News

Lambeth is in the grip of a vicious gang war that has escalated out of control. With Church congregations being shot at, little girls gunned down in crossfire, drive by machine gun killings and the latest assassination that took place in the Tulse Hill estate have left the community reeling in shock, anger and despair.

Kevin Maxwell (pictured left), a British filmmaker, writer and performer, reflects on the recent debate about multiculturalism, immigration and identity in modern Britain.

One of the novel developments of British political life in recent years has been the rising prominence of Asian lawmakers in the country. While Asians (that is, immigrants from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and other subcontinent nations, and their descendants) have been in the U.K. in large numbers for fifty years, their participation in national politics has lagged far behind.

Asian women, in particular, have had very little to say with respect to public policy.

Reverend Dr. Richard Cheetham writes about the need for increased understand of the relationship between Christian and Muslim faiths.

A collection of press cuttings, interview transcripts, pamphlets, posters and reports documenting UK race relations since 1968 will move to the Black Cultural Archives (BCA) this month.

The Runnymede Collection, which includes more than 6,000 items, is the archive of leading race relations think tank The Runnymede Trust. The collection is unique, reflecting on the development of multiculturalism and British race relations since Enoch Powell’s Rivers of Blood speech.  

Bradford has made history in the UK with the appointment of the first Muslim woman Lord Mayor. Naveeda Ikram, a local councillor for the Little Horton area since 2004, was installed at a ceremony at Bradford City Hall recently.

Mrs Ikram, a psychology and sociology graduate, has served as Deputy Mayor of Bradford since 2009. She was also the first woman of Pakistani origin to become a councillor in Bradford and in 2007 was one of only two Bradford councillors picked to take part in a national course designed to identify future leaders.

Joseph Harker writes over at The Guardian about the predjudice black students face from teachers who expect less from them than white students:

The NUS Black Students’ Campaign has joined with those fighting to retain the historical Africa Centre, in Kings Street, Covent Garden, London.

The Africa Centre has been thought of as the head quarters of the African Diaspora in Britain for over 50 years. It has catered to the needs, development, social welfare and education of those wishing to learn more about and enjoy all aspects Africa.

Primary school head teacher Simon Parker has been banned from the classroom after a torrent of racist outbursts which included calling parents “Muslim f******”, labelling a supply teacher a “Black b****”, The Metro reports:

The catalogue of foul-mouthed comments also included calling a prospective teacher a ‘P*ki’ and saying ‘we don’t want any of those’ about a black applicant.