News

The ‘Sharing the Journey Weekend’ at Forest Hill library this Saturday promises to explore and celebrate local and national black history.

Many argue black history ought to be commemorated far more and through the help of the Gradual Inspired Learning (GIL) centre, it is being given centre stage at the Lewisham community event this week.

Glenis Leitch is the co-founder of GIL and she has been integral in making the event possible.

The Government has announced plans to cut visa applications from non EU migrant workers by 270,000.

The policy will largely affect takeaway food shops and care support workers in care homes. The cut is the result of new restrictions that migrants can only apply for skilled jobs if the position requires qualifications at graduate or equivalent level.

The effect will be to leave many black and ethnic minority takeaways and nursing care homes short of staff. The expectation is that British workers will take up these positions

Yesterday a group of individuals and organisations including OBV and the Muslim Council of Britain held a news conference to talk about why we are supporting the Yes to the Alternative Vote.

Sikhs in Birmingham have united with Sikhs from London against the English Defence League and its Sikh member.

Members of the British Sikh community are disappointed to learn that Guramit Singh, one of the self-styled leaders of the English Defence League (EDL), who also is from a Sikh background, will not face charges after he was arrested last year on suspicion of causing religiously aggravated harassment, alarm and distress.

Streatham MP Chuka Umunna has called on the government to provide MPs with an update on progress in tackling knife and gun crime in Britain’s inner cities following a recent fatal stabbing in his constituency.

Mr Umunna made the request in the House of Commons yesterday in the context of extensive cuts to voluntary organisations working to prevent gun and knife crime. Leader of the House Sir George Young responded that he would pass the request on to the Home Secretary.

Speeches like the Prime Minister’s plea to the Security Summit in Munich about multiculturalism, rather than helping to bring about a more cohesive society, gives the ordinary citizen more to worry about. However his Deputy made good some of the damage in Luton last week when he said we need to work together not apart; Writes broadcaster and journalist Alexander Tetenta.

Clarence Jones, speech-writer, friend and counsel to Dr Martin Luther King talks exclusively to OBV.

To say you were a friend and colleague of Dr Martin Luther King is one thing but to also state that you were a collaborator to one of the greatest speeches ever written is quite another. Clarence B Jones can testify to both.

Ashley Cole Chelsea full back and England international is one of the most prodigious footballing talent of the current crop of England no hopers. Far and away the best English player in the 2009 World Cup, a man whose has won almost every domestic trophy more than once. Quite simply Cole is a footballing genius.
 

A new national black community organisation is launched aimed at tackling the socurge of youth violence in black communities.

SACRYD is a new organisation made up of people from the voluntary, faith and private sectors, parents, young people Local Government and health organisations, which is committed to tackling knife and violent crime in black communities. 

Only brave and morally strong individuals will put themselves out of pocket and make a stand when their action will bring alienation and loss of earnings but Hugh Muir’s article in the Guardian illustrates the story of one man willing to go out on a limb..

Hugh Muir wrote:

Richard Peppiatt, who worked as a freelance for the Daily Star, says that the process of writing for the paper became corrosive