Race offence register calls, Darcus Beese - and Deta Hedman makes sporting history
Plus: Damilola Taylor’s legacy to be marked with new memorial garden
Hi everyone!
We’re back from the overseas assignment referenced in last week’s newsletter and easing into the festive stretch, but the news hasn’t slowed.
This week, we’re tracking key stories including fake Black hair products flooding the market, a new honour for Damilola Taylor and calls for a Race Discrimination Offenders register.
Every week, In Focus will bring you:
The biggest headlines affecting Black and marginalised communities, which mainstream media often underreport or miss
Good news, highlights and achievements worth celebrating
Let’s get into it.
Good news
‘Caribbean Queen’: Trailblazer Deta Hedman becomes oldest darts world champion at 66
RAF Veteran Gilbert Clarke celebrates his 100th birthday
Nnena Kalu becomes first artist with a learning disability to win Turner Prize
Paula Lloyd Knight lands top NHS executive role
Damilola Taylor’s legacy to be marked with new memorial garden
Comedian Angie Le Mar was honoured with the INSPIRE Trailblazer Honorary Award at the recent INSPIRE Multicultural Awards
Celebs unite to push back against rising racism in UK, announcing mass demonstration
Police pushed for biased facial recognition system, despite knowing it discriminated against Black people
Police forces lobbied for a facial recognition system they knew was biased against women, young people and Black and Asian people, because an alternative produced fewer suspects.
The Home Office has now admitted the technology is discriminatory, after a review found it misidentified Black and Asian people and women at far higher rates than white men
UK urged to introduce ‘Race Discrimination Offenders Register’ to tackle workplace racism
It would operate in a similar way to the Sex Offenders Register.
Prof Gus John has called for a Race Discrimination Offenders Register to stop individuals who racially discriminate from continuing in positions of power over Black people.
Delivering a lecture at the Industrial Law Society/Employment Law Association Race Equality Committee event on 3 December, he said racism remains “embedded in the DNA of the nation”, with perpetrators rarely facing personal consequences
Black Greggs worker branded “ganja man” by colleagues wins race discrimination case after being sacked over free sausage rolls
A Black Greggs supervisor dubbed “ganja man” by colleagues has won a race discrimination case after being sacked over claims he gave away sausage rolls.
A tribunal found the dismissal process was a stitch-up and that he faced discriminatory treatment at the West Sussex branch
Black Labour hopeful ‘told she is the wrong ethnicity for election’ - and moves to Lib Dems
A long-time Labour member in Brent has quit the party after saying she was told she was the “wrong ethnicity” to stand in her own ward.
Fiona Mulaisho has now defected to the Liberal Democrats, citing a toxic local culture and repeated sidelining
Black women say fake hair products sold online are endangering their health - and bad mind is active
Black British women are sounding the alarm after discovering counterfeit hair products bought on Amazon, with some reporting damage to their hair and scalp. Several say they unknowingly used products that weren’t genuine until Amazon alerted them.
Sinai Fleary reports that shoppers urge others to check labels, sellers and packaging before buying
Family-run shop to close after almost 30 years
A beloved family-run shop in Leicester, Stabana Cultural Products, will close on Christmas Eve after nearly 30 years serving the local African Caribbean community.
Owners Mr Randy and Ms Jenny say the store filled a vital gap when it opened in 1996, and are now retiring
What else we’re reading
Rapper Ghetts admits to death by dangerous driving
Exclusive | Met police search Black Londoners 18 times more than white people under section 60
Ena Collymore-Woodstock, Jamaican-British legal pioneer, has died at 108
Anatomical exhibition includes rare Victorian-era drawing of a Black body
Maternity care failings ‘worse than anticipated’ with rife discrimination, national investigation warns
Rising racism blamed for collapse in number of foreign nurses coming to UK
Black taxi driver blinded by colleague in racist attack wins £278k with partner after council ignored years of abuse
Lack of interpreters contributed to deaths of 34 babies last year
‘Bus Aunty’ and Simply Sayo link with City Hall, MPs and the NHS to boost blood donations in Black communities
Where we’ve been
Yesterday, BET UK invited us to the UK private premiere of Darcus Beese: In His Own Words. The powerful new documentary chronicles the life, legacy and impact of Darcus Beese - one of the most influential figures in UK music history, as well as the son of trailblazing activists Darcus Howe and Barbara Beese
Barbados! It was lovely to spend time in the beautiful Caribbean country during a special assignment
Got news, a tip, a story idea or thoughts on our coverage? Email admin@blackcurrentnews.co.uk. We read everything and take our community seriously.