For the 1st time ever! Women from Africa will be celebrated in London, at the first ever Women for Africa awards 2012.
Women for Africa, is open to those who want to join us as we celebrate some of Africa’s unsung heroines.
Nominations are now open for UK-based women of African origin to be nominated in one of the twenty-one categories with two categories opened up to non UK-based African women. It will seek to honour and celebrate a number of women who deserve to be recognised and celebrated.
Check out the 21 categories, start nominating now!!
Having already carved out a successful career in music, Reggae star Levi Roots had a dream to combine his passion for music with his love of food. Armed with his grandmother's secret recipe sauce, and a catchy tune to promote it, Levi was grilled in front of the panel of venture capitalists of BBC Dragons Den and came away with the funding and contacts to turn his sauce business into a commercial hit. See a video interview with Levi Roots here.
Black History Live will launch the start of Black History Month 2011 at the iconic Wembley Stadium on the 1st and 2nd of October 2011. BHM is celebrated in the UK in October.
It will be a fun-packed day for all the family with...the kidszone, bookzone, cultural workshops & seminars, live acts, shows & entertainment plus a special appearance from Levi Roots...there’s just so much to see and do. Bookzone Visit Centerprise Bookstores and meet their amazing speakers.
Kidzone Fantastic workshops for young people including the art of storytelling and arts and crafts with Tokunbo Ifaturoti, the force behind childrens TV programme ‘Time Out With AuntieToks!’.
Cultural Workshops and Seminars Running throughout the day including; 'Cracking the Kora' with Tunde Jegede, A talk by Former Black Panther Robert King who spent 29 years in solitary confinement in America for a crime he didn't commit. Film: 'Tales from the Front Room' A screening of the BBC4 documentary. Director Dr Michael McMillan, Editor of 'The Front Room: Migrant Asthetics in the Home' will be available for discussion afterwards. Bring items from your front rooms and share your stories.
Special appearance by Levi Roots Britain's favourite entrepreneur and Caribbean chef will be on hand to sign books and chat to all day
Plus LIVE on stage: Canton Jones US Grammy Award Nominee
London Community Gospel Choir
Faith Child African Music Award & Gospel Music Award (GMA) Recipient, and 2010 MOBO Award Nominee
Rachel Kerr Britain's New Singing Sensation
Admission: Adults £6, Children under 14 go FREE when accompanied by an adult
Via Deeper than Twitter US singer and Grammy nominee Kelis landed in the UK on September 12 and had a memorable, and quite racist immigration experience with her son. She took it to twitter.
“We just landed and I had the midget with me. We get in the passport control line and apparently pissed this one man off cause he thought I cut the line. Which wouldn’t be far fetched of me but this time I actually didn’t (not entirely anyway) well the point is from 0 to 60 this fat red faced sweaty “man” (I use the word man loosely here) started calling me a slave and told me to call him sir and how I was probably a disgusting nigerian. He called me kunta kinte and ranted and raved some more. The man behind the passport desk laughed, shook his head in agreement I guess, and said “kunta kinte”. All the while the entire line full of people I just sat on a plane with for almost 3hours, over 50 people said nothing. I mean literally nothing. Didn’t flinch.
We all no I’m no saint, so I retaliated. Not the way I wanted to or how that pig deserved. But #1 my gorgeous baby boy was literally sitting on my hip and #2 I’m a believer. And we are better.
Sposed to be anyway, it made me think. This person was aprox a 50 year old english man. I didn’t say anything at the time of the riots in London for a lot of reasons. But I am in london all the time and today I’m gonna say that the racial issues in the uk are disgusting. Its racially decades behind progression because everything is swept under the rug. People don’t talk about it. People don’t fight about it. Not mentioning a problem doesn’t make it go away.
I bring it up now because as an american it is abundantly clear that my country has a smorgas board (spelling?) Of disgusting racial problems. We are the poster child for racial inequality even still with a black president. But its NO SECRET! And that I can fight against. I can try to prepare and teach my son. Because its out there. But you can’t fight for or against something no one is willing to talk about or even admit exist. Everyone wants to be politically correct. But who really cares? And what does that help. I could go on and on. I won’t. But maybe someone will start to talk about it from here.”
The Mayor of London has written an open letter to Border Agency staff after American singer Kelis alleged she was subjected to racial abuse while travelling through a London airport.
Boris Johnson said he was 'appalled' by the star's claims that she was called a 'slave' and 'kunta kinte' by a white member of the public, comments which she says made a passport control officer laugh.
Update: Kelis has revealed that her recent racist attack did not happen in the UK, but in Spain. In a response she says : "I landed in Spain and that's when the fat pink faced British guy who was on the plane with me called me a slave and (told me) to call him sir. It was at passport control. I didn't think to make that clear at the time because I was shaken and furious. Now you know." Check out the full story here.
Miss Sarah Forbes Bonetta, was a West African Egbado Omoba of royal blood, who was orphaned in a brutal massacre in her home country at the age of eight.
She was captured and later given to Queen Victoria by Captain Fredrick. E. Forbes of the Royal Navy who received Sarah as a gift from King Ghezo of Dahomey. Mr Forbes then gave her to Queen Victoria as a present "She would be a present from the King of the blacks to the Queen of the Whites, he later wrote in his journal.
The Queen was immediately impressed by the girl's natural regal manner, exceptional intelligence and gift for academic studies, literature, art and music that she gave her an allowance for her welfare with Sarah becoming a regular visitor to Windsor Castle. Sarah's genius became admired throughout the royal court and she continued to outshine her tutors with her advanced abilities in all studies spending her life between the royal household and Sierra Leone where she was educated.
Sarah was raised as Queen Victoria’s goddaughter in the British middle class and went to the Church Missionary Society to be educated, she also attended the Female Institution in Freetown, Sierra Leone. When she was 12 years old, Queen Victoria commanded that Sarah return to England, where she was placed under the charge of Mr and Mrs Schon at Chatham.
Sarah would later gain a long lasting cough that was caused by the climate transferring from Africa to Great Britain which would later prove to be fatal.
In August 1862 Sarah was sanctioned by Queen Victoria to marry James Pinson Labulo Davies at Nicholas Church in Brighton . Davies was a Yoruba businessman of considerable wealth for the period. The wedding party, was an extravgent affair and Sarah arrived from West Hill Lodge, Brighton in ten carriages and pairs of grays. There were sixteen bridesmaids and the wedding was made up of white ladies with African gentlemen, and African ladies with white gentlemen the couple later moved back to their native Africa after their wedding and Sarah was baptised at a church in the town of Badagry, a former slave port.
Shortly after her marriage, Sarah gave birth to a daughter and was granted permission by the Queen to name the child Victoria - the Queen also became her Godmother.
Sarah visited the Queen in 1867 with her daughter and then returned to Lagos where she had two more children.
James Davies later became very concerned about Sarah having a bad cough that would not go away, and she was later diagnosed with tuberculosis dying at the age of 37 in 1880 she was buried in Funchal Madiera.
Later, upon Sarah's death the Queen wrote in her diary: "Saw poor Victoria Davies, my black godchild, who learnt this morning of the death of her dear mother". So proud was Queen Victoria of Sarah's daughter, that when she passed her music examination, teachers and children had one day holiday.
Her daughter Victoria was given an annuity by the Queen and she continued to visit the royal household throughout her life.
In his journal Captain Forbes gave an account of his mission with relation to Miss Bonetta.
I have only to add a few particulars about my extraordinary present The African child” in a former portion of these journal I have mentioned the Okeadon war; one of the captives of this dreadful slave-hunt was this interesting girl.
It is usual to reserve the best born for the high behest of royalty and the immolation on the tombs of the diseased nobility . For one of these ends she had been detained at court for two years: proving, by her not having been sold to slave dealer, that she was of a good family.
So extraordinary a present would have been at least burden, had I not the conviction that, in consideration of the nature of the service I had performed, the government would consider her as the property of the crown.
To refuse, would have been to have signed her death warrant: which, probably, would have been carried into execution forthwith. Immediately on arriving… Of her own history she was only a confused idea. Her parents were decapitated; her brother and sisters she knows not what their fate might have been . For her age supposed to be eight years. She is a perfect genius; she now speaks English well, and have and great talent for music. She has won the affections, with but few exceptions, of all who have known her, she is far in advance of any white child of her age, in aptness of learning, and strength of mind and affection: and with her, been an excellent specimens of the Negro race.
Kemi Adegoke describes the complex issues of what she describes as "The culture of low expectations" in inner city British schools. I said I wanted to be doctor, but they said: "Have you considered nursing?"
She says she went into politics because she was angry. Angry about education and angry about international development.
Adegoke was born in Wimbledon although lived in Nigeria until she was 16, she now lives in Herne Hill ward within the Dulwich and West Norwood constituency.
In her talk she takes us through her amazing forray into politics and how she suddenly became one of the leaders of policy formulation on Africa in the British Conservative Party.
The nominations have been announced for the 16th annual MOBO Awards, with the ceremony taking place in Glasgow, Scotland this year on October 5. With performances from Jessie J, Katy B and Alexis Jordan, alongside the host and performer Jason Derulo
List of nominees
BEST UK ACT in association with Capital FM Adele Chase & Status Chipmunk Example Jessie J Katy B N-Dubz Wretch 32 The Streets Tinie Tempah
BEST NEWCOMER association with Lebara Mobile – voted for by Facebook Alex Clare Ed Sheeran Emeli Sande Jamie Woon Jessie J Loick Essien Maverick Sabre Rizzle Kicks Yasmin Wretch 32
BEST UK HIP HOP/GRIME ACT Giggs Rizzle Kicks Tinie Tempah Wiley Wretch 32
BEST VIDEO Chipmunk ft. Chris Brown – Champion Jessie J – Do It Like A Dude Rizzle Kicks – Down With The Trumpets Tinchy Stryder ft. Dappy – Spaceship Wiley – Numbers In Action
BEST INTERNATIONAL ACT Alexis Jordan Aloe Blacc Beyonce Bruno Mars Cee Lo Green Jason Derulo Nicki Minaj Rihanna Snoop Dogg Wiz Khalifa
BEST SONG in association with PRS for Music Adele – Someone Like You Chase & Status ft. Tinie Tempah – Hitz Jessie J – Do It Like A Dude Tinie Tempah – Wonderman Wretch 32 – Traktor
BEST ALBUM Adele – 21 Chase & Status – No More Idols Jessie J – Who You Are Katy B – On A Mission Tinie Tempah – Disc-Overy
BEST REGGAE Alborosie Damian Marley & Nas Jah Cure Khago Mavado
BEST JAZZ ACT Denys Baptiste Gwilym Simcock Karios 4tet Matthew Halsall Usonic
BEST AFRICAN ACT Cheikh Lo D’Banj Fatoumata Diawara Liquideep Owiny Sigoma Band Seun Kuti Smod Spoek Mathambo Viewux Farka Toure Wizkid
BEST GOSPEL ACT Bobby Bovell Four Kornerz Jayess Junior Garr Triple O
BEST UK R&B/SOUL ACT Adele Dionne Bromfield Marsha Ambrosius Mike Hough Omar
On Oct 2nd Julie Dexter returns to Jazz Cafe in London with her first album in 6 years. The former Soul II Soul frontlady has become a main artist on the USA Nu Soul scene since relocating to Atlanta some years ago.
She will be performing her critically acclaimed new album “New Again” for the first time in Europe.
Also on the night our taste maker new acts to watch, the freshest the UKSoul scene has to offer live. At the end of the night the stage is opened up to the public for an Open Mic Jam – previous guests include Amy Winehouse, Marsha Ambrosius, Jeffrey Daniel of Shalamar
Julie Dexter is a world renowned, award winning, British vocalist, who is born and raised in Birmingham, England
Snippets from the new album "New Again"
For more details about the event check out KEEP THE FAITH Events – SOUL Events in London: http://www.keepthefaithful.com
Meet the Adebanjo’s is a brand new independent UK sitcom released this summer about a Black British family living in Peckham.
Our story
The story of Meet the Adebanjo’s began over 30 years ago when two men met on the plane from Nigeria to the UK. They just happened to sit next each other but over the 7 hour plane journey they developed a friendship that would last till today. They both only planned to stay in the country for a few years to study but one thing lead to another – they got married, children were born and they both ended up settling in Peckham, London.
Debra Odutuyo – the creator of Meet the Adebanjo’s was the daughter of one of the friends. She had grown up in a loving family full of fun and laughs and as a producer wondered why this was not represented on UK TV. She wanted to do a sitcom which promoted family values, allowed people to laugh and which gave people an insight into her British African culture. She then spent a few years developing the concept and pitching it to major TV Networks.
Not deterred by their constant refusal, in 2009 she sold her car, moved out of her flat to raise the money to produce the series herself. It was just enough for one pilot but her determination and vision impressed a long childhood friend – the son of her Dad’s longtime friend who decided to set up a Production Company – MTA Productions LTD, to make her vision a reality. Within a few months they were able to raise the investment needed to produce a full season independently and the rest they say is the Meet the Adebanjo's you are watching today.
Debra's plan is to create a whole new industry in the UK where more quality programs such as Meet the Adebanjo's that reflect a culture not shown on UK TV can be made and shown around the world.
To fund this new industry 8 episodes of Meet the Adebanjo’s have been released as a Special Edition DVD Boxset for £19.99 in UK and Europe. http://shop.meettheadebanjos.com/
Jamal Edwards, founder of popular online broadcaster SBTV, today announced via Twitter that Channel 4 who earlier this year aired a one off documentary titled Inside SBTV, now want to turn it in to a series.
But who is Jamal Edwards? Jamal Edwards is the black CEO and founder of SBTV – UK’s largest youth media channel, which he started at the age of just 16. Now 20, Jamal has continued to push the boundaries and has come a long way.
In the past few months he has been profiled in The Guardian, been tipped as one of the UK’s top young entrepreneurs by Richard Branson, signed a label deal with Sony RCA, announced as the face of New Era’s first European campaign and now he has been made the face of the new Google Chrome advert.
French singer Melissa NKonda is nominated for the French "Trophées des Arts Afro-Caribéens (FAAC)" ("Afro-Caribbean Arts Awards") in the category Best Newcomer of the year 2011. Nkonda’s debut album is "Noveaux Horizons", which is an homage to her Algerian and Cameroonian roots. One of the tracks is "J'Ai Fait Tout Ca Pour Vous", which she recorded with English singer VV Brown (Vanessa Brown).
The awards ceremony will be held on September 12, 2011 in Paris France. You can vote for your favorite artist at the website of France Ô at http://participer.franceo.fr/lestaac/
Anthony Burgess’ cult novel A Clockwork Orange is re-imagined for London’s Theatre Royal Stratford East stage on the eve of its 50th anniversary. This reworked production will be performed from Saturday 3 September – Saturday 1 October 2011 at 7.30pm, with matinees at 2.30pm.
In this new adaptation, New York writers Ed DuRanté (words) and Fred Carl (music) return to the original source of Anthony Burgess’ book and importantly, his last chapter of redemption and hope. This iconic story influenced and inspired music stars and artists including Gnarls Barkley, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Andy Warhol and, of course, Stanley Kubrick, who made the famous film.
When super-intelligent Alex’s ultra-violent lifestyle catches up with him, he is imprisoned and entered into a government experiment called The Technique, aimed at ending all crime. He quickly finds himself in an unexpected and life-altering personal horror show. The piece has a contemporary score that draws from groove-based styles like blues, r&b, rap, neo-soul and jazz, this promises to bring fresh resonance to a modern classic.
Fred Carl says ‘The last chapter of A Clockwork Orange, which was omitted from the first American editions of the novel and does not appear in Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film, was an important reason why we accepted the commission from Theatre Royal Stratford East. It’s exciting to work with the venue on this piece.’
Ed DuRanté says ‘A Clockwork Orange has given us the opportunity to explore a classic piece of literature and use it to comment on the challenges that are faced by the Black community, but at the same time speaks to the broader society about every person’s responsibility for their own actions.’
Ed DuRanté is a playwright and filmmaker. His work has been produced by Theatre for the New City, Talking Drum Theatre Co., and Playwrights Horizons. He was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship for Filmmaking. Presently, he is in post-production with his first feature film, the Black black comedy Jake Gets Paid. He is a graduate of the NYU/Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Film Program, the NYU/Tisch Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and Yale University. Recently, Fred Carl and he worked on their adaptation of “A Clockwork Orange” as the inaugural writers at the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat. Next, he is directing the film Clay Feet starring Terrance Howard and Anthony Mackie. Developed from his own script, the film examines the early friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X.
Fred Carl’s extensive career includes musical directing Kirsten Childs’s The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin where Fred received the 2000 Audelco Award for Best Musical Direction. He composed and musical directed Tony Award-winning actress LaChanze at Lincoln Centre and has a long association with Theatre Royal Stratford East starting in 1999. He designed and co-led (with Robert Lee) the musical theatre-writing workshop which featured in Channel Four’s Rappin' at the Royal and is Artistic Associate of the theatre. He is a graduate of the New York University/Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program and currently an Associate Arts Professor of the Program.
A Clockwork Orange is directed by Dawn Reid, Associate Director of the Theatre Royal Stratford East. Her numerous directing credits for the theatre includes Funny Black Women on the Edge and Ade Ikoli’s Diary of a Single Man. She is the Co-Director of The Harder They Come(Barbican, West End, Toronto and Miami); Mad Blud; and Rikki Beadle Blair’s Family Man. Other theatre credits include Associate Director on Avenue Q (Noël Coward Theatre) and the recipient of a Carlton Multicultural Achievement Award for Performing Arts.
Jonzi D is the Movement Director of the piece. He is Associate of Sadlers Wells, his production Aeroplane Man was a sell out success and screened on Channel 4. The cast features Ashley Hunter as Alex, Darren Hart as Pete, Susan Lawson Reynolds, Richard Lloyd-King, Sonny Muslim as Georgie, Marcus Powell, Kirris Riviere, Raphael Sowole and Vanessa Sylvester.
Theatre Royal Stratford East has a reputation for developing and staging new musicals including The Big Life - the first Black British musical in the West End; The Harder They Come - currently in pre-production for its second international tour after successful runs at Barbican and in the West End;Come Dancing winner of a What’s On Stage Best Off-West End Production Award and Britain’s Got Bhangra - winner of an Off West End Award for The People's Favourite Musical. This famous producing theatre prides itself on reflecting the concerns and hopes of the people of East London. The venue inspires and is inspired by its vibrant, young and diverse community in a continuous loop that draws from and engages with audiences.
LISTINGS INFORMATION:
A Clockwork Orange will be performed from Saturday 3 September – Saturday 1 October 2011.
Tickets: £20 / £15 and £10 concessions (Tues – Thursday until 22 Sept); £22 / £17 concessions (Fri and Sat eves & last week of run); Evening performances are at 7.30pm, matinees are 2.30pm, there will be Saturday matinees on 24 September and 1 October. Box office 020 8534 0310 www.stratfordeast.com BSL interpreted Tuesday 27 September 7.30pm
Captioned Friday 30 September 7.30pm
Audio-described Saturday 1 October 2.30pm
Pay what you want Saturday 17 September 2.30pm. Available to Newham residents who have never been to see a show at Theatre Royal Stratford East before. Call 020 8534 0310 and quote Pay what you want when booking – tickets must be booked in advance and proof of residence must be shown on collection of tickets.
For interviews, tickets and images please contact Kim Morgan PR on 020 8279 1120, 07939 591 403 email kim@kimmorgan-pr.com
Tweet Zone and Bloggers Preview
Theatre Royal Stratford East is breaking all the rules of British theatregoing and embracing the digital age by inviting people to get out their smartphones and tweet during performances. There is a designated Tweet Zone fully equipped with WiFi available for every main stage performance and there’ll be no shushing from the ushers. Audience members are free to update their online communities with their thoughts on the show and the experience at the theatre whenever they want. Bloggers Previews is an opportunity for Theatre Royal Stratford East to encourage further online engagement and commentary about its work it by inviting writers from all parts of the blogosphere to attend a show before its official press night so that they can get online and express their views freely.
The Voice reports that well know British historian and broadcaster David Starkey has been blasted for his comments on BBC TV where he blamed ‘black culture’ for turning white youngsters into looters.
In a discussion on BBC2's Newsnight show, Starkey said he had been re-reading racist MP Enough Powell’s ‘rivers of blood’ speech.
Starkey claimed: "His prophesy was absolutely right in one sense. The Tiber did not foam with blood but flames lambent, they wrapped around Tottenham and wrapped around Clapham," he said.
“The whites have become black. A particular sort of violent, destructive, nihilistic, gangster culture has become the fashion. And black and white, boy and girl, operate in this language together, this language which is wholly false, which is this Jamaican patois that’s been intruded in England, and this is why so many of us have this sense of literally a foreign country.” He added.
To further outrage, the historian went on to say: “Listen to David Lammy (MP), an archetypical successful black man,” he said. “If you turned the screen off so you were listening to him on radio you’d think he was white.”
The association being that those who speak like a ‘white person’ are civilised and those who speak with “Jamaican patois’ are criminals.
Writer and education adviser Dreda Say Mitchell, a fellow guest on the show, was clearly annoyed with Starkey’s comments.
She said to Starkey: “You said David Lammy when you heard him sounded white and what you meant by that is that white people equals respectable.”
She added: "You keep talking about black culture. Black communities are not homogenous. So there are black cultures. Lots of different black cultures. What we need to be doing is ... thinking about ourselves not as individual communities ... as one community. We need to stop talking about them and us."
CNN interview: Social commentator Lola Adesioye says a widening gap between haves and have-nots spawned the UK riots.
Writer-activist Lola Adesioye was born and raised in South London. On her blog she writes." Watching what has been taking place over the past week got my blood boiling in a way that I was even surprised by…I’m more upset because I think that what’s happened was predictable and obvious to anyone who would take the time to look.
That the politicians and even some people living in the country didn’t see it shows just how out of touch they are with what’s going on under their noses. What leadership can a leader provide when he is out of touch with ALL of his constituents?
...
To start off, here’s a video that is very telling. Rarely during this whole sorry mess has anyone heard from the young people even though it seemed to be mostly young people and/or young adults involved in the violence.
The attitude seems to be that they don’t have anything intelligent to say, or anything that’s worth listening to. It’s that snobbish attitude that is also partly what created this mess in the first place – when people are not heard, they will act out. In any case, they are the ones that we most need to hear from.
This video below was filmed two weeks before the riots…. The kids predicted this would happen."
Her articles appeared in The Guardian, The Economist, CNN.com, The Washington Post’sTheRoot.com, CNN, BBC, BET, Channel 4, MSNBC and The Huffington Post.
Not much can be said about the ongoing rioting in the UK. But as cuts in social and cultural budgets got worse in the last years, youth in the UK's poorest neigbourhoods passed a summer without open air activities nor social safety net. This is no excuse but the unrest was predicted and sooner or later this would have happened. Read this article below and check the two video's I posted, I think they give a very interesting insight.
The Sad Truth Behind London Riot From worldblog.msnbc By Martin Fletcher, NBC News correspondent
LONDON -- As political and social protests grip the Middle East, are growing in Europe and a riot exploded in north London this weekend, here's a sad truth, expressed by a Londoner when asked by a television reporter: Is rioting the correct way to express your discontent?
"Yes," said the young man. "You wouldn't be talking to me now if we didn't riot, would you?"
The TV reporter from Britain's ITV had no response. So the young man pressed his advantage. "Two months ago we marched to Scotland Yard, more than 2,000 of us, all blacks, and it was peaceful and calm and you know what? Not a word in the press. Last night a bit of rioting and looting and look around you."
Eavesdropping from among the onlookers, I looked around. A dozen TV crews and newspaper reporters interviewing the young men everywhere.
The truth is that discontent has been simmering among Britain's urban poor for years, and few have paid attention. Social activists say one out of two children in Tottenham live in poverty. It's one of the poorest areas of Britain. Britain's worst riots in decades took place here in 1985. A policeman was hacked to death. After these riots, the same young man pointed out, "They built us a swimming pool."
Poverty, joblessness cycle Police and local leaders in Tottenham made real progress in improving community relations in the intervening years and that's true about all of Britain. The best way to prevent crime, the theory goes, is to improve the lot of the people, then they won't need to commit crimes. But caught in a poverty and joblessness cycle, young people in many British urban areas have little hope of a better life.
So when a local 29-year-old father, described by police as a gangster, was shot dead by an officer, the response came quickly.
Mark Duggan was killed Thursday. On Saturday night about 50 relatives and friends protested outside the Tottenham police station.
Local young men, almost all with their heads covered by hoods -- known here as "hoodies" -- took advantage to indulge themselves in a favorite sport: cursing the police. This quickly escalated into a night of hurling rocks, bottles (Jack Daniels, one young man told me -- "we broke into the liquor store, drank the Jack Daniels and threw the bottles at the cops"), burning two patrol cars, torching buildings, smashing shop windows and carting off hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of phones, cameras and clothes.
The looting and rioting had nothing at all to do with the killing of Mark Duggan. That was the spark. The bonfire had been prepared by years of neglect, fueled by the anger of young men with no stake in the system, angry at everybody and quick to exploit fury at the killing of a local man, even if he did allegedly fire at the police officer first.
So now the question people in Tottenham are asking is: Will the government pay attention to the social issues underlying the anger?
And a wider question is: Would anyone care at all if there had not been violence?
end of post from Martin Fletcher, NBC News correspondent
Below a video, the first part is the most interesting with a local explaining why these riots happened. Nobody condones it, it's awful, but there is an underlying cause which should be known by all:
Copyright The Voice: JUSTICE: Semone Wilson, fiancee of Mark Duggan, (left) arrives with two unidentified women at North London Coroner's Court in High Barnet The Voice reported that the Police watchdog says that there is no evidence to suggest that 29-year-old shot at police
NEW EVIDENCE has revealed that Mark Duggan, the man whose death has triggered riots across Britain, did not shoot at police before he was gunned down in north London, last week (Aug 4).
Ballistic results obtained by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) show that the 29-year-old father of five did not open fire before he was shot and killed by police in a pre-planned operation to arrest him.
The IPCC said it had carried out ballistic tests on a handgun found at the scene, thought to have been owned by Duggan, and found that the gun had not been discharged.
The UK’s Forensic Science Service is to carry out further tests on the weapon to verify this.
Initial reports suggested that Mr Duggan was killed after first firing at police from the Met’s specialist firearms team C019, which his family and those that knew him rejected, but the IPCC report shows that only two shots were fired – both from a police gun.
Results from the coroner’s office show that Mr Duggan died from a single bullet wound to the chest. He also received a second gunshot wound to his right bicep. (Source: The Voice)
The Notting Hill Carnival is a street procession and festival which takes place in the area of west London known as Notting Hill during the long Bank Holiday weekend at the end of August. This year on August 28th and 29th.
The festival is organised by the Caribbean community in London and is one of the largest street celebrations in Europe. It has been taking place annually for about 40 years.
A video of Notting Hill Carnival 2010 with Katy B & Ms Dynamite (sister of rapper Akala)
There are five key components of the carnival, each organised by a different association:
- Calypso (ABC - Association of British Calypsonians)
- Soca (CMA - Caribbean Music Association)
- Static Sound Systems (BASS - British Association of Sound Systems)
- Masquerade (NHMBA - Notting Hill Mas Bands Association)
- Steelpan (BAS - British Association of Steelbands)
The National Panorama Championship is a steel band competition on Saturday 27 August 2011. Artists will perform on stage during the afternoon. The competition usually takes place from about 5pm-9:30pm in London's Hyde Park.
Photo of film "David is Dying" British Urban film Festival 2011 (BUFF), 16, 17 and 18 September. All screenings take place at Congress House 23-28 Great Russell Street, London WC1.
The British Urban Film Festival (BUFF) was formed in July 2005 to showcase urban independent cinema in the absence of any such state-sponsored activity in the UK.
The 2011 festival is being headlined by the UK premiere of 'David is Dying' at London's Trade Union Congress headquarters and stars Lonyo Engele, a former UK garage music artist in his debut acting role.
The London-based organisation BUFF was initially created in partnership with organisations like The Screen.Biz (UK) and The Hip-Hop Association (USA) to mobilise & develop young, up and coming homegrown British urban talent in the independent film & TV sector
"Fire in Babylon," wrote The Voice. Two police cars and a bus were set alight in Tottenham north London yesterday (Aug 6) after a protest, which followed the killing of a 29-year-old man who was gunned down by police earlier this week, turned nasty.
Members of the community in Tottenham, north London, gathered outside Tottenham police station calling for answers into the killing of Mark Duggan on Thursday night (Aug 4).
The father of five received two fatal bullet wounds in a pre-planned operation to arrest him. The sting had been organised in partnership with Trident, the Met’s special unit for investigating gun crime within the black community.
“It was like fire in Babylon,” one protestor told The Voice. Read the full story here.
But the North London community of Tottenham is not only worried about fysical damage. The cost of the damage is likely to run into the millions, but the cost to the reputation of the area will be much greater.
For Haringey Council and others trying to bring investment into the area, the PR damage done to Tottenham is going to extensive and long lasting.
Local MP David Lammy this morning issued a statement saying: 'The scenes currently taking place in our community are not representative of the vast majority of people in Tottenham. Those who remember the destructive conflicts of the past will be determined not to go back to them.' Read the full story here.
Via Black Leaders in the UK On July 14, Google U.K. launched a partnership with Generating Genius at an event in our London Google office. Google director Adrian Joseph, Member of Parliament Simon Hughes and advisor on culture and youth Munira Mirza spoke alongside Generating Genius founder Tony Sewell. They stressed the importance of encouraging students from underrepresented backgrounds to receive higher education degrees and inspiring them to become innovators in the technology industry.
Afterward, two program participants shared their Generating Genius experiences and their plans for university this fall. See full story at http://googleblog.blogspot.com
For the 1st time ever! Women from Africa will be celebrated in London, at the first ever Women for Africa awards 2012.
