
Racism

OPINION: Simmer Down – Peace and Unity in the Community
It was a long week. A week of negative comments written by a leading politician against women from a certain ethnic and religious background. These abusive comments were later defended by a leading comedian under the guise of comedy and the ‘freedom of speech’ mantra. The week continued with the media adding weight to these…

Rowan Atkinson savaged by fans for supporting Boris Johnson’s “Islamophobic” comments
British comedian Rowan Atkinson has been severely criticised by fans and former colleagues after coming out in support of Boris Johnson’s recent remarks on women wearing burkas, which have been described as inflammatory and “Islamophobic”. The 63-year-old actor, known for his comedy performances in Mr Bean and Blackadder, said Johnson’s political remarks were “funny”.

Jamelia to present ‘Black Girl Bible’ at intimate Birmingham book event
Birmingham music star and television presenter Jamelia will be discussing all things ‘Black Girls Bible’ with writers Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené in Digbeth next week. The musician will be joining the authors to discuss their work ‘Slay In Your Lane: The Black Girl Bible‘, a long-awaited and highly anticipated “guide to life for a generation of…

Birmingham man convicted of stirring racial hatred towards Muslims on Twitter
A Birmingham man has been convicted of stirring up racial hatred with a string of Islamophobic tweets, as West Midlands Police warns that anyone who posts inflammatory messages risks arrest for committing hate crimes. Rhodenne Chand, from Finchley Road in Kingstanding, posted 32 tweets in the space of a few days in the wake of…

Alan Sugar branded “racist” after posting tweet mocking African World Cup team
Alan Sugar has come under fire for posting a ‘racist’ tweet about the Senegal World Cup team that compares the players to individuals – specifically of African descent – selling sunglasses and handbags on beaches. Lord Sugar, 71, tweeted: “I recognise some of these guys from the beach in Marbella. Multitasking, resourceful chaps,” accompanied by a photoshopped image of the national team…

LGBTQ+ groups calls for cultural appropriation ban at Birmingham Pride celebrations
A number of LGBTQ+ groups across the city have called on Birmingham Pride to ban cultural appropriation, following an I Am Birmingham article highlighting the issue was published last month. In light of several Native American headdresses being worn as ‘costumes’ at Birmingham Pride celebrations, representatives from queer groups of colour have condemned the practice.

Birmingham’s Indian Film Festival is back! Here’s what to expect…
Europe’s largest Indian film fest is returning to Birmingham this summer for its fourth year in the city. The Birmingham Indian Film Festival – known as BIFF – is a cinematic treasure trove of carefully curated premieres of South Asian independent films, offering rare glimpses into some of the billion plus lives in the sub-continent.

The second largest migrant community in the UK, Romanians still targeted with media misrepresentation
Newly released data on migrant population in the UK caused again quite a stir in the media. Most outlets, from tabloids to quality press, published the news: Romanians now number 411,000 in the UK, which makes us the second largest migrant population on the island. At the end of last month, the Office for National…

THUG author Angie Thomas returning to Birmingham to discuss movie adaptation
[THE BELOW EVENT HAS NOW BEEN CANCELLED, POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT YEAR] Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give (THUG), comes back to Birmingham to talk about the phenomenal success that has seen her debut novel take the Number One spot in the New York Times Bestseller list for 65 weeks. The Hate U Give is…

How a fake news story about Birmingham Muslims has gone viral for all the wrong reasons
A fake news story and video about “Muslim gangs” in Birmingham has gone viral all around the world, despite the individuals in the footage not being Muslim or from Birmingham. Not only was the footage not filmed in Birmingham, it isn’t even from the UK. Yet, that hasn’t stopped it from being shared thousands of…