uk

Our Cultural Mediator, Caro Sika, facilitated the Arise Firebird Feature Film Q&A at the London PAFF festival, which took place in West Norwood Picture House on Friday 6th October 2023. This documentary was directed and produced by Jimi Okubanjo. Conducting the Q&A was a real honour and an emotional moment prompting difficult conversations as we faced deeply entrenched bias and cultural trauma rearing its head in the workplace and impacting personal lives.

ARISE FIREBIRD tells the stories of three Women of Color who were pushed out of the corporate world due to toxic racism and sexism. After working through the trauma of it all, they decide to rebuild inspiring and impactful careers on their own terms. These raw and revealing stories unearth the reality of the difficult decision to "grin and bear it" made by so many professional Black and Brown Women facing abuse at work. It bears a message of hope, "there is always sunshine after the rain" and "nothing is ever wasted".

Click below to watch the Q&A.

More on Jimi Okubanjo

Jimi Okubanjo is an accomplished ex-corporate executive with over 22 years of operations and management consulting experience. She has worked with prestigious blue-chip companies across 14 countries, including Fortune 500 companies such as Amazon, McKinsey, Shell, and Siemens.

Throughout her career, Jimi has gained a deep understanding of leading organizational change in various industries. Now, as the visionary behind The ARISE FIREBIRD: Women of Color Transcending Workplace Trauma, she is dedicated to addressing the alarming crisis facing women of color in the workplace.

Passionate about driving cultural and business transformations, Jimi partners with leadership teams to equip them with the tools and strategies needed to navigate complexity in rapidly changing environments. She understands that true change starts from the top, and her workshops and keynotes prioritize engaging and empowering leaders to create inclusive and productive workplaces.

Jimi's unique blend of storytelling and data-driven insights enables her to challenge conventional thinking and inspire leaders to reevaluate their policies, practices, and mindsets. She believes in fostering open dialogue and driving lasting change that aligns cultural transformations with business goals.

Through The ARISE FIREBIRD, Jimi aims to shed light on the experiences of women of color in the workplace and inspire leaders to take action towards a more equitable and supportive environment. Connect with Jimi Okubanjo on LinkedIn to learn more about her journey and join the movement towards a more inclusive workplace.

source: https://about.me/j.okubanjo

Click below to watch the Arise Firebird trailer

I remember interviewing Tim Campbell at the Black Magic Awards, hosted by Kojo Anim and Annika Allen in 2019, celebrating Black British Women. Standing with fellow colleagues, I was told that Tim Campbell was the winner of the 1st series of the Apprentice in 2005, a BBC TV reality show in which contestants competed to win a £100,000-a-year job working for businessman Alan Sugar. This definitely got my attention, simply because I was a big fan of the Apprentice (and still love the concept although I have far less time watching TV these days). I asked Tim Campbell for an interview on the red carpet and he was so approachable, humble and personable. What struck me during the interview was his love and greatest respect for his mother and her business sense. It was evident that she was one of his greatest inspiration going into business and for this very reason celebrating the achievement of Black British Women, clearly, was close to his heart.

Since, I have been checking in, from time to time, on Tim Campbell's social media and always delighted to see the content he shares and his devotion to his family and his constant affirmation and appreciation conveyed in this posts towards his wife. It's very endearing and so needed in a world where women, and by extension human beings, are presented as commodities on social media. I have great respect for Tim Campbell and delighted to see that the working relationship that began with Alan Sugar in 2005 (see pic below) is still going strong in 2024, his expertise and skillset being showcased to the nation. Once again, Tim Campbell demonstrates his robust commitment to being a leader and man of excellence.

However, Tim Campbell is much more than the first winner of the Apprentice.

In 2007, he founded Bright Ideas Trust along with Richard Morris, public affairs consultant. Bright Ideas Trust is a charity that helps young people who haven’t had the same chances as the rest of society to start their own business. It has helped thousands of young people, many from disadvantaged backgrounds, to start and run their own business and understand how business works. To this effect, he was awarded the MBE for Enterprise Culture in the 2012 New Year's Honour List. He also is the co-author of one of Amazon's best seller book "What's your bright idea?".

So without further ado, flashback to my interview with Tim Campbell in 2019.

Enjoy :)

Afrika Bizizi Distribution Ltd in partnership with Kongo Bizizi Academy, the Pan African film institute and the West Norwood Picturehouse, are excited to announce the London International Pan African Film Festival (LONDON PAFF) 2023 selections.

Among the Eighty films submitted, Forty-Four films have been selected representing twenty-three countries. The selections are across six categories which include the outstanding categories, Narrative Feature film, Narrative Short Film, Documentary Feature film, Animation and TV & Web series. Amid the twenty three countries participating in London PAFF 2023, we have: Angola, Australia, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Colombia, Cameroon, DR Congo, France, Germany, Jamaica, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Spain, Togo, United Kingdom, United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

In addition, we have one invited/guest film, “Kingdom of Kongo: In Search of the Destroyed Kingdom”, produced and directed by Ne Kunda Nlaba.

This year, London PAFF will focus on Congo DRC and will screen films and exhibit artworks accordingly.

Founder Ne Kunda Nlaba says " London PAFF is that unique London event that helps us to learn and experience the life and culture of black and African people from all over the world through films".

The films will be screened at the festival from the 3rd to 8th October at West Norwood Picturehouse, London, SE27 9JU.

The London International Pan-African Film Festival (London PAFF) is an annual film event in the capital city of the United Kingdom that celebrates Pan-African cinema and screens films produced in Africa and the Diaspora (Europe, Caribbean countries, USA, Latina America), and from all over the world; founded by Ne Kunda Nlaba, Film Producer, Director, Screenwriter, and Political Scientist.

On Saturday 1^st July 2023, Dembis Thioung, a mesmerizing master of the dunduns - the melodic and hypnotic West African bass drums, in collaboration with the Little Baobab, the London-based finest soul food Senegalese Restaurant, are organizing a one day event at Peckham Levels: the 7th WEST AFRICAN DUNDUN DRUM + DANCE festival with workshops, live & community performances, nourishing food and live dj music until late.

Its 7^th edition is promising to be a successful annual event that gathers masters’ artists from all over West Africa and the diaspora, and the London vast African drum & dance community creating a safe space for the collective to come together and heal through cultural exchange catering for all ages, curiosities, and levels (under 18’s year old must leave the premises at 9pm).

The one-day festival will take place at the reconverted Peckham Levels(@peckham levels) (95A Rye Lane, SE15 4ST), a project that gives local talent access to the space they need to create thriving enterprises, with nearly 100 independent creative involved. Click below to visit their website.

Festival Schedule for SATURDAY 1^st July 2023

1pm  - DUNDUN DRUM CIRCLE WORKSHOP with Dembis Thioung (£15): The West African Dundun make up the HEARTBEAT, the MELODY and the SOUL of traditional ensemble music. These drums have the power to invoke spiritual transformation and collective healing. www.dembisthioung.com

3pm - LION SABAR DANCE WORKSHOP with Moulaye Diallo (£15) : For the first time in the UK, the Lion King of Senegal will be revealing the secrets of the mystic and ancient popular character SIMB. As the dancers synchronize their movements with the drumbeat, they become vessels of embodied expression the Lions of Senegal, telling stories of ancestral heritage, spiritual devotion with live drumming. https://www.youtube.com/@moulayethekingballetliondusene

5pm - LITTLE BAOBAB FOOD & SOCIALIZE (£9-15): Gather around a nourishing meal of your choice, London's finest Senegalese soul food, and strengthened your bonds with the members of the community honoring and celebrating shared experiences. Veg option available. https://littlebaobab.co.uk/

7.30pm - BENE TALLY COLLECTIVE PERFORMANCE (£7-10): The Bene Tally Band Collective represents a profound convergence of music, community and divine energy. Their collective expression serves as a conduit touplift, inspire, and invites the participants to tap into their own spiritual essence through sound and movement. Special artist guests: Moussa Dembele (balafon, drum), Yeb (saxo), Apex Zero (spoken word, drum) Aida Diop (dance, vocals), Luzmira Zerpa (vocals, dance), Yemalla sisters (drum), Penchmi dundunfolas (drum, dance), Medoune Ndiaye (sabar drum), Lamin Sanneh (sabar drum), Kaw Seck (sabar drum) and Dembis Thioung (all drums) https://www.dembisthioung.com/benetallycollective

10pm - DJ MUSIC & DANCE UNTIL LATE (FREE): With the ongoing mission to move your mind & body + life force feed your soul.

Ticketing &Bookings:

In order to reserve a drum for the workshop, a space at the dance session or a ticket to the concert, we require that participants book their tickets in advance.

We have a partnership with Afromoya (@afromoya) which is a UK based ticketing online platform that supports and promotes Black cultural events in the UK and France at more competitive rates than other platforms such as Eventbrite. They have also recently launched a new funding service to boost the production of African cultural events. Click the link below to book your ticket.

Find below all social media handles:

IG / @dembisthioung

Festival Promo Reel:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct45_XmIVLl/?igshid=YzcxN2Q2NzY0OA==

Conversations with the Lion King of Senegal:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuApOcYIgt-/?igshid=YzcxN2Q2NzY0OA==

Bene Tally Collective rehearsal vibes: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct92BcCITrg/?igshid=YzcxN2Q2NzY0OA==

YOUTUBE / Dembis Thioung

Promo reel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MW575BtIZsE

Conversations with the Lion King of Senegal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak5QIH0EofQ

Bene Tally Collective rehearsal vibes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKw1g6uM0Dc

Bene Tally promo at Hootananny: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ith2g9T_8jw&t=17s

For more info, contact: Dembis Thioung

Email: dembis.thioung@gmail.com;

M: +44 7454 825397

www.dembisthioung.com

A group of London based men, aged 40+, have challenged themselves to train together twice a week for several months to complete the 10 k tough Mudder course on Saturday 15th April 2023 in Finsbury Park. 

Prostate cancer is now the most diagnosed cancer in the UK and 11,500 men die from the disease every year.

It is close to home for many men, especially from minority groups and this team decided to rise to the challenge to help combat and overcome prostrate cancer.

And what better way than to stay fit physically, mentally and spiritually!

Support the cause by clicking the link below. You can also attend the 10K Tough Mudder which will take place in Finsbury Park, Haringey, N4 2PG this Saturday.

We were sent a video link from a youtube channel called Pensées Kamites which had us verifying a number of facts on the existence of a Black nobility and Royalty in the UK and diving into it, we weren't disappointed. See for yourselves.

You might remember that in 2018, a facial reconstruction of a 10,000-year-old skeleton called "Cheddar man", as he was found in Cheddar Gorge in Somerset, England (where cheddar cheese originates), had revealed a man with bright blue eyes, slightly curly hair, and dark skin. The analysis of the ancient man's DNA proved that he was genetically similar to other dark-skinned individuals from the Mesolithic era found in Spain, Hungary, and Luxembourg whose DNA had already been sequenced. It placed the Cheddar Man among a group of hunter-gatherers that are thought to have migrated to Europe at the end of the last Ice Age some 11,000 years ago.

This would mean that 9000 years BC, Black men and women inhabited England, Scotland and Ireland and were the native people there. We can safely assume that they reproduced and that Great Britain would have been rather colorful for many centuries. 

Interestingly, we find that in the 17th century, many references to noble men, including the King of England, were made, describing them as either fair, dark, black or very black. Here are two sources below which are irrefutable.

In the "Memoirs of the Secret Services of John Macky, Esq" during the reign of King William III (1689-1702), Queen Anne (1702-1714), King George I (1714,1727), written for the Prince of Wales who was to become King George II and published in 1733, John Macky was asked to provide amongst other intelligence, a description of the Characters of the English and Scots nobility. He did and a number of those listed also offered a physical description. These pages can be found and previewed on Google Docs *.

See some below and statements made on the last paragraph of the 3rd slide. Continue reading for more.

The person in question is also from Somerset, as was Cheddar man. He is known as Charles Seymour, Duke of Somerset. He was a very well respected noble, spoken of in many texts. For instance in the "Memoirs of the Court of England from the Revolution in 1688 to the death of George The Second" published in 1843, the same reference was quoted p.252 (see slide 2 below)*

However, in history books and in all searches, this is, apparently, how Charles Seymour looked.

What is fascinating though is this young Black boy standing next to him, rather well dressed, judging by the texture of the cloth he is wearing and his shoes. Paintings followed a very intricate and lengthy process and made a powerful statement. Why was this young boy, of very dark complexion, included?

And then it gets even more interesting when we come across the descriptions of King Charles II and the description of his children born from mistresses who were nobles too. Below, two of the King's sons and a grandson are described as Black men, and so is King Charles II. See slides below.

One of the sons is Charles Lenos, Duke of Richmond, whose mother was a French lady from Brittany, called Louise de Kerouaille. Interestingly, she is also represented as a white complexion lady. However, she is holding a dark complexion girl, once again very well dressed and looking at the lady in the same way that a daughter would lay eyes on her mother. In fact, the white complexion of lady Kerouaille looks a little surreal :)

Have information and history over centuries been grossly falsified? If Charles II was Black, Charles Ist probably was too and it raises a lot of questions since usually only Black skin people can give birth to other Black skin humans.

Another very interesting account is the description of Jews and Spaniards as very Black in the description of the Earl of Nottingham and Secretary of State. See slides below.

We would love to know your thoughts on this.

Source :

Memoirs of the Secret Services of John Macky, Esq., During the Reigns of ... - John Macky - Google Books

Memoirs of the Court of England from the Revolution in 1688 to the Death of ... - John Heneage Jesse - Google Books

Join Afruika Bantu Saturday School on Wednesday 28th December 2022 to celebrate Kwanzaa in style

SAVE THE DATE

Afruika Bantu Saturday School Community Kwanzaa

UJIMA
Collective Work and
Responsibility

KWANZAA is an Afrikan Family Cultural Celebrations - especially
for the children.  Based around 7 life-saving principles.

PROGRAM

Libation
●
Cultural performances
●
Dynamic youth and child participation and performances
●
Drumming workshops for children
●
Afrikan market - education and Cultural stalls.
●
Food and refreshments.

  Come early to avoid disappointment.
Wednesday 28th December 2022
4pm to 8pm
ST MARTIN'S COMMUNITY CENTRE
Abbots Park, Upper Tulse Hill, SW2 3QB

Recommended donations on entry  - £5
under 20 FREE
Info / stalls : 07903 012 757 Email:
Abssgb17@gmail.com

Click below for more info on Afruika Bantu Saturday School

Using rare cinematic, photographic and sound archives, Crossing Voices recounts the exemplary adventure of Somankidi Coura, an agricultural cooperative created in Mali in 1977 by western African immigrant workers living in workers’ residences in France.
 

The story of this improbable, utopic return to the homeland follows a winding path that travels through ecological challenges, neo-colonialism, and conflicts on the African continent from the 1970s to the present day.

Watch it at Genesis Cinema on Wednesday 30th November 2022 from 8.50pm.

Join the discussion with director Raphaël Grisey on Wednesday 30/11 from 8pm (free), followed by the screening of CROSSING VOICES at 8.50pm.

The Africa Centre, in partnership with * English Heritage, is inviting you to a free event on Saturday 15th October from 12 to 6pm in their recently opened new home where you will be able to watch 'Painting our Past' exhibition in their gallery and hear the artists talk.

The address is 66 Great Suffolk St, London SE1 0BL (Nearest underground - Southwark).

* English Heritage has commissioned a series of portraits depicting six historic figures from the African diaspora whose stories have contributed to England’s rich history. Each artist has been supported by their curators and historians to creatively portray their subject. Learn more about the commissioned artists and their subjects in the video below.