On a day globally referred to as International Women’s Day, we witnessed the cruel irony of Sis. Ngozi Fulani, founder and CEO of Sistah Space, the charity supporting Afrikan women victims of domestic violence, announce that she is temporarily stepping down from the role after receiving a torrent of abuse and threats from the UK establishment for calling out racism. (1) She told Good Morning Britain:

“We, the Sistah Space charity, has suffered as a result, direct result. When you think that this was supposed to be for violence against women and girls, because of this incident the violence has been directed to me. The palace hasn’t intervened; I think they could have.  So what I’ve had to do, I’ve now temporarily stepped down as CEO of Sistah Space. I’m announcing that now because the service users and the community can’t access us properly.” (2)

The revelation came days after reports of death threats posted through the front door of popular lawyer, activist and political commentator Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, by banned extremist group National Action. (3)  This is while images of “Child A,” set upon by a gang of white savages outside a school in Surrey as teachers allegedly looked on, still reverberate in our collective consciousness – a year after ‘Child Q’ and two years after warrior queen Sasha Johnson suffered a near fatal shooting and remains in hospital. (4)

The inference is that these are perilous times of Afrikan women and girls in the UK – in life and even in death (remembering Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman). (5)  So. when Omowale Malcolm X said in California sixty-one years ago: “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black woman. The most neglected person in America is the Black woman,” his words could be transported to 2020s UK. (6)

Omowale Malcolm X clearly delineated a male role in the respecting, protecting and safeguarding of Afrikan women.  Similarly, activists like Sis. Afua Rose have demanded “Why aren’t our men protecting us?” (7)

Sis. Afua has been at the forefront of challenging historical and contemporary abuse in the Afrikan community from internal and external agents, declaring: “our men are not stepping up for us, so the lioness has got to rise.” (8)  Her work tackles head on some of fissures within the community as s result of these issues being denied, ignored or downplayed.  Consequently, we do have to consider if our failure to deal with these internal concerns undermines the coherence necessary to confront the external ones.

(1) Caroline Davies (08/03/23) Charity boss at centre of royal race row steps down over abuse. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/mar/08/ngozi-fulani-sistah-space-charity-boss-at-centre-of-royal-race-row-steps-down-over-abuse

(2) Ibid

(3) Stewart Carr (22/02/23) ‘National Action London Cell’ sends death threats to lawyer Dr Shola Mos-Shogbaminu and trans broadcaster India Willoughby sparking Scotland Yard counter-terror probe. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11778265/National-Action-London-Cell-send-death-threats-Dr-Shola-Mos-Shogbaminu-India-Willoughby.html

(4) Sam Elliott-Gibbs, Melissa Sigodo & Richard Blackledge (11/02/23) Teachers who watched ‘racist attack’ outside Surrey school ‘should be sacked’, says victim’s relative. https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/teachers-who-watched-racist-attack-26205952; Sabrina-Maria Anderson (15/02/23) “I Felt Exposed, Isolated And Targeted”: Black Mums & Their Daughters On How UK Schools Are Failing Black Girls. https://blackballad.co.uk/views-voices/black-girls-experience-of-the-uk-education-system; Tyrone Francis (01/03/22) Sasha Johnson: Family of Black Lives Matter activist shot at party make appeal after court case collapses. https://news.sky.com/story/sasha-johnson-family-of-black-lives-matter-activist-shot-at-party-make-appeal-after-court-case-collapses-12554430

(5) Nathalie Raffray (10/11/21) Whatsapp cop superimposed face on image of murdered sisters’ bodies in Kingsbury park. https://www.kilburntimes.co.uk/news/crime/21924854.whatsapp-cop-superimposed-face-image-murdered-sisters-bodies-kingsbury-park/

(6) Feminista Jones (07/08/20) Malcolm X Stood Up for Black Women When Few Others Would. https://zora.medium.com/malcolm-x-stood-up-for-black-women-when-few-others-would-68e8b2ea2747

(7) Afua Rose (24/09/21) Why aren’t our men protecting us?? P**sy Calling Themselves Alpha Male!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4ZhSY06Pws

(8) Ibid

we ask the question:

Are Black women safe in the UK?

1) What do the attacks on Sis. Ngozi, Dr Shola and others tell us about the UK?

2) Are “Black women the most disrespected, unprotected and neglected” person in the UK?

3) Do the brothers need “step up” for the sisters?

4) Are our internal issues preventing us from challenging the external ones?

Our Special Guests:

Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant.  Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.

Sis. Afua Rose: is a Psychotherapist, award winning Activist, Poetess, Vocalist, Social Commentator and Pan Africanist who “stands for justice for the unheard!”  She is host of the Afua Rose online channel. Sis. Afua is the recipient of the 2022 Blac Award for Community Achievement. (https://www.instagram.com/afuarose69/?hl=en#)

Sis. Kai Ouagadou-Mbandaka: is part of the leadership of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement’s and is Chief Officer of its Education and Health & Social Welfare Departments.  She Head Teacher for the Alkebu-Lan Academy of Excellence Saturday School, and Co-ordinator for the Ma’at Academy of Excellence Home School Collective.  She is also head of ARM’s Rites of Passage Programme for Girls and a Columnist for The Whirlwind Newspaper.  Sis. Kai is one of the original co-hosts of Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan when it first launched in 2006.

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SIGN: Justice for children wrongly classified as ESN: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/631043

SIGN: Stop Anti African racism in Tunisia – https://chng.it/5MVRbCD2sn