UK dual citizens face passport clampdown, Black body parts being sold, dad's puzzles take off
Plus: Black school staffer sues after being accused of having ‘angry face’
Dear readers,
You’re receiving this edition slightly later than planned after a hectic few days.
On Wednesday, when it would usually land in your inbox, we were invited to the London Transport Museum by the Mayor of London’s team for a media and content creators’ drinks reception.
So, we braved the non-stop rain and headed to the London Transport Museum on behalf of Black Current News readers. Scroll down for reflections from the evening, delivered this Valentine’s Day with gratitude for the community that keeps us going.
From groundbreaking research on Black women’s exposure to toxic hair products and Windrush scandal victims continuing to die without justice, to Britain returning looted artefacts to Nigeria and the UK’s first Black female Senior Coroner speaking about her trailblazing career, there’s plenty to unpack below.
Shout out to The Lead for recommending our reporting and it’s good to see so many of you reading our ‘cocaine in shoes’ explainer.
As ever, we appreciate you for reading and supporting our work!
Good news
‘If I don’t, who will?’: how a Lewisham dad’s Black history-themed puzzles found success and ended up on John Lewis’ shelves
Broadcaster Angie Greaves honoured with the Pinnacle Award by Barbados High Commission in London
Barrister Ife Thompson named finalist in Women and Diversity in Law Awards
Cambridge Uni returns 116 Benin artefacts looted by British forces to Nigeria
Lewisham launches online NHS Health Checks to tackle ‘silent killers’ like diabetes
MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy has proposed new legislation to ban the sale of human body parts, amid evidence of a significant global market. Black people’s body parts have been disproportionately commodified and sold within this market
Dual British nationals warned to carry UK passport or risk being denied boarding
From 25 February, dual British nationals may be refused boarding on flights, ferries or trains to the UK unless they travel with a valid British passport.
The Home Office change means those without one could face paying £589 for a certificate of entitlement, as new travel authorisation rules come into force.
Does this affect you? Look about your documents as soon as possible…
Manchester United co-owner says sorry after claiming UK ‘colonised by immigrants’
Sir Jim Ratcliffe faced backlash over remarks that Britain had been “colonised by immigrants” and then issued a statement expressing regret for his “choice of language”.
“I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern,” he said, adding that it was “important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth”.
Oliver Campbell among wrongly convicted men calling for change to compensation law
Oliver Campbell, a Black man cleared in 2024 after serving 11 years of a life sentence he received at 21, is calling for reform after receiving no compensation despite losing more than a decade behind bars.
In England and Wales, even after convictions are overturned, the wrongly convicted must prove their innocence beyond reasonable doubt to qualify for a payout. Read more here.
Hair extensions found to contain far more toxic chemicals than previously known
In the most comprehensive analysis to date, researchers identified dozens of hazardous chemicals, including in products made from human hair, offering the strongest evidence yet of potential health risks.
The largely unregulated products, disproportionately used by Black women, were found to contain substances linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other harm.
Read our recently-published ‘is your hair relaxer killing you?’ explainer for more context about these products.
Xielo Maruziva: police apologise after delay in telling mother her toddler had fallen into river, as inquest rules accidental death
Police have apologised after an inquest heard it took around an hour to inform the mother of two-year-old Xielo Maruziva that he had fallen into the River Soar in Leicester in February 2024.
A 26km search, described as one of the UK’s largest water searches, ended almost four months later when his body was found; his death has been ruled an accident by the inquest’s jury.
What else we’re reading
‘Cocaine in shoes’: Jamaica drug case involving two British women explained
Black teaching assistant wins discrimination case after being accused of having ‘angry face’
Over 60 of the UK’s leading cultural and legal voices - including Giggs, Gary Younge and Leroy Logan - are urging the government to set restrictions on the use of art as evidence in criminal trials, warning that the practice leads to wrongful convictions
Tunde Olawoye is one of many pharmacists around Wales struggling to stay afloat as their business costs soar "through the roof"
Barbados PM Mia Mottley wins third term in landslide victory as her party sweeps every seat in election
Black Current News reviews My Father’s Shadow: ‘a must-see that rewards repeat viewing’
Hurry for justice’: Windrush victims dying without redress, commissioner says
‘You escape, or you die’: African men say Russia duped them into fighting in Ukraine
Cicelia Deane departs as editorial & commissioning executive at BET UK
Congo, Angola and Namibia have agreed to take back foreign offenders and illegal migrants after the UK Home Secretary threatened them with visa penalties
Inside the Coroner’s Court: David Lammy in conversation with the UK’s first Black female Senior Coroner
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy sits down with Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish to discuss the vital, often overlooked role coroners play in investigating unexplained and state-related deaths.
From inquests to Prevention of Future Deaths reports, she explains how the work brings answers for families and accountability when it matters most.
Out and about!
Earlier this week, we attended a media and content creators’ drinks reception hosted by the Mayor of London, bringing together journalists and digital voices from across the capital.
The Mayor thanked members of the media for their role in holding power to account and praised London’s diversity as one of its greatest strengths.
In lighter moments, he joked about living “rent-free” in Donald Trump’s head, drawing laughter from the room, before reinforcing his defence of our city’s diversity and speaking up for migrants (particularly timely in light of Ratcliffe’s “colonisation” remark, referenced above).
It was nice to see some friendly faces, including Deputy Mayors Debbie Weekes-Bernard and Kaya Comer-Schwartz; Marvyn Harrison (Dope Black Dads/Come Nyam), Bus Aunty aka Ms Bemi Orojuogun, London Centric’s Jim Waterson, cousin Charlene White (ITV), plus more.
See here for more highlights.
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