News

April 4th marked the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Although taken from this world far too soon, King left us with an important legacy that continues to inform the work we do here at Operation Black Vote. It is in his memory and honour that each member of the OBV staff has written a short personal reflection about what Martin Luther King Jr. means to them.

Simon Woolley:

Dutch beer company Heineken recently joined the ranks of companies releasing racially insensitive and discriminatory adverts. In a recent ad, a friendly light-skinned bartender is shown sliding a beer down the bar past three Black people, into the hands of a light-skinned woman. As she takes a sip, the words “sometimes, lighter is better” flash across the screen.

As an activist with 25 years’ experience of campaigning for social and racial justice, I have learned that you have to seize the big opportunities that can offer dramatic change.

South African activist and leader Winnie Madikizela-Mandela dies at 81.

The former first lady and anti-apartheid activist remains a strong symbol of the country’s three-decade struggle for equality.

Mrs Madikizela-Mandela was born in the Eastern Cape in 1936. She began her early career as a social worker before marrying her husband Nelson Mandela. When she took the position at Baragwanath Hospital she broke through her first barrier, becoming the first black social worker in South Africa.

There are many Commonwealth Immigrants who thought they were British citizens who are now facing ever-increasing amounts of discrimination, exclusion, and harassment from Immigration officers . Especially in recent years, though, as anti-immigrant sentiment and stricter immigration rules have become more prominent, immigrants from commonwealth countries are now being labelled illegal and denied access to housing, health care, and more.

The deadline to register to vote in the 2018 local elections is fast approaching on 17 April. Those who have not registered have approximately two weeks to do so before the elections in early May.

The registration process takes no more than ten minutes and can easily be done online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Those wishing to register will need their National Insurance number and passport on hand to complete the application.

Women of power, women of agency deserve to be championed for their hard-work and accomplishments. Karen Blackett is one of these women, her life time achievements inviting praise and celebration as her story serves as a shining example of what is possible when raw talent meets passion and hard-work. Even more so, because her success as a black woman means she has had to break through countless glass ceilings and barriers to get to where she is today.

Virgil Abloh, creator of luxury streetwear brand Off/White and former fashion consultant for Kanye West, has been appointed as artistic director for Louis Vuitton menswear. Abloh, a Ghanaian-American, is one of the first designers of color to be appointed to such a prominent position in a French luxury fashion house. Balmain’s creative director Olivier Rousteing is one of the only other minorities to hold such a post.