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Our Blog

An ongoing series of informational entries

Windrush Latest...
Group Compensation Scheme

March 15, 2018

The government is designing a compensation scheme, but will the scheme go far enough? The "act" is as far as it is wide.

There are people and families in the Caribbean, that have also suffered injury and maybe even beyond.

A full governmental investigation is promised and engagement with individuals and families, which maybe a good first step in the assessment of damages.

A commemorative stamp might be a good idea.

Affordable, Appropriate, Quality, Housing...

February 14, 2018

Having a safe secure place to live, is a fundamental need for everyone. However, there are over a million people in the UK that are classified as homeless with millions more, in temporary or sub-par accommodation.

Around 40% of households live below the poverty line and are therefore affected by inadequate housing issues.

Home ownership is at an all time low, house prices are at an all time high making the prospects of owning a home, an impossible dream for most prospective owners.

Social Isolation

January 15, 2018

Social Isolation is a condition which is said in the main to affect people over the age of seventy-five. While this maybe true, the condition also affects a number of other groups in society.

Young people, single parents, carers, wives, spouses, in fact most identifiable groups in society have a contingent of people experiencing the effects of Social Isolation.

The condition is pervasive and becoming ever prevalent as a national health risk.

"Social isolation refers to a complete or near-complete lack of contact with people and society for members of a social species.

It is not the same as loneliness rooted in temporary lack of contact with other humans. Social isolation can be an issue for anyone despite their age, though symptoms may differ by age group."

Windrush

May 15, 2018

Over 60 families have been confirmed to be wrongfully deported with thousands more cases already identified.

This Is clearly not a case for oops, sorry!!

If an administration wrongfully causes harm and suffering to thousands of its citizens, is that not an act of gross negligence and shouldn't that administration be held accountable?..

Mary Seacole 1805 - 1881

The Windrush Generations

“From illegal abduction to illegal deportation”

400 years of harsh treatment and a hostile environment

The journey of the Windrush Generations has been long and continuously traumatic. From as early as 1625 the antecedents of these people were illegally abducted from their home lands and sold into slavery, shipped to the Caribbean to work as slaves in the sugar cane fields to enrich the British Empire. They made the country rich, but have never received fair treatment.

They served in the Crimean war 1854-1856. Notably, the famous Jamaica born, mixed race nurse Mary Seacole, who independently cared for the British troops despite being denied a position by the British war office.

They fought and died in the First European War and the Second European War, fighting as British subjects to save Europe from a fascist dictator. As the posters read, “The Motherland Calls”, Britain needed their help and they answered the call.

After the Second European War, Britain needed to replenish its labour force and rebuild its devastated economy, they were invited this time to come and rebuild the country. They came.

They worked as labourers, transport workers and nurses, putting the “Great” in Great Britain and since that time back in 1948, they have worked and paid taxes, bought homes and raised families, continuing to this day.

It has been seventy years since the Windrush arrived in Britain carrying the first of these pioneers and from the day of their arrival by invitation, their existence has been defined by one word “racism”.

Called every derogatory name imaginable, physically abused and vilified, their children made subjects of constant prejudice and bias, cheated on their hard earned wages, overt racism, covert racism, institutional racism, they have endured them all, stood their ground and fought for justice.

Many of them now past retirement age have lived through the rioting, police harassment, brutality and corruption, veterans and heroes, one and all.

They have watched their young people and family members murdered in the streets by police and other malevolent thugs, their athletes insulted, mocked and attacked by hooligans.

Their children terrorised by skinheads and louts.

They have attended the funerals of friends and family members who have died in police custody, inexplicably.

They have cried a river of tears, for both antecedents and descendants alike. Perhaps the Enoch Powell speech should have been called “Rivers of Tears”.

But no one sees their pain, no one sees their suffering, no one feels their loss or laments their mistreatment.

And now 2018, they must again endure complete devastation of their lives due to the gross negligence of the government.

Hostile environment! I would say these people have had several life times of brutal and harsh treatment, mainly at the hands of the British establishment.

From 1625 to 2018, the persecution, abuse and exploitation continues... Compensate that.

Freelance/Independent UK 2018

Cassandra Amore

May 25, 2018

Theresa May is a witch and I just wish she could be more honest with the people they sent back I'm surprised you she hasn't called the people back from Jamaica that was sent out there wrongly have a meeting with all of them and apologise make them sign a contract regarding that they will have a stay and they will receive compensation and move forward it's about what is going to be changed now and all I'm hearing who's done what without coming up with a solution

Hope Springs Eternal...

April 6, 2018

It is incredible to think that in a country which is many, many centuries old, which claims to have civilised the world, which employs for its administration, management and government, some of the most expensively educated people on the planet.

A country with top tier scientists, world class military, think tanks and envied universities who’s inventors gave the planet the internet, the English language and more… The best they can come up with in regards to an immigration policy is the creation of a “hostile environment”.

A direct and intentional plan to make the country a “nasty” place.

To with vigor and relish inflict emotional and material distress on vulnerable people, causing further devastation and trauma in the lives of these already suffering individuals, who literally have nothing. Really! Is that the best we can come up with?

And then when as a policy it blows itself up by ensnaring hundreds of innocent victims and persecuting at least one unto premature death, the brilliant and insightful response is a promised review of the way the policy has been implemented. Astonishing!

Who are these people that sit in positions of rule making and governance?

It is redundant to ask if they are serious, because it is pretty clear that they are.

Paid with taxpayers money and ostensibly voted in by the majority, I really have to question their true motives given the fact that there is no doubt in my mind that the average twelve year old could come up with a better proposition for dealing with unwanted or illegal migrants than what the US president would probably regard as a low IQ strategy of a “shithole” country.

It is no wonder that troglodyte Trump seeks to impose tariffs and assert the separateness of the US when it comes to international trade deals, since it is clear to anyone on the planet who can read, that the UK administration seeks now to cover gross incompetence with blithe ineptitude.

Is there something going on that we do not know about? Have all of our politicians been lobotomized or taken over by some alien form? Are there none left that we can expect to do a half decent job in a given circumstance? Is the only agenda worth contemplating with any degree of serious thought, how to become a billionaire in the shortest possible time by any means necessary?

Forget humanity, forget civil rights, forget civil justice, law or morality.

I have to wonder if this is some sort of run through for when the robots take over.

The startlingly brilliant conclusion of the new Home Secretary Sajid Javid is that the “Hostile Environment” policy needs to be reviewed.

A woefully inadequate assessment in my view, but then I live in a fantasy world where people have expectations of their politicians and leaders beyond what is equivalent to a comment from a retired, senile academic or uninformed adolescent.

I am not one for doom and gloom and there is a saying from the writings of Alexander Pope, “hope springs eternal”, but I really have to be honest here, I am not holding my breath.

Knife Crime - " By Any Means Necessary"

June 8, 2018

The proliferation of "knife crime" and street violence is a concern which is disturbing to everyone. The traumatic effects of such an event can be critically detrimental to both victim and perpetrator, though in perhaps different ways.

The perpetrator feels empowered by his action within that moment. He feels excited, vibrant, alive. But in the quiet times away from his peers, when he is alone with the images of blood and violence playing out in his mind. With perhaps the death of another human being or their severe injury stamped into his consciousness and credited to his psyche, the feeling may not be so glorious.

At least 37 people have been fatally stabbed and 62 overall, killed in London alone, since the beginning of the year. The local administration blames government cuts to police budgets. The Government blames a lack of available funds. The police blame the proliferation of gangs and drug dealers.

In truth it is quite probable that all of these things have a part to play, but is that really the whole story? Is it just a simple case of too many gangsters and not enough police or do we need to look a little deeper?

Watching a documentary on this issue recently, it struck me that the fifteen year old being interviewed who was the owner of a massive hunting knife with a serrated edge, clearly a murderous weapon, was neither a psychopathic killer nor harbored real murderous intent. His main reason for having such a weapon in his possession, was self protection. In other words, this potential murderer was a very frightened and very vulnerable juvenile.

A young individual, so scared by the effects of an economically stressed home environment and a school system with a main stream curriculum that while promoting education as a path to success, fails to address the real impact of discrimination and other unfair practices on the "ideal world" vision and innate sense of fair play, of the young and the innocent.

On top of this, the very real threats from scary adults such drug dealers, pimps, pedophiles and police, all working together to make the certainty of "kill or be killed" jungle law, a better proposition, holding more value, than the pursuit of educational success.

So what is left to this young person as a vision for their future? What is the likely end result of succeeding through education? After perhaps twenty years of formal education and preparation for life, the individual is faced with severely limited options for achieving an above the poverty level standard of living.

Very few twenty-five year olds or even thirty year olds after graduating and gaining five years of commercial experience can walk into a job where they command a salary of £30,000 or £40,000 a year, which is the level of income needed to maintain a healthy life, in many communities. It is more likely, that many will not get that job, so even as graduates, they are relegated to restaurants, bars and coffee shops.

With this picture in mind, the path of educational success, does not look so enticing. Add to this the level of discrimination and unfair treatment that is applied across certain groups of society such as BMEs or women and the picture becomes down right unattractive, even disagreeable.

Naturally the concept of enduring a 20 year indoctrination process, to secure a position of employment with which he can barely feed himself and cannot even buy a home, as well as the lack of expectation of being treated, or paid fairly is wholly unappealing. In fact by now it can be placed in the category of "why would I want to do that?" Is there some other way?

Any adolescent on the planet, can see that given the scenario presented they are about to enter a dark world of excruciating pain and suffering. A world that though defined by material wealth, affords the average, individual, adult, very few accessible options for acquiring any real financial security.

They can already appreciate that without money or a legitimated means of acquiring quite a lot of it on a regular basis, their existence is one which is overwhelmed with frightening unknowns, unanswerable questions, insecurities, uncertainties and real life dangers, giving rise to even greater fear, increased anxiety and crushing disillusionment.

What looms in their futuristic vision is not Olympian gold and glory, but needs un-met, poverty, prison and perdition.

They still have desires, nice car, nice house, nice clothes. They still have ambitions, beautiful wife, beautiful kids, beautiful life. How are they to achieve this without the hope of educational success or an expectation of fair treatment?

A very great question. So what is the answer? The answer is of course, "by any means necessary...".

What in the world happened to the “fat lady”?

In America they have a saying that “it ain’t over ‘til the fat lady sings”. It seems to me that the “fat lady”, has been singing out for quite some time and might even have sung herself hoarse, but nobody heard her or they were too busy following the false leads of what Donald Trump calls fake news to pay attention.

Now I know that I have probably not been politically correct here in using the word “fat”, please forgive me, I am not up-to-date on this issue, but will defer to the term “size challenged” or “big” to mitigate the offense.

It is fast becoming apparent that the vast array of critical threats and issues hammering on the traditional and historical structures of western civilisations are so overwhelming that those who have something or someone to care about are bracing themselves for a Humpty Dumpty type scenario of biblical proportions.

Just like in the case of Humpty, when he fell off the wall and the cracks appeared, “all the king’s horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put Humpty together again”. Sounds a bit like Brexit doesn’t it, or maybe the US democratic system?

There have been over fifty murders in London this year so far, all unsolved. We see the headlines, it seems like every day, there is another one. The police blame it on gangs and are calling for the public to help.

But doesn’t this mean that there are over fifty murderers walking around, sitting in bars, dining in restaurants and over fifty grieving families, may be plotting revenge or now living with traumatised children.

Moped muggings, acid attacks, hate crimes, enacted in record numbers and mostly unsolved.

On the other side of the pond, politically opposed factions have become so acrimonious that one faction has taken to public shaming and actual harassment of some of the figures of the current administration.

“Celebrities” have taken to publicly making such insanely hateful , malicious statements via social media, about public figures that it stresses the rationality of a sane person’s mind.

America seems to be up to its elbows in fear, hate and insecurity, much like the rest of the planet.

All of the blood that was spilled and the pain that was suffered to forge these great democracies seem to be rising up out of the ground like an invisible virus, affecting the minds of the people and their elected governance.

If the “big lady” hasn’t sung yet, what in the world is she waiting for?

Quotation submitted by
ICT Volunteer
Julius Akera

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible." -Francis of Assisi

MY BUTTON IS BIGGER THAN YOUR BUTTON!...

The world seems to be being held hostage by the megalomanianic premise that he who hath the biggest capability to destroy the entire planet and all human kind, rules the world.

This pre-supposes that the goal of any or all definable nation states is to in fact rule the world.

This supposition can be borne out by historical acts of war and colonization since the beginning of recorded history. But with the advent of the increased human population and the need to supply the basic needs of humanity with some standard of fair opportunity and access, imperialistic proclivities have all but become a secondary concern.

This is true even for those who already rule the world and those that exercise the most influence.

Imperialistic power is dissipating, becoming unsustainable due the sheer number of people on the planet and their projected increase.

With each individual striving for his own level of “independent” life, the shadow of the imperialistic mind-set, which has been pervasive throughout our cultures for a very long time, recedes to reveal a brighter, shinier world, where everyone is living in peace and harmony.

Consider the point, what are all of the micro wars, fighting and global violence all about? For example Syria, what is the root of that issue and can it really only be resolved by the actions currently being taken? Similarly, for any given situation around the world, even terrorism and extremism.

They all want something. Is this something that they want impossible to give? Can this something only be gotten by slaughtering human beings and devastating lives? I am merely asking the question, but to be honest, it really does not seem quite rational to me.

The current world state of affairs is a Mexican stand-off between the nation states with the greatest nuclear capabilities, namely the USA and Russia.

Add to that the “wannabes” and the agitators ready to chip in or assert their position in the game. Ready to use overwhelmingly destructive violence to get what they want.

But many are shying away from this predilection even though the prevailing method of conflict resolution at a national level and in many cases for individuals, is still war and violence.

It’s hard to put down the gun once that has become the chosen way, but there comes a point, where it just does not make any sense.

Like all things heinous, slavery and apartheid, this hostage situation has to end. The mentality that you would destroy your enemy, even at the realistic risk of destroying yourself and possibly the entire planet, does not play anymore. The keeper of that mentality is becoming seemingly and apparently, unhinged.

While Trump fires blasts of empowered rhetoric at Iran and North Korea and anyone else that again, seemingly challenges his interests, the rest of the world does not want it. We want the brighter, shinier world, the one with peace and harmony.

You might have the biggest button, but using it would seriously be an act of insanity. Think about it.

STOLEN SUIT AND TIE

Western governments, their administrations and leaders have long since, deflected attention and scrutiny from their own wrongdoing, illegal or corrupt practices and self-aggrandising activities around the world by pointing the finger and levelling accusations at others.

Communist states such as Russia and China are favourites for such treatment as well as all African leaders, their nation states and under-developed economies which due to the extreme abuses, historical and even contemporary, enacted by European regimes and their cohorts, make very easy targets.

We should really be extending a nod of thanks to Donald Trump and his U.S. administration who in their desperate mission to “make America great again”, have clearly shown the world just what kind of beings they really are and what they are prepared to do and have already done in the pursuit of wealth and power.

It is plainly clear for the whole world to see that concepts of honesty, morality and even basic humanity, have no part to play in their ethos or mentality.

“As everyone knows, in recent history, the Nixon administration leads the pack in criminal indictments with a grand total of 76 indictments, 55 convictions, and 15 prison sentences.

Many people would prefer to deny, the second most corrupt U.S. administration in recent memory is that of Ronald Reagan, with 26 indictments, 16 convictions and 8 prison sentences.

He is followed by George W. Bush, with 16 indictments, 16 convictions, and 9 prison sentences.” (Excerpt from Wordforge posting)

Obama had none.

Trump so far has at least two of his closest advisors facing serious Federal jail time for crimes committed, namely Manafort and Cohen while he himself is under investigation for any number of charges and offences including colluding with a foreign power to influence the outcome of the election.

To mitigate and defend their actions and behaviour Trump and his associates brazenly inform the world media that what you are seeing and what you are hearing, is not what you are seeing and hearing. Truth is not truth and crime is not crime.

All this while arranging nefarious payments to hide at least two extra-marital affairs and being documented as lying to the American public, thousands of times.

It is frightening to think how depraved and devoid of human reason many of the individuals being convicted of crimes and locked away for years, must be, since the likes of Trump and associates are voted in by the American public, as the preferred leaders of their country.

It is quite clear to all, that western leaders, their liars and deluded supporters, have no credibility when it comes to the management of human concerns and really only have one fundamental interest, personal and unjust enrichment at the expense of and through the exploitation of others.

While one works to add another yacht to the forty they already own and another funds a lavish lifestyle from misappropriated public funds, the lies deception and deficit spending continues to flow from the political, unjustifiably privileged, yet still pervasive cesspool that comprises western governments and their allies.

The stench of fear and desperation is high and as the time of these malevolent predators is seemingly close at hand, their public faces and true character, for want of a better term, becomes uncloaked, revealing the most disgusting of beings, dressed in the uniform of ostensible respectability, a stolen and ill-gotten, suit and tie.

It occurs to me…

We have a Mother and a Father’s Day, which on the whole is not a bad thing and promotes some positive ideas.

Following on from that and in the same theme, why not have a Grand Mother Day and a Grand Father Day?

In fact, why not have an “Ancestors Day”?

A day or maybe two or maybe three, where every individual could ceremoniously take time to contemplate and celebrate human life, their own life and give thought to their ancestors.

Regardless of background, culture, faith, gender, skin colour, hair colour or other identity, every human being living in the world today, has “Ancestors”.

This is something we “ALL” (Humankind) have in common. We can unite around this. We can give thought to the work and actions of our own recent ancestors and assess them, good or bad. Test some of the theories.

It occurs to me 2…

If we have a difference, it’s that we have different ancestors?

We can discuss it. We can socialise around it. Ancestors Day could be the tonic we all need…

I propose we adopt one of the current Bank Holidays as ANCESTORS DAY a time when all human beings can celebrate in unison.

Those in favour Say Aye!

e mpathy

Millions and millions of people around the world are empaths.

They have the ability to vicariously experience what the other person is going through or feeling.

Imagine the empaths channelling George Floyd.

They experience the crushing weight of a man's knee on their neck, restricting their air, until they are beyond dead.

But because they are experiencing this event empathetically, they come through it to see their lifeless body on the road with a man still kneeling on the neck, for at least another 3 minutes...

Fortune Kolonji

Wh at is Omni- Culturalism?

Omni-Culturalism or (OC) is the belief and the realization of any number of different cultures of populations, coexisting mutually, equitably and supportively as a definable population state or society or community.

In the UK it can be used to encompass BAME and BME populations and communities.

OC changes the whole frame work of the discussion from being just a black and white discursive and opens up a more inclusive and fundamentally accepting state of existence.

Newman Thinking

WHITE SUPREMACY

White Supremacy is the idea and the belief that people with a white coloured skin are superior to all others on the planet.

This would be fine if it were just the opinions and sentiments of a few people but the fact that there are millions of people throughout the world who maintain this view and it has in fact become the fundamental premise by which all affairs on the planet are managed, causes huge problems.

If like said, there were only maybe 10,000 of these people and they lived peacefully somewhere and got on with their lives, like perhaps the Amish people or any other community, things might be fine, but within their belief of superiority, there is also the desire to rule over and thereby oppress, all others.

White supremacy can be said to have been born out of the crusades of 1096 – 1291.

The crusades are framed as a series of Holy wars between Christians and Muslims for the control of what the Christians and the Muslims deemed as Holy sites.

However, the crusades led mainly by the British and supported by other European nations was the first identifiable group of white skinned people, acting as one entity, with a common cause, as “white Christians”

Even though the crusaders did not ultimately win the war or achieve their specific goals of religious control, the crusades did however, reinforce the characteristics of this group as predominantly white Christian and their belief that as the one and only true religion with the one and only true God, they had a divine right to rule over those who were not Christian and not white and anyone other than a white Christian was in fact inferior.

They had no problems in sending armies around the world to impose this idea on everyone, white Christian armies ready to commit any atrocity on those that were deemed as lesser mortals in the name of God, Queen and country.

Again the British played a very dominant role and ultimately went on to establish an empire, based on white Christian ideology which controlled up to a third of the world’s population and a quarter of its land mass.

Other European countries carved out cultural territories too, in fact nearly all of them, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands etc., but the British became the foremost global power.

At this point, the idea of “superiority” did not just relate to anyone with non-white skin, it also applied to specifically non-English people since the English for all intense and purpose had conquered the world, they had the biggest empire.

As the most dominant military force on the planet, the English believed themselves superior to their European neighbours such as France and Greece and even those with whom they share boarders such as Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

White Christian superiority was exported around the world by the English supported by white skinned Europeans who felt some solidarity because their skin was white and so they were still able to evoke an air of superiority over others, especially those whose skins were not white.

To this day the core of the white supremacist groups, where the fuelling embers still burn strongest, like southern United States and the British aristocracy, the core characteristics which are adhered to is the fundamental, even under the surface, identification as a “white Christian”.

The white Christians have never given up on their crusade to dominate world culture or rule over its populations. I am sure you all remember the hymn " Onward Christian Soldiers, marching as to war, with the cross of Jesus going on before." and various groups such as the Klu Klux Klan have made no hidden secret about it.

Groups such as Eugenicists and national political parties are more subtle about it, but their fundamental core assertion of the way things should be remains as “white Christian” rulership.

The idea of white Christian rulership over all others, is a powerful one for white skinned people and depending on the political atmosphere of the time, can gain strength and popularity or shrink through mass rejection, but it is always there.

It is now symbolically, if not actually represented and upheld in the world by the English monarchy and the United States Presidency.

It is an important element in any identifiable ruling class and it is more important than money, class or social status.

The only way to end white supremacy and all of the insidious horrors that it continues to perpetrate across the planet, is to remove, replace or abolish, the symbol of its emanating influence, the English monarchy.

This is the sole reason why so many people are going around saying and thinking, I am better than you, I am greater than you, you are inferior to me, we are your superiors... the fundamental aspirations of white Christian rulership.

Jane Alsopp-Gates MBE

Windrush Latest...18-11-2020

Black official quits ‘racist’ Windrush compensation scheme over its failure to help victims

A black official helping to run the Windrush compensation scheme quit over “racism” and its failure to help victims, in a fresh controversy for Priti Patel, the home secretary.

See article by Independent here

A Windrush Story

This is a Windrush story, 40 years in the making.

STORM Legal Services worked with this individual for a year, to correct the injustice, administrative error and effect of hostile attitudes and polices, via the Windrush Scheme,

The Windrush Scheme was very helpful in expediting a happy ending.

Home is where the heart is and it took this individual 40 years of rejected applications and requests before finally with the support of STORM and others, being allowed to re-settle in the place he knew as home.

MY 40 YEAR STRUGGLE TO GET BACK HOME TO LONDON

Here is my story, the tale of my 40-year struggle of not being allowed to live in the UK (my home). I am telling this story in case it can help others in a similar predicament. As the years went by, I never expected this situation to change or be corrected. Having spoken to Mr Croesus Delta of the Storm Global Network, I hope that others can be inspired by this story and achieve the same for themselves.

1963 – I came to the UK at the age of five, on my mother’s passport. My parents, my siblings and I lived in our own home in Leytonstone, London E11 for approximately the next 14 years. I attended schools from primary, through junior and secondary locally. When I left school, I went on to work. To this point, I was very settled in the only home I consciously knew (London) with my family, a strong group of friends I’d known throughout school days and as a huge music fan, being from London also helped inform my identity.

1976 – By the mid 1970’s, my parents decided to move back to Trinidad as they were now both retired. But having moved back, they found things harder than expected financially: times were hard, money was scarce and without income, with their pensions not yet sorted out, it was a struggle. Then my mother suffered a heart attack.

The diagnosis was serious, my mother was so ill that she could not manage the household, that would have been enough to kill her. So, my parents needed help ASAP and as the youngest sibling, with less commitments etc., I was the only one in the family able to help them immediately. I went to Trinidad, got a job and effectively paid for the help we needed to run the household.

1977-1978 - At the same time, I was conscious of the fact that I was not supposed to stay away from the UK for two years or more. So once things were getting better financially and my siblings were also now able to help out, I made sure in later 1977 and 1978 that I made two trips back to the UK during this time, and by doing this I felt that it would keep me in status.

The mid to late 1970’s – At this time, as far as I was aware there were no undue requirements, no great demand or timeline pressure to apply for British Citizenship. However, it had been my plan so do this, in line with my elder brother (Michael) who had done so and subsequently served in the Royal Navy for approximately 15 years. However, I was preoccupied by the circumstances with helping the family and those brief trips were a little ‘escape’ back home to London, but they were a distraction.

1979 – After some time back in Trinidad, with my parents now properly settled, Mum was doing better health wise. I told them that in my heart, I really wanted to go back to London, it is my home and where all my friends live. I knew that I just didn’t have the depth of friends on Trinidad, I didn’t feel settled and had never felt that I fit in, in that society. I guess it’s because of where I grew up.

23rd December 1979 – Heathrow Airport. I am back, back home where I belong, where I long to be… but, I am met by a very hostile immigration officer. He seems examine my passport for ages and then, he said I had been away too long. He said that as a result of this, I can no longer live in the UK. That I would have to go back to Trinidad.

I was confused, astonished, shocked and heartbroken. I was also very scared, as at that moment, I was not sure but thought he was going to deport me. Well, that didn’t happen, but he wrote something in a book and then repeated that I have to go back to Trinidad. To this point, in my passport I had the ‘given leave to enter, for an indefinite period’ stamp. And he then stamped this as given to leave for six months, so now basically rendering me the status of a tourist.

With hindsight, I was rather naïve at the time. Maybe I should have stayed and tried to challenge this. But I had come back and not had a chance to get a job and with very limited funds and now with effective tourist status, who was going to hire me? My family are ultimately law-abiding people and would not break the law or encourage that. So, after some discussion, with a heavy heart I accepted that what the immigration office had told me was my only choice. I had heard how complicated immigration law was. So, I abided by what I understood to be the law and went back to Trinidad.

I have said before that I felt that this situation was an injustice, and this is really because I was not an illegal immigrant, I had worked and paid National Insurance and Income Taxes. So here began a 40-year exile from the UK because of this decision made by the Immigration Officer. I now had to make a new life for myself, which I did. First through starting and running a small business, then in my spare time with further education and this then led into a career working in the media in Trinidad and beyond.

When I did subsequently apply to the British Home Office and ask to be allowed to come back to the UK, that request was also denied. The reason given to turn me down was absurd to me, it was because ‘I had not lived in the UK for the last two years from the date of applying’. Which of course is factually true, but how could I have done so when I was led to believe I would have been breaking the law to do so? It was an injustice as far as I am concerned.

Finally, I should mention that I have attended two Windrush Surgeries: one in Birmingham and the other in London. Both were well attended by others like me having been refused the right to live here. They were put on by the Windrush Movement UK an organisation headed by the Rev. Dr Desmond Jaddoo in conjunction with The Home Office, Mr Martin Forde QC, and other legal representatives. The information provided is 100% accurate and trustworthy and at the end of the session you have the opportunity for a private one to one meeting with a Home Office representative to discuss your specific case. For me, it was this discussion at the second meeting which proved to be very helpful.

Unfortunately, due to the Coronavirus, these sessions have been discontinued until further notice. The Home Office insist that they want to right the wrongs of the past and that people should not worry as you will be given assistance and protection.

Before leaving the UK, I had started to occasionally gain work within the UK music industry, helping with production and distribution of merchandising for bands (t shirts, badges, patches etc.). At the time, it is where I saw my interest and new connections taking me in the years to come. With a little experience and making friends and getting to know the senior people within this area through my existing connections, it was an exciting industry to be in and around. This wasn’t a day to day office job, instead it was a terrific opportunity that offered being part of a team and with travel, expenses paid as well as wages and of course in support of the bands I was a huge fan of.

It is hard not to look back on this and the life I might have had, were I not wrongly told to leave the UK but also having my status incorrectly changed from resident to that of a tourist. An immigration officer got it wrong, thereby depriving me of all that I hoped for and this changed my whole life.” And this is what happened to many people perhaps thousands.

Salisbury, UK - Feb 2021

A NATIONAL PROGRAMME

New technologies are in quite an advanced place and are uniquely set to transform our communities, societies and ultimately our world.

Basically, “the future is here.”

There are so many innovative products and services that could now be developed through the use of available technologies.

For example, could we not design an individual weapons detector, to detect whether a person is carrying a knife or a gun, which could be used in the fight against knife crime?

How would it work? Is that possible? Is it viable?

To my mind, all of these questions can be answered and it is possible with the technology that is available.

What if it were then to be made a national programme where people could sign-up for income producing roles, from a cleaner to a lab technician or designer?

Such a programme would create thousands to millions of opportunities for people to become economically viable with some relevance.

How much would it cost? Not as much as you think?

Certainly it would only be a percentage of the money that is spent towards the creation, development and maintenance of weapons of mass and planetary destruction.

It might also provide a push towards a more futuristic educational curriculum.

We need to adjust our thinking…

Hugo Raines

A TRIBUTE TO PRESIDENT MAGUFULI

I think Africa is Truly great and it is the beautiful humility of the people and sincere love for humanity, which many from the outside have envied and schemed to take advantage of, that will sustain them beyond all others.

With all the abuse, brutality, unfair treatment and bamboozlement targeted at the Continent and its' people over the centuries, Africa remains clean. Clean in spirit. She has not sold her soul and that is the greatest power under God, the soul of an African.

When Africans were enslaved in the Americas, it was their "Soul" that kept their spirits strong. When as a slave they were lynched, castrated and burned, the African soul remained whole and transcended to ancestral plains.

The reason Africa is not more prominently engaged in global capitalistic undertakings, is because it cannot be. The cesspool of lies, greed and tyranny that the West views as the standards to live by, the rules to live by and all is fair in love or war nonsense, is not fundamentally conducive with the African spirit of fair play, freedom and justice for all people.

Those that are still trying to climb the greasy pole of capitalistic narcissism are finding that they can only reach so far and when they get there, after all of the lying, cheating, bullying and stealing from others, it actually means little or nothing.

In writing this I am reminded of a quote from the Bible "and what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?"

Those words have just hit home for me as I look at the glories of Africa.

Respect and honor to the Continent and all African Souls.

Kelvyn Clarke

The UK Racism Report 2021

On review we have no issues with the report as it stands, however our question is, what do those of us who have lived our whole lives with racial prejudice and abuse do now, even where things have improved? Generations of us have grown up as Social Justice Warriors, fighting against injustice and unfair treatment, it is in our DNA and this has mainly been people from the Caribbean Islands and their children who have been born here. We cannot forget the vile treatment. It has shaped our lives and impacted us in such a way that many are psychologically damaged. Yet there is no where to get help, assistance or support. Imagine, Caribbean children are at the bottom of the educational tables with the highest percentage of them coming from single parent homes, yet still a Caribbean youth from a two parent family, doing well with his education, is brutally murdered by racists. It then takes 20 years of struggle for the parents to get any kind of justice in this system. On top of that, if Caribbean people were in any way relaxing for a moment, believing that things were getting better for them, here comes the Windrush scandal. Total devastation in the communities, deportations and even death. The fight for justice begins again. What do we do with all of this trauma and ever present recollections of hatred and abuse. Yes as the reporters suggest, much of this may be historic, but it is still very present today since Caribbean parents and grand parents alive in this country are still living with the pain of those times and may well be passing some of that on to their children. The report may find that by and large there is no systemic racism, but as a British Caribbean individual, try getting a loan for a business or a grant for an enterprise, the answer is always the same. Not because the project is not worthy, but because there is an inherent distrust of their abilities. Yes the default response in then racism, even if that may not be the reason in all cases. It would seem that the historical treatment of the Caribbean populations is hugely important with regards to their current status in the country. While we hear newly arrived migrants from Africa talking about flying the flag and patriotism, we grew up with "there ain't no black in the Union Jack" go back to where you came from. How do we reconcile this experience with having a happy, healthy and successful life. The SUS law, used again to disproportionally target Caribbean youth throughout the eighties, leaving the majority of Caribbean fathers with criminal records or incarcerated. The Caribbean people in England have long since understood that they are the bottom of the heap, even compared to their African counterpart since the Caribbean people come from slavery. This too has caused some resentment.They have been brutalized and traumatized for over 400 years. Whereas an African migrant may only be concerned with upliftment out of poverty, opportunities and fulfilling dreams or ambitions. Caribbean populations are contending with a living history of brutalization and abuse which is barely acknowledged and in fact when the issue was raised, they were told that they have a chip on their shoulder or forget about it. We cannot forget it. It cannot be forgotten, it is a major part of our living history. How do we reconcile this? Most of us did not ask to be here and the first set that arrived were invited, yet we bear the brunt of the abuses and have done now for at least three generations. For may Caribbean people living in England, the only hope that they could see was to have a mixed raced child. They believed that having a child with a white woman would give it better prospects. This is why there are so many mixed raced children in the UK. Caribbean mothers had to rely on the system, since Caribbean fathers were more likely to be unemployed and falling into criminality to survive and the mother would not want that for her child. Many of the parents themselves lacked education, just like many poor whites and even Traveler populations, so they were not that motivated to push or prepare their offspring for higher education. They did not know what higher education was or its value in society. It is easy to now say there is no systemic racism, however the systemic racism of the past, has a long lasting effect because it was not just overt or physical, it was insidious and psychological. You should remember that as descendants of slaves, Caribbean populations do not even have their own name. They do not know where their great grandfather came from. Their family line has been completely shattered if not destroyed. Yes, this is a very long comment and possibly emotional in places, but the question remains, what do we do with the trauma, the psychological damage and the anger? How can we be made whole again?

Black Brit1

Radical Thinking...

In these changing times with everyone trying to figure out what a post-Covid world should be like. What would it be like, if Marijuana was made free in the UK? Free as in readily available, not monetarily. Imagine if everyone was allowed to grow, utilize, trade supply or sell a certain amount. People could derive an income for themselves and everyone would of course be better off. Tens of millions of people around the world are suffering because of the petit-minded, deceitful attitudes of a very small minority of influential people. Every person in the UK that wishes to do so, should be able to grow, use and bring to market Marijuana... Radical thinking we know, but really?

Joe

THE WORLD IN BLACK AND WHITE

The recent brouhaha created by the words of famous American talk show host Whoopi Goldberg is absolutely fascinating.

Not only did her words throw up the question, what is a Jew? But also led into the scrutiny or examination of the well-established and accepted categorizations of the world’s population by colour or more specifically, skin colour.

Whoopi publicly proclaimed the idea that the holocaust was not about race. She immediately received a tremendous amount of backlash and even though she sincerely apologized for any offense that she might have caused, she was suspended from her TV talk show for two weeks by network executives.

Many media celebrities showed up to weigh in on the subject such as British comedian and Author David Badeil, amongst others, but to this point though they have all stated that Whoopi is wrong and the Nazi persecution of the Jewish populations of Europe, was most definitely about race, none as yet have been able to coherently and definitively categorize what the Jewish populations around the world are. Are they a race, or an ethnic group, or an ethno-religious group or just a religious faction of the white race?

Leaving that there for a moment, this brings us to the categorization of populations by skin colour and the hierarchical significance that underscores it.

Although the British are not credited with the invention of “race” as a concept, as with many inventions on the planet, they embraced it, adopted and adapted it, fomenting the skin colour categorization ideology that we all live by today.

Even though the categorization of populations or the world’s people by their skin colour does not really work in reality and is generally an unsatisfactory premise for defining people, the idea has persisted for a very long time, but now generally is boiled down by the media to only two main factions, black and white.

The world we live in today is given to understand that blacks are people of African descent and whites are of European descent, everyone else is either side lined, ignored or deemed as inconsequential. This is because it becomes too complex and as stated, categorizing people by their skin colour does not really work in reality.

So what is the foundation, the core premise and hierarchy of skin colour categorization? Well, it begins with English “supremacists”. English supremacists define what a “white person” is. Fundamentally, a white person is person of English nationality, first and foremost, who speaks the English language. It is that simple. Rich or poor, if you were born in England, to English parents and your skin is white, you are a white person.

The concept is then extended to the Scottish and the Welsh unreservedly, constituting what we now understand to be “British”. The Irish are seen as somewhat troublesome and though generally seen to be white by the English, they are accepted into the group with a kind of arm’s length provision, like a jail bird cousin.

This premise now established, was exported, propagated and came into general acceptance in every part of the world where the British went. This included North America, Canada and Australia as extensions of British territories.

And so today, real white people are the white skinned British, the white skinned North Americans, the white skinned Canadians and the white skinned Australians.

When using the term “white skinned”, it should be noted that other populations such as the “Europeans” who appear to be white skinned, are not fully accepted by the supremacist British as having the same level of whiteness as British whites and those previously mentioned.

So for example, the French, the Spanish, the Italians etc. all constitute a kind of second tier white person, not quite as good as the British, while the Portuguese and the Greeks are not really considered at all.

Having said this, there are groups and populations that the British supremacists do respect as first tier white people, although not British white, but definitely a “good” white, and these groups are northern Europeans. Danes, Norwegians, Swedes. The British view these populations as the original white people as they have for the most part, maintained their purity and not been contaminated by any other race.

There is also a healthy respect for the Germans, quiet as it is kept, since the Germans are probably the British people’s closest relatives in Europe, though somewhat corrupted by Jews or other factions, they remain second tier white people along with the Austrians, but with a stigma.

The Dutch, the Belgian, though white, are given no credence, they have no distinction or prominence, even though they adhere to the white skin supremacy principle, in their own right.

Eastern Europeans such as the Polish are seen as white by the British supremacists and may even enter the first tier, but in general are viewed as inferior to British whites, intellectually. Czechoslovakians, Bulgarians and Hungarians, also accepted as white, but like the Dutch, unremarkable second tier fodder, though allies.

The Jews however are a population that British supremacists would like to embrace as white because of their wealth, ingenuity and influence on the world stage. But the Jews are problematic because of their strict adherence to certain cultural traditions, religious practices and separateness socially. They are in fact, though white skinned, different to all other European engendered whites and the intersectionality for the British at least, only occurs at the level where wealth outweighs cultural assignation.

So powerful, so embedded within the European psyche and places around the world such as North America and Canada, is this hierarchical concept of white British supremacy, that Jewish people would change their surnames to better fit in and not be singled out for discriminatory treatment.

Greenberg became Green, Stadler became Steadman or some such, so powerful was the British white supremacist construct. All other aforementioned white skinned populations fell into line with this and accepted their place, the Irish, the Italians, the Polish. This was probably because the premise was also reinforced by language.

The most commonly spoken language was English and of course though your skin may be white, if you did not speak “English” like an English man, you were naturally a lesser mortal and deemed somewhat inferior.

It is still the same way today, even though to a lesser degree in Britain itself. But in North America, Canada and even Australia factions of white skinned populations violently adhere to the fundamental principles of British white supremacy, denigrating all others while holding themselves to be superior.

Nowadays, it is simply referred to as racism and it can be found to be alive and well in most populations of white skinned people around the world. In fact the principle of the skin colour hierarchy has been so powerful and successful, that even groups of colour such as Aisians who are deemed as Yellow and Latinos, who are deemed as Brown, use it to discriminate and denigrate others, such as Africans, who are deemed as black.

The British engendered white skinned supremacy concept has caused pain and suffering in this world beyond biblical proportions and continues to this day. It may not have been intentional or planned with malice aforethought, but there are still those who embrace it and seek to promote it, so unless it is counteracted and eradicated wherever and in whatever form it might appear, this world will be in perpetual disunity and disarray.

So what about the Russians, where do they fit in? The Russians are viewed by the British white supremacist as a brother from another mother. Unrelated, unconnected, but respected and tolerated if they have a lot of money, because of course at the end of the day, their skin is white.

Jason Steinmetz Esq.