Ligali Newsletter

May 04
www.ligali.org

     
Newsletter index:
Media ›
Crime ›
Education ›
me2we ›
ABC Award ›
Terminology ›
RIO ›
Events ›
 
 
Media



Patrick Berry:
Choice never a community station.

 


Ofcom: Reclaiming n****r

 

 

 


BBC: Honest Broadcasting?

 

 

 

 

 

 


EMMA Award 2004

 


Racist & Sexist:
The two faces of four?

  
Crime



Stephen Lawrence Murder Suspects: Off the hook?
(Jamie & Neil Acourt, David Norris, Gary Dobson, Luke Knight)


James Brodie:
Wanted for questioning

 


Jay Abatan

 

 

 


Keba Jobe Demo,25 May 2004
Photo © Louloubelle 2004

 

 
Education
 


 

 

 

 
me2we
 

 

  
ABC Award
 

 


Rosie Purves

  

 

There is much to be said for those who stand up in the face of adversity to speak out against racism. Understandably, this is not always an easy feat but there are those who are prepared to jeopardise their career and even make personal sacrifices where there is a substantial cause worth fighting for. As such, this month’s ABC award goes to 58 year old grandmother and carer, Rosie Purves who recently won a case against Southampton University Hospital Trust for race discrimination. Rosie, who won the Local Carer of the Year award in 2002, was racially abused and prevented from treating a racist patient who ‘did not wish a black person to care for her child’.

Rosie’s selfless and determined attitude was highlighted in the New Nation newspaper where she is quoted as saying ‘They [Southampton University Hospital] offered me money not to do it and I turned it down. What drove me on was that, out of my group of black friends at Southampton General, I had the opportunity to do it because I had proof of what was going on. I would have felt I let them down if I hadn’t grasped that opportunity’. Not only did her actions give others the strength to speak out about their experiences of racism within the NHS but she also obtained an admission of guilt from the Hospital who have been forced to review the ways in which they treat their staff. In a culture where the ‘put up and shut up’ mentality has unfortunately affected the ability and confidence of African Britons to speak up, Rosie Purves’ courageous and dignified stance is refreshing and needed.

Visit the Ligali ABC awards page to read about more community s/heros
Terminology
 


 

 

 

 

 

 


Eenie Meenie: Galaxy Ad

 

 

This month saw a huge increase in the public use of offensive racial language against the African British community. Many people have used the excuse that they did not know that the words or in one case a nursery rhyme had offensive roots. Racism and sexism have become so ingrained in Western culture that language has come to reflect this, and over time become normalised and accepted. However, language is by nature an evolving mechanism that does not stagnate and for this reason it is important that we begin the process of phasing offensive words out of vocabulary. We have compiled a few examples of words with racially derogatory connotations. Ignorance is not bliss, so please forward this edition of the newsletter to anyone who you think may need it. Please also feel free to inform us of any other words or phrase (with relevant sources) that you feel should be included in our Terminology dictionary.

Eenie Meenie Minie Moe

Eenie, meenie, minie, moe
catch a n***er by the toe
if he hollers, let him go
eenie, meenie, minie, moe

This nursery rhyme was recently used in a Galaxy ice cream advertisement and successfully challenged for its racially offensive associations. This version of the verse has been around as early as 1919. Interestingly, in the Oliver Stone film ‘Natural Born Killers’ Juliette Lewis says ‘Catch a red neck by the toe...’ yet it is rumoured that the original screenplay by Quentin Tarantino unsurprisingly read ‘Catch a n***er by the toe...’ Click here to read more about the origins of this verse.

N***er
N***er was defined in the 1990 Oxford Reference Dictionary as ‘a Black; a dark-skinned person’. The word originated 1786 and existed earlier in 1568 in Scottish and Northern England dialect in the form neger. It originates from the French word nègre and Spanish N*gro. During its earliest usage African inferiority was a near universal assumption in European language speaking lands.

The first instance of Africans attempting ‘reclamation’ of the word to neutralize its potency as an offensive epitaph was attested first in the American South, and then later (1968) in the Northern, by the ‘Black’ Power movement. The attempt at ‘reclamation’ remains ineffective as the word still retains its offensive connotation and is repeatedly used by the Ron Atkinson and Jimmy Hill racists of the world.

Phrases using the N-word include;
n***er in the woodpile and n***er heaven (the top gallery in a (segregated) theatre) while ‘n***er-brown’, ‘n***er-head’, ‘n***er brand’, ‘n***er-toe’ were used by European marketers to euphemistically describe various dark brown or black hues.

N*gro
As recently as 1990, ‘N*gro’ was defined by the Oxford Reference Dictionary as a member of the ‘black – or dark-skinned group of human populations that exist or originated in Africa south of the Sahara. Their physical attributes include woolly hair, thick lips, a broad short nose, projecting jaws and legs that are long relative to the torso’.

The word is said to have word was used as far back as 1555, heralding from the Spanish or Portuguese word N*gro meaning ‘black’ and from the Latin ‘niger’/’nigra’, ‘nigrum’ defined as ‘black; dark; dis-coloured; sombre. Ill-omened’. In the late 1960’s it was thought that the word ‘N*groes’ still had a perceived associations with colonial, racist attitudes and roles. The word was eventually phased out by government and replaced by Black.

Black
Black is defined in the 1990 Oxford Reference Dictionary as; ‘sinister, wicked, dismal, sullen, frowning, portending trouble or difficulty; a N*gro; of or for N*groes; of their culture. Commonly defined as of dark-skinned people: a member of an African ethnic group or any other ethnic group with very dark skin, for example Australian Aborigines’.

Americans of African decent have taken the opportunity to name themselves with a term that has no historical or cultural associations and prefer the more formal name African American, used both as noun and adjective. African British is also become more widely used amongst Britons of African heritage.

Urban
Urban derives from the Latin word urbanus meaning ‘of or pertaining to a city or city life’. In a marketing context, the term is often seen as a being a label used to conceal racial identity.

In a racial context ‘urban’ usually, but not exclusively refers to diasporic Africans. In a music context urban refers to the genre what was previously referred to as ‘black’ music. Urban serves as a race-neutral replacement. (e.g. The Music of Black Origin organisation has now redefined itself by as; mobo n. = recognised to mean all types of music from urban culture).

Nitty Gritty
The origins of the expression nitty-gritty is said to be the term used to refer to debris left at the bottom of slavers ships after their voyages, including the African people who had perished during the journey once the surviving Africans had been removed.

Mumbo Jumbo
Mumbo Jumbo is defined in the 1996 Oxford Concise ’a meaningless or ignorant ritual… a supposed African idol’. Yet the earliest references of Mumbo Jumbo have a spiritual context used to describe an African deity, spirit or person. It is possibly a corruption of words in Mandingo (one version is Mama Dyumbo). African American author Ishmael Reed's Mumbo Jumbo novel, provides the following etymology for the expression: ‘Mumbo Jumbo - Mandingo [Mandinka] ma-ma-gyo-mbo, 'magician who makes the troubled spirts of ancestors go away:' ma-ma, grandmother + gyo, tr ouble + mbo, to leave’.

In the 18th century most Europeans dismissed all African deities and religious beliefs as primitive superstition. Mumbo Jumbo was subsequently deemed to be a nonsensical god invented to scare women. It is likely that this gave rise to its contemporary definition of unintelligible and worthless talk.

Visit the Ligali terminology page for further information and stats and facts.

 
RIO (Racially Insensitive Offender)
 

 

 

 



Ron Atkinson:
Old School Racist #1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jimmy Hill:
Old School Racist #2

 

 

 

 

 

 


Dominic Swords

  

 

The winner of this month’s RIO award was the cause of much deliberation by the Ligali team. We eventually decided that we would make this month’s award a joint one to be shared by Ron Atkinson, Jimmy Hill, ‘Princess’ Michael of Kent and Dominic Swords.

Ron Atkinson
Some people are pretty good at incriminating themselves without help from anyone. Over to you ‘Big’ Ron;

Ron Atkinson: What in heaven's name was f*****g Ranieri thinking in bringing Veron on?

Second, unidentified voice: He'll get savaged by the press…

RA [in an increasingly animated voice]: Oh and f*****g rightly so. And I'm sorry, but I f***ing think that f*****g Desailly is a cheating f***. That was wrong. He's f*****g been gone for two and a half years! And instead of playing like an old man and saying 'alright I'll f*****g stay where I can't get exploited...

Muffled voice in background

RA [continues]: I've always thought that he has no awareness of danger. He is what is known in some schools as a f*****g lazy thick n****r. That is a f*****g disgusting performance. Full marks to them though. They were f*****g different class.

Click here to listen (offensive - low quality)

Click here to read John Barnes defence of Ron Atkinson

So, Marcel Desailly “is known in some schools as a f*****g lazy thick n****r”. What schools would that be then Ron? Could it possibly be the same one attended by the likes of Jimmy Hill?

Jimmy Hill
In defending Ron Atkinson’s use of the N-word broadcaster Jimmy Hill managed to reveal his own ignorance and racist views. Again, Hill’s words speak for themselves;

I don't think Ron Atkinson is a racist. I've know him a long time. He has an awful lot of charm, and he doesn't mean to do any damage. I'm afraid, like most professional footballers, when they're in the company of other footballers, it's the language of the football field - they do swear. In that context, you wouldn't think that words like "n****r" were particularly insulting: it would be funny. Without meaning to insult any black men, it's us having fun. What about people who make jokes about my long chin? I mean, n****r is black - so we have jokes where we call them n****rs because they're black. Why should that be any more of an offence than someone calling me chinny? If everyone was kicked out of their job for saying the wrong sentence at the wrong time, not meaning it to be heard publicly, there would be very few of us left at work.

Source: Independent

Piara Powar, director of Kick It Out, football's anti-racism group, described Hill's comments as ‘mind boggling’. He added: ‘Jimmy Hill's comments are as offensive as Ron Atkinson's. It is a frightening insight into some of the attitudes his generation still hold’. Former England star Viv Anderson, the first African British player to play for the national team, has led calls for Hill to resign.


‘Princess’ Michael of Kent
When Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, otherwise known as ‘Princess’ Michael of Kent, decided she had had enough of a group of African American diners in a restaurant in New York, she settled on giving them a history lesson. The daughter of an Austrian man with connection to the wartime Nazi party, according the Guardian online, is reported to have told the group to ‘go back to the colonies’. She is later said to have clarified that ‘I did not say 'Back to the colonies' - I said 'You should remember the colonies'. Back in the days of the colonies there were rules that were very good. You think about it. Just think about it.’

Clearly not brave enough to elaborate on her comments, von Reibnitz then stormed out of the restaurant. That a member of the ‘Royal’ family could make such a comment will come as little surprise to those of us who are very aware of the family’s historical and current racist connections, to say nothing of their leading racist spokesperson, ‘Prince’ Phillip.

And finally…


Dominic Swords
Who is Dominic Swords you may ask. Well, Dominic is a former journalist who, in his own words, is ‘part of an anti-racist peace group.’ He has also ‘dated black girls’ and describes himself as ‘the least racist person I know, possibly a saint’. Yet in October 2000 he was arrested and imprisoned for racially abusing an African British man with the N Word and other vile combinations of race hate diatribe. We felt we should write about Dominic because he used his ‘experience’ to write an article in the Evening Standard last month explaining how much he ‘sympathise[d] with poor old Ron Atkinson’.

Dominic hasn’t worked as a journalist ever since committing his racist offence. His ‘moment of drunkenness’ story in the Standard seems to be a strange way of apologising for his crime. Some would say it was a cynical attempt to get paid whilst making liberal excuses for other ignorant idiots who deliberately use the N Word in an offensive context. Typically, at no point in his article does Swords concede that his racist outburst was wrong, nor does he express any remorse or regret towards the victim of his racial outburst.

Visit the Ligali RIO page to read about more racially insensitive offenders
Events
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

The Capital's African British communities to decide who becomes Mayor

Time: Tuesday 8th June 2004 at 7PM.
Venue: University College London, Senate House, Malet Street, WC1E


Come to the last and most important of the Question Time meetings in the race to become Mayor of London

Please email tickets@obv.org.uk or call 020 8983 5474 for reservations.


Come to the last and most important of the Question Time meetings in the race to become Mayor of London. The meeting is being organised by a coalition of groups: Black Londoners Forum, The 1990 Trust, National Assembly Against Racism, 100 Black Men, Blackbritain.com and Operation Black Vote.


All the Mayoral candidates will be there, plus special international guest
- the dynamic and trailblazing Mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown



The London Mayoral candidates

 

Next month celebrates the one-year anniversary of North London’s premier spoken word and poetry platform, Verbalized Mindz with a 30 Poet Jam featuring some of the shows top performers over the last 12 months, supporters and special guests.

Where: The Lion, (formerly Stoke Tup) 132 Stoke Newington Church Street, Stoke Newington, London, N16 OJX
When: 6:45pm, Thursday 10th June 2004

The event, hosted by Phenzwaan, promises to be an exciting and all inspiring night of spoken word, passion, expression, poetry, song and verbal dexterity. Performers in order of appearance on the night include:

Amen Noir - Charlotte Ansell - Brother Courtney - Dondamic - Carl Ramsey - Ebele – Casey - Siji - David J. - Emmanuelle - Darwood Grace - Floetic Lara - Deep Cobra – Heather Taylor – Divine Justice - Sareal - Gee - Oneness - Geo - Patricia Foster - Jahmessam - Poetically Buff - Mosaique – Redhed - Nolan Weekes - Kat Francois - shortMAN - SharleneHector - Tuggstar - Urban'e - Urban Spirit – Yap

Please arrive early as places will be limited due to this exceptional line-up... not to mention all the cake and lollipops may be finished. Doors must close once venue reaches its capacity. Entry: £5 or enter the FREE entry draw - just text go phenzology to 82280 from your mobile phone. Successful entrants will be notified via the mobile number they text from.

For further enquiries Tel: 07958 623 304 or Email: verbalizedmindz@phenzology.com

Directions/Nearest Tubes & Buses: 73 bus from the Angel; 149 bus from Liverpool Street/Shoreditch/Dalston or Seven Sisters.

Saturday 29 May 2004 sees the annual celebration of African Liberation Day at the University of East London, hosted by the Pan-African Progress Society and the Pan-African Society of London Metropolitan University in association with the AAPRP, the ALISC-Network and the APLO. The theme of this year’s event is Haiti and how Pan-Africanism is taking control of Africa.

The celebration will include inspirational speakers, a youth programme, cultural artists and books, arts and crafts stalls. Entrance is free and refreshments will be provided. It is advised that people wear white as a symbol of unity.

The event is supported by;
www.panafricaneye.com, Kilombo journal & Galaxy Radio 102.5fm and 99.5fm

Event Details

Time: 1pm to 8pm
Location: University of East, London University House campus, Romford Road, Stratford, London E15
Travel info: Train & Underground St: Stratford Buses: 25, 69, 86, 104, 108, 158, 238, 241, 257, 262, 473. Limited Parking
Further info: panafrica@which.net info@panafricaneye.com
Call: 020 8523 7381 or 07771 650915 Fax: 020 8529 2573

Click here for official flyer

ACLT Registration Clinic
Saturday 29th May 2004
Time: 10:00 till 6:00pm.

The ACLT is holding a Bone Marrow/Stem Cell at the Whitgift Shopping Centre, Whitgift Square, Croydon .

They are appealing to all African, African Caribbean and People of Mixed Parentage between the ages of 18 & 45 to come forward and register as potential lifesavers for the many Leukaemia patients within our community at home and abroad. Due to our very low numbers, they are seeking more potential donors from the African British community to join the UK bone marrow register. ACLT is in touch with patients who immediately need bone marrow/stem cell transplants. No matches are currently available on the world registers and they urgently need our community to step forward and do the right thing.

They are assisting Victoria Williams 46 years of age. Victoria was diagnosed as suffering with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia on the 6th April 04. Unfortunately, Victoria’s 1st course of chemotherapy treatment was not completely successful; Victoria is currently receiving a 2nd course of treatment. Victoria has been advised that a Bone Marrow transplant is the best course of action.

They are also assisting Margaret Bridgwater 34 years of age. Christmas 2001 Margaret started suffering from fatigue, sadly tests showed that she was suffering from Acute Myeloid Leukaemia. Margaret went through chemotherapy, and everything looked as if she was cured. But a year after the first diagnosis, Margaret suffered a relapse. At the moment, she is in remission, desperately waiting for a bone marrow donor. Another round of chemotherapy was so tough on Margaret that her doctors did not dare complete the therapy. And the only chance of a cure is a bone marrow transplant.

ACLT are assisting many other sufferers awaiting bone marrow matches and others who are actually currently in remission receiving chemotherapy and, or radiotherapy treatment. Their hope is that they will complete the treatment and remain in remission. However this is not always the case and so they hope that matches will be available on the UK registers just in case the unthinkable happens.

Beverley De-Gale and Orin Lewis, the mother and stepfather of ex-leukaemia sufferer Daniel De-Gale, set up the ACLT in June 1996. Our ultimate aim is to increase the number of African British people on the UK register to at least 40,000.

Afro Hair & Beauty 2004 Seminar & Workshop Programme
Afro Hair and Beauty will be on Bank Holiday May 30 and 31 at Alexandra Palace, Wood Green, London N22.

The Seminar programme will require pre booking and will run both days.

To register for a seminar place please contact:
ACBN 33 Queen Street London EC4R 1AP
Tel: 020 7203 1703
Email: admin.acbn@londonchamber.co.uk
Click here for the Website

HAIR, HEALTH & BEAUTY

12.15pm-1.15pm Londesborough Room
How To Eat To Live – You are what you eat, believe it!
Presented by Dr Mohammed of Nature Health Clinic

1.30pm-2.30pm Londesborough Room
AD Hair Extension Techniques
Covering all aspects of extensions. Presented by AD Hair Extension Academy

2.00pm-4.00pm Palm Court Suite5
Revolutionary Professional Haircare
A demonstration of innovative hair care for professional stylists with Organic Root Stimulator

2.45pm -4.00pm Londesborough Room
The Take Down Removal Workshop
Designed to expand and educate hair stylists on proper removal of fusion, braids, weaves and dreadlocks.

4.15pm-5.00pm Palm Court Suite 4
Masterclass in Make-up
– using the latest products from Black Opal by Allison Edwards of Beauti Bar

BUSINESS SEMINARS

12:00 – 1:00pm Palm Court Suite 2-3 ( Sunday Only)
How to Start you Business
– presented by ACBN

12:00 – 1:00pm Palm Court 2-3 (Monday Only)
How to Market Your Services through Seminars Presentations and Speeches
-presented by ACBN

1.15pm-4.00pm Palm Court Suite 2-3
Salon Strategies -
Give your business a Make-over

4:00pm – 5:00pm Palm Court Suite 2-3 (Sunday Only)
How to Capacity Build Your Business through Modern Apprenticeship Scheme
Presented by ACBN

4:00 – 5:00 pm Palm Court Suite 2-3 (Monday Only)
How to become a Rainmaker - the Rules of Getting and Keeping Customers
Presented by ACBN

12.00pm-1.00pm Palm Court Suite 4
Wealth Management -
Financial Planning for the future – By Profile Financial Services

LIFE ENHANCEMENT
10.30am -12.00 Londesborough Room
Creating the Vision for your Life
An opportunity to reflect, and tap into your inner resources. If you know you want to make changes in your life this workshop is for you. Presented by Claudia Benjamin – Divine Inspirations

4.15pm – 5.45pm Londesborough Room
‘Hidden Truths’ The Matrix Movie Breakdown
A journey to empowerment by Brother Andrew (The Investigator)

PLEASE NOTE SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS ARE SUBJECT TO TIME CHANGE

For more information about events in May and beyond,
visit africanhistorymonth.org or the Ligali events page

 
 
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