March 25, 2023

BUSINESS • Oja - Starting with thousands of African and Caribbean foods (but soon expanding to South Asian, Turkish and more), we're on a mission to make foods from all cultures easily accessible from anywhere in the world. No more poorly stocked world food aisles, or travelling on foot to market stalls. All our customers have to do is take it to the kitchen! This is the brand that Raheem Sterling has invested in. https://oja.app/ • Ayannas -A fine-dining restaurant serving Caribbean flavours, with a soft European twist. Expect caramelised brown stew chicken, garnished with colourful peppers and served with rice and peas. The elegance of this small restaurant cannot be ignored: its signature black and white theme is accented with gold and a grand piano sits near the reception. Ayannas occasionally welcome performers, so sit near the piano for the best view. https://www.ayannaslondon.co.uk/ • Farai London - Farai London is a premium womenswear brand designed in East London that draws inspiration globally. Our mission is to redefine womenswear to produce adventurous bold and beauteous pieces that denote our commitment to superior quality. Our collections often incorporate unique prints and cuts made from high-quality material whilst still being practical and wearable. We aim to design notable pieces that make customers feel special, sexy and spectacular whilst bestowing a certain level of confidence that naturally comes with wearing Farai. At Farai London, we value every one of our customers and we love to celebrate them on social media. We heavily encourage you to take a picture of your purchase and showcase it online so we can revel with you! With that said, we hope you enjoy your online shopping experience with us and that you become a member of the Farai Family. https://farailondon.com/ EVENTS March 17, 2023 → June 18, 2023Souls Grown Deep Like the Rivers Black Artists from the American SouthRoyal Academy of ArtsLondon Discover the Black artists from the Southeastern United States who created some of the most spectacular and ingenious works of the last century. For generations, Black artists from the American South have forged a unique art tradition. Working in near isolation from established practices, they have created masterpieces that articulate America’s painful past – the inhuman practice of enslavement, the cruel segregationist policies of the Jim Crow era, and institutionalised racism. Drawing its title from the work of Langston Hughes, Souls Grown Deep like the Rivers brings together sculpture, paintings, reliefs, drawings, and quilts, most of which will be seen in the UK and Europe for the first time. It will also feature the celebrated quiltmakers of Gee’s Bend, Alabama and the neighbouring communities of Rehoboth and Alberta. Made from the materials available locally – like clay, driftwood, roots, soil, recycled and cast-off objects – the 64 works range from the mid 20th century to today. Many respond to issues that are global in nature: from economic inequality, oppression and social marginalisation, to sexuality, the influence of place and ancestral memory. Artists include Thornton Dial, Lonnie Holley, Ronald Lockett, Hawkins Bolden, Bessie Harvey, Charles Williams, Mary T. Smith, Purvis Young, Mose Tolliver, Nellie Mae Rowe, Mary Lee Bendolph, Marlene Bennett Jones, Martha Jane Pettway, Loretta Pettway, and Henry and Georgia Speller. April 7, 2023Karim KamarRoyal Albert HallLondon Karim Kamar - EGOT holder and multi-platinum artist John Legend returns to the Royal Albert Hall in 2023. Legend has garnered twelve Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, and an Emmy Award, making him the first African-American man to earn an EGOT. Legend has starred in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert in 2018 and also joined The Voice in 2019. As a philanthropist, Legend initiated the #FREEAMERICA campaign in 2015 to change the national conversation surrounding America’s misguided criminal justice policies and to end mass incarceration. June 29, 2023 → July 1, 2023Gregory PorterRoyal Albert HallLondon Gregory Porter is pleased to announce his return to the Hall for a trio of shows in 2023, following his sold-out concerts in 2021. Over the past decade, Gregory Porter has taken the world by storm by bringing contemporary jazz to the masses. Not only has the singer collected GRAMMY Awards for albums Liquid Spirit and Take Me To The Alley, he made chart history with all five albums breaking into the Top 10 of the mainstream charts. Now, bringing his magic back to one of the most magical venues in the world, as he takes to the stage Gregory Porter will no doubt manage to cut through the noise of genres and the mess of life, with his rich, soulful voice and exuberant personality lifting everyone and everything.do April 12, 2023 → April 23, 2023Family TreeBrixton HouseLondon Family Tree is a beautifully poetic drama about race, health, the environment, and the incredible legacy of one of the most influential Black women of modern times. Fearlessly honest, hilarious, and ultimately transformative, this award-winning play is both a remembrance and a celebration. Henrietta Lacks is one of most remarkable people in medical history. Her cells form the basis of the most important medical research and breakthroughs happening today, from cancer to HIV to COVID. But Henrietta never knew any of this. Her cells were taken without her or her family’s knowledge or permission. Henrietta was a Black woman: she is not the only one whose body has been exploited by the medical establishment. Denied her place in history, now is the time for Henrietta’s incredible legacy to undergo a transformation … to blossom and grow into something new and wonderful. C March 31, 2023Experience Over Everything – Momentum DayBrixton HouseLondon Momentum Day will begin at 6pm with an In Conversation with Top Boy Direct or Myriam Raja and actor Saffron Hocking. They’ll discuss the much-awaited third and final series, and their creative processes and share advice with creatives in the room. Please note that included in your ticket for this event is the first set of We Are Parable x Momentum screenings, which will start at 6.45pm. This will be followed by two sets of Momentum screenings and Q&As. BOOKS Africana: Treasured recipes and stories from across the continentLerato Umah-ShaylorAmazon: 4.6Goodreads: 3.6 Africana travels the continent showcasing its vibrant and varied cuisines that are rich in flavour, diverse in culture and steeped in tradition. Combining recipes passed down the generations with her own modern and inventive style, food writer and cook Lerato shares her own stories of Africa with a delectable sense of adventure. Discover iconic dishes from Nigeria to Madagascar, Morocco to South Africa. There are over 100 recipes to delight and inspire, Spice Island Coconut Fish Curry, Harissa Leg of Lamb with Hibiscus, Senegalese Yassa, Tunisian Tagine, South African Malva Pudding, and the secret to the perfect Jollof. Heads of the Colored PeopleNafissa Thompson-SpiresAmazon: 4.5Goodreads: 4.1

Heads of the Colored People interrogates our supposedly post-racial era to wicked and devastating effect, exposing the violence that threatens black Americans, no matter their apparent success. A teenager is insidiously bullied as her YouTube following soars; an assistant professor finds himself losing a subtle war against his office mate; a nurse is worn down by the demand for her skills as a funeral singer. And across a series of stories, a young woman grows up, negotiating and renegotiating her identity. changes in an instant. The Dragons, the Giant, the Women Wayetu Moore4.44.3 When Wayétu Moore turns five years old, her father and grandmother throw her a big party at their home in Monrovia, Liberia, but all she can think about is how much she misses her mother, who is working and studying in faraway New York. Before they can be reunited, war breaks out in Liberia. The family is forced to flee their home on foot, along a dangerous road, heading for the relative safety of their remote family village. Here they will hide until a remarkable rescue by a rebel soldier who smuggles them across the border. Spanning this harrowing journey in Moore's early childhood, her years adjusting to life in the USA as a black woman and an immigrant, and her eventual return to Liberia, this is an unforgettable story of the search for home in the midst of upheaval.

PODCASTS/RADIO The Sound of Accra Podcast Country: UK Description: n 2019, Adrian Daniels had a brainwave to launch a podcast platform to showcase Ghanaian excellence to the world. The internet is already crowded with content from Ghana: YouTube, Social Media pages, etc. However, after hosting 2x Networking Events during Christmas 2018 & 2019 in Accra for the Global African Diaspora, Adrian noticed a lack and desire for networking, whilst meeting many creatives and entrepreneurs from around the globe. In January 2020, The Sound of Accra Podcast was born.

The Nerd Alternative Country: UK Description: Hello and welcome to The Nerd Alternative, a sweet melting pot of all things nerdy. Led by hosts Ram and Levi; on this corner of the internet we dive into the depths of films, games, anime and tv shows through a Black-British lens. Welcome to the dark side… People Like Us by Hashi Mohamed Country: UK Description: Hashi Mohamed arrived in London aged nine. In People Like Us he examines social mobility in the UK, using his own experience to explore questions of race, class, education, language and integration. In this first episode he describes the events that brought him and his family from Somalia, to Kenya and then to London. Source: BBC Sounds

FILM/TV Unprisoned (TV Series 2023) Cast: Kerry Washington, Marque Richardson, Faly Rakotohavana Medium: TV Story: A messy but perfectionist relationship therapist and single mum's life is turned right-side-up when her dad gets out of prison and moves in with her and her teenage son. When: March 1, 2023 Where: Disney+ Swarm Cast: Damson Idris, Dominique Fishback, Chloe Bailey Medium: TV Story: A young woman's obsession with a pop star takes a deadly turn as she goes from a regular-degular stan to a full-on stan with a point to prove. When: March 17, 2023 Where: Prime Video We Have a Ghost Cast: Anthony Mackie, Erica Ash Medium: TV Story: After Kevin finds a ghost named Ernest haunting his new home, he becomes an overnight social media sensation. But when Kevin and Ernest go rogue to investigate the mystery of the latter's past, they become targets of the CIA. When: February 24, 2023 Where: Netflix Rye Lane Cast: David Johnson, Vivian Oparah Medium: Film Story: Two twenty-somethings, both reeling from bad break-ups, connect over the course of an eventful day in South London – helping each other deal with their nightmare exes, and potentially restoring their faith in romance. When: March 17, 2023 Where: UK Cinemas WHO is WHO? Curtis Holder Industry: Artist Background: Curtis Holder (born Leicester, 1968) is a London-based artist working in graphite and coloured pencil on paper. He studied Graphic Design at Kingston University and completed postgraduate studies in Character Animation at Central Saint Martins, London. Taking inspiration from intimate conversations with the people he draws, Holder’s large-scale multilayered pencil drawings are dynamically tender, emerging in a wayward series of febrile lines to reveal a sense of his subjects’ form, movement and emotional intent. Preliminary pencil marks remain on the paper as part of his energetic process of capturing fleeting gestures and emotions with sensitivity and raw honesty. In 2020 Holder won Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year, a prestigious portraiture competition televised in the UK. Impressed by his distinctive visual language, the panel of judges described his work as ‘magical \[…] courageous and startlingly new’. Garnering further critical acclaim and awards for his work ongoing, Holder has exhibited widely in the UK and in Paris. His work is held in private and public collections including the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Soho House and the National Theatre where he became the first-ever artist in residence in 2022. He is a member of Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP) and an Associate Member of the Society of Graphic Fine Art (SGFA). Yvonne Maxwell Industry: Photographer Background: A documentary photographer, cooking enthusiast and traveller, Yvonne Maxwell knows a thing or two about delicious food and good people. She runs Pass the Dutch Pot, a platform that highlights food and culture around the world. She documents communities she comes across throughout the African diaspora and features everything from the salt harvesters of Senegal to the vast variety of plantain found all over the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and Central and South America. Last year, her delicious roasted plantain with pistachio ice cream and salted pistachio brittle recipe was featured in Riaz Phillips’ Community Comfort cookbook. William JM Chilila Industry: Chef Background: After making it to the semi-finals of MasterChef: The Professionals in 2018, Zambian-born William JM Chilila went on to become the head chef of London West African fine-dining restaurant Akoko (with a signature dish of traditional pounded yam served with egusi soup and grilled lobster) in 2020. He is now branching out as a freelance chef, holding pop-up events in central London, and finding exciting ways to bring the cuisine of his homeland to a wider audience. Check out William's chicken yassa recipe. TOP 10 FOR MARCH 1. Get tickets for August in England Lenny Henry's new play. 2. Take your partner to see Rye Lane at the cinema. 3. Book a table at Tatale Restaurant in the Africa Centre. 4. Watch Riches on ITVX (Riches is about the beauty empire built by ruthless businessman Stephen Richards). 5. Book dinner at Parks Edge Bar & Kitchen 6. Take a black history bus tour. 7. See Will Smith's redemption in the well-reviewed movie Emancipation. 8. Book your tickets for John Legend at the Royal Albert Hall in April . 9. Have dinner and drinks at Idris Elba's Kings Cross restaurant Porte Noir (4.7 review on Google) 10. Enjoy Sunday lunch at the Prince of Peckham