A selection of Black History Month events taking place across the UK in 2005. Friday 30 September, Africa Friday Late, an evening themed around the contemporary culture of Africa. The highlight will be a ‘Fashion in Motion’ where the work of leading fashion designers from Africa will be shown. There will also be an African
News Service
Racial violence after 7 July – week 11
Incidents of racial violence and harassment in this, the eleventh week since the London bombings. 21 September 2005: 31-year-old Gareth Lukey admits racially aggravated disorderly conduct after forcing an Asian businessman staying at the same hotel as Lukey to empty out his luggage, while accusing him of hiding a bomb, just days after the London
Vigil for Manuel Bravo at Yarl’s Wood
On Saturday, 17 September, two days after 35-year-old Manuel Bravo, an Angolan asylum seeker, was found hanged in a stairwell at Yarl’s Wood removal centre in Bedford, campaigners held a vigil at the centre in his memory. On Thursday 15 September, Manuel Bravo who had been detained at the centre overnight with his 13-year-old son,
Two asylum seekers took their own lives within 24 hours
On Wednesday 14 September, 26-year-old Edmore Ngwenya, a Zimbabwean asylum seeker jumped into a canal in Manchester. The following day, Manuel Bravo, an Angolan who was detained in Yarl’s Wood with his 13-year-old son, was found hanged in a stairwell on the morning of his 35th birthday. According to the Independent, which ran the story
Yet another Black death in the Met’s custody
Paul Coker, 32, died on 6 August 2005 in a police cell in Plumstead, South east London, just two hours after being arrested for causing a breach of the peace. It was reported to the Coker family that Paul had been restrained by police officers but an initial post mortem was inconclusive as to the
Racial violence after 7 July – week 10
Incidents of racial violence and harrasment in this, the tenth week since the London bombings. 15 September 2005: Glasgow Herald reports that a Methodist church in Edinburgh has been targeted by racists because the church enjoys a ‘close relationship’ with a local mosque. Defaced Islamic literature was pushed through the letterbox and racist graffiti was
Excluded Black pupils need more support
If school exclusions are not to blight the futures of African-Caribbean young people, strong local support has to be provided. According to a report by leading educationalists, funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, African-Caribbean young people who are permanently excluded from school at some point in their lives, can easily drift into crime. And exclusion
Racial Justice Sunday supports Dale Farm Travellers
Dale Farm residents, who face the bulldozing of their homes by a Tory council, led a procession through St Paul’s Cathedral on 11 September, marking London’s 10th Racial Justice Sunday. Flanked by Polish, Czech and Bulgarian Roma, along with members of the Peace & Progress Party, Dale Farm chairman Richard Sheridan told a rally outside
Round-up of racial violence
The Institute of Race Relations’ research over the nine weeks since the London bombings shows that racially motivated attacks are a daily occurrence and many appear, through the use of offensive language, to be a consequence of the bombings. Though much of the harassment has been ‘low-level’, the effects of such sustained and targeted attacks
Round-up of racial violence
Eight weeks after the London bombings racial violence attacks are still on the rise. 31 August 2005: BBC News reports that international students at Nottingham University are scared to go out after Om Prakass Malik suffers serious facial injuries in an attack by two White men shouting racist abuse. (BBC News 31.8.05) 30 August 2005: