News

Hugh Masekela, born near Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1939, was so much more than a musician. But a brilliant musician he was. His trumpet was the sound of rebellion against apartheid in South Africa, every bit as much as Miriam Makeba’s voice.

Like Makeba, Masekela’s work was often uplifting, reflecting the joy of being alive, but tinged with the sadness at oppression and a desire to fight for freedom.

The overflow of love, respect and admiration within the eulogies for the untimely death of football legend Cyrille Regis is in no small measure  because of the unique combination of his footballing prowess and the intolerable racial abuse he his fellow team mates had to endure on Britain’s football terraces during the 1980's and 90's. One writer wrote: “as they braved the boos and the bananas, their significance as role models for succeeding generations of young black footballers had a value beyond price.”

This week the Guardian writer and author Lola Okolosie wrote a brilliant piece praising the actions of actress Emma Watson for highlighting the privilege she is bestowed for being white, and reminding all feminist that true feminism comes in all colours.

http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/trump-called-out-liar-and-racist

Donald Trump was exposed as a liar and a racist after a senator came forward as a witness to declare that the American president did indeed say that Haiti and African countries were “shithole countries.”

Trump had taken to Twitter to flatly deny that he said “anything derogatory”, although a White House spokesman later did not deny it, and even appeared to support the highly offensive remarks.

OBV alumni Helen Grant was among the most eye-catching appointments in Theresa May’s new year reshuffle.

Helen was made vice-chair for communities in the Conservative Party, a title she shares with Rehman Chishti. Their brief will cover the race and diversity agenda.

The ministerial shake-up was badged as an opportunity to bring in more ethnic minorities and women into government, and it didn’t disappoint.

Any advertising campaign that puts a Black child in a hooded top with the writing ‘coolest monkey in the jungle’, as the fashion giant H&M have done, demonstrates either absolute contempt for its Black customers andor why we desperately need greater Black leadership in UK’s big businesses.

Did no one at a senior level at H&M or their advertising agency say, ‘actually calling a Black kid a monkey, even if it's  the coolest monkey is really not cool, its racist!'

http://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/rayner-shamefully-pits-race-equality

The white working class must not be set against their Black neighbours

'White working class boys left behind because of "negative impact" of focus on ethnic minorities and women, Labour's Angela Rayner', ran a newspaper headline today.