79-year-old beaten to death by white man, Black Interns scheme targeted in an off-key legal claim, Alex Wheatle Day
Plus: Golders Green attacker is mentally ill and not a terrorist, new details suggest
Hi everyone,
We’re back after a short break. It’s a bumper edition, as anticipated!
Firstly: we want to acknowledge the victims of the Golders Green attack, carried out by Essa Suleiman. Our thoughts are with the Jewish community and everyone affected, including Black communities.
One of the victims is a British-Somali man, Ishmail Hussein, understood to be a friend of Essa’s. His name has not featured prominently in much of the reporting around the incident.
Essa is Black. When a Black perpetrator commits a heinous crime, many Black people worry about how they will be perceived and treated, as cases like this can be used to stereotype Black communities and fuel discrimination.
Revelations of Essa’s mental illness raise difficult but necessary questions, reflecting other violent incidents involving vulnerable Black male perpetrators. These conversations need care, context and empathy, not knee-jerk reactions.
Quick one: magazine pre-orders are flying, so if you’ve been meaning to grab a copy, now’s the time. If you value this work, subscribe to our digital platform to help us keep building and join a growing community of thousands.
Keep scrolling for more. One love!
Good news
Afrori, the UK’s largest supplier of Black books, avoids threat of imminent closure after 1,000 sales target surpassed
Ife Thompson wins Rising Star Barrister 2026 at the Women and Diversity in Law Awards
UK rap star Konan launches awards to back emerging artists
Gary Younge named chair of top UK book prize
Alex Wheatle Day launched to honour late ‘Brixton Bard’ and uplift young Black storytellers
Dawn Penn’s “You Don’t Love Me” (No, No, No) certified platinum in the UK, reportedly becoming highest-certified solo reggae song by a female artist
Over The Top Under The Radar, a leading news podcast hosted by Carys Afoko, celebrated in Spotify campaign
Essa Suleiman: Golders Green stabbing suspect was under mental health care at time of attack, court hears
A man accused of stabbing two Jewish men and a Black Muslim man in north London was under mental health care and living in supported accommodation at the time, a court heard.
Essa Suleiman, 45, faces multiple attempted murder charges after the attacks in Golders Green, which were initially declared by the police as terrorism for reasons that are, frankly, unclear.
He has been remanded in custody and is due at the Old Bailey on 15 May.
What does the new Renters’ Rights Act mean for Black people?
From yesterday (1 May), the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 marks the biggest shake-up of the UK rental sector in a generation, introducing new rights for tenants and rules for landlords.
For Black renters, who are more likely to rent privately and face discrimination, the changes carry particular weight. We break it down here in the latest of our ‘Make It Make Sense’ explainer series.
Right-wing commentator launches legal claim over Black-focused internship scheme after being unable to apply
GB News commentator Sophie Corcoran is taking legal action after being unable to access a scheme for Black people run by the 10,000 Interns Foundation with the Bar Council.
She claims the programme unlawfully restricts applicants by race, saying she was “shocked” it was limited to certain backgrounds, despite longstanding underrepresentation of Black people in the judiciary.
The Bar Council denies wrongdoing and says it will contest the claim, with this summer’s internships still set to go ahead. The scheme is aimed at improving access for those from backgrounds that have historically had limited entry into these professions, particularly Black students and graduates.
Uproar after Starmer’s niece chosen as candidate for safe Croydon seat while Black women councillors blocked
Two Black councillors in Croydon, Eunice O’Dame and Enid Mollyneux, have reportedly been prevented from standing again in a safe Labour ward, Inside Croydon has revealed.
Their exclusion, as Keir Starmer’s niece is selected instead, is fuelling concerns about transparency and race within the party.
Man jailed for beating Black pensioner, aged 79, to death in a “savage and unprovoked attack”
Phillip Fraczek has been jailed for life after beating 79-year-old retired seafarer Franklin Agbotui to death in a “savage and unprovoked” attack in east London.
Mr Franklin died days after the assault in his West Ham flat, with his family remembering him as a kind and respected member of the community.
What else we’re reading
Sophinia Bertrand, who died after being found with head injuries in Fulham, named and pictured for the first time
Black women ‘face UK’s toughest workplace barriers’
Black and ethnic minority workers face ‘shocking’ increase in explicit racism, union reveals
Councillor Marsie Skeete, former Mayor of Merton, dies
Britain ‘stole 25 million years’ of life through slavery, report finds
DJ AG teams up with UK music college to offer funded degree for artists - as he faces backlash for defending Charlie Sloth’s “digital blackface” and blasphemy”
Bristol launches summer of activist events to become UK civil rights capital
Racism-linked stress may explain why Black women more likely to die in childbirth, study finds
Sabastian Sawe breaks marathon record as first man to complete London run in under two hours
Tony Cesay, British national champion boxer, dies aged 58
Black children almost 8x more likely to be strip-searched by police, report finds
Channel 5 and ITN reach settlement with Claudia-Liza Vanderpuije ahead of tribunal over discrimination claims
Former X-Factor finalist Gabrielle Carrington faces murder charge after influencer Klaudiaglam hit by car in Soho
Wolverhampton solicitor, 28, died from sepsis after plastic surgery in Turkey
Black beauty queen who represented South Africa at Miss World during apartheid dies aged 76
‘African tribe’ leader deported from UK after eviction from Scottish woods
Widow died in Ghana crash after losing up to £1m in romance frauds, inquest hears
Canada was lovely! 🇨🇦
As mentioned a couple of weeks ago: we took a short trip to Canada and it offered a rare moment to pause.
There was still some work in the mix, but having the space to reset ahead of what’s shaping up to be a busy few months made all the difference. Toronto, in particular, was a joy. A reminder we’re holding onto: there is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. You need both!
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