France repeals slavery-era law, blood cancer awareness grows and a Windrush pioneer celebrates 100th birthday
Plus: We were featured in the Daily Mirror, a viral police encounter sparks concern and Brixton graduate races to fund her Harvard place
Dear readers,
Welcome back to your weekly round-up from Black Current News.
This week, we celebrate remarkable milestones, from a tiny heart surgery survivor reuniting with the surgeon who saved her life to community champions, centenarians and trailblazers making us proud.
We also examine stories raising urgent questions about justice, representation and opportunity, from France’s long-overdue repeal of a slavery-era law to concerns over the policing of Black children and the ongoing shortage of stem cell donors.
As always, thank you for reading, sharing our work and helping independent Black journalism grow.
Let’s get into it and don’t forget to pre-order your copy of our inaugural print magazine, coming out this summer.
Keep scrolling for more news.
Black Joy Bulletin
‘You gave Fleur a life’: Tiny heart surgery survivor reunites with doctor who saved her
Trevor Turner, a Jamaica-born Royal Air Force (RAF) engineer, recently celebrated his 100th birthday
French teen Moise Kouame becomes youngest male Grand Slam match-winner in 17 years
Community collective saves 30-year Black-owned business in Leicester
Elaine Banton wins the Society of Caribbean Lawyers ‘Barrister of the Year’ prize
‘I started handing out food to homeless aged 11 - 14 years later I’m still going’
France finally scraps slavery-era law that classified Black people as property
France has voted to repeal the Code Noir, a slavery-era law that classified enslaved people as property, nearly 180 years after the country abolished slavery. The unanimous vote has been welcomed as a long-overdue reckoning with France's colonial past, though it has also prompted a question from many observers: what took so long?
Bristol woman’s campaign highlights donor shortage on World Blood Cancer Day
As World Blood Cancer Day was marked on Thursday, Bristol woman Beth, 31, renewed calls for more Black and mixed-race stem cell donors to join the register after her acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) diagnosis. While she recently revealed her sister may be a suitable match, she says many others still face long waits due to a lack of donor diversity. The awareness day also coincided with a new EastEnders storyline in which Denise Fox, played by Diane Parish, is diagnosed with AML.
Mum says Black 12-year-old was handcuffed and searched by police after ‘playing with loose stop sign’
A mother's viral social media post has sparked widespread concern after she alleged her 12-year-old son was handcuffed and searched by police in Sevenoaks after briefly playing with a loose stop sign.
Hilary Ibhagbemien says the incident left her son "frightened and distressed" and has reignited debate about the policing of Black children and the adultification of young Black boys.
‘Why not you?’: Cambridge graduate from Brixton launches fundraiser after Harvard offer
A Brixton woman has launched a fundraiser after securing a place on a master's degree programme at Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Michaela Mensah, a first-generation university student and Cambridge graduate, has already raised more than £33,000 but must provide proof of funding by 15 June, with the total cost of study and related expenses expected to exceed $100,000 (£74,000).
What else we’re reading
Windrush Festival plans blocked by councillors in east London over ‘public nuisance’ concerns
Janice Nix, 67, has been convicted of the manslaughter of her five-year-old stepdaughter, Andrea Bernard, nearly five decades after the child suffered fatal burns in a south London home
‘I want to tell the world to embrace their past’: Janice Nix video resurfaces after conviction for killing child in 1978
Exclusive | Protest planned at Oxford college after Black staffer who lost leg alleges racist bullying
Gilbert Clarke, World War Two veteran and Windrush pioneer, dies aged 100
‘Create freely’: Mýa speaks to Black Current News about art, longevity and independence
Four right-wing newspapers may have breached editors’ code over attacks on Misan Harriman, press regulator says
‘Sometimes I wish I'd never played football because some of the pain, I can still feel it’: Roly Gregoire, Sunderland’s first Black player, describes the impact of racism
Pope Leo XIV makes historic apology for church’s role in legitimising slavery
Clarence B. Jones, civil rights activist who helped to write Martin Luther King Jr’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, dies at 95
Former Southampton footballer Victor Udoh has died at the age of 21, reportedly under “suspicious circumstances”, although the cause remains unknown
Viral video sparks race debate as Jamaican restaurant denies discrimination claim
UK Garage legends Mis-Teeq reveal their comeback exclusively to Vogue
‘End of an era’: Popular Black-owned hair shop in Forest Gate announces closure and 50% off sale
BCN featured in Daily Mirror column on rise of creator-led journalism
Black Current News was featured this week in a column by Mirror Assistant Editor and columnist Darren Lewis on the growth of creator-led journalism.
Writing in the Daily Mirror, Darren praised BCN’s reporting, describing it as “the excellent, digital Black Current News platform” and highlighting its coverage of issues affecting women, girls, parents and communities across the country. He also described our editor Nadine White as “brilliant”.
The mention is a welcome reminder that independent, community-rooted journalism continues to make an impact. Thank you to everyone supporting BCN’s growth. You can read the full column here.
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