Battle for Brixton, police racism payout and Windrush shindigs
Plus: Stepmum gets 12 years for 1978 killing of 5-year-old girl
Dear readers,
Welcome back to your weekly round-up from Black Current News!
As we approach Windrush Day on Monday, marking the 78th anniversary of the arrival of the HMT Empire Windrush, we'd like to take this opportunity to big up Caribbean communities far and wide, whose magic has enriched Britain and the wider world in countless ways.
We’re actually writing to you from Derby, where we spent time with incredible folks at The Hadhari Project - a vital local hub - for a special Windrush Day celebration last night.
Yesterday was also World Sickle Cell Day, an opportunity to recognise the millions of people worldwide living with sickle cell disease and to reflect on the barriers many still face when seeking healthcare.
A special welcome to our new subscribers. Since launching in October, Black Current News has welcomed new readers every single day without fail and is now the UK’s fastest-growing Black publication. Thank you for your continued support! It genuinely means the world.
And don’t forget: pre-orders for the inaugural Black Current News print magazine, out soon, are now open. Please secure your copy here and spread the word!
As always, we’ve rounded up some of the key stories, conversations and events shaping Black Britain right now.
Keep scrolling for more
Black teen, 17, wrongly Tasered and detained inside a chip shop
Abdul-Lateef Ajibike was tasered twice and wrongly detained by armed police inside an east London chip shop after officers mistook him for a gunman.
Three years on, he has spoken publicly for the first time about the ordeal, which left him with lasting trauma and unanswered questions.
‘Buy Back Brixton’: Campaign launched to keep iconic market out of developers’ hands
Brixton traders have launched an emergency campaign to keep Brixton Village and Market Row in community hands amid fears the iconic markets could be sold to private equity developers.
The push comes as a separate petition opposes a proposed Gail's Bakery near Brixton station, with campaigners warning that chain expansion risks eroding the area's distinctive character.
Equality Watchdog flags Windrush Compensation Scheme failings to the United Nations
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) has raised fresh concerns about the Windrush Compensation Scheme in a submission to the United Nations, warning that many claimants are receiving less compensation than they are entitled to.
The watchdog is also calling on the government to explain why applications remain significantly lower than expected and to increase access to legal support.
Black Joy Bulletin
London entrepreneur Oludayo has opened a deaf-friendly coffee shop and arts space, creating a hub for the deaf community
Free Books Campaign founder Sofia Akel teams up with TfL to expand access to books across London
Dame Kelly Holmes honoured with the Freedom of the City of London
Inside the Black haircare programme helping fathers in prison to connect with their kids
Idris Elba has received the ASCAP Creative Voice Award, recognising artists whose work combines creative excellence with a positive impact on their communities
‘Make Jerk Great Again’: Black Eats launches UK Jerk Fest 2026 in bid to create Britain’s biggest celebration of jerk food
‘She Changed the Industry’: Tributes continue for Kanya King
Tributes continue to pour in for MOBO founder Kanya King, whose vision helped transform Britain's music landscape.
Black Current News founder Nadine White was among those invited to reflect on King's legacy in a special tribute published by PRS for Music, the organisation representing songwriters, composers and music publishers. Read here.
Barrel Children: The Families Windrush Left Behind opens Coventry’s inaugural Windrush festival
Barrel Children: The Families Windrush Left Behind, the award-winning film by Black Current News founder Nadine White, kicked off Coventry’s very first Windrush Festival this week with a special screening and Q&A. The five-day festival celebrates the contribution of Coventry’s Caribbean community through music, art and storytelling.
What else we’re reading
Windrush Day: A guide to celebrations taking place across the UK
World Sickle Cell Day: The fight for better care continues
Home Office backs down after High Court challenge to ‘good character’ citizenship policy
Janice Nix: Stepmum jailed for 1978 killing of 5-year-old girl
Also: ‘My stepmum killed my sister and made me lie about it but now we have justice’
'37 Fibroids': Nova Reid's wake-up call on work and wellbeing ahead of her Bloomsbury Theatre show
Bell Ribeiro-Addy MP launches free Activism Academy for young people in Brixton and Clapham
Knighthood for Patrick Vernon, Windrush Day campaigner
‘Jamaicans and Caribbeans did not know (they were descendants from Africa)…until Roots came out!” - Comedian Gina Yashere says on podcast, sparks mixed feedback
British actor David Oyelowo issues apology after comments linking Black Southern accents to slavery spark criticism
Female pastor in court after man ‘drowns during baptism’ in Birmingham
Wilfred Wood, Britain’s first Black bishop, turns 90
‘When my dad died I cleared out his home – and discovered he had a secret wife’
Black child, 16, wins landmark case against Met Police after being wrongly arrested over mum’s suicide attempt, with ‘up to £130,000 damages’ expected
Grenfell anniversary: nine years of demanding justice and still waiting
Naomi Campbell has said that "identity fraud and deception" by a fellow trustee of her former charity was to blame for a serious misuse of funds
Reform UK councillor reinstated after saying Nigerians should be "melted down" and used to fill potholes
Mean Girls actress ‘scared to leave house’ as Belfast show is cancelled
Got a news tip or story idea? Submit it via this form. Reader feedback and corrections are welcomed separately here.
