Racist N-word message blasted at migrant centre, Boyega - "most white, most elite space" & other stories from Black, Asian and Arab communities you shouldn't miss this week - curated by Melissa Sigodo
Justice for CweCwe
Good morning, afternoon or evening,
Thank you for subscribing to The Source.
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the We Are Black Journos women’s event in London. Founder and BBC journalist Hannah Ajala put together a fantastic day for us all to get together and recognise womanhood and journalism. We also had a Q&A with BBC journalist Yemisi Adegoke who gave us an insight into her work on some of the biggest scandals such as the fertility scam in Nigeria where women were tricked into believing they were pregnant. The story is unbelievable and should win awards. You can read it here.
As I mentioned last week; I will be organising The Source’s one-year anniversary soon. If you’re interested in coming, I’m doing a final call for you to do drop me a message. It will be a day of some drinks, a few nibbles and just a general get together to share some fun times. I look forward to celebrating a year of this newsletter keeping you all informed.
Trigger warning
As part of keeping you informed, there is one story developing in South Africa that I think we should all be aware of. It is the story of a seven-year-old girl referred to as Cwecwe who was allegedly raped at school last year. This has sparked called for justice as no arrests have been made for months. Read the full story by Khanyisile Ngcobo at BBC
In honour of The Source’s one-year birthday month, this week’s newsletter is free!
Without further ado, here are the stories you shouldn’t have missed this week.
News
A woman who was sacked when bosses at consultancy company Olive Jar Digital tried ‘to claim her performance had worsened and that she had committed gross misconduct to avoid giving her a promised pay rise’ has now won £25,014.01 in compensation after successfully suing. Read the full story on Yahoo News by Brenna Cooper.
A market trader who has been running an African art shop at Tooting Market for 13 years, says he was locked out of his unit after refusing to pay a 75 per cent rent increase. Ernest Nelson-Homiah, 67, says he only found out about the new rent after a notice was taped to his shop. He and other market traders in South London have slammed the rent increases as a way of “pushing” businesses out. Read the full story by Claudia Lee at South London Press.
The heartbroken mum of 19-year-old Richard Okorogheye who went missing and was found dead in a pond four years ago has told how she believes her son was “lured to his death”. Evidence Joel said, “I am sure Richard was being directed to that spot in Epping Forest…. maybe it was a secret party”. Read the full story by Siobhan McNally and Annie Gouk at The Mirror.
An 11-year-old girl who has been missing after entering the River Thames has been named as Kaliyah Coa. Kaliyah, who had been playing during a school inset day, entered the water in east London and a recovery mission is now underway. Read the full story at Met News.
Cost of Living
A London family has been forced to move to Kent in order to avoid paying an extra £1,000 in monthly expenses as their council tax, water bill, mortgage and other costs are set to hit in April. Tolu says London has become unaffordable, but the hardest part is uprooting her kids. Watch the story by Meghan Owen and Elliot Darby at BBC.
Entertainment
Actor John Boyega has said that Star Wars is the “most whitest, elite space” while reflecting on the racism he received from fans after playing the role of Finn. He said, "They're OK with us playing the best friend, but once we touch their heroes, once we lead, once we trailblaze, it's like, 'Oh my God, it's just a bit too much. They're pandering!'" Read the full story by Rasha Ali at USA Today.
Care
Black and Asian carers known as kinship carers who are mainly relatives, face a lack of “financial support as well as cultural stigma, systemic racism and limited access to support and tailored services”, a report has found. Orphelia, 58, who is raising her teenage grandson said: "For children from Black Caribbean and Asian communities the specific support is just not there for them. If I was white, I feel I would be listened to more.” Read the full story by Asian Image.
Windrush Scandal
£22,000 of public money was spent by the previous Conservative government on lawyers to block a report which exposed that the roots of the Windrush scandal lay in racist immigration legislation designed to reduce the UK’s non-white population. Read the full story by Amelia Gentleman at The Guardian.
Policing
Actor Reece Richards who says he was 'kicked to the ground and pepper-sprayed' by Met police while Face Timing his Hairspray the Musical cast mates on his way home after finishing a performance, has condemned the police watchdog for “refusing” to consider race in its investigation of the officers involved. Read the full story by Aamna Mohdin at The Guardian.
More than half of facial recognition camera deployments in London last year took place in areas with a “higher proportion of Black people than the city’s average.” Green Party London Assembly Member Zoë Garbett, says “Facial recognition subjects everyone to constant surveillance, which goes against the democratic principle that you shouldn’t be monitored unless there’s a suspicion of wrongdoing.” Read the full story by Sinai Fleary at The Voice.
Families of those who died in police custody are coming together to hold a People’s Tribunal which will have evidence presented to an international panel in a public forum. The collective which is made up of different campaign groups says that “not enough is being done to protect the public”. There have been approximately 3000 deaths and only four prosecutions where police officers have been convicted. Read the full story by Sinai Fleary at The Voice.
Immigration
A racist message saying “f**k off you n****rs , go back to where you came from”, was reportedly “blasted out” on portable radios used by Home Office contractors Mitie at an asylum processing centre in Kent. An investigation has now been launched. Read the full story by Diane Taylor at The Guardian.
A British student, Momodou Taal whose visa was revoked after he participated in pro-Palestinian protests has left the United States voluntarily. A judge declined to immediately block the government from beginning the process of deporting him. Read the full story by Gloria Pazmino and Amanda Musa at CNN.
World News
Trigger warning
A protest march has been held in Zambia against men raping children following several horrific alleged cases including that of a father allegedly raping his seven-year-old daughter while she was in hospital for cancer treatment. Read the full story by Kennedy Gondwe at BBC.
At least 95 people have been arrested in Zimbabwe over protests calling for Emmerson Mnangagwa’s exit. The president reportedly plans to extend his rule by two more years. Read the full story by Aljazeera.
The opening of an independent, international investigation into Israel’s killing of 15 Palestine Red Crescent and civil defence workers is being demanded after new video evidence allegedly contradicted the military’s account of the killings. Read the full story at Aljazeera.