2 more deaths of Black children in water, racist killer avoids jail and other stories from Black, Asian & Arab communities you shouldn't have missed this week - curated by Melissa Sigodo
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Sadly, this week, two more Black children died after getting into difficulty off the coast of Donegal. That brings it up to seven children who have tragically died so far this year after getting into water.
I just ask that if you take away anything from this newsletter, it is that you warn young people of the dangers of water especially as the weather continues to warm up. Help bring more awareness so that we can prevent more deaths from occurring.
This week saw an announcement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer of plans to bring in tougher immigration laws. The speech was widely criticised as pandering to the far right with even Reform Party leader Nigel Farage stepping in to endorse Starmer’s message.
After seeing the reaction and sharing my own thoughts on it, I decided it was a good opportunity to host a Twitter Space to discuss it all, as much of the mainstream debate excluded ethnic minorities from the conversation.
I was joined by an incredible panel which included lawyer and activist Dr Shola Mos Shogbamimu, columnist and author Nels Abbey, journalist Femi Oluwole, Lou Calvey, the director of asylum charity - Asylum Matters and Sincerely Tops who formerly hosted a podcast called Black Canvas. And of course, my co-host - writer and social commentator Michael Morgan.
Over 3,600 people tuned in to listen from different countries across the world including South Africa and the US. We also had some audience participation from many passionate speakers including the Deputy Leader of the Green Party Zack Polanksi, as well as others who voiced their thoughts on the how the immigration debate affects ethnic minorities living in Britain.
One takeaway from The Space that wasn’t lost on me is how some sections of the media are one-sided in their reporting on migration, often omitting key details on why migrants are needed and the labour shortages that are ongoing in different sectors.
I would implore you all to read this briefing by the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. It gives an digestable overview of the scale of immigration and net migration in the UK since the early 2000s and under the post-Brexit immigration system.
Debates about net migration will not be in short supply for the foreseeable future, and I believe it’s important that people educate themselves and stay informed on crucial matters.
Hence, I created The Source and I appreciate you all for your support. Please share it with your friends and family and help us grow this informed community.
You can also support this work by upgrading to a paid subscription.
Without further ado, here’s what you shouldn’t have missed this week as well as a couple of stories that fell through the cracks.
News
South London blood donors have saved more than 11,000 lives since the opening of Brixton’s new blood donor centre, data from NHS Blood and Transplant has revealed. Black blood donors are significantly more likely to have the specific ‘Ro’ blood type which is used to treat sickle cell. Read the full story by Sinai Fleary at The Voice Online.
A plaque has been unveiled for footballer Jack Leslie who was the first Black footballer to be selected to play for England but was then replaced ‘because of his skin colour’ and blocked from playing for the team. Read the full story by Steven Morris at The Guardian.
Actor Lennie James has won a BAFTA for Best Leading Actor along with his co-star Ariyon Bakare who won the award for Best Supporting Actor for their role in the BBC series Mr Loverman which tells the story of an older queer Black couple. Read the full story by Patrick Cremona at Radio Times.
A Black security manager who was called a “slave” by a white colleague and applied for promotion but was ‘not acknowledged’, has won £361,000, an employment tribunal heard. Richard Assan had been forced to quit Vigilant Security after 15 years working there. Read the full story by Ted Hennessy at The Independent.
A gardener and activist Tayshan Hayden-Smith who was hired by the Royal Horticultural Society to help it reach disadvantaged people has resigned publicly stating that “working within institutions that aren’t prepared to listen, adapt or truly share space only goes so far.” Read the full story by Damien Gayle at The Guardian.
Police say they believe a mum who abandoned three babies in east London is ‘restrained in some way’ or may have physical or mental health problems after she failed to come forward. Police are now going door-to-door asking residents to give DNA samples to see if they are connected to babies. Read the full story by Sanchia Berg at BBC.
Legal
A woman who killed a 61-year-old Black man Hubert 'Isaac' Brown after walking up to him and stabbing him in an unprovoked racist attack has avoided jail. Christina Howell, 37, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to a hospital order. Read the full story by Bea Swallow and Leigh Boobyer at BBC.
Three extremist men who “worshipped” Nazis and believed a race war was imminent have been found guilty of planning terrorist attacks on mosques and synagogues. The men had acquired 200 weapons such as machetes, crossbows and swords. Read the full story at Asian Image.
Shakeil Thibou who was convicted of murdering Cher Maximen at Notting Hill Carnival when she tragically got caught up in a brutal fight has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 29 years. Read the full story at Sky News.
An inquest into the death of an 11-year-old girl, Kyra Hill who died during a birthday party at a water park has heard that the lifeguard on duty was 17 at the time and had not been trained in underwater rescue and that there was no sign warning of deep water. Read the full story by ITVX.
Policing
Metropolitan police who wrongly arrested, pepper sprayed, ‘kicked and sat on’ actor Reece Richards who was an innocent bystander when two white suspects fled a police car chase - won’t face disciplinary action the IOPC has said. Read the full story by BBC.
A man who spent the last 11 years in a minimally conscious state after he was arrested, restrained and suffered a cardiac arrest while handcuffed by Bedfordshire police has died. The Crown Prosecution Service declined to bring any charges against the officers. Read the full release at Bindmans.
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