News

According to press reports, The Government Minister for Race Equality, Lord Bourne, announced that the UK would celebrate the contribution from people from the Caribbean with a National Windrush Day. This Friday 22nd June marks the 70th Anniversary of the SS Windrush that embarked in Tilbury docks, carrying passengers predominantly from the Caribbean.

One year on from one of the worst civil disasters, experienced in Britain in the post war period, the Grenfell Tower fire remains a deep scar on the consciousness of the nation, and a constitutes pain beyond most understanding. The contrast couldn't be greater, with local people suffering pain and tragedy has been utterly incomprehensible, whilst the response of those same ordinary people, has provided a bright shining light of hope on an otherwise dark and desolate incident.

When arguably the best Grime artist of his generation-Stormzy- burst onto the music scene with his monster hit,  ‘Shut up’, there was a reference in that song that suggested the greatest validation a Black British artist in the UK can get, is to receive a MOBO award:  “Man were upset about the MOBO Awards, Yeah, I was gassed at the MOBO Awards Why? Cause I ain't won a MOBO before.”

As a previously excluded, and now returning member of the Labour Party and a member of the independent Momentum Black Caucus (MBC) I recently attempted to join BAME Labour, in the hope that I could use my modest political and policy experience, to become involved in helping to think about and developing specific race equality and social justice policies within the Labour party.

But before I proceed further, let me give you a little by way of context and background.

“And so, with my Precious Billy in one hand and his future in the other,-the right to vote- I raise my arm to heaven and declare: ‘I vote for the Anti-Slavery candidate. I vote for Charles James Fox. I vote … for Freedom!’

This is the most powerful scene from an extraordinary one man play; ‘Sancho - An act of remembrance’ written and performed by Paterson Joseph.

Dear OBV friends,
Thank you for your support of OBV. Due to exceptional demand the advertised Al Sharpton event sold out within minutes. Please no longer contact the office regarding the event. Sorry for the disappointment, and thanks again for your support.
OBV team

Operation Black Vote alumni Sanchia Alasia was voted Mayor of Barking and Dagenham Council by her fellow councilor peers.

Cllr Alasia, who participated in the 2006/07 OBV MP Shadowing scheme, has been a councilor for over eight years and has great expertise in both European politics and social services. Ms Alasia became an integral part of the Labour party, that took on and ultimately defeated Nick Griffin and his racist political party the BNP.

Talking to OBV during the recent People of African Descent conference in Brussels, Alasia  said:

When the Malian refugee, Mamoudou Gassama, scaled the outside of a tower block to rescue a dangling child in an extraordinary act of bravery, France, and indeed the wider world viewed an African refugee/migrant, for a short time at least, as a human being.

It’s a week since I returned from the inaugural gathering at the European Parliament in Brussels that celebrated the ‘People of African Descent week’, with a conference that both celebrated 20 million people of African descent living in Europe, but also confronted the many challenges far too many face.