events

Black Education Matters – Zoom, 2pm Saturday 27 June

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE UK AND THE US LINK UP… BLACK EXCELLENCE! ????? Learn what needs to change in British & US schools and help make it happen. Freedom, liberation and justice starts with education.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB35DAKpUnQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

JOIN US @ldnblm & @educatorsforjustice ON SATURDAY (2PM BST/ 9AM EST) ON ZOOM AS WELL AS OUR SPEAKERS:

Tyrek (Founder & President of Educators For Justice Inc. – US)

Davina (Co-Founder & Vice President of Educators For Justice Inc. UK)

Dashawn ‘Redeemed’ Robinson (Educator/Poet – US) 

Sayce Holmes-Lewis (Mentivity CEO – UK) 

Scottie Lewis (Student Athlete/ Activist – US, 20) 

Christina (Student UK, 16)

Shantti (Student UK, 11)

Janine Palm (Activist/Community Worker)

Dr. Shana Eutsay (Public Speaker/Community Worker – US)

The link will be on our linktree on the day! 

Can’t wait to see you there‼️✊?✊? #blackeducationmatters

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veecubb @annieghc

kanikagram @xcherise_fordex

news

A letter from an abused former prisoner at Pentonville prison

Good afternoon, my name is John Afeigen, i am of mixed race heritage
and I was recently released from prison. My email is regarding human
rights abuse and racism within prisons across the united kingdom.
While I was a prisoner at Pentonville prison, I believe my human
rights were abused on various occasions. This was procedure throughout
the prison system, I had been transferred to 5 different prisons and
had suffered racial abuse and human rights violation within 3 of the
prison’s.

This problem of abuse and violation, is hidden within the
system and prisoners are losing their lives without anyone being held
responsible. I personally was found dead in a prison cell, the prison
system had blamed me by indicating that I had commit suicide due to
mental health issues and had died but what they failed to mention was
that the prison system has some inhumane living conditions for people
to live in, it also has staff members who do not value human life and
abuse prisoners without being punished. Their is widespread corruption
within the prison and probation systems.

I am currently under supervision of a probation officer who consistently violates my rights by interfering with any medical support I currently am in need of by stopping me from receiving medical help and support from my GP.

I am being left to suffer with severe health problems and the prison system
is using my medical problems against me, by stating I am high risk and
a danger to the public and the government. They are also stating that
I am faking my health issues and are using fabricated and false
information to try and take my children away from myself and my
partner. They have stated in documents that I am paranoid and will not
allow me to be around my children.

I am not sure who else I can contact about what has happened to me while I was in prison and about what is going on at this moment? While I was in prison, a lot of people died including myself and nothing seems to be done about what is going on within the prison system as they seem to be covering up the deaths of inmates on a regular basis, a lot of the inmates that
die are black or of ethnic backgrounds.

I am lucky to be alive and feel the need to report my personal experience and also the going on’s within the prison walls, now that I have been released as the prison system had stopped me from reaching out and getting help by intercepting my mail including rule 39 documents to solicitors and also to family members. I understand that when you are in prison, a persons liberty is taken away, however we should still be entitled to our human rights?

I am sending you this email in hope that someone will respond and help
me to get some form of justice for all of the things I went through
and for all of the prisoners who are still going through it.

Kind regards

Mr John Afeigen

action, events

Justice for Shukri Abdi – protest Hyde Park London Saturday 27th June 1pm

Below is the text from the petition started nearly a year ago demanding a full investigation into the drowning of Shurki, which many suspect was in fact an act or murder. The campaign is supported by John Boyega and the daughter of Malcolm X, Ilyasah Shabazz, and US rapper Ice Cube.

We call for a criminal investigation to be opened into the circumstances surrounding the death of Shukri Abdi and for a criminal prosecution to take place

We want a fair trial in the case where we get fair justice for the murder of Shukri Abdi – we do not want it to be brushed under the carpet like nothing happened. And we want to see appropriate action taken against those who were involved in the murder of Shukri Abdi.

We want to see Real Justice – based upon a proper and full criminal investigation which should be opened ASAP – and not brushed away like it was 11 months ago.

12-year-old Shurki drowned in the River Irwell in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police said it was treating what happened as a “tragic incident” and did not believe there were any suspicious circumstances.

Shukri’s family, who live in Bury, said she could not swim and playing by the river was “out of character”.

Her uncle, Mustaf Omar, said: “She was a sweet, innocent child. Her mum is absolutely destroyed.”

“Everything about it is out of character for her.

“She couldn’t swim so she wouldn’t even go near the edge.”

Shukri, from Somalia, was the eldest of five children and was new to the country, Mr Omar said.

She attended Broad Oak Sports College.

Head teacher Paul Greenhalgh said: “Shukri was a lovely young girl, always smiling, always wanting to please people and work hard.”

Sign the petition

events, news

Open national BLM activists meeting – Monday 15th June 6pm – register now

Please see if you can attend the national open meeting for BLM activists being hosted by Stand Up To Racism today at 6pm

Stand Up To Racism is hosting a meeting to discuss the issues confronting the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and the demands coming out of it.

To join this discussion please register in advance.

REGISTER HERE: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-lives-matter-we-demand-change-standuptoracism-activists-meeting-tickets-109174770678?ref=estw

The inspiring Black Lives Matter anti-racist movement that has taken to the streets in the US, Britain and across the world, ignited by the police killing of George Floyd in the US, has exposed the racism at the heart of the system.

This movement has also shone a light on Britain’s imperialist and colonial past following the removal of Edward Colston’s statue in Bristol by protesters and the decision by the Museum of London to remove the Robert Milligan statue in West India Quay in east London. There is now a debate about removing other statues such as Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College, University of Oxford.

Meanwhile, the Covid19 crisis continues to disproportionately blight the lives of black communities with figures showing that 34 per cent of deaths were those from BAME communities. Black Caribbean communities are four times as likely to die and BAME communities overall twice as likely to die than their white counterparts. The rapid economic contraction that follows a decade of austerity is also disproportionately impacting on BAME communities.

Hundreds of thousands of new activists have organised the most incredible movement. We want to start a discussion on what demands we raise, change we want to see and how to organise. We want to continue to organise and to make sure that anti-racist organisation is built in every town and city, every workplace and every community.

Some of the demands already raised include:

1. POLICING: Suspend and charge police officers involved in deaths in police custody; end stop and search; racist attacks and murders must be investigated and charges brought.
2. COVID-19: A public inquiry like the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, into the disproportionate deaths in BAME communities.
3. NHS: resources and support for BAME workers to ensure health and safety; an examination of the disproportionate GMC referrals for BAME doctors; BAME workers to be able to report incidents anonymously.
4. EDUCATION: decolonise and depoliticise – the curriculum to must include Britain’s imperialist, colonialist history and enslavement of Africans; decision making on the curriculum needs to lie with teachers not politicians; action on racist bullying in schools.
5. IMMIGRATION: Full citizenship rights for all, end detentions and deportations. Justice for Windrush, refugees welcome.
6. HOUSING: Justice for Grenfell, social housing.
7. ECONOMIC: Investment not cuts. Reparations for slavery for Caribbean families, slavers got reparations, it’s time the descendants of slaves got reparations too.

Tell us your views. Stand Up To Racism is hosting an open #BlackLivesMatter activists meeting on Monday 15 June at 6pm.

Please join us to talk about how can all play a part in taking the movement forward. To join this discussion please register in advance.

events

BLM v far right – what a contrast! We stand for social justice and humanity not violence and racist thuggery

Huge local protests have taken place all over the country over the weekend. The contrast between the peaceful BLM gatherings and the violent thugs of the far right could not be more striking.

To protest the racists and fascist an entirely peaceful and widely reported event was held at Hyde Park and Marble Arch. Thanks to Sasha and sisters from Oxford BLM for taking the lead and our allies at Stand Up To Racism.

Although we disagreed with cancelling the BLM marches on Saturday, we understood why those decisions by various groups were made for reasons of safety and attempting to control the narrative.

Unfortunately however, this meant the racist gangs were able to wander around central London intimidating and attacking black people… that was until reinforcements arrived courtesy of a call by a number of rappers for people to get down to Trafalgar Square.

Also the contrast between the over-policing of BLM London protests and that of the far right on Saturday was shocking. They were allowed to leave Parliament Square unmolested and to roam the streets hunting for people to attack, black and white as countless videos on social media have shown.

And of course the humanity of the BLM movement, which is a campaign for social justice and equality for all, was shown through the noble actions of Patrick Hutchinson:

art and culture

A Song For Equality

I would like to share something my daughter did a couple days ago with you. I feel it really helps people to understand the journey and lived experiences of black people from a holistic perspective.

It depicts, quite clearly, why we are so angry and it does this in the simplest of ways. I am very proud of her as she is only 12 years old and I think it would be helpful for the BLM movement. I hope you will agree. The song is entitled “a song for equality”. Keep up the fantastic work!


Best Wishes Dr Andre Clarke, Policing Scholar