Wessex Scene Black History Month Special Issue by Wessex Scene

BLACK HISTORY MONTH BLACK AND BRITISH: ON RECONCILING NATIONALITY AND HERITAGE

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY

THE NHS NEEDS MORE BLACK BLOOD

F.U.B.U. (For Us, By Us). The first time I ever heard that expression was in the song titled F.U.B.U. by Solange Knowles. I had the pleasure of seeing her this summer at Lovebox where she performed this song. She came down to the barrier, held this black girl’s hand and sang “for us, this shit is for us.” In this magazine, you will see articles about Black mental health, our heroes, and truths about the isolation of studying, working and existing in predominately white spaces. You will read articles about the challenges, the struggles, our continuous fights and the joys of blackness. You will read articles and see artwork that is for us and by us. A lot of people think creating separate spaces for minorities creates further division, but it really doesn’t. Creating separate spaces for marginalised people to express themselves allows us to not be spoken over, and allows our different stories to be heard. As marginalised people, it can feel like society wasn’t designed for us, that we are merely an afterthought. But in this magazine, in this space, we are the forethought. When learning about Black History Month at school there is a huge focus on slavery, a significant part of Black history. But we are more than slavery, and we are more than what we have done for our colonisers. We are writers, artists, performers, creatives, doctors, scientists, drag queens, fighters and revolutionaries. We are so much more than what we are perceived as, and we are more than what a month can contain. And for those who ask the same old, boring question about why there’s a black history month and not a white history month, save your breath, because you don’t deserve an answer. Racism is used to distract black people and have them continually explain their existence over and over again.

We won’t be distracted any longer, and this magazine shows that. I want to say a huge thank you to Charlotte Colombo and Wessex Scene for this collaboration. It has been truly wonderful and so easy to work on this project with you all, I cannot thank you enough. I would also like to thank the SUSU for their support, but most importantly, I would like to say a massive thank you to all the black students who contributed to this magazine. Without all of you, this magazine literally wouldn’t have been a reality. Your words and the time you spent to make this magazine what it is are so greatly appreciated, and as Solange said: “ It’s all for us baby, nobody else, baby, all for us baby.”

01 Inspiring Interviews: Avila Diana Chidume, Entrepreneur 03 Mental Health in the Black Community 04 A Very Black Survival Guide 06 Cultural Cooking: Recipe for Jollof Rice and Jerk Chicken 07 The NHS Needs More Black Blood

11 STEM: Branching into Black British History 13 Black and British: On Reconciling Nationality and Heritage 16 Inspiring Interviews: A Conversation with Bim Afolami 16 The History of Civil Rights and The Fight for Racial Equality in the UK 17 Queer: A Blackened History

09 My Heroes: Inspirational Women, Gender Non-Conforming People and Members of the LGBTQIA+ Community

19 Inspiring Interviews: Daniel Taylor MBE

With thanks to our contributors:

FRONT AND BACK COVER CREDIT:

Halima Jibril, Avila Diana Chidume, Sharon Wanjohi, Nathaniel Oluwadamilola Ogunniyi, Kendall Field-Pellow, Tinashe Munyebvu and Farida Yusuf.

Photographer: Oladimeji Odunsi for the “Black Is” project via Unsplash (Public Domain)

INSPIRING INTERVIEWS: Avila Diana Chidume, Entrepreneur Wessex Scene Editor Charlotte Colombo speaks with Avila Diana Chidume, the founder of Avila.Diana, about setting up her own card business and the importance of representation across all mediums. What pushed you to make this transition from a hobby to a business?

What has been the most challenging part of running your business so far? Situations where I have been told by people that my business will not succeed because of how oversaturated the card market is. The criticism is legitimate for generic cards which are already widely available, but the main issue is that the basic concept of my designs are not widely available.

It happened naturally; I was featured in an anthology I wouldn’t be doing this if I could walk into any generic card shop and buy a card which on mental health which provided me with the opportunity to showcase my first design. The design looked like a family member or friend who is not white. sold out during the event and I received amazing feedback, with people sharing their interpretations on the design and how it made them feel. From there I What would you say has been the biggest highlight? decided to pursue it further by applying for showcasing events. I’ve been lucky to have some amazing interviews and events, giving me the What communities do your cards cater towards? opportunity to share my work. I am a big advocate for human rights and inclusivity, so I try to make work for underrepresented groups - Each has been special in its own way. anyone who you generally wouldn’t usually be able to However, the one thing I can never get over is how happy children get when they see cards buy a card for. with their faces, hair textures and skin colours. I focus on minority ethnicities (B.A.M.E) and different As a child I didn’t have that, and it was sexualities and genders (including those who are something I longed for, so I really empathise non-binary), in addition to people with with these kids, and I’m happy to be the one disabilities, both visible and invisible. providing them with this form of representation. At the moment my collection doesn’t reflect all of these groups, but I am working on expanding it! Who is your biggest inspiration? Since launching I have grown to love and appreciate people, famous and not famous, who live fearlessly. Who are doing what they love and creating positive change in the process, I am always the first to share stories with headlines like ‘first black female to…’ etc. Just people who have been marginalised but haven’t allowed oppression to stop them pursuing their dreams.

To what do you owe your success? The people who are supporting me. Anyone who has shared my work online and offline, who has seen my work and told others about it, and who has purchased my cards for their friends and family members. Their support is unmatched. Also, the funding I have received from the Student Union and Student Enterprise team! What does diversity mean to you? For me it doesn’t have a special meaning, it’s my everyday life. If you have grown up as the majority, you may never have to consider the term if the world is catered to you. But for me, I’m constantly reminded that I have to fight for myself to be included in places I have as much a right to be in as another. No one should have to fight to prove their worth as a person - diversity is entering a space and not thinking about whether or not I belong there.

What do you think is the message that people should take away from Black History Month? Black people are awesome. This month is an opportunity to celebrate that; it’s not an attempt to reduce any other ethnicity, but to highlight one which is often overlooked and neglected.

Do you have any more events coming up?

Where do you plan to go from here?

To find out more about Avila’s business and to purchase some of her cards, please visit:

I have a lot of goals and dreams. My biggest aim is to have a team made up of artists from underrepresented groups who can share their stories through cards.

www.aviladiana.com, Instagram: avila.diana, Facebook and Twitter: aviladianacards.

I have a few which I will be announcing in due time on my website, the biggest being my cards being stocked in SUSU!

WORDS BY CHARLOTTE COLOMBO

Mental Health in the Black Community Mental health in the Black community is a taboo subject, so much so that it is generally not even talked about in most households. How many black people can you confidently say have been outspoken about their mental health struggles? I’m not just talking about celebrities; I mean pastors, parents and teachers. I can barely name any and I spend a lot of time researching and advocating for better support within the community. Black people are often misdiagnosed by doctors, arrested during psychological breakdowns and prevented from accessing the correct care. These things occur due to the lack of representation and role models openly discussing the limited resources available and advocating for better support. Additionally, many communities are made up of migrants or immigrants, children raised by parents who left either war torn or unstable countries to seek better lives for their families. These children are raised in two worlds, one where they are taught to be greatful to be given opportunities beyond their parents’ wildest dreams and another where they are facing racial discrimination in a whole new demographic where very few people share their experiences. So when the child then develops mental health issues they find that they cannot turn to their parents for support because it turns into a ‘who has it worse?’ competition: the parents who left everything for their children or the child who has been experiencing bullying since primary school. The response is always obvious from the parents: ‘stop being ungrateful’, so the child grows believing that there is no support available. To add fuel to the fire, the British media’s issue with representation further reinforces these issues; it fails to address mental health in the black community which then trickles down into our communities. Tabloids and television shows are quick to use stereotypes to draw in viewers and revenue. We see the angry black woman or sassy black woman constantly being portrayed on TV, and this then follows young and old black women alike into their everyday lives.

As someone with anxiety, depression and a resting bitch face, I often have people telling me I’m intimidating, snobbish, that they ‘thought [I] was a bitch’ when they first met me and various other things which for them mean nothing, but to me cut deep. Such situations have fuelled my anxiety which in turn fuels my depression, I never know in certain situations if someone is just racist or a well-meaning person raised to be ignorant; I hate constantly being uncomfortable and afraid to speak. Often in the news when we see reports of knife crime and its links to young black men, the government is quick to condemn the attacks and open more prisons. However, there is never any mention on how the government aims to provide support to victims and communities which may experience trauma from the attacks. Additionally, the narrative that it is just black men involved is a dangerous one, it builds negative stereotypes, incites racial prejudices and attacks, all of which can go onto affect the minds of black people with no proximity to the dangers. Being someone with anxiety and two brothers, I often spend days at a time panicking whenever my brothers visit large cities. I worry that they may be stopped and searched in the best of cases or end up as victims of mistaken identification and in an A&E room or police cell, miles away from home. Very few people talk about the psychological effects the media has on Black people’s mental health, and I think it is time that we started to. We as a community need to be more vocal about the issues we face, it is not enough to ignore or ‘pray it away’. We need pastors referring members to specialist help, parents communicating with their children and friends being considerate of the world black people are living in. While life may generally be great, it’s not easy living as a minority, especially one with mental health issues.

WORDS BY AVILA DIANA CHIDUME

A Very Black Survival Guide I see you’ve got some extra melanin there, pal - that should make your university experience interesting…… As a “chocolate mama” (*gag*), there are some things that have happened to me at uni - weird things - that no-one ever thought to warn me about. So, with that in mind, I’ve compiled a fun little list of dos and don’ts to help you survive uni:

7. Remember that rappers say it! And if they didn’t want everyone else to say it, then why use it in the first place? 8. Learn ALL of the words to Mr. Brightside - you will be hearing it on average 37 times a week.

DON’T

1. Prepare to have your hair touched... A LOT! Like a farm animal in a petting zoo, you will be touched without your consent, so get used to it!

1. Be black whilst shopping - I almost forgot that black skin automatically makes you a thief. If possible, leave the black skin at home.

2. Prepare to explain your existence. A lot of people come from sheltered backgrounds. This means that they probably think that black people are a myth or an urban legend told by parents to scare them into being good little boys and girls. As a result, you will have to explain that, yes, you are a human with normal human tendencies, and, no, they cannot have an n-word ‘pass’.

2. Cook ethnic, “smelly” food in the kitchen!

3. Remember that not knowing stuff and refusing to learn or see things from other perspectives isn’t ignorant. Remember those sheltered little girls and boys? Well, there is a high chance that they will be learning new things about you and your hair, culture etc., BUT some of them will continue to spout ignorant nonsense, which is okay because if it doesn’t concern them, then does it really matter?

And most importantly….

4. Remember, racism is dead- we have to stop complaining about something that doesn’t exist anymore. America had a black president, remember? 5. Speak eloquently and dress properly and you won’t be racially profiled - simple as that really.

3. Play the victim! Remember that racist experience you had? It was probably all in your head, so grin and bear it. 4. Discuss history. The past is the past, so stop complaining.

HAVE FUN! In all seriousness, university is meant to be a time for you to discover new interests, make new friends and avoid going to lectures. So, buckle up and enjoy the ride! But don’t have too much fun; remember, those coming from BAME groups have a lower chance of receiving a first or a 2:1..

WORDS BY SHARON WANJOHI

6. Remember my beautiful melaninated brothers and sisters, you WILL be fetishised. Use this as an opportunity to debunk (or ratify) stereotypes. I myself have taken to becoming many a middle class privately educated boy’s plaything.

Cultural Cooking: Jollof Rice & Jerk Chicken Recipie The triumvirate of jollof rice, jerk Jerk Chicken chicken and rice and peas dominate black cuisine. The former is from West If you’re lazy, Africa, and the latter two from the Carribbean. most shops do a half-decent jerk seasoning, Jollof Rice which can be brought back to life with a little scotch bonnet, ginger Ingredients for 2 servings and garlic. Otherwise, use the below recipe. It’s best to marinate the chicken overnight. 1 large red bell pepper 1 small onion Ingredients 30ml vegetable oil 1 can of diced tomatoes 1 small onion ½ tube tomato paste 1/2 cup chopped spring onions 2 Scotch bonnet peppers 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme 1/2 teaspoon curry powder 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 level teaspoon of dried mixed herbs 1 teaspoon sugar 2 crushed chicken stock cubes 2 teaspoons ground allspice 300g rice (roughly 2 cups) 1 teaspoon black pepper 120 ml water (around 1/2 cup) 1 scotch bonnet Method 1. Blend the onions until smooth and put aside. Blend the tomatoes, tomato paste and peppers until smooth and put aside. 2. Heat the oil over a medium heat. 3. When the oil is hot, add the onion purée and fry for 10 minutes, or until the purée starts to brown. 4. Stir in the tomato purée and add the curry powder, garlic, ginger, dried herbs and chicken stock cubes. Cook for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the stew has reduced by half and is deep red in colour. 5. Add the rice and water, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for another 25 minutes, until the rice is cooked through and the liquid is absorbed. Stir often, so the rice at the base of the pot does not burn.

1 teaspoon lemon 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 2 chicken pieces, slashed with a knife. This deepens the flavour. Method

1. Combine all ingredients (except the chicken) and blend until smooth. 2. Put the chicken in a large bowl, and pour the marinade over it. Mix the chicken pieces around to coat them completely, cover and marinate overnight in the fridge. 3. Place the chicken in an oven at 150 degrees Celsius for at least 25 minutes until cooked through. Ensure cooked chicken is white throughout.

WORDS BY NATHANIEL OLUWADAMILOLA OGUNNIYI

The NHS Needs More Black Blood Blood donations from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups are in high demand, according to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT). Around 14% of the UK population is BAME, yet ethnic minority donors such as myself only account for 6% of people who donate across the nation. To understand the chronic shortage of ‘black blood’, we must first establish why our blood is needed, and then answer why our donation numbers are lacking. Usually, blood donations use the two most well known blood group systems; ABO and Rh. The ABO group system refers to whether a person has A, B, both A and B (AB), or neither A nor B (O) antigens in their red blood cells and is determined by the specific version (allele) of the ABO gene. The Rh group system refers to whether a person has the Rhesus factor D antigen, Rh(D), known as Rhesus positive/Rh+ or if a person does not have it, Rh(d), known as Rhesus negative/Rh-. This is determined by the presence or absence of the RHD gene. The ABO and Rh systems are used together when giving patients single transfusions. Though what many people do not know is that there are in fact 36 known blood group systems, and people who have multiple transfusions, such as through pregnancy and childbirth or a chronic blood disease, must have extensive checks of their other blood subtypes. One of the blood subgroups is the Ro subtype, which only around 2% of NHSBT donors have as of January 2016. Without getting too technical, the Ro subtype is a specific version of the Rhesus Positive group that is most common in Africa, and so UK individuals of African descent are of much higher likelihood to have Ro blood. In fact, the NHSBT says “The Ro subtype is more than 10 times as common in individuals from Black African or Black Caribbean ethnic backgrounds, than in individuals from white ethnic backgrounds”. Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease are two blood disorders that affect production of haemoglobin, the protein that gives blood its distinctive red colour and carries oxygen around the body and almost always causes anaemia. Thalassaemia is higher amongst people of South Asian and Mediterranean heritage and Sickle Cell Disease is higher amongst people of African and Caribbean heritage. Both Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease require regular ongoing transfusions, and both conditions require the Ro blood subtype. This explains the clinical need for Rh+ (specifically O+ and B+) blood from black and brown donors.

One of the biggest reasons that people of all backgrounds in the UK don’t donate blood is a lack of awareness, which can be anything from not knowing how long donations take or where to donate, to not ranking donating blood as a priority. For instance, migrant and immigrant families new to the UK likely aren’t aware of the importance of them giving blood, and the second and third generation children subsequently don’t pick up the notion of becoming a donor. However, there are more ominous reasons why some ethnic minority communities do not give blood. Many African countries have poorly developed systems for safe blood donation, so the practice of giving blood isn’t prevalent. But on a more sinister note, the U.S. Public Health Service’s ‘Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male’ was an abhorrent human rights abuse that told 600 African-American men they were receiving free health care from the government. In fact, they were used to study the effects of untreated syphilis, a study that lasted 40 years, until a public health service whistleblower exposed it in 1972. It should be unsurprising then to see that black communities have mistrust and superstitions about seemingly white institutions like public health care services - though the irony is that the NHS is one of the largest employers of BAME individuals in the UK. There are also negative attitudes towards blood donation from higher rates of haemoglobin deferral among people of African descent, cultural and religious perspectives on the body, mistreatment by staff e.g. more often being mis-punctured, and forms of social exclusion. It is important to stress that talking about BAME people in the context of blood donations doesn’t entirely do us justice - we aren’t a monolithic group, rather, individuals who make up many diverse communities. Hopefully by talking about the importance of giving blood, we can improve attitudes towards the notion of donating and, crucially, save lives.

WORDS BY KENDALL FIELD-PELLOW

My Heroes: Inspirational Woman, Gender Non-Conforming People and Members of the LGBTQIA+ Community The backbone of many of our liberation movements in the UK, US and beyond have been black women, femmes, trans and non binary people. Here are a few of my heroes who deserve endless praise.

Emma Dabari (she/her)

L’Oréal dropping Munroe was just another example of performative allyship. A black trans woman was only being used to promote diversity and boost their sales. Munroe was speaking up for all black people everywhere and continues to do that today. She speaks on important issues such as the lack of support for queer students in the education system, racism, colourism, sexism, transphobia and so much more. Munroe not only helped me find my voice when discussing racism and white supremacy but she also continuously educates me and so many others on mainstream feminism’s lack of intersectionality. Feminism could be in mortal threat if women of colour and non-binary people don’t see it as a tool that has the power to change their lives, and Munroe reminds me of this everyday.

She looks into the effects of European beauty standards on black women and the effects of capitalism on black people when it comes to self care and hair care. Emma Dabiri’s outspokenness means a lot to me personally as a black Irish historian and “Don’t Touch My Hair” is a must-read.

I first learned about social historian Emma Dabiri through Instagram. She was speaking about cultural appropriation in a video for Dazed magazine.

The topic she was speaking about deeply interested me, but what made me want to Munroe Bergdorf (she/they) watch, and more importantly listen, to the video was her Irish accent. She sounded like me! Munroe Bergdorf is a British model and (Although my accent is fading). This was activist. She was the first transgender model in something that really shocked me, as I don’t the United Kingdom for L’Oréal. The first time really see or hear many black Irish women in I heard about Munroe was in 2017 when she TV, films or in our media in general. Hearing her was dropped by L’Oréal for discussing racism discuss cultural appropriation in depth made in a very honest and nuanced way, a way white me want to know much more about her work. people weren’t, and still aren’t, ready to hear. As a result, I bought her book “Don’t Touch My She stated that ‘white people as a group are Hair”, where she writes about growing up in brought up racist’, and that ‘most of y’all don’t Ireland, racism (some centring around her hair) even realise or refuse to acknowledge that your and feeling a lot of shame about her 4C hair. existence, privilege and success as a race is She goes through the history of African hair built on the backs, blood and death of people of before slavery, during slavery and during the colour.’ Black Power movements.

9 8

Marsha P Johnson (she/her) As I write this, people all over the world are honouring Marsha P. Johnson on what would have been her 74th birthday. Johnson was a black trans woman and sex worker who was a revolutionary leader of black radical LGBT feminist thought. She was a central figure in the gay liberation movement catalysed by the 1969 police raid on the Stonewall Inn. Stonewall prompted a more assertive, even militant gay-rights movement, and resulted in the first gay pride parades in 1970. She also co-founded STAR in the same year, along with her friend Sylvia Rivera. STAR was a gay, gender non-conforming and transgender street activst organisation. It was a radical political collective that also provided housing and support to homeless transgender people and sex workers in New York. She was also an AIDS activist, attending protests and meetings by ACT UP, the AIDS advocacy organisation. They tried to whitewash her story in the 2015 Stonewall film, where they cast the lead as a white gay man, but her determined activism, her joy, her strength and her struggle will always be remembered. “As long as gay people don’t have their rights all across America,” she once said, “there’s no reason for celebration.” Toni Morrison (she/her) Toni Morrison died on 6th August 2019 at the age of 88, and is someone whose writings I only became aware of after it was announced that Halle Bailey would play Ariel in the new Disney remake. Black people were repeating a particular quote from her on social media, “The function, the very serious function of racism is a distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining, over and over again, your reason for being.” Reading this quote over and over again changed the way I approached discussing race online, I don’t have to prove my humanity as a black person to anyone, ever.

When Toni Morrison wrote, she wrote for and to black people, black women in particular. She wasn’t trying to educate white people or justify our existence to a white audience. She believed that white people had a very serious problem (racism) and that it is something that white people need to deal with. She was frank about gender, race and inclusion in America when it was dangerous to do so. She may have felt fear, but to me and many other black women, she was fearless. Olive Morris (she/her) Olive Morris was a radical black feminist in South London in the 1970s. She died of cancer in 1979 aged just 27. In her 27 years of life, she left behind an incredible legacy of activism. When she was a teen, she was arrested, assaulted and kicked in the chest by police for trying to stop an act of police brutality against a Nigerian diplomat. The police assumed that he had stolen the Mercedes he was driving in (with his wife and children in the car), and they arrested and beat him. From a young age she dedicated her life to black liberation, socialism and feminism. She became part of the British Black Panther Movement in 1968, and became a core member, as well as co-founding the Brixton Black Women’s Group in 1974, and the Organisation of Women of Asian and African Descent (OWAAD). Olive did so much in her life, and was committed to the fight against oppression in all forms.

WORDS BY HALIMA JIBRIL

STEM: Branching into Black British History As a result of the critically acclaimed 2016 film Hidden Figures, more people can reference the work of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson when thinking about black history in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Along with her colleagues Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson, she solved the orbital mechanics necessary to map the moon’s surface. This served the success of the Lunar Orbiter Program and the future 1969 moon landing. According to bbstem.co.uk, 6.2% of UK domiciled students enrolled in STEM-related subjects at UK universities are black. This statistic is very daunting to a black woman studying engineering such as myself. Representation matters, and when I thought about Black British history in STEM, I was certain that the UK was sure to have their own ‘Hidden Figures’. That is why for this year’s Black History Month, I knew that I needed to research, become more aware and celebrate the Black British contribution to Science and Technology, through the following examples. Hidden Figure #1 Born in Birmingham in 1947, Professor Dame Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu is an Emeritus Professor of Nursing and Patron of the Sickle Cell Society. Elizabeth was inspired to become a nurse at a young age after positive experiences with one during her childhood eczema treatments. She began work at age 16 as a school nurse assistant for the NHS in Wolverhampton. Her following achievements were outstanding with her early focus on working with the black and minority ethnic (BME) groups in London. She completed her PhD at the University College London (UCL) Institute of Education and later worked at UCL as a lecturer in Community Genetic Counselling. Beyond being recognised by the field of nursing, Elizabeth Nneka Anionwu has also been knighted and honoured with Damehood (DBE), highlighting her great achievements in her field and contribution to British society. Hidden Figure #2 Born in London in 1968, Professor Clifford Johnson is a Theoretical Physicist. He received his BSc in Physics at Imperial College London before completing his PhD here at the University of Southampton. He is now a Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Southern California. His research interests include superstring theory and particle physics.

In 2005, he was awarded the Maxwell Medal and Prize from the Institute of Physics. This prize recognises outstanding early-career contributions to theoretical physics. As well as his research achievements, he takes an active role in consultancy work for both the History and the Discovery Channel and outreach projects such founding the African Summer Theory Institute (ASTI). Scientific outreach is very important for getting people, who may not have all the resources or opportunities, to get involved in science. ASTI gathers students, professional educators and researchers annually to learn about different scientific research topics in an enjoyable and inspiring manner. Hidden Figure #3 Bola Fatimilehin is the current Head of Diversity at the Royal Academy of Engineering. Her Twitter biography expresses that she is ‘committed to increasing diversity through dialogue and by stimulating culture change. Promoting access, inclusion and progression for minority groups.’ Not only does she want to improve diversity within the Royal Academy of Engineering itself, she also aims to do the same in the engineering profession. Regarding her plans in making engineering more accessible to minority groups, she has proposed projects which bring students and BME role models together to discuss and give insight into what a career as an engineer is like and show the range of different people working in the sector. As we have seen in these examples, there is a common thread when exploring black history in STEM. The many trailblazers who have paved the way to more great achievements are willing to help others, and strive to diversify their field of study. Their stories and actions show us that no matter your gender, ethnicity or background, nothing is ever out of your reach.

WORDS BY TINASHE MUNYEBVU

Black and British: On Reconciling Nationality and Heritage

‘

Diaspora’ is not a word you tend to learn early in life. Still, the concepts of culture and conformity occur to us from the onset of socialisation—from lunchtime in kindergarten and geography lessons in primary school. Many Black Britons today are the children or grandchildren of immigrants, still in a dialogue with ou heritage; mediators between tradition and assimilation, not entirely devoted to British culture. (Or at least, the orthodox idea of British culture). Insofar as the gauge for British identity is forged from White history, customs, sensibilities and experiences, being Black and from Britain seems like living a duality: our lives unfold in at least two distinct cultural settings and we’re aware of this in our earliest memories. Again, “diaspora” is not a word you tend to learn early in life. That is to say, one of the fundamental struggles of Black Britishness, besides profiling, is that we don’t often discover the language and concepts to (circum)navigate insecurity until we’ve grown with our frustration.

The feeling of “otherness” is akin to a dull, obstinate cramp; it doesn’t quite paralyse you, but it does nag at your every attempt to participate. It’s wearying, to say the least. Often our earliest instinct, underscored by British nationalism, is to escape the duality—to commit ourselves to the cultural spaces and symbols of Britain’s majority. But the bottom line is that not all of these are relevant or considerate to us, and we’re not offered space to introduce our differences into the British canon. Ineffectually, many spaces that claim to be the quintessence of orthodox Britain are proud refuges of “political incorrectness,” of overt suspicion towards migration; pubs are a notorious example, depending where you are in the UK. Escaping into the hegemon isn’t an option. Where does that leave us? It’s at the tail of this concession that an alternative, more promising resolution rears its head: reconciling our nationality and our heritage. There’s no cultural road map or framework for this outside of the one we create; this is a unique challenge for us and anyone other than Black Britons obviously has no stake in this. Hence, it’s an improvised journey to conceive a niche—both mental and material—through which we can blend the otherwise distinct backdrops to our lives, individually and collectively. There’s straining. There’s stumbling. But as recent history has written, from this emerges what we appreciate as Black-British culture and community, ever evolving to adapt our growth as a population.

Strawberries and cream are as beloved on a sunny day as an ice-cold malt; the gloves will come off over the perfect cup of tea as well as the standard garnishes to jollof rice; there’s usually both a ball and a bashment on the annual agenda. We discuss the realities at the intersection of cultures with confidence. Fusion in our music, food and visual arts has inspired and continues to inspire business. We write stories on paper and on screen that confirm our experiences and conventions. We design our own spaces and symbols to outline our profile within Britain. Everyone whose home is Britain is right to unpack. The diaspora isn’t an immediate oasis for everyone Black and British. If you’re gay/bi, trans or intersex, you’re acutely aware of homophobia and transphobia as the status quo in Africa and the Caribbean, and first question whether some hold that as “culture” when entering Black spaces. The destigmatisation of mental health also faces particular hurdles in our community. Not a week goes by where we don’t address colourism. Like any society, we have our battles. And like any society, intersectionality progresses us: our spaces include enterprises and forums towards activism, where we already share a level of context, where we can speak in nuances. Black Pride, the Black Feminist Bookshop and formerly Black Mental Health UK, for example, are all rooted in the premise of an explicit Black British community.

Make no mistake—our community isn’t a refuge from wider British culture. It’s an extension of Britain’s culture, normalising (or shall I say naturalising?) our own experiences within Britain. We’re synthesis in motion, forming something new and native. We’re Black. We’re British. We’re out here. ‘Many people assume that Black history is slavery and because of that assumption, they believe that to talk about Black history is to talk about a painful episode in their history. Now I always make it clear that the definition of Black history I use is Maulana Karenga’s definition, which is, “History is the record and process of people engaged in struggle to shape the world in their image and interest.” Therefore, history is what we did to Africanise the world. Once you define history in this way, then slavery is not Black history, because during slavery Black people were not shaping anything, we were being shaped. Our history during that period is what we did to fight against it. Now what did Black people do to Africanise the world? We did quite a lot. When you put that “quite a lot” into perspective then the 500 years of slavery is actually a very small part of that story.’ — Robin Walker

WORDS BY FARIDA YUSUF

INSPIRING INTERVIEWS: A Conversation with Bim Afolami Bim Afolami is the Tory MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, a Hertfordshire constituency north of London. He was first elected in 2017. Mr Afolami bounds across the ground floor of Portcullis House with a childlike gait. He wears a white shirt and microspot lime tie, accompanied with a navy notch lapel suit. Above us, the glass roof floods the courtyard café with light. In his left hand is a black leather cased iPad and an orchid notepad, out of which hang some sheafs of A4 paper. He greets me with an enthusiastic handshake and apologises for his tardiness; I’m just happy this interview is taking place. Last night, 21 Tory MPs voted against the government, leading to a defeat. Today’s parliamentary business is just as controversial. While Mr Afolami talks about their talents, he also stresses the need for party discipline. I ask first about social mobility, and he responds with a historical perspective. The success of ethnic minorities since he was my age (I’m 19) has been great, although I’m not sure we should be driving with reference to the rearview mirror. On the flip side, he adds, the post-war expansion led to a growth of the upper and middle classes. The availability of professional jobs grew the national elite. New members could join, without any leaving. Now, for someone to rise, another must fall; ‘that is tougher’. I ask about a General Election, and he says ‘obviously this year’. Mr Afolami has three children, and he reckons in a GE campaign he may not see them for a month. Paraphrasing from The Godfather 2, his favourite film, he proclaims ‘this is the life we have chosen’. I’m suddenly tempted to turn this into one of those ‘what’s your favourite food?’ and ‘favourite TV show?’ interviews but I desist; limiting myself to one such question at the end. For those interested in such vapid facts; he’s an Arsenal and Northampton Saints fan. I suggest the long hours put some people off politics, but he’s not too sure. ‘In every walk of life, you have to make sacrifices’. Others, however, are ‘unnecessary’; ‘intrusion on family life’ and ‘rudeness you get online’. ‘

‘Campaigning is a fundamental part of life as a politician’. ‘You have to get people’s vote’s every so often, or we live in a dictatorship’. He’s not a fan of the ‘People’s Vote’ campaign, for a second referendum, so I stay away from that joke. My next question latches onto his brief reference to the City, and his time there. He was a corporate lawyer and then worked in finance, so I ask; should more MPs have experience outside of Westminster? He says quite a few do, but the nature of their experience is ‘not as useful as it could be’. Perhaps he was also a diplomat before entering the Commons. Professionals, not PR, is the summary of his thoughts. The similarity of the political and public relations skillsets means that effort must be made, by political parties, to recruit those from more diverse occupations. We get onto charitable initiatives; he’s a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and Ditchley, but his eyes light up when we talk about a scheme he’s running in his constituency. Taking 12 ‘opportunity fellows’ for 3 days of leadership and advocacy training, one week’s work experience in Parliament, and one week in industry. It’s a new scheme, and still finding its feet, but I think it has potential. I promised to reward myself with one unserious question at the end; I asked of last text he received. After a quick glance, he tells me it was a local councillor, asking: ‘What’s going on?’. Most people, bar the man across from me, don’t know either.

WORDS BY NATHANIEL OLUWADAMILOLA OGUNNIYI

The History of Civil Rights and The Fight for Racial Equality in the UK I was born and raised in the Republic of Ireland, and the only Black History Month I knew of for a long time was Black History Month in the United States. I was completely unaware that just across the pond, the United Kingdom celebrated their own Black History Month, in a completely different month to the US. Black History Month in the US is celebrated in February because it falls on the birthdays of the abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and the so-called Great Emancipator Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln has historically been seen as embodying the most important American ideals, a self-made man, a hero and the liberator of slaves. However, Lincoln was actually anti-slavery, not an abolitionist like Douglass. Anti-slavery advocates did not view black people as equals, and a majority of them argued for gradual emancipation.Abolitionists, on the other hand, were fighting for the immediate emancipation of slaves and the ending of racial segregation and discrimination. Lincoln was a racist who actually defended and tried to protect slavery, many times, and that’s how we should remember him but... I digress. Black History Month in the United Kingdom is celebrated in October for two reasons. Firstly, African chiefs and leaders traditionally gathered in October to discuss their differences, so the founder of Black History Month in the UK, Akyaaba Addai Sebo, picked this month to reconnect with our African roots. Secondly, October is seen as the start of the new academic year, so October was decided upon to give black students a sense of pride and identity. Akyaaba Addai Sebo was a Ghanaian born officer on the Greater London Council. He founded Black History Month in the UK in 1987 after visiting America in the 1970s. In actuality, it was only in 1969 that Black History Month was born in the US. Before then, it was only Negro History Week that was celebrated,which was founded by Carter G. Woodson in February 1926. People started recognising in the 60s, against the backdrop of the Black Panthers, various black power movements and the civil rights movement that a week just wasn’t long enough, and to be honest, neither is a month.

Black History Month in the UK and Britain’s black power movements were inspired by what was happening in the US. There were black power movements in the UK that people know very little about, such as The British Black Panther. The BBP was a secretive movement, but they had a significant impact on race relations and legislation in this country. Their hidden legacy is in all the proposed laws about deportation being quashed, ensuring that the government properly educated black children. Neil Kenlock, a BBP member, stated in an interview with VICE that “There were a lot of successes, but they weren’t really attributed to the Black Panthers, even though they were the work of the Panthers. It’s a hidden story.” There is so much we don’t know about Black history, and it’s not something that can be squeezed into a month. It’s something that should be embedded into our mainstream educational system. As the late and great Toni Morrison said: ‘Black literature is taught as sociology, as tolerance, not as a serious, rigorous art form.’ Black history in the UK is taught through such a white-centric lens. Rather than teaching it with the same respect as the World Wars, it is merely used to teach non- black students “tolerance” - a word we should reexamine - during Black History Month. We need to make a conscious effort to stop limiting the educational practices and historical ideologies of black history, this Black History Month and beyond.

WORDS BY HALIMA JIBRIL

Queer: A Blackened History Queer and black. Two controversially radical identities not often put together. Yet, these two identities are very much interwoven throughout contemporary history. Being both LGBT+ and a person of colour in societies that demonised and threatened every aspect of your existence meant being deemed ugly and hominoid on the outside, as well as weird and unnatural on the inside. However, it also meant to be radical or revolutionary in every sense of the words, as to simply exist was an act of insurgence. A hero of mine is Bayard Rustin (1912 - 1987). A homosexual black civil rights activist, Rustin is famed for being a chief organiser of the historic and monumental 1963 March on Washington, as well as being an adviser to Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Whilst these are awe-inspiring signifiers of his legacy, he was a legend in his own right. In the 1930s, Rustin was involved with the Young Communist League, but left as he disagreed with their activities. During the Second World War, Rustin worked for socialist African-American leader A. Philip Randolph, protesting the discriminatory hiring process of the U.S. Forces. As a Quaker pacifist who followed Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violent resistance, he joined many groups, including the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR). In 1942, a decade before the Montgomery bus boycott, Rustin was arrested and beaten for refusing to move to the back on a bus from Louisville to Nashville under Jim Crow laws, but was subsequently released uncharged. He recounted about a white child on the bus who was told not to touch a n*****: “I owe it to that child, not only to my own dignity, I owe it to that child, that it should be educated to know that Blacks do not want to sit in the back, and therefore I should get arrested, letting all these white people in the bus know that I do not accept that.

It occurred to me shortly after that that it was an absolute necessity for me to declare homosexuality, because if I didn’t I was a part of the prejudice. I was aiding and abetting the prejudice that was a part of the effort to destroy me.” His decision to be open about his homosexuality cost him the visibility that he would later develop in the civil rights movement. Rustin was sent on behalf of the FOR and the American Friends Service Committee, who worked to protect seized property, to report on the conditions of Japanese-American internment camps following the attack on Pearl Harbor. He was then later arrested for a second time during the war for refusing to register for the draft and imprisoned for three years. During his incarceration, he organised against British colonial rule in India and Africa, which he protested upon his release. Rustin was arrested a third and final time in 1953 for vagrancy and lewd conduct. However, he pleaded guilty instead to the charge of “sex perversion” and, as a result of his conviction, was pressured to resign from the FOR. Rustin became a prominent organiser in many aspects of the civil rights movement but in 1962 he was asked to leave Dr King’s organising team due to the public image of his homosexuality. Despite this, he was voted to be allowed to be a director of the March due to their ‘absolute faith’ in his character and ability in the following year. In the years before his death in 1987, he engaged in gay rights activism after being urged to do so by his partner, Walter Naegle, and, admirably, he openly admitted; “[He] was not involved in the struggle for gay rights as a youth”. Naegle accepted the Presidential Medal of Freedom which President Obama awarded posthumously to Bayard Ruskin in 2013. I will finish by saying that it is only by appreciating queer black history that we can do justice to such intersectional and beautifully diverse communities. As we all should know by now, representation matters, and we have nothing to lose, but everything to gain, by listening to and telling the stories of queer black voices. The people, events and movements that make up queer black history are vast and numerous, so this BHM I urge you to delve into the hidden stories that brought us to where we are today. WORDS BY KENDALL FIELD-PELLOW

INSPIRING INTERVIEWS: Daniel Taylor MBE When I ask Mr Taylor about his life journey, his words seem to sprint. He started MDC (Metro Design Consultants) 21 years ago, wrongly thinking it would be less intense than his time as Europe and Middle East VP for a major multinational. As we speak, he’s preparing for meetings in the US, as many of his clients, including MTV, Disney and Facebook are headquartered there, making international travel a necessity. Of the illustrious clients he’s had, a few stand out. He mentions working with Lord Saatchi of the Conservative Party to design the party’s former national offices in Victoria as a highlight, and I can hear in his voice the pleasure he took in designing 12 Unite offices, from London to Leeds. Similarly, we talk about the Boeing and Norwegian airlines, Sthree and the NHS. He beams when I talk about the future. This is a family business, and he’s passing on the baton to his daughter, of whom he’s clearly proud. Female leadership brings a ‘new brand and look’, and this industry needs it.

Just three of the world’s 100 biggest architecture firms are headed by women, and in general women occupy 10% of architecture leadership roles. Still, the challenges congregate. “Our industry is colour and gender biased”, he says. Many contracts rely on an old boys network, of which minorities are unlikely to be members. He talks extensively of the need for more BAME diversity in senior management and the need for more black-owned businesses.

He’s a judge on the BBBA, the Black British Business Awards, which recognises the UK’s rising stars and established leaders thriving in their respective sectors, one of many initiatives attempting to recognise thriving black businesses. Some years ago, a group of black leaders created the ALETO foundation, chaired by Sir Kenneth Olisa. The programme creates friends, Mr Taylor tells me - I should know, as I was a delegate this year. Two past participants, Tim Armoo and Ambrose Cooke, jointly started Fanbytes and now count Apple and Deliveroo among their clients. The summer mentoring programme has benefited from Mr Taylor’s wisdom in past years, as he’s mentored dozens of young black leaders, and he now serves as a trustee. The opportunity to ‘give back’ is one he clearly relishes. It’s an opportunity available to all of us, and appears in many forms. Some give their money, others their time and skills and as students, it’s likely to be the latter. Statistics show that while 12% of the entire adult population is 18-24, only 0.5% of trustees on charity boards are 18-24. Trustees’ Week this year is the 4th-8th November, and many charities will be highlighting their trusteeship vacancies.

WORDS BY NATHANIEL OLUWADAMILOLA OGUNNIYI