Meet the UK’s newest Black judge
Plus: Chris Kaba case update, Sly Dunbar and a sickle cell death inquest
Good evening readers,
We’re back with another weekly round-up of news relating to Black communities.
This is a full edition. Slow news weeks happen, but a great deal has unfolded over the past seven days, from the appointment of a Black judge and ongoing concerns about the treatment of sickle cell patients, to further Windrush injustices, a tribute to the late Alex Wheatle, the passing of Sly Dunbar and well-earned recognition for Black talent across the UK and USA.
Scroll through to read more.
See you next week and, as ever, thanks for supporting independent media!
Good news
Black British academic, Professor Kojo Koram, co-launches global centre at Loughborough University to challenge who profits from drug reform
Jay-Ann Lopez, founder of Black Girl Gamers, has been nominated for Outstanding Digital Creator (Gaming/Tech) at the NAACP Image Awards.
She is the only Black woman nominated in the category. Voting ends on 13 February
ITV broadcaster Charlene White wins trailblazer prize at Women in Journalism awards
Brixton NHS blood donor centre saved or improved more than 50,000 lives
Lewis Hamilton’s father launches a new motorsport platform aimed at expanding access
A woman with sickle cell disease “suddenly” died in a Surrey hospital. This week, an inquest examines her care
Irene Dzifa King Arthur, aged 47, had sickle cell disease and “suddenly” died after being admitted to Frimley Park Hospital in Surrey.
This week, an inquest opened into her death at HM Coroner's Court in Woking. It will examine whether Irene’s sickle cell disease was appropriately managed during the four days she was treated at the hospital before her death in August 2024.
Irene was a civil servant and charity trustee, as well as a devoted wife and mother of two young children.
Man who arrived in Britain as a child 60 years ago left homeless after Windrush status questioned
A man who arrived in Britain as a child 60 years ago spent months homeless after officials questioned his right to live in the UK.
George Campbell, 69, was left sleeping in a bus shelter and relying on food banks after being denied homelessness support due to a lack of paperwork.
Despite later being recognised as legally resident, he remains in a night shelter, supported by a charity, after his state pension claim was also rejected. Read more.
Meet the UK’s newest Black judge
Kishma Bolaji has been appointed as a salaried District Tribunal Judge, meaning she is now a full-time judge, rather than a part-time or fee-paid one.
Sitting in the Social Security and Child Support (SSCS) Chamber, she will hear appeals involving benefits, disability support and child maintenance.
According to the latest UK judiciary diversity figures, Black people make up only about 1 per cent of all judges in England and Wales - a figure that has stubbornly stayed around that level for years despite wider efforts to diversify the bench.
‘Alex Wheatle Reading Room’ to be unveiled in tribute to renowned author at Brixton Library
The Alex Wheatle Reading Room will be unveiled at Brixton Library next week in tribute to the late author and Brixton Bard, Alex Wheatle, who died in March 2025.
The permanent space honours his contribution to Black British literature and his lifelong commitment to nurturing young readers and writers.
The unveiling on 4 February will form part of a memorial event celebrating his life and influence, while also launching Lambeth Libraries’ National Year of Reading and a new Black Classic Literature Collection.
Momentum grows in campaign to keep emergency Sickle Cell Day Unit open
Campaigners are continuing efforts to prevent the closure of a specialist Sickle Cell day unit, with a petition attracting more than 36,000 signatures.
The Sickle Cell Day Unit at the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel remains under threat following a six-month trial, prompting sustained opposition from patients, families and campaigners who warn lives are at risk. It’s due to close at the end of January, in just a few days’ time.
The campaign, led by Delo Biye, has now been covered by ITV News (in the above clip), after being first reported by Black Current News. The petition can be found here.
What else we’re reading
Chris Kaba’s family ‘devastated’ as misconduct case against police officer paused
Folajimi Olubunmi-Adewole: young man who died in rescue attempt gets King’s award
New video game called ‘Relooted’ lets players return African artefacts taken by Western museums
Teachers in England driving homeless pupils to school and washing clothes, research shows
Outpouring of love for University of Birmingham medical student who died by suicide a day after exam results
Pat McGrath Labs, founded by the Black British beauty icon, files for bankruptcy. However, the brand is expected to bounce back better than ever, according to a spokesperson
Mandela’s prison key, sunglasses and shirt can be sold after daughter wins court battle
New evidence shows how discrimination shortens lives in Black communities
Oscar nominee and Sinners star Delroy Lindo says UK can ‘absolutely’ root for him - but he doesn’t see himself as British. Here’s why
Sly Dunbar, legendary Jamaican drummer and producer of ‘Sly and Robbie’ fame, dies
Stanley Senior: tributes paid to ‘no-nonsense’ stalwart of the Black community in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire
Out and about!
I attended the annual Women in Journalism awards ceremony at the Canadian Embassy in London last night, hosted by the UK’s leading advocacy organisation for women in the profession.
As a member of the Women in Journalism (WIJ) executive committee, I was proud to play a role in judging and selecting this year’s winners. The evening was a powerful reminder of why WIJ matters, celebrating women producing rigorous, brave journalism in often hostile conditions.
This year’s awardees included Malak A Tantesh, a young reporter from Gaza who received the Rising Star Award for fearless frontline reporting. It was also a pleasure to see my dear cousin Charlene White recognised with the Trailblazer Award, a fitting honour for her contribution to the industry. Read more here.
Over the weekend, I stopped by House of MOBO, a newly opened space by Kanya King’s MOBO Group in partnership with Greene King in south London. I then had dinner with a long-time friend, and we put the world to rights over some jollof rice and suya, courtesy of The Flygerians. We also bumped into Ros Griffiths, the Queen of Brixton and chair of Friends of Windrush Square.
Dr Aggrey Burke laid to rest
Dr Aggrey Burke’s funeral took place on Friday 23 March, marking the passing of a towering figure in Black British history and mental health.
The late Dr Burke was the first Black consultant psychiatrist in the NHS, a pioneering clinician whose work on race, migration and the psychological cost of displacement shaped generations.
As Professor Kehinde Andrews has observed, he could have been a professor by the 1970s, but he spoke out about racism and paid the price for it.
I was deeply moved by the eulogy delivered by Professor Gus John, in which he referenced me and my ‘Barrel Children’ film, which examines the intergenerational trauma caused by migration and family separation, building on the foundations laid by figures such as Dr Burke. He died in December, aged 82. May his legacy continue to guide and protect our communities.
You can read the eulogy here.
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