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When Mayor Marvin Rees, a descendent of an enslaved African, who now runs Bristol -whose wealth was based on the slave trade-, many of us thought this is turning point in our history: A talented Bristolian working for social justice and prosperity for every citizen, who just happens to be Black. But no. Far from it.

One of Italy’s most prominent politicians Senator Roberto Calderoli from the Northern League (Lega Nord) has been given an 18-month prison sentence for stating at a rally in 2013 that whenever he saw a picture of the country’s first black minister, “I cannot but think of the features of an orangutan.”

The court found Calderoli guilty of defamation aggravated by racial hatred, refusing to accept his public justification of the comments as “playful banter.”

ELLE UK’s February edition brilliantly highlights young black British talent. Grime artist Stormzy headlines the cover and is joined throughout the issue by a collective of young black Britons who inspire him.

Stormzy writes about the need to inspire young black Britons in the issue.

“[I want] people to see this and realise if you are young, black and British you can 100 per cent excel in whatever lane you want.”

A violent racist attack of a London bus driver in December last year can be seen as emblematic of everyday racism in increasingly hostile Britain.

In late December 2018, a horrifying video emerged of a London bus driver being told “I hope you get f***ing deported” and to “get back to your f***ing country”.

The driver was forced to lock himself in the cab as his attacker spat at him and attempted to smash through the window, apparently aggravated by the driver doing his job by requesting the passenger for proof of payment.

People like Frank Wang, dubbed ‘Bethnal Green’s most popular coffee vendor’, aren’t supposed to win. He has no political power, no financial clout, and he didn’t even have co-workers to call upon to help when he was being pushed out of his business.

So, how did this one individual take on two big institutions: Transport for London, Tower Hamlets Council, and a much bigger business than his own, and win? The answer ... People power!

With Trump dominating recent US national politics and political discourse, racial diversity has certainly not been celebrated. However, the election of the 116th United States Congress raises questions about the direction in which the country is heading.

Years of diplomacy and campaigning including putting together international agreements, ensuring human rights for the most vulnerable, and forging the ground rules to literally save our planet can all be in done with almost a blink of the eye, from a ‘Populist’ demagogue leader such Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro .

When Lewis Hamilton won the Formula One  world championship for the 5th time this year, he not only became the greatest British F1 driver ever, he also became the best driver of his generation, and undoubtedly one of the very best the sport of as ever seen.

When I met her at the Dorchester Hotel in central London last week, Naomi Campbell was in a strident mood. She means business.

“Some sections of the media seem to be determined to portray me as an angry black woman, and it’s got to stop.”

She means it. She’s not playing. Not this time. She’s sending out a warning and, no doubt, she has a plan as to how to make the media tell the truth about how she behaves and what her intentions are.

I was honoured to speak at the recent Operation Black Vote meeting featuring Cecile Kyenge MEP who is being targeted by the Italian League party who are suing her for calling out racism. It is an alarming measure of the rise of the far right who feel emboldened to target Cecile, the only African descent member of European Parliament.