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I Rise
Empowering through health, wellness and historical knowledge
Fans of Vybz Kartel were shocked and outraged earlier this year when the Jamaican dancehall artist appeared several shades lighter than his normal brown complexion and exclaimed: “This is my new image.” He has been brazen about bleaching his skin. And, despite the fact that it is actually quite an ugly look, he seems convinced …
When riots broke out in London on August 6, Charmaine Scott watched as a diverse group of people took hold of her hometown, smashing glass windows and setting buildings and automobiles ablaze. Amid the chaos, she noticed that talk about a racial backlash surged. The widespread discontent was being painted black by the media, even …
This month a new documentary called Dark Girls will make its debut at film festivals. Made by Bill Duke and D Channsin Berry, two black American males, the film is about shadeism in the black community and how it affects black women in particular. By now you should know how we here at I Rise …
In celebration of Black History Month, the British Library released a new 2-CD set, Caribbean Roots, featuring some of the most significant Caribbean and black British poets of the past several decades reading their own work. The 2-CD anthology features recordings first issued by the British Library on cassette over twenty years ago, together with …
The Occupy Wall Street protests, which began in New York as a sit-in, are spreading to more American cities in an unprecedented fashion. The protesters’ grievances include many issues, including the power of corporates, environmental destruction and American militarism. Now the protest intends to extend to Britain with Occupy the London Stock Exchange set to …
Do African symbols in music videos have a connection to the illuminati? African symbols are misunderstood especially by conspiracy theorists. They are continually linked with the illuminati. In this video, historian Robin Walker puts us straight on what some of the symbols mean and why people started to get things twisted. Did you know that …
Suli Breaks released this new poem this month, marking the one month when the UK acknowledge our history.
Snoop Dogg has landed a role in a family sitcom, American channel, NBC has announced. The rapper, actor, record producer and pornographer is believed to have collaborated with film company, Warner Bros to develop the yet untitled project. As an actor, Snoop Dogg (real name Calvin Broadus) has appeared in films such as the Oscar …
What’s happening to our children Date and Time: Sat, 22/10/2011 – 09:45 – 12:00 Venue: Lordship Lane Baptist Church 257 Lordship Lane East Dulwich SE22 8JF London Details: A Community Response to the 2011 UK riots The 2011 riots highlighted the fact that the vast majority of defendants that came before magistrates’ courts were young …
The number of Black deaths at the hands of the police is a growing concern for the public especially in the wake of the shooting of Mark Duggan by police marksmen which triggered wide-scale riots across the country. Along with Duggan, the deaths of reggae artist Smiley Culture, Kingsley Burrell-Brown and Demetre Fraser is at …
In June 2011, Jamaica experienced some devastating rains. This is not unusual. What is unusual is that the misfortune faced by the people of St Andrew could inspire a viral video. A section of the Robertsfield main road was severely flooded and entrepreneur Clifton Brown was expertly helping people across for a fee. TVJ news …
Prime Minister David Cameron has reaffirmed his pledge to make the coalition the most “family-friendly” government in history during his keynote speech at the Conservative Party Conference. He said that race rules that prevent white families from adopting black children should be ripped up to end the national ‘scandal’ of thousands of youngsters left languishing …
I have witnessed some sad things and heard talk of some really bad things. It makes my blood boil when young black people take the life of another in their ongoing post code wars. Worst still when innocent people are caught in the cross fire. I thought humans couldn’t do much more to make my …
Agency workers are set to gain additional rights in pay and benefits under new rules that come into force on Saturday. Workers will gain similar rights to permanent staff once they have completed 12 weeks of service doing comparable work. Business groups have suggested the changes could cost firms up to £2bn a year. There …
I’m on a madness, Thinking about the badness, humans visit on each other. Sent my petition for Troy’s stay of execution They killed him. Why did I bother? Still, gotta keep up the fighting Using my writing Though the human condition gets on my nerves. Try’na change the world with my pen a handful of …
Brand new exciting comedy Roots play, Straight from Yard. BJ production in association with yardie boy promotion presents another brand new strait from yard theatre production Dutty Money a good clean family play rich with laughter, and starring a top Brass of Jamaican cast. Featuring The ever popular Charles Tomlins The Dynamic Olive Miller, Ricky …
Following an investigation into the death of reggae star Smiley Culture, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have decided police will not face disciplinary action. The IPCC said the operation at the home of the singer was ”not satisfactory”. At least one of the four Metropolitan Police officers involved has been criticised by the IPCC after …
People have branded the recent UK riots and uprising as senseless violence. For me it has been a highlighted section of our normal life, just sped up and multiplied. Violence, crimes and fear. Those are things that people in my community feel on a daily basis. I heard many people talking about the thugs, scum …
The last time we mentioned someone getting tasered by police we received a threat of legal action on behalf of the police. Despite the fact that we did not mention the name of the officer or officers (we didn’t know it) concerned. We were asked to remove the story and print an apology. We allowed our …
Despite the abolition of slavery in the 1800s, the slave mentality has not left black people. Yeah. I said it. Some of us are still trapped in the divide and conquer that was slavery. We are a beautiful people with a rich history that goes beyond slavery and yet we focus on that one aspect …
Preparations for this year’s Carnival were overshadowed by the riots at the start of the month. Police were weary of the fact that rioters/looters might use the Carnival as an opportunity to kick off again. Thankfully this was not the case. I was one of many calling for the cancellation of the Carnival following the …
Nivea – the Skincare and beauty products company – came under fire this week after they used a tasteless ad campaign depicting a clean cut black male holding the decapitated head of a man with an afro to promote a hair care product for African American men. The ad for Nivea for Men appeared in …
A young man called Nabil Abdul created a video response to David Starkey’s recent outrageous claims about black people. Starkey went on BBC Newsnight to proclaim that “the white’s had become black” and blamed the use of Jamaican patois amongst young white people for the reason people descended into rioting. Nabil gives a great reasoned …
If enough of us talk out against the racist’s then maybe eventually people will move on to realise that the UK riots were not a colour issue, nor was it a gang issue. We need to understand the issues so that are not repeated again. History is cyclical, it repeats itself and if we simply …
