Race Review: Here’s all the things you should care about this week

Immigration is a dirty word right now. The idea that people with a range of skill sets and abilities, from other lands and cultures might actually be OK for the UK, is often eschewed for the narrative that foreigners are a pest.

Across the pond, America celebrated Independence Day, but the symbolism of the holiday is not lost on campaigners from RISE AND RESIST. For many, the Statue of Liberty and the July 4th tablet she holds were the first things they saw as they arrived in the United States looking for the American Dream. But between the reinforcement of the deplorable Muslim Ban and a new move to separate children from their parents at the south-west border, current immigration policies seem like they’ve been lifted out of a dystopian novel.

On the public holiday (Wednesday) a Congolese woman named Therese Okoumou scaled the statue causing tourists to be evacuated from the area. She reportedly told police she wouldn’t come down until “all the children are released”.

Recently, we saw the 70th anniversary of the arrival of the first members of the Windrush generation, marking the pivotal day when around 500 Caribbeans disembarked at Tilbury Docks in 1948. They helped prop up post-war Britain and shape social, cultural, and political life. The gal-dem team curated an exhibition at City Hall to celebrate the impact of Caribbean women on this country which saw artworks of Diane Abbott, Doreen Lawrence, and more. The timing of this milestone – just after the heartbreaking Home Office Windrush scandal – is something that can’t go unmentioned. Yet The Independent reported that the UK Home Office has been found putting similar practices in place to that of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). At least 170 children have been separated from their families as part of its immigration detention regime – “in some cases forcing them into care in breach of government policy”.

Even in trashy pop culture news it was found that Ellie Jones from Love Island (Jack’s ex) supports EDL founder Tommy Robinson. Here’s what else you might have missed in the last week.

I Magid Magid, Lord Mayor & first citizen of this city hereby declare that not only is Donald J Trump (@realDonaldTrump) a WASTEMAN, but he is also henceforth banned from the great city of Sheffield!

I further declare July 13th to be Mexico Solidarity Day! ?? pic.twitter.com/qYehdHYDEt

— ?MΛG!D (@MagicMagid) July 4, 2018

Sheffield’s mayor says “wasteman” Trump not welcome in his city

Sheffield’s breath of fresh mayor, Magid Magid, has put his foot down, banning Donald Trump from the city whilst wearing a “Donald Trump is a wasteman” t-shirt and donning a Sombrero.

The South Yorkshire city’s British Somali Lord Mayor, as of May 2018, decreed on Twitter “I Magid Magid, Lord Mayor & first citizen of this city hereby declare that not only is Donald J Trump (@realDonaldTrump) a WASTEMAN, but he is also henceforth banned from the great city of Sheffield! I further declare July 13th to be Mexico Solidarity Day!”.

The 28-year-old’s reasons for banning the US President is for issuing the racist “Muslim ban”, “stupidly withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement”, “mindlessly moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem”, “enforcing imprisonment of children at borders”, and “defending violence and actions of white supremacist”.

He continued: “I am proud to be the Lord Mayor of a city where there is an amazingly culture of diversity. Where we don’t tolerate racism and xenophobia; where we not only celebrate all our differences but also unite on the things we have in common.”

Trump is set to step foot in the UK for his state visit on July 13 despite numerous petitions by the public to stop him coming.

So @lakeithlakeith from @AtlantaFX && @Sorry2BotherYou Though this “freestyle” (that you can clearly see him looking down & reading) was appropriate?! Lol ppl are truly Homophobic weirdos Lakeith Stanfield sis you played yourself pic.twitter.com/5N5F7Nexs2

— Bre’on (@_BayBey) June 23, 2018

‘Get Out’ actor Lakeith Stanfield posts homophobic rap on Instagram

What should you do if your alter ego is homophobic? Get Out and Atlanta fans are in despair after Lakeith Stanfield posted homophobic rap on Instagram.

The actor, who has had roles in socially prominent film and TV, can be seen referring to women as ‘bitches’ and using the word ‘fag’ in a recent video. To see him champion the experience of ethnic minorities while discriminating against another has angered fans.

He presented a larger issue of of people in marginalised communities who ‘throw other marginalised people under the bus’.

Stanfield posted the video captioned ‘Offensive freestyle (not for the easily offended)’, as if that pre-warning somehow justified the content. The video has since been taken down and he tweeted a video apologising, saying he was playing a character and was not homophobic.

ICYMI

Indian sex workers have lost the Sangini bank that allowed them to open an account with just a photo. The bank, in Mumbai’s red light district, had more than 5000 customers but has gone out of business because of a lack of funds. According to the BBC, it allowed the women to keep their money safe and save as they can not access mainstream banks due to lack of documentation.
Rapper Akon is building a futuristic Wakanda-inspired “Crypto
Kenyan priest, Father Ogalo, has been suspended by the Catholic church for rapping his sermons in an attempt to “bring youth closer to the church”, CNN reports.

Catholic Church suspends Father Paul Ogalo for 1 year for being a rapper; bishops claim use of rap music for ministry is not Biblical & against church doctrine, urge him to “reconsider his ways”; Fr Ogalo has been using rap to draw youth to Church, shun ills like drug abuse pic.twitter.com/YTYfUpQvAP

— Number8, the poet (@DannMwangi) June 23, 2018

city” in Senegal, which will trade exclusively in a digital currency called AKoin, on 2000 acres of land gifted to him by the President of Senegal, Page Six reports.
A California woman was caught on video shouting racist insults at a landscape gardener and his mother. The Guardian reports she was telling them to “go back to Mexico” and that they were all “rapists” and “drug dealers”.
Former Morrissey fans are planning an anti-racism party to coincide with his forthcoming gig in Manchester in protest of his support of far-right leader Tommy Robinson, according to The Guardian.
Japanese princess Ayako has become the second Japanese princess to marry a commoner, which will remove her from royal status. Cosmopolitan reports she has announced she is engaged to marry a shipping employee she met and will be required to leave the family once she exchanges vows.

Moment of the week

“Michelle Obama said when they go low, we go high. And I went as high as I could.” The Statue of Liberty climber speaks out for the first time since her apparent protest: https://t.co/jwvTjjJt6S pic.twitter.com/6T1aGPFsst

— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) July 5, 2018