recognised for your work and I want to continue doing the work I am doing, especially in London. I also want to do a lot more work in Nigeria and give back to some communities in those areas.”

W32: With that said then, a question I’m asking everyone is, where do you feel at home?

“That’s a good question. Home, for me, is definitely Nigeria.

“A specific place for me is one called Ado, a beautiful countryside in Nigeria. The landscape, the beaches, the wild life, the clear waters, it’s just incredible. Just being around nature.

“I was there last year with my siblings and I hadn’t been away with them for a while like that, so experiencing home with them, where my mum and dad are from, was just incredible.

“My soul just felt cleansed, my soul and my mind just felt cleansed. I had clarity in life about who I really was. I felt at peace.

“I’m planning a trip to go back. It’s like food to me. Home is like food and I need that good food and home is the only place I can get it. So, yeah, Nigeria. Has to be.”

BLENDING PAST AND PRESENT: Yinka Ilori MBE has carved his own path (photo: Nikk Martin)

JUST DO YOUR OWN TING

ELIJAH is the author of Close The App, Make The Ting. He’s a man who has always impressed me by the way he doesn’t let the latest fad or outside noise steer his obvious talent and creativity.

A DJ and writer, I wanted to know how wherever he identified as home had impacted his growth and direction.

Read the full interview online for more about his career and journey to date.

In his own words, he wrote the Close The App, Make The Ting because ‘the actual algorithm is deciding what people make.’

When it comes to comfort in your own skin, we can all take a leaf out of Elijah’s book. By Wretch 32

Which made him pose the question: ‘When did this conformity even become cool? When did you start to care so much about what these people think?’

In our conversation, he added: “There’s a lot of advice for artists and a lot of podcasts telling people they should do this and their marketing plan should be that and I’m like, ‘OK, are you actually going to make the thing or what?’”

I won’t spoil the rest of his answer for you.

It’s online now and very interesting. Something we could all take heed of.

What I wanted to ask him was the question I’m asking everyone: Where is home to you?

He said: “So many people have left the city in the past 10 years but, for me, it’s here. I live in

London, I live in Walthamstow, literally 10 minutes from where I grew up.

“Which feels good. I’m kind of lucky that I got to stay and if I moved out from where I am right now, it would probably be less than half an hour from here.

“I’m planning to stay in and around London unless something

I feel like everything that has come to me ... has been based on the circumstances of the environment

dramatically changes. I don’t long to be somewhere else.

“Where some people are like, ‘Yeah man, Jamaica’, I’m like yeah, my family are Jamaican, I go there all of the time, I’ve got the luxury of being able to travel through work but I still want to be in this city. I feel like if I didn’t live here I would do something different. I feel like everything that has come to me as an adult has been based on the circumstances of the environment.

“There [are] positives and negatives with it but more positives. It’s like, if I didn’t grow up listening to pirate radio, if I wasn’t exposed to grime, and then didn’t have opportunities on my doorstep, if I didn’t join Rinse FM which was an east London thing, then none of the other stuff would have happened.

“So it was about the timing and the location and I guess the ability to do it but if I lived somewhere else, Leicester for example, I just wouldn’t have done what I do.”

l The full article is online now

SMILES ALL ROUND: Elijah’s book, Close The App, Make The Ting, urges us to challenge conformity (photo: Osman Ahmed)

Lifestyle Finance

START SMALL BUT AIM HIGH TO GET YOUR CASH MOVING

Private banker Franklin Asante offers sage advice on how to boost your finances. By

APRIL SIGNALS the start of the financial year. No matter where you find yourself in life, money is important, as is sharing the lessons and access to information that enable us all to make smarter decisions.

Franklin Asante (@urbanfinancier), a private banker at Coutts for over 16 years and the Head of the Entrepreneurs division, is an inspiring person for many reasons, but not many of us will be able to chop it up with him in person.

So I wanted to ensure that this featured as part of my editorial takeover. Hopefully there’s some inspiration for everyone which comes from the conversation we had.

Tell me and the readers about your book...

you will end up having a higher level of financial literacy. Then it’s about looking at ways that you can grow and preserve your money.

The book is called the Money Ladder, and intentionally so because for me, money is like climbing a ladder.

No matter how much of it you have got, there is much more to climb. I’ve been fortunate to work with some extremely wealthy individuals, do you think they have stopped working? Absolutely not.

So whether you are at the bottom or at the top there is still a way to go.

A book like this is really setting the foundation for the understanding that ‘OK, if I want to start today to become better with money, what are the things I need to be aware of?’.

I talk about the importance of financial management, things like analysing your spending, saving, investing and borrowing as the basic pillars. If you do nothing else but can understand how to navigate around those four things

Where did it all start for you?

It’s been quite unconventional, and I remember it all quite vividly. I was in year eleven, kind of at that sixth form stage, listening to old skool Wretch, going into work on the bus and that used to motivate the hell out of me, just resonating with some of the songs you used to come out with.

What would be the perfect scenario ... is people building a natural curiosity around financial literacy

Wretch 32

In those days no one expected you to be anything beyond what was available in the immediate surroundings. If I ended up working somewhere in retail, that was great. If I got a professional career then that was amazing. But I just thought to myself that when no one expects you to achieve anything, then you have got nothing to lose, so I thought actually, I am going to try to reach as far as I can.

In my final year of university I really put myself out there and I found myself applying for a job in banking. I don’t have any background or connections in that space but I just thought, why not. Next month will be my 17th year in private banking. It’s gone by so quickly.

When I was younger and I wanted to buy my first property, I was getting knocked back from every bank. The money was there, but it wasn’t about the money. I remember at the time saying how can buying a house not be about the money? So, cash or credit, which one is respected more?

I think what really matters is what’s important for you, where you are and at what stage. I always say to people don’t get caught up when you hear that so and so is doing this or that. It’s great to be aware but fundamentally, bring it back to you and say, right where am I right now?

If I’m young, I’m just at university and I’ve got my first pay cheque, what should I be doing? Don’t watch someone who is a 30-year veteran because they can afford to take risks you can’t.

But credit is important because it’s what builds, call it your

financial CV. Someone with a bad credit score and someone with a good credit score could borrow the same amount of money and the person with a bad credit score could end up paying thousands more in interest. By spending more of their money on interest, they’ll be going backwards whilst others are progressing. So understanding the impact of a bad credit score is important. Treat it like your Financial CV and take good care of it.

You’ve inherited some money and you’re not financially literate, so don’t know what to do. How would you advise someone to navigate that situation?

If you woke up tomorrow and your knee had dislocated, what would you do? Call a doctor, right?

When you have inherited a windfall, that is a change in

INSPIRING OTHERS: Franklin Asante wants to use his personal and professional experience to guide others on their financial journeys

circumstances. Just like your knee dislocating is a change in circumstance, the best thing to do is go and sit down with somebody, like a doctor, but in financial terms, a qualified financial advisor, and ask them to talk you through what the possibilities are. If you don’t like what they are suggesting, there are thousands of others out there that you can talk to.

Biggest piece of advice?

Take the first step. The minute you take the first step you will be itching to take the second. That’s how you get into the cycle as opposed to thinking how do I get from zero to a hundred, which is what unfortunately a lot of people’s mentality is.

When I talk to people and they are like, ‘It’s not enough — how do I turn my 10 grand into a million?’

I’m like, ‘Listen, there is so much more risk that you are going to have to take to move 10 grand into a million than moving 10

grand into 20. So why don’t you focus on 10 to 20 because once you achieve that you can build momentum’. You can be like, tried it, tested it, let’s move on to the next level. Incremental steps are important.

What would be the perfect scenario for me is people building a natural curiosity around financial literacy and money management.

When we talk about health, five a day and what is and isn’t good for you, I want you to find five or ten minutes a day to read about financial markets, financial news or just Google what is going on that day in our economy.

I get the impression that people think that because they are not a financial expert, anything to do with their money is someone else’s problem, when it shouldn’t be.

l Read the full conversation on The Voice’s website where Franklin Asante has a message for entrepreneurs and tips for growth

Lifestyle Music

HOME IS WHERE THE HEART (AND MUSIC) IS

Two formidable forces in the music industry sit down to talk about their experiences. By Wretch 32

U“LTIMATELY, I do think a label’s role is to not get in the way,” says Alec Boateng when we sit down to speak about journeys and influence. His musing is met with approval by Shani Gonzales: “Yeah, I agree with that.”

Boateng, President of 0207 Def Jam and Gonzales, Managing Director – Warner Chappell UK / Head of Global A&R Warner Chappell Music, are two of the most experienced people I know in the music business and it was pertinent for us to have a chat about how home shaped their journeys and who helped them along the way.

Please, please, please, check out the gems in the full version of this conversation online — it’s my hope that the inspiration impacts people forever.

Wretch 32: Shani, what’s your earliest memory of music?

Shani: I grew up in a very Caribbean household. I don’t know what my first memory is.

I remember that I was obsessed with Boy George, my mother actually just gave me the album back.

I thought he was the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, which is strange, because I didn’t grow up in a White focused house. So that’s strange. I had that album and I would ask my father to put it on all the time and he would hate taking off his Calypso to put that on.

But that was maybe my first memory.

I think it was that it wasn’t American music at all in my house. I didn’t really get into American music until I got out of the house and more into school, and even that was weird.

I think artists are superheroes. I felt like a civilian who just loved what they do. I felt like an outsider

I grew up in New York, so all of my friends were like me, first generation of immigrant parents from different islands around the Caribbean. So I don’t think I thought about music other than what was around me until, maybe 10 or 11 and I was obsessed with Salt-N-Pepa, and that was the first own tape that I got, cassette tape.

Alec: Ghanaian parties. When I was a kid, the ones in the houses. Soul, Ghanaian music.: And then the radio.

The parties were community, music brought people together, and it lifted spirits. I just remember fun at parties, dancing with aunties and uncles and a lot of people being together, just togetherness around music

And then on the radio, I just always had an obsession with good songs from a kid, stuff I used to just be moved by. I was quite an emotional yute.

Wretch 32: Why did you both stay with music?

Shani: I was from New York, I mean at that point I

would say New York had a lot to do with it. Music wasn’t just like a background thing in New York.

Back then Sean was running New York, running the airwaves. It was young, it was cool, it felt attainable.

People like Andre Harrell and Sean made it feel like getting into the music business was attainable.

Sean was like this young Black kid who had dropped out of school, I think he was 19 or 20, and he looked like he was living the coolest life ever and that was close to all of us growing up in New York.

You’d see him. You’d see different artists around all the time, so I think it was probably that.

Everybody felt this person is my cousin, I grew up with Sean, or he used to babysit me. It was definitely a moment in New York that felt attainable. I think.

And then there was Jay-Z starting Rock Nation, and Reasonable Doubt had come out, I think I might have been 15

HONOURING THEIR ROOTS: Alec Boateng, above, and Shani Gonzales, below, have both leant on their life experiences to curate their careers in the music industry

or something like that.  But all of that stuff, it was young Black people doing things. That was the first time I was aware of it.

Lyor wasn’t Black, but what Lyor and Russell Simmons had done obviously came first, but I wasn’t old enough to remember when they had built that, so that wasn’t in my face the way Sean Combs was in my face.

I remember cutting school and going up to Bad Boy and everyone there was like young and cool, and I was like, ‘oh, this is the s***’.

Alec: If I’m honest, I knew I could never be as good as some of the people who I loved. I think artists are superheroes. I felt like a civilian who just loved what they do. I felt like such an outsider.

And I think that’s in someone, to want to express themselves like that, my expression came through mixing and DJing because it married with sharing music that I loved, and then also taste, having taste and picking and choosing things that I think other people would like as well.

Wretch 32: On your come up, was there someone that held your hand, or someone that was like,

you’re coming here, or you’re coming to do this?

Shani: I had a couple of people like that. I think the first one was when I went to school. I had a woman named Deanna Williams while I was in university, who was kind of like that.

She was the ex-wife of Kenny Gamble, of Gamble and Huff. That did a lot.

She was also a media personality. She took me under her wing like her daughter, and through her I started to meet a lot of people. And then, like the first boss Chris, who I was at Warner Chapel, he had never worked at a company before, he had built a really successful publishing company, and he was maybe the second person.

They were very different.

Deanna was more of like a mother figure, and Chris was more of like a big brother who would tell me, you can’t have sex with men, or I’m going to fire you.

S*** like that, which at the time I remember, being like 21 or 22, and thinking, what? But I just think his thing was very much about, ‘You’re a woman in this business. I don’t want you getting out here and doing the wrong thing’.

He was a self-made man, and I only use that example because

it was indicative of how it was a different thing than Deanna, but it was a very significant relationship, because he toughened me up.

Alec: So Richard Antwi was at a company called Clinton’s and he was a trainee lawyer, but he was also someone who was building this reputation as someone who knew what was next in the music business for artists.

I remember in and around the time he was building relationships with people like Diplo, he was just coming across a young singer from North London, called Adele, who went to the Brits, it wasn’t no small thing.

I was just a kid. I literally dropped out of uni. I knew no one in the music industry, but if I’d say his name, everyone knew him or knew of him. So it kind of validated anything that I was saying or suggesting.

Producers and other industry people, I was able to connect with just because I knew him, so he supported me in that sense by just existing. He was an Oxford graduate. Someone who was not just educated and from the hood, he was seen as someone who could handle business as well. So yeah, he was always supporting.

l Full interviews on our website

EXPLORING THE BATTLE TO ABOLISH THE SLAVE TRADE

Learn about the fight to end transatlantic slavery through the stories of the people, communities and anti-slavery movements who campaigned for abolition in a new exhibition

RISE UP: Resistance, Revolution, Abolition at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge tells the multifaceted story of the fight to end transatlantic slavery, its aftermath and ongoing legacies.

Focusing on the period from 1750 to 1850, the exhibition explores the stories of resistance by individuals and communities from across the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas – through an interrogation of historic objects and artworks in conversation with works by contemporary artists.

Drawing on new research, Rise Up considers how Atlantic enslavement impacted everything, including the landlocked city of Cambridge. It follows the exhibition Black Atlantic: Power, People, Resistance staged at the museum in 2023.

FOCUS

The exhibition highlights the often-forgotten roles played by Black Georgians and Victorians in the British abolition story and in British cultural life, with a focus on individuals including Francis Williams, Ignatius Sancho, Olaudah Equiano (aka Gustavus Vassa), Ukawsaw Gronniosaw, Ottobah Cugoano, George Bridgetower, Bill Richmond, Alexander Crummell and Ira Aldridge: all momentum-builders for change and several of whom have untold connections to the University of Cambridge.

The vital roles of countless women as resistance leaders, revolutionaries and abolitionists across the Caribbean, Europe and the Americas are also commemorated and celebrated, including Nanny of the Maroons, Phillis Wheatley, Sanité Bélair, MarieJeanne Lamartiniére, Mary Prince and Zilpha Elaw.

Over 100 carefully selected historic and contemporary artworks, objects, printed books and manuscripts on loan from Canada, Puerto Rico, France, and the USA, as well as the University of Cambridge collections and public and private collections in the UK, shed new light on the Age of Abolition and the ongoing legacies of enslavement. Contributions by contemporary artists, including

Joy Labinjo, Keith Piper, Karen McLean and Grada Kilomba, help reveal perspectives which were not historically captured.

Rise Up begins with a focus on Olaudah Equiano, one of the most famous and influential Black abolitionists of the 18th century. After publishing his autobiography in 1789, Equiano spent the rest of his life travelling across Britain to sell copies and promote abolition and Black rights. Equiano’s powerful testimony was vital in the British anti-slavery campaign, which led to the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. The exhibition opens with Joy Labinjo’s monumental An EighteenthCentury Family, 2022, an imagined group portrait of Equiano and his family, who lived in Soham, close to Cambridge. The exhibition has four main sections. The first examines the ‘Africa Trade’ and life on Caribbean plantations. It reveals the ways in which African and African-descended enslaved people resisted oppression on Caribbean plantations. It looks at different stories of resistance, from the individual and collective, nonviolent and violent, to reveal common aims – to regain freedom and self-governance, and to keep dignity, customs and cultures intact. Traditions such as music and dance are represented in the exhibition through examples of song lyrics and music and as well as Igbo cultural and ceremonial objects including a wooden Igba (drum), and a maiden spirit mask used in the Agbogho Mmuo masquerade.

the key loans to the exhibition is Clarkson’s ‘Cabinet of Freedom’ campaign chest of 1787–88, the campaigner’s ‘travelling museum’ that provided tangible anti-slavery evidence to the Privy Council inquiry.

SETTLERS

itself. They worked in tandem with the Society for the Effecting the Abolition of the Slave Trade (SEAST), founded by a group of white Quakers and Anglicans, in 1787.

Rise Up continues by looking at the Anti-Slave Trade Campaign in Britain, focusing on the role of Black Britons and abolitionists in the decades of struggle that led to the 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act. It examines the vital role of Black campaigners such as Equiano and Cugoano, who were members of The Sons of Africa, a London-based grassroots abolitionist group that effectively petitioned establishment figures to end the slave trade and slavery

Alongside important historical documents, significant loans include prominent portraits of Black Georgians such as Francis Williams, The Scholar of Jamaica, c.1760, Thomas Gainsborough’s Ignatius Sancho, 1768, and David Martin’s Dido Elizabeth Belle and Lady Elizabeth Murray, c.1776

Cambridge’s role as a centre of abolitionism in the 1780s is explored. It spotlights individuals such as Peter Peckard who used his influence as Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University to publicly decry the moral evils of slavery and racial inequality and support the work of Equiano. Peckard’s radicalism inspired future leading abolitionists, including Thomas Clarkson and William Wilberforce. Among

Following the American Revolution, about 3,000 Black Loyalists and their families were transported from New York to Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1783. Promised equal status, rations, and land as white settlers, they faced much harsher realities. In 1787, the Committee for the Relief of the Black Poor coerced 400 economically challenged Black Londoners into ‘resettlement’ in Sierra Leone, becoming the first British colony in Africa. They agreed to go on condition that they would remain British subjects and live free under the protection of the British Crown and the Royal Navy. Rise Up tells the stories of these failed schemes and the devastating effects they had, and continue to have, on Black communities.

The 1807 Abolition of the Slave Trade Act made it illegal for British people and ships to trade in enslaved people anywhere in the Empire. This was only a first step towards eradicating the institution of slavery, with more than 800,000 African, Africandescended and Indigenous people in the Caribbean still rendered as ‘property’. News of the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act sent

shockwaves across the Atlantic, resulting in further revolutions across the Caribbean. The Haitian Revolution led to the founding of the independent Republic of Haiti in 1804: a seismic moment being the first independent Caribbean state led by former captives.

After the Haitian Revolution, other major uprisings of enslaved people followed, including in the British colonies of Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica. Focusing on key revolutionary figures such as King Henry I of Haiti, Toussaint L’Ouverture, Sanité Bélair and Amba Gladstone, through historical portraits and interpretations by contemporary artists including Francois Cauvin, Rise Up examines how such uprisings helped drive forward the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act.

Rise Up concludes by looking at the 1833 Slavery Abolition Act – which made slavery illegal in almost all the British Empire – and its aftermath. It considers how despite formal abolition, newlyemancipated people across the Caribbean were forced to become apprentices, living and working as indentured servants under conditions similar to slavery, while those who were liberated often faced financial hardship and discrimination.

The exhibition explores how, to pass the Act, the government borrowed £20 million to ‘compensate’ 4,000 former enslavers for their loss of ‘property’, a debt that was paid off only in 2015. This section also spotlights new research

MONUMENTAL:

An Eighteenth-Century Family, 2022; inset below, Toussaint L’Ouverture, 2009 (Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge, Joy Labinjo. Courtesy of the Artist and Tiwani Contemporary/ François Cauvin)

into the lives of historic Black people whose lives intersected with Cambridge, celebrating the achievements of individuals such as the violinist George Bridgetower and campaigning clergyman Alexander Crummell.

In its conclusion, Rise Up offers a reflection on how for peoples of the global majority, despite the passing of almost two centuries since Britain outlawed slavery, the struggles for autonomy, equality and social justice continue today.

RESISTANCE

Luke Syson, Director and Marlay Curator of the Fitzwilliam Museum, said: “Rise Up explores the complex fight to end transatlantic slavery and its ongoing impact today. By focusing on the testimony of individuals as a powerful tool of resistance, and as a way of helping others to recognise injustice, the exhibition celebrates and commemorates the roles of both familiar and lesser-known figures in the struggle for abolition. Through historical artworks and artefacts as well as contributions by contemporary artists, Rise Up examines how both word and image were tools of resistance, but also performance through music, dance and sport. Alongside historical artworks and artefacts, the exhibition will reveal how contemporary artists continue to keep these traditions alive.” n For further details about Rise Up visit www.fitzmuseum. cam.ac.uk

Life has come full circle

The release of new music is always special – but Home? just hits different. By Wretch 32

LOOKING AT that image from around 2009, I know where I am in life at that point. And I’m trying to get to this point.

I’m a tryer. I feel like I’m in pursuit of mastering everything that I am trying to do. I think once you have completely mastered something you become comfortable and within that feeling of being comfortable it’s always smooth sailing.

I like a bit of turbulence, I like to not know. I want to get my nerves back. I’m always trying to find, new.

If not for art and music, Wretch 32 would have nothing. Nothing but ideas, nothing but opinions.

I think from a very young age it was obvious that I looked at things in a different way. I think it was obvious I liked the attention of the class, but it was just finding the right way to channel that.

At a young age it comes out as a class clown, it comes out as a bad kid, someone who likes mischief. But in actual fact, it’s just someone who likes attention, or maybe to entertain,

to make everyone else feel happy. And then it stems into music and wherever else it goes.

Watch my full conversation on the Voice website with Lifestyle Editor, Joel Campbell, for a more in-depth overview of my thoughts on where the music business finds itself, why, even though I do this for the fans, I’m not that fussed on what people say about it and other things you might be surprised to learn about me.

I really wanted to do this guest edit so that people understand why I made this album and to touch on some of the other areas

in my life that have influenced my growth.

I also wanted to feature voices (this is the Voice, after all) that I respect across lifestyle and entertainment space. I hope you enjoy it.

So, why did I call this album, Home?

It Is home with a question mark because it was written out of frustration.

I was frustrated with the whole Windrush scandal and how they were treating our people and sending people back home. Or back to a place where they haven’t been in over 40 years or 50 years, or haven’t been at all, never lived there.

So that gave me a heading to work off, because at first it was just home, without the question mark.

I’m trying to understand what is home to the regular person?

I feel like I ended up on a quest. For the first time I started asking myself questions and not having an answer

What is home to granny, who got sent back? What is home to me, who was born here and maybe not made to feel at home. Where is home to you? What is home to the immigrant or the refugee that seeks refuge in a different country? Where is home?

That made me add the question mark, because now it’s a question, and it’s inclusive.

It’s not a question that I necessarily have the answer to. So I just feel like multiple people from multiple backgrounds will be able to relate to it.

I feel like I ended up on a quest. For the first time I started asking myself questions and not having an answer. And I feel like my answer changes depending on who I’m talking to.

Or just depending on my thought process throughout the day.

As a kid, when you came up to me and said, where are you from? I always said Jamaica.

When I went to Jamaica, they called me English. I’m a foreigner in Jamaica.

So maybe I feel like my home is here. But when I’m here, sometimes they say, go back to your country. So at that point you’re kind of in limbo.

Getting into the music on the album, with how I’ve explained the title, things will make sense.

I’ve got Teni, the entertainer, she’s from Nigeria. The song is called Like Home. When I start the song, I say, ‘Hello, Mama Africa’. That’s a line from a record that we grew up listening to, Garnett Silk.

So there’s an Africa connection there.

I then have to go to Jamaica. Who makes sense on a foundational level? Whose vibrations am I connecting with? Who represents what I represent? Protoje.

Then, in England, when you think of island vibes and island music, it’s got to be WSTRN. . You think of WSTRN, you think of Carnival. That’s heritage. Then there’s someone who’s actually been deported and comes back with his own story, which is Cashh. He’s on the record called Windrush. So everything aligns with what the story is.

On Black and British, it is amazing to have a female perspective on that song. Where it was just me and Benjamin A.D., I have to get Little Simz. We’re so aligned, that’s sis. She came and smashed it.

The thought process is, if this album was a film, what would the cast look like?

THEMES

When I could see that, I could see who needs to be spoken for, who needs to be spoken to, and that’s how you kind of equate your answers.

Looking at some of the other tracks on the project, with track one, you want it to hit. But I also want listeners to know what the themes and the textures are, where I am as a person so they know what the rest of the record is going to contain.

I think with the situation (my father, Millard Scott, was Tasered by police in 2020), it was definitely something I wanted to speak about and I definitely wanted to explain how I felt about it. The men in the family are protectors and for the first time I heard my dad sound like he needed to be protected. It’s not what he said to me. It was the tone. The actual words he said to me was, ‘he’s good’. But the tone he said it in reminded me of the tone I would speak to him in when I felt like I needed to be protected.

OLD SKOOL: Wretch back in 2009

‘LEGEND’:

Wretch (left) and Kano, who features on Home Sweet Home

But within that whole scenario what am I going to do, run in the police station and blow it up? It’s against the police. Your hands are tied unless you’re saying I’m just going to go to prison.

That was one of the times where I’m like, you have to walk away, to walk towards you, to be able to even continue with what you’re doing. Sometimes you fight fire with electric.

With track two, Seven Seater (ft Ghetts & Mercston) naturally, with the bros, it’s like we always carry that, ‘I want the best verse on the song energy’.

And I think there’s something in that which makes the songs amazing and feel aggressive.

When me and Ghetts go back to back, I think it kind of reminds me of our F Radio days and our pirate radio times, it just gives me that feeling.

I just wanted to capture that. Even sonically, I’m trying to touch on different genres that we were affected by as kids, as adults and as musicians.

There’s sprinkles of drum and bass and then grime. But then it goes into the Dancehall. So that it feels like I’m in a bashment. I just wanted it to feel like how my house sounded.

My dad would be playing Reggae. My mum’s playing Phil Collins, Simply Red and Karyn White. My sisters are playing RnB, Brandy, Monica. I’m playing Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, and rap records.

Any different room you walked into in my house, you’re getting

something else. And I wanted the album to feel like that.

Just because the record started as a rap record, it can turn into anything.

Track four, Nesta Marley (ft. Skip Marley) that was on a wish list, like, if there was any way that this could happen and we found the way.

PROPER

I had that record and I was just like, look, man, if you would like to. I didn’t even want to ask. So when it came, it’s like, I just felt cemented. I felt proper.

On track seven, Home Sweet Home (ft Kano), I mean what else can you say? Kano is a legend, one of my favourite artists of all time.

So, I make the record and I’m rapping, working it out, what I’m going to say on the chorus and whatnot. And then I start talking about Home Sweet Home

So I’m like, wouldn’t it be mad to have a record on Home? called Home Sweet Home?

Then I got Kano on the tune –and thought that would be such a full circle moment, because Home Street Home (Kano’s album) was the album I was playing in my home.

It’s a mad full circle. Check out the full interview where I explain the detail Kano went into before he even wrote a verse.

With track nine, Black and British (ft Little Simz and Benjamin A.D), which I released

last year, I definitely got the reaction I expected.

I feel like with these types of records, I know what people are going to say. They know to expect that from me. I’ve got something to say in it. So I’m going to say it. It was beautiful. I just hope that as a song it lives forever. The images from the video, me and Simz connecting in that way, I just hope that lives forever.

Track 10, Windrush (ft. Cashh), whenever I speak about him I always say ‘The General’ when I comment under his social media, because there’s some people that you see do something, and you’re like, I don’t know if I could have done that.

For him to be brought up here and then to be sent back to a foreign place, have to stay with people you don’t know, have to work it out, have to make money, still want to make music, still want to be connected with England and stay connected in England. I don’t know how I would have been.

Through the time while he was away we were always rapping. Anything he needed.

That’s my guy. The story would be incomplete without him.

On Home? I’m speaking for granny and our mothers, our aunties and our uncles. I’m speaking for that era.

But for that to have happened to somebody in my era, it would be criminal to not have his perspective on the record as well.

On Little Things (ft Angel) I’m always trying to make a record like

Everything that I was feeling at the time ... I just gave it to the water. It’s out of the system, that’s what you get

Waiting in Vain I want something that feels like that.

Like the music that was playing in my yard growing up. That feels like the songs that my dad was playing on vinyl, the white labels. The records that would make me ask ‘what’s this guy’s name again?’

Forgetting the names because it doesn’t have it on there.

FUSION

So yeah, that’s my attempt at that. I wouldn’t say it’s reggae, I wouldn’t say it’s roots, I just feel like it’s a fusion. And I feel Angel growing up in a Rasta house, just vocally I knew he’d nail it.

I’ve heard him on the yard type of vibe already and I just love what he brings to record.

One of the reasons I included track 13 God’s Work (ft AV Allure), is because I always find it weird when there’s artists that don’t show you any new artist or artists that don’t share other music from

artists that we haven’t heard of. I find it weird because I come across so much music and it will have 10,000 plays when it should have 10 million, like how come no one knows about it? So I‘ll post it. I feel like when you love music you’re supposed to share new musicians with people who love music.

AV Allure is someone who I’ve come across going to studio sessions. We’ve made so much music just because he’s cold. There’s not a big following, he’s not famous.

He actually started the record and played it to me. He was thinking of just throwing it out there. I was like Bro ‘If this isn’t God’s work, then tell me who I work with?’ I said, ‘No, no, no, no!’ Got it produced, got instruments on it, done my verses, and just made an idea into a bigger thing. I was like, ‘Bro. Trust me, this is on the album’.

To describe what you get on the closing track, Feels (ft Tiggs Da Author) as a musician say your girl breaks up to you Friday 9am and you’ve got studio at 12pm. So there’s an array of emotions and feelings that you’re going through and when you walk into that session you just let it all out. That’s what Feels was like.

Everything that I was feeling at the time, I’ve compartmentalised it and just gave it to the water. It’s out of the system, that’s what you get.

With the last verse that was the right way to end the story of the album.

I just want you to enjoy it. And if it makes you ask your parents about their journey here, or their time here, or if it makes you ask someone who you view as an immigrant, how they feel about being here, or how they ended up here, if it makes you ask a family member who is in another country when all their family is here, how they feel about being there, and do they feel at home?

If it makes you have a conversation with anyone about any of those things, I’ve done my job. And if it makes you also question how you’ve treated people that are living here or living anywhere, then I’ve also done my job.

l Watch the full interview to find out more details about Home?

‘ALIGNED’: Wretch invited Little Simz (right) to work with him on the track Black and British, who ‘smashed it’

OF SPORT

Football Black List 2024

EVERY YEAR it is great to see more and more new names on the Football Black List (FBL), which underpins the growing impact that the community is having on the Beautiful Game.

All sections of the 2024 edition of the FBL now represents a 50/50 split of men and women which we are really proud and delighted about.

To the dedicated and hardworking Refresh team who pull all FBL matters together, award winners, nominees and judges and of course the community, we say a massive thank you for your contributions to the Football Black List and Celebration.

— Rodney Hinds and Leon Mann, co-founders Football Black List

THE JUDGES

• Leon Mann

• Rodney Hinds

• Jon Holmes

• Richard Bevan

• Gurpri Bains

• Robert Sullivan

Nate Williams

• Alistair Patrick-Heselton

Justin Brett

• Chris Paouros

• Ged Grebby

• David McArdle

• Michelle Moore

• Martin Sinclair

• Paul Canoville

Hayley Bennett

• Nelson Kumah

Kerry Davis

• Drew Christie

• Aji Ajibola

• Vanessa Wallace

• Alastair Bennett

• Howard Webb

• Suzanne Wrack

• Troy Townsend

• Anna Kessel

Timi Okuwa

• Shelley Alexander Jobi McAnuff

• Sanjay Bhandari

• Viveen Taylor

• Alosie Ehiogu

The Black List is backed by the Premier League, the Football Association, Kick It Out, EFL, PFA, LMA, PGMOL, WSL, FARE, BCOMS and Black community leaders across the country

LGBTQIA+ AWARD

Jahmal HowlettMundle: Jahmal introduced himself to people in the LGBT+ community back in July 2021, when a video of him coming out to his football teammates went viral. In the three years since, he has been on a unique, mostly uplifting but sometimes immensely challenging journey in the game.

Ugo Ehiogu Ones to Watch

to shine a light on both women’s and men’s football through her charismatic and personable presenting style. From creating her own vlogs as an Arsenal women’s season ticket holder to landing presenting jobs with the Premier League, FA National League & Arsenal, Nakeira has used VOX Pops to enhance the voice of supporters of the game. Nakeira has sat on various panel talks to encourage others who wish to work in sports media.

Kelechi Okorie: Kelechi has been an instrumental force in growing UEFA’s social media presence, notably as the manager of the UEFA Conference League Instagram account, which he built from 0 to 1.6 million followers in just three seasons. His contributions to EURO 2024 were especially impactful, as he created real-time content directly from stadiums across Germany.

Paul Gialo: Paul is exceptionally talented in his role as Head of Recruitment at Stevenage FC, and he was able to secure the position at just 22, given his remarkable wisdom and insight. His dedication, vision, and commitment to fostering young talent sets him apart as an inspiring leader in the field.

Mina Ibrahim: Mina is a trailblazing presenter and content creator in the world of men’s and women’s football. As a pioneer in the industry, she inspires those of her intersection and more. As a Muslim, female and Black individual in the industry who faces challenges, she continues to inspire, break barriers and build a path for more to come after her. Mina Ibrahim deserves an acknowledgment for her contribution to the industry.

Helena Scotland: Helena is making an impact within the industry by paving the way for Black women and girls in futsal. Helena represented England in the inaugural FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup qualifiers in Moldova – the first and only Black Futsal Lioness and firstever goal scorer. She is also a qualified futsal referee and coach.

PLAYERS OFF THE PITCH

Tyrone Mings: The England and Aston Villa player is part of the Prince of Wales’s charitable foundation as it puts in £3m to help make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated”. He founded the Tyrone Mings Academy in 2018. Open to boys and girls of all abilities aged 5-16, the academy has locations in the South West, where Mings is from, and Midlands areas of England.

Lauren James: Lauren has launched a scholarship programme for young girls from minority backgrounds in football, aiming to address the lack of diversity in the women’s game by supporting the next generation. The scholarship launched earlier this year, with recipients getting invaluable access to James’ partners and mentors.

Raheem Sterling (right): Through his charitable organisation, the Raheem Sterling Foundation, Raheem is dedicated to helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds break down barriers to success, find their voice, and realise their true potential. The foundation aims to change the lives of young people, with a specific purpose in three areas that were key in Raheem’s rise to successeducation, employment and social mobility.

Richarlison: The Brazilian star has been celebrated as much more than just a football hero. He won the heart of football fans due to his charity work, as the 27-year-old has made large donations to help disadvantaged communities in his home country. He has helped raise funds across a broad spectrum of charitable work.

Kasha Petit: Kasha has been a very loyal servant to Queens Park Rangers FC. Kasha has participated in some great work aligned with QPR in the community trust which also supports grassroots football/ diversity & charity work with the Tiger Cubs, a football team with Downs syndrome. Kasha is always super approachable on all new initiatives undertaken.

MEDIA Community & grassroots

Mayowa Quadri: An absolute game changer! Mayowa is a multifaceted creative and consultant who enjoys the art of storytelling whether on his podcast: Football Culture Movement, writing, broadcasting on national TV and more.

Darren Lewis: Darren is the Assistant Editor of the Daily Mirror. He started out in local news journalism in 1995 before joining the Mirror in 2000 as a football writer, going on to become a columnist for the paper. More recently, he has taken on the role of Senior Sports Analyst for CNN Sport.

Kate Scott: most respected voices in television, Kate is a British journalist and professional presenter for over 20 years. She has

anchored a plethora of segments such as CBS’s Champions League panel since 2020.

Femi Oridota: Femi is a talented Floor Manager at Sky. He has worked with the very best talent in the industry including Les Ferdinand, Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge. His professionalism and personality stand him apart.

Courtney Sweetman-Kirk (below): Courtney has made an excellent and inspirational move from a professional player to pundit and cocommentator on Sky Sports working across Premier League, EFL and the WSL. Courtney does her homework and meticulous prep ahead of every single game.

Marcia Lewis: Marcia is a co-founder of the platform No1Fan.club, which is an education and reference tool for parents and guardians with children in both academy and grassroots football. Marcia, the mother of Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly, sheds a light on what is to come for parents who, like her, may not be aware at the start through blogs, interviews, events and Q&As.

Betty Mayeya: Betty is a grassroots football coach. She was the first manager of Stonewall FC’s women and nonbinary team, before setting up her current club Black Footy Babes, a collective with the aim to increase visibility and supportive infrastructure for Black women on the pitch and in the stands.

Karla Parker: Karla has played an instrumental role in the development of football in Haringey and for the women’s game for 26 years; from club captain for 13 years, to working with the BBC and local charities supporting underrepresented communities.

Chid Onokwai: Chid achieved his football coaching badge at age 17. He has worked with commitment and tenacity at community and grassroots level, especially with ethnically diverse and learning-disabled groups.

Tara Tewarie: Currently celebrating her 10th anniversary working within Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, Tara has made such an invaluable contribution to her local community. She is genuinely someone who cares about their craft – and not for selfish reasons as she hates being complimented for doing anything she does.

Nakeira Westmaas: Nakeira strives

FOOTBALL BLACK LIST COMPILED BY MERT AHMET, MIA LAZARO, LAUREN HARTE AND GEORGINA CHADWICK

Raheem STERLING

PRACTITIONERS

André Thomas: André is a dynamic and inspirational figure in football, whose impact spans across multiple roles and organisations. As a Programme Coordinator at the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, he has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, driving forward community initiatives that empower young people through football. His dedication to developing talent is further exemplified in his role as an Academy Coach at Queens Park Rangers.

Maria Tavares: As the former Player Support Coordinator for the Men’s First Team at Manchester United, Maria was part of the Player Wellbeing Department supporting the off-the-pitch needs and requirements for the players and their families. Maria was responsible for several administration tasks including developing a network and database of key suppliers to support player lifestyle and personal development. Her work also included helping new signings adapt to life in Manchester.

ADMINISTRATION Commercial

Lola Ogunbote: Burnley FC’s Head of Women’s Football is an exceptional individual who brings a wealth of business knowledge and exemplary practice for the game. Furthermore, Lola is a strong advocate for women and for EDI in general.

Fleur Robinson: From being an integral part of the team that launched Burton Albion’s £7.2m stadium to becoming a Founder of Burton Albion Community Trust, Fleur has been instrumental in shaping the club.

Mark Esiri: Mark, who played semiprofessional football and holds an FA level-two coaching badge, brings a

breadth of skills to the FA, including vast experience in creating and developing a broad range of digitally focused organisations.

Pamela Lubowa: Pamela is the Chief Operating Officer of the Fare Network, football’s anti-discrimination network. Over the past 12 years, Pam has supported the Board and membership of Fare through some of the most interesting and challenging times.

Gemma Gallais: Gemma leads Electronic Arts’ integrated communications team, covering global creator, social, press, investor and analyst communications, with a focus on growing the love of football through the brand and product storytelling. She truly is an inspiring leader, setting a team culture that is admired and envied in equal measure.

Paul Elliott: Paul has been on the FA Board, chair of the Inclusion Advisory Board that’s responsible for EDI across the organisation, and on UEFA’s social responsibility and antidiscrimination committees. He is now back at Charlton as vice-chair, where he started his playing career.

Sola Kasali: Sola leads EA’s marketing relationships with football partners across the Northern Europe region, covering clubs, leagues, football associations and other strategic rights holders. Sola’s role involves working with partners to deliver global and local campaigns that tap into fandom.

Coaching

& management

Darren Smith: Darren is the Associate Dean at the University Campus of Football Business, one of the few Black staff members in such a senior role in the country. He leads three Coaching and Management degrees and secured the inclusion of a UEFA C qualification for all students, part of a national pilot scheme. Darren also tutors FA courses and has a strong track record of developing players and coaches from underrepresented groups.

Melissa Forde: Melissa is the Performance Head Chef for the First Team at Wolverhampton Wanderers FC. Her story of running the catering operation at Compton Park Training Ground since July 2021 is breaking barriers – she is possibly the only senior Black woman doing this type of role across a professional football club. Melissa makes sure the firstteam players have access to the highest level of nutrition possible.

Nuno Espírito Santo: Nuno is the only Black manager in the Premier League. Since joining Nottingham Forest, he has focused on strengthening the team’s defensive organisation and improving overall performance. His leadership has brought greater structure and resilience. Nuno’s presence is important for diversity in football management, and his influence continues to grow as Forest push for further success.

Joel Mannix: If you were to look up the word “humble” Joel’s name should be there next to it. Everyone you speak to, who meets Joel, feels his humbleness, selflessness and commitment to making a difference. Joel is knowledgeable and practical. His passion for change can be felt and seen in the positive contribution to Referee Support Group BAMREF for men and women from Black, Asian and mixed heritage.

Darren Moore: Darren has brought a new level of discipline and cohesion to Port Vale since taking over. His approach focuses on teamwork, individual growth, and steady progression. Moore’s leadership has helped the club maintain organisation on and off the pitch while integrating new players effectively.

Connor Malcolm: Connor founded a small business with a vision of revolutionising nutrition in the world of sport. His business Dreamfruit now supplies multiple clubs from the National League to the Premier League (and England/ The FA), whilst also working directly with hundreds of professional footballers.

Carly Williams: Carly’s professional coaching journey spans over six seasons with Arsenal, where she has worked with various age groups and currently coaches the Women’s Under-21s alongside her FT job of Women’s Academy Player Care Lead.

Liam Bowes: Known as ‘The caring agent’ amongst his clients and their families, Liam is a FIFA Licensed Football Agent, founder and managing Director of OYS Sports. For over 10 years he’s helped elite footballers realise their dreams through ethical practices.

Zeycan Rochelle Yıldırım: Zeycan works at the highest level of Turkish football.

Zeycan is the mastermind behind the family-owned club Samsunspor’s ‘Purple Jersey’. The kit has been designed to raise awareness of violence against women and wider gender equality issues.

Renée Hector: Renée was offered the Women’s Head Coach role at Watford against all the odds. After a season managing the development team, she was nervous but excited for the challenge. Renée has been invited onto an elite female coaching programme run by the FA which is ongoing.

Ashley Cole: Ashley was a vital part of the England national team under interim boss Lee Carsley. As assistant coach, Cole focused on strengthening the team’s defensive structure and working with players to improve their positioning, communication, and defensive skills.

CAROL’S BLAZING A TRAIL

WHEN Carol Glenn officially launches Next Racing Generation Academy (NRG) on April 5, she won’t just be unveiling a new race team – she’ll be making history.

Glenn, the first Black woman to become a licensed race official in the UK, now also becomes the first woman of colour to lead a national motorsport team in Britain. But for her, the milestone isn’t about being first – it’s about opening the door so others won’t be the last.

“I didn’t start off trying to be the first,” she told the Voice of Sport “I just loved motorsport. But the further I went, the more I realised – I was the only one like me in the room.”

With over 35 years in the sport, Glenn has seen the challenges that come with navigating a predominantly white and male industry. Her career began in 1988 as a track marshal, progressing into race control and eventually earning her Clerk of the Course

EXCLUSIVE: Glenn first woman of colour to lead a national motorsport team in Britain. By Damian Hall

NRG Academy will compete in the 2025 Monoposto Championship races: April 5: Silverstone International

June 7–8: Silverstone (National Circuit)

July 5–6: Thruxton

August 9–10: Snetterton

August 23: Donington Park

license in 2015. Now, she’s taking that experience and pouring it into a team designed not only to compete – but to create real access and opportunity for underrepresented talent.

NRG Academy is a racing team built to create real opportunities through inclusion. The team will compete in the 2025 Monoposto

Championship, fielding two young drivers: Emmanuel Bradley and Isaiah Egwuagu. But NRG is just as focused on those behind the scenes.

“I get messages all the time from students who have done engineering courses or degrees, and they can’t get work experience,” Glenn explained. “They’re trying – but often they’re seen as second-best compared to their white counterparts.”

Bradley and Egwuagu will share driving duties in a Formula Ford 1800 during the season. Glenn discovered both through her outreach work — each representing the kind of untapped potential NRG Academy was built to support.

Bradley, a promising young driver with karting experience,

PASSION AND POTENTIAL: Isaiah

and Emmanuel Bradley will be sharing driving duties for Next Racing Generation Academy

first connected with Glenn at a Motorsport UK Race for Diversity event. After chatting with him and his mother, Glenn recognised his passion and potential and immediately began thinking about how to help him take the next step.

Egwuagu, meanwhile, came through Glenn’s work with 100 Black Men of London. He had originally planned to take a break from racing to save up for future opportunities, but when Glenn offered him a chance to get on

the grid this season, he was all in.

“I told him, I can make it happen for you this year,” Glenn said. “His ears and eyes lit up.”

NRG is running on tight resources, with most of the crew volunteering their time. From engineers to media teams, it’s a collective powered by passion and purpose. The leading lady isn’t taking a salary — she’s pouring everything into making sure her team has what it needs.

“We’re not just building a team.

We’re building a working, learning environment.”

l The team is still getting its social channels and website up and running, but fans can follow updates via Carol Glenn’s LinkedIn and Instagram (@carolglenn1)

LEGENDS: Carol Glenn with seventime Formula One world drivers’ champion Lewis Hamilton

Egwuagu (far left)