Howard Phillips Lovecraft never lived to see his name cemented among the literary giants of the twentieth century. Dead of cancer before his 47th birthday, his existence was so obscure that even his estranged wife was unaware of his death for more than eight years. His short stories – now recognised as ground-breaking developments in the […]Read More
This year has been challenging in many ways for people in every walk of life. It’s been a busy news year to say the least: a global pandemic, a global movement to combat racial inequalities, lockdown after lockdown, an ongoing climate crisis, a US election – you name it, it’s happened. The stress of it […]Read More
The new HBO horror series is brimming with references from buried historical events, wacky and cosmic Lovecraft monsters, and pop-culture from ’50s Americana. In 1950s Jim Crow America, three black Americans embark on a road trip to uncover Atticus’ (Jonathan Majors) secret birthright. With the Green Book: A Black Travellers’ Guide to Jim Crow America […]Read More
Weed, draw, bud, wacky baccy, Uncle Bob’s crafty cabbage. Aside from the last one which I clearly just made up, these are all aliases of cannabis, Britain’s most popular illegal drug. According to a recent YouGov survey, 48% of the British public favour legalising the recreational use of the plant, with just 24% opposed to […]Read More
Back in ye olden tymes, newspapers used headlines to grab people’s attention. Headlines were summaries of the articles beneath them, and if written correctly, would entice the viewer into purchasing the paper. As newspapers went online, headlines became less about the stories and more about getting clicks, harming their reputation. However, social media has now […]Read More
Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Philando Castile, Tamir Rice, George Floyd. These names, and many more, have become household since a video of a Minneapolis police officer named Derek Chauvin, kneeling on George Floyds neck, went viral at the end of May. Leading to worldwide protests in over 60 countries internationally and already being crowned the […]Read More
A list of resources to start your education in the Black Lives Matter movement Read More
On the 7th June, Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol tore down a statue of Edward Colston, a prolific 17th-century slave trader, and threw him into the harbour. His figure sunk to the bottom of the river in the very place where he once docked his ships and traded in human lives and suffering. You […]Read More
Seventy-two lives were taken by the flames that engulfed Grenfell Tower in the early hours of June 14th 2017. Three years on, survivors and bereaved still await answers and results to guarantee safer housing. Remembering the victims of Grenfell Tower in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and Black Lives Matter protests has reaffirmed the […]Read More
By now, you’ve probably heard about the essay Lana Del Rey posted to her Instagram account on 23rd May. You may even have read it. In case you hadn’t, or dismissed it as a TL;DR, I can summarise it as this: a long winded version of the “I’m not like other girls” cliché. Del Rey […]Read More
The murder of George Floyd has rocked America. The 46-year-old unarmed black man died in police custody, as a white officer handcuffed and kneeled on Floyd’s neck for several minutes, despite saying that he could not breathe. The initial issue arose when a grocery store clerk thought he cashed in a fake $20 bill. However, […]Read More
You would’ve thought in the 21st century there would be less reports of racially charged attacks, prejudice and discrimination, but it’s nothing like a global health crisis to expose the grave criminal injustices that those of ethnic minorities face all too often.Read More
Hearing of its sell-out runs, and reading plenty of outstanding reviews, I was intrigued to see what left Inua Ellams’s Barber Shop Chronicles head and shoulders above other touring plays from the last few years. Bursting with colour, pride and joy, this electric production- streamed as part of the National Theatre At Home service- is […]Read More
Having aired for a whopping 24 seasons since 2003 with no signs of stopping, the America's Next Top Model franchise which is shown in 170 countries worldwide, is a force to be reckoned with. But despite being created by a strong, independent, black businesswoman (the queen that is Tyra Banks), the show gave airtime to some pretty awful people and normalised worrying behaviour, from racism to homophobia.Read More
Maya Angelou: legendary feminist author, poet and spokeswoman against racism. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter: the most influential singer-songwriter of the modern day and advocate of black and women’s rights. It is without doubt that these two women are politically and artistically iconic, and this makes Beyoncé’s music the perfect complement to Angelou’s writing. I Know Why the […]Read More
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