Genuinely From The Bottom Of My Heart I Wish Every Single One Of You Peace Love Joy And Happiness For

September

the fact is, israel now definitely realises that no one believes its bullshit anymore, especially seeing the mass movement and huge shift in narrative in response to its ongoing war against Gaza. this tells israel that the mask is now completely off and the masses no longer believe its claims of being the victim and whatever the hell else.

this explains why the scale of violence has been so overwhelming in recent weeks, considering there is nothing for israel to justify anymore and no pretences to keep up for those who used to fall for them.

there is also the sense of embarrassment; a whole military apparatus with billions in annual aid still could not break a besieged, starved enclave (it never will). we have been hearing about ground invasion this, ground invasion that and we have yet to see anything tangible.

again, the public for the most part has now seen who israel really is; a genocidal, terrorist state, and israel knows there's no turning back from this so it ramped up the violence to cause as much damage as possible before it is forced to halt its current acceleration of the ongoing genocide.

U.S. officials are literally telling israel to "pause" so that people can ease up a little and be lulled back into complacency. always remember this and let's keep doing what we're doing because the tides have really turned.

Actual footage of Jack standing guard:

I don’t know if you’ll be able to help out, but I support BLM and want to learn more about black people in the UK but most of the stuff out there is about America. Do you have any recommendations about British black people? Books or documentaries or resources?

I'd be happy to help out! I agree the US tends to dominate conversations about race, but happily there are quite a few British books out there too! Disclaimer that these are just off the top of my head so if anyone wants to add more then please go ahead!

Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga! He's a prominent Black historian and has also done multiple documentaries which aim to expand traditional narratives of British history to include people of colour who are so often written out. You can find a full list on his Wikipedia page of course, though I'm unsure as to how many are on iPlayer and such! There's a child-friendly version of Black and British here too for any parents/teachers who are interested!

Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch is a more autobiographical book about Hirsch's experiences growing up as a mixed race woman in Britain. Hirsch attended Oxford University and works at the BBC, so it’s offers a good insight into what it's like for POC to exist in spaces that have traditionally been saved for rich white people. She's a journalist to so there are various articles of hers floating about covering a range of issues, some of which relate to race. She's also done a few documentaries that are worth checking out, including The Battle for Britain's Heroes which questions whether some of our 'heroes' (e.g. Churchill, Nelson) should really be honoured, and (not British but) African Renaissance which looks at Black culture in Ethiopia, Senegal and Kenya - maybe the first time I've seen African culture shown on its own terms.

Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire by Akala is another half autobiographical work, covering stuff like the far right in Britain, policing and education. It does a great job of cutting through the squeamishness I think Brits often have when talking about race.

Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race by Reni Eddo-Lodge has become a sort of classic of its genre but I think it's totally worthy of all the praise it's received! It looks at how lots of white people in Britain (and more generally) equate racism with full-on hate crimes, meaning they don't consider themselves racist despite regularly committing micro-aggressions/other unintentional acts. Also an absolutely stellar insight into intersectionality throughout the book! Cannot recommend enough!

Feminism, Interrupted: Disrupting Power by Lola Olufemi is a must-read for feminists! It discusses modern-day feminism and how it needs to remove itself from that girlboss capitalist yuckiness, and should instead focus on marginalised issues within feminism such as transmisogyny, sex work, and - of course - racism. Has been praised by Angela Davis so that's a huge plus!

The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla is a collection of essays by POC from across Britain sharing experiences of racism and immigration, and what it feels like to be constantly regarded as an 'other' or as an ambassador for your race.

Literally anything by Paul Gilroy! His work is slightly older and some of it is very ~academic~ but I don't want to suggest that it's therefore totally inaccessible. He talks a lot more about British national identity and our role in the world and how that has affected views on race and immigration. He's written lots (I recommend Googling him and having a better look yourself!) but There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack and After Empire: Melancholia or Convivial Culture are both fab.

If you're feeling brave then you could look at anything by Marxist darling Stuart Hall? Some of his writing is very difficult to penetrate imo, but it's worth it if you can. He's written a lot so I would recommend browsing his Wikipedia page first and seeing if there's anything that grabs you. Even if you don't feel up to reading his stuff cover to cover, he's still someone who every antiracist in Britain should know!

Honourary mention to Thinking Black: Britain, 1964-1985 by Rob Waters just because he taught me at university hehe! Obviously more of an academic history book, but again pretty accessible and a good insight into more radical Black politics in Britain in the era.

I haven't read it myself as I believe it's only just come out but David Harewood has a book called Maybe I Don't Belong Here: A Memoir of Race, Identity, Breakdown and Recovery which looks worth checking out! Foreword by our beloved David Olusoga too!

If you're still looking for more then a good tip with any of the academic books listed here is that you can browse the footnotes and/or bibliography to find further reading there!

If you're looking for documentaries then on the BBC you can browse for Black History Month stuff, (fictional) shows that centre Black British characters and narratives, and documentaries that do the same. There has been quite a lot done in the past year about all sorts of stuff - from Black people in the NHS, what it's like being Black in the church, more specific stuff on Stephen Lawrence, Windrush, the Newcross Fire, and even specials on Black celebrities such as Lenny Henry. There's also a Black and Proud section on Channel 4's website that does something similar (side note: cannot believe they've put Hollyoaks on there that's so funny).

I don't read much fiction myself, but it is important not just to see Black Britons as victims of racism, but also as… you know… complicated and fully rounded human beings who are able to experience the full spectrum of human emotion like everyone else. Like black people just… existing. Looking to others who do read fiction to help flesh out this section in particular but a couple again off the top of my head:

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

Love in Colour by Bolu Babalola (I know this isn’t about Britain per se, but she's a Black British writer so I think it counts).

This is probably more than you asked for and you can likely tell that my academic background is in history so it is skewed towards that but I hope this helps! And again, if anyone wants to add anything then feel free!

- Dominique

Things that happened in Bristol and London late last night:

-In Bristol, at about midnight, the police put dispersal order in place and brought the dogs out again.

-They arrested a number of protestors in a violent and aggressive way, including a medic who was providing first aid.

-In London, a large number of arrested protestors including legal observers are still being held. Organisations suck as Green and Black Cross and Black Protest Legal Support are challenging the legality of some of these arrests.

If you are in either of these cities and can provide post arrest support, please get in touch with the relevant organisations.

Otherwise, keep fighting the good fight.

Motaz, posting on 11/21/2023, about the immediate, targeted danger he is in

He posted this about an hour ago, followed by this below message indicating he is a target

‪I can’t believe dean’s test to see if Jack’s evil or not is by what cake he’d choose I can’t stop laughing that’s the most dean thing I’ve ever seen‬

prince phillip is dead and the newsreader was like “this has come as a shock to many” babe where have you BEEN

according to the economist, domestic violence in england will increase by 38% if they lose and 26% if they win/draw against italy in this weekend’s euro finals. here’s a thread of domestic violence hotlines that you can call if you/a loved one needs help, and i’ll write the information below for anyone who doesn’t have access to twitter or can’t read the images. most of these hotlines also have chatting options if you can’t call them. 

england (refuge’s national domestic abuse hotline): 0808 2000 247

northern ireland (domestic and sexual abuse hotline): 0808 802 414

scotland (domestic and forced marriage hotline): 0800 027 1234 

wales (live fear free): 0808 80 10 800

uk-wide (men’s advice line): 0808 801 0327 

specifically for male victims

bright sky is a mobile app and website for people experiencing abuse or for those who are worried about others

available for free from most app store

women’s aid have a directory of domestic abuse support services across the uk

live chat is available 7 days a week from 10am to 6pm

victim support:  08 08 16 89 111

if you are experiencing abuse and need immediate help, ask for ANI (action needed immediately) at a participating pharmacy 

the pharmacy will have a logo on display

you’ll be provided with a private space and a phone if you need one

they’ll connect you to any more support services that you need

safe spaces are available in boots, morrisons, superdrug, and well pharmacies

they’ll provide you with specialized support and connect you to services for more help

I love dean but I'mma be honest Cas finally sticking his finger in dean’s face and telling him what’s good was cathartic af