The Blackwash

Let me know your thoughts… Power feels different when you can hold it in your hands—ink on paper, headlines on a newsstand, a community gathered on Brixton stairs. We revisit the West Indian Gazette and the force of Claudia Jones, tracing how a newspaper born from crisis became a cultural engine and a training ground for Carnival. The story begins in 1958 Britain—colour bars at pubs, landlords closing doors, employers saying no—and follows Claudia’s decision to build a people’s paper that inf...

Let me know your thoughts…

Let me know your thoughts… The statistics are shocking but undeniable - Black Caribbean women and those of mixed white/Black Caribbean heritage experience the highest rates of domestic abuse among all ethnic groups in the UK. This urgent crisis demands our attention, understanding, and action. Domestic violence extends far beyond physical harm to include psychological manipulation, emotional trauma, sexual violence, economic control, and persistent threats. The prevalence is staggering: 86% ...

Let me know your thoughts… Dreams, realities, and forbidden fantasies collide in this deep-dive exploration of interracial relationships in post-war Britain. Drawing from Samuel Selvon's groundbreaking 1956 novel "The Lonely Londoner," we uncover the complex dynamics that shaped the Windrush generation's experiences and continue to influence our conversations today. What motivated Black men and white women to pursue relationships across racial lines in an era of overt discrimination? Beyond ...

Let me know your thoughts… What happens when a culture becomes a commodity? The controversial "Jafaican" film has sparked heated debate across social media and mainstream publications, with many fixating solely on Peter Andre's portrayal of a character attempting to "learn to be Jamaican." But beneath this surface-level discourse lies a far more complex story. We're diving deep into what I call the "Black cosign" – the phenomenon where certain Black individuals provide approval for potential...