Spirit Of London

Carnival vs. COVID-19: Casualty Or Sign Of The Times? Glastonbury, Wimbledon, Ascot, The Queen’s Birthday, The London Marathon, the list could go on. These events don’t usually appear in the same sentence, they do have one thing in common: they’ve all been cancelled. September is officially here - the heatwave has passed, children across the country are returning to school, and the last bank holiday until Boxing Day is gone. Usually, the close of summer is filled with feathers, jerk chicken and sounds of the Caribbean as Notting Hill Carnival takes over the capital - but this year the steel pans were silenced. For the first time in its 60-year history in the UK, Carnival was cancelled and celebrations moved online. Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event that encomp...

Black Women - What's All The Fuss About? I wake up exhausted, tired of fighting, tired of trying to reason, and tired of explaining myself. I don’t remember when I started to be so fearful that my baby brother as I know him would be seen as “just a black man”, at risk of becoming another statistic, but the thought is never too far away every time he leaves the house. I have always been aware of my race. The fact that I am black announces itself as soon as I walk into a room, long before I have a chance to speak. An entrance is always followed by an awkward introduction and the inevitable “Oh, that’s an interesting name, is there a nickname for it?”.  “Oh, that’s an interesting name, is there a nickname for it?” Before fully understanding all of the differen...

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: The Power of the Pound At some point in the last six weeks, you’ve probably seen a few “Black Lives Matter Resource Master Lists” with a wealth of petitions to sign, constituents to call, protests to attend, books to read, films to watch, products to stop buying, and more. The burden of choice can feel overwhelming – and sometimes, with too many actions to pick from, we’re paralyzed and don’t make any choices at all. But here’s the thing – we can’t stop when it feels overwhelming. Sometimes, we just need to buckle down and make a choice. So here’s your chance! If you’re not sure which petition to sign (sign them all), book to read (read them all), or film to watch (watch them all), start with something concrete, practical,...