News

A Harris poll commissioned by the UK Film Council found that more needs to be done to present a more ‘authentic portrayal of the country's diverse audiences that includes older women and minority ethnic groups’.

Most minority groups feel that they are stereotyped and under represented by Hollywood, and the British film and television industry.

The poll of over 4000 people conducted in early 2011 indicated that:

Over the weekend Geraldine Anne Ferraro passed away. Mrs. Ferraro served three terms as a member of the US House of Representatives and under President Bill Clinton was appointed United States Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

Reports are that Madonna’s Malawi girls school a “gift” to the country that gave her two children will not now be built.

Lawsuits are apparently flying between sacked staff on one side and Madonna on the other, amid accusations of corruption and ‘lack of progress’. 

In one of the biggest rallies ever seen in the UK, OBV’s director, Simon Woolley was given five minutes to address the audience.

Here is his speech in full:

"This will be a day that will go down in history.

An art exhibition and conference being held tomorrow will highlight issues concerning the forceable removal of those seeking refuge in the UK.

The 100 Mothers Movement event called 'Family Removals' will raise awareness about the maltreatment suffered as a result of removals and the impact on their families

Saturday’s Trade Union Congress demonstration march against the cuts was huge success except where race and anti racism are concerned says Lee Jasper.

With crowds far exceeding the expected numbers the clear message to the Government is that if you are going to pursue this reckless agenda of dismantling the NHS, cutting thousands of public sector jobs and closing vital services then you will do so in the face of widespread opposition, and yesterday was just the start.

A report about black flight from the Northeast and Midwest to Southern states of America is in stark contrast to the white flight that takes place in the UK.

In this country multicultural communities are found wanting as better off mainstream residents pack up and leave urban areas for rural 'English bastions'.

Except in richer inner city areas like Westminster where we learn that it is the minority ethnic population who are to be forced to move out and into poor urban areas to make room for rich investors.

OBV alumni member, community development worker and poet Dawna Lee picks through the second Budget and delivers her verdict in rhyme and reason.

I wonder how many of you were impressed by Chancellor George Osborne’s Budget on Wednesday. 

Pretty impressive stuff -  a neat economic package wrapped up in a bundle of slick sound bites that taps into our love of showbiz  - aspirations - and our desperate desire to feel as though things -  to quote Blair’s anthem.. ‘Will only get better’.

OBV intern Natalie Simmons writes about her grandmother experience of 1960s Britain after arriving from the Caribbean island of Grenada.

Ministers such as Enoch Powell encouraged Caribbean people to leave their home countries and to take up the British Government’s offer to migrate to what many saw as their “Mother country”. An irresistible offer to my grandmother as Grenada at the time suffered from high unemployment and providing for her immediate family of six was tough, as she was a housewife and her husband was a farmer.