BMH magazine discusses the issue of deaths in custody

The issue of deaths in custody has been on and off the agenda over the past year. Only last month, OBV covered the story of the annual United Friends and Family (UFFC) march against deaths in custody which took place in central London.

The march is a chance for all those who have lost a loved one while in custody to stand together in solidarity as well as raise a collective voice for justice. But it is only when you hear the stories from friend and families that helps raise the issue to prevent it happening in the future.

That is why the latest edition of Black Mental Health UK's The Solution magazine is worth reading as it gives a voice to the children who have been impacted by the issue of deaths in custody. In a set of exclusive interviews, children living with the legacy of such tragedies, shed light on the generational impact of deaths in custody.

The second edition of the recently launched online magazine is dedicated to discussing the issue. The commemorative front cover of the October/November issue charts the tragic loss of lives, which is part of the hidden history that has sadly shaped the experience of black mental health in the UK over the past thirty years.

Elsewhere in the magazine, Levi Roots continues his support of BMH UK work of mainstreaming the issue of mental health in the community by sharing yet more healthy fabulicous recipes from his new book ‘Spice It Up.

In his column Why Mental Health Matters, Steve Pope, editor of the UK’s only black newspaper, The Voice, speaks out on the importance of remembering the community’s history in the particularly in the challenging area of mental health. The UK’s leading black church leaders Archdeacon Daniel Kajumba, Bishop Llewellyn Grayham and Pastor Desmond Hall unite in their call for a radical overhaul in the way these cases are treated.

Matilda MacAttram editor in chief of BMH UK’s The Solution Magazine said,

Of all aspects of black British history, the story of those from the UK’s African Caribbean communities who have used and died within mental health services is undoubtedly the most challenging. We mark black history month by taking a look at the uncharted history of black mental health, which as this edition’s cover shows, has sadly been shaped by the issue of deaths in custody.

She added,

"Information is power and those who fail to learn from the mistakes of past are likely to repeat them. We hope that this edition goes some way to shed light on the past and give insight into how to ensure a better future for those in need of mental health care."