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Ruka Hair: A successful hair brand built by 2 Black Women

The Common Sense Network
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Ruka Hair: A successful hair brand built by 2 Black Women

2 Ex-strategy consultants @vtmoyo & @ugorjileah have built a £15M+ hair business @rukahair, less than 2 years after launching. After constantly encountering frustrating shopping experiences, from faceless brands in the unregulated hair extensions industry, they decided to build their own solution. With an innovation team with ex-Dyson experience, they developed the widest range of textured hair extensions, winning the no.1 afro hair extensions provider in the UK for 2021. They raised 7 figures in investment from prominent founders including @monzo co-founder and @cultbeauty founder and launched with a virtual experience that Forbes called the consumer experience of the future.

The word Ruka means “doing hair” in Shona, and we mean it when we say it – we want to do hair as it has never been done before. Ruka is creating the definitive hair brand for black women globally, by building an ecosystem of hair solutions which are ethical, sustainable, and truly work. Most importantly, we’re taking the time to listen and learn from Black women who have experienced centuries of a hair industry dictated and driven by people who don’t look like us or understand our needs.

A staggering multitude of Black women suffer hair loss, often driven by the use of harmful chemicals in hair extensions and hair care products, poor hair Installation techniques, and an overall lack of education. Therefore, as a brand, we are as intentional about innovation within our products as we are about sharing our learnings with our community. Whether this is with live demos, or hair and scalp consultations at our pop-ups, our village is key.

What does the Black and British experience mean to Ruka?

We are founded and led by Black women. At our core, Ruka was birthed into a legacy of power and community, laced with a history of pain and struggle. This spans both the Black and British experience, as well as the experience of many Black people across the globe. Yet Ruka stands as the manifestation of the work that all the Black women did before us to keep the spirit and joy of our hair alive.

Similarly, the Black and British experience is rooted in a history that both challenged and, against all odds, celebrated our versatility and shape-shifting magic. Our experience is one that drives that forward – challenges the bounds of what the Black and British experience has historically been and champions the freedom to create an even more diverse future. Seeing our hair worn by our cocreators, village, Dina Asher-Smith, and Tems is an indication to us that we’re doing just that!

How does the world of tech and beauty intertwine, and how is this tailored to the Black and British experience?

As of 2021, Black women spend 6x as much as their White counterparts on haircare products and services. Ruka is a solution to why this is not represented in what’s marketed to us through 6x better quality, 6x more science-led, or even 6x more convenient. We started with real hair extensions, voted no.1 in the UK, and are raising to add world-class synthetic hair to the products we offer. Tech, innovation, and research are key to truly serving Black women, the often underserved consumer. Our village includes over 500 co-creators, the majority of whom are based in the UK, whose feedback has been instrumental in creating hair solutions that are needed that work. We also boast a team in the UK that passionately works to bring the vision alive. You can see this in our award-winning Edge Slick, the ever-improving range of hair textures we offer designed by Black scientists, and our hair perfume and hydrating gels formulated by Black scientists

How does Ruka represent the Black and British experience?

Since launching in the UK in Jan 2021, we’ve been voted the no.1 afro hair extensions brand, serving over 5,500 customers largely in the UK. The Black and British experience is interwoven into the fabric and history of Ruka. We know what it feels like to have to make do because it doesn’t seem like what’s out there is created for you. And that’s exactly why we have decided to make the outsiders our insiders, by creating a company that truly puts Black women at the centre and innovates around their needs.

Our aim is world domination – put simply, this is representing and innovating around those needs in every arena where Black women exist. Being the first Black hair extension business in Westfield London was an extension of the work we do daily. We’re raising the standard whilst normalising the joyful shopping experience that Black women across the globe deserve.

What’s next for Ruka as they continue to grow and flourish?

From October 31st we’ll have launched in Selfridges – a history-making partnership with Ruka being their first Black-owned hair extension concession. We’ll also be launching our crowdfund to allow us to build a proprietary synthetic hair offering, deepen our ethics and sustainability focus within our supply chain and lay the groundwork for international expansion. These are just a few of the things we’re looking forward to in our vision to serve Black women with the highest standards of hair solutions.

Why Is South Asian Heritage Month So Important?

Zohaib Sadiq
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Why Is South Asian Heritage Month So Important?

South Asian Heritage Month first took place in 2020 – and has since been running from 18th July to 17th August every year. SAHM seeks to commemorate, mark and celebrate South Asian Cultures, histories and communities, seeking to sow a common thread between the diverse heritages and cultures that continue to link the United Kingdom and South Asia. Jasvir Singh OBE, a family law barrister is the co-founder of SAHM alongside Dr Binita Kane. Jasvir is also a trustee of several charities, including City Sikhs and the Faiths Forum for London. He is also a regular contributor to BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day, listened to by over 7 million people. In 2017, Jasvir was awarded an OBE for his extensive community work. 

The common history between the United Kingdom and the South Asian subcontinent has reached a pivotal moment – 75 years after the Partition of British India into Pakistan and India, we have our first non-white Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, of Punjabi heritage. The upcoming annual Remembrance Day on November the 11th – highlighting the contribution of the Commonwealth in the World Wars – further brings into focus the relationship between the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth/Former Empire; British India did provide the largest volunteer army in history during the WW2 fight against fascism. 

What was the driving force behind creating South Asian Heritage Month?

So something called the Grand Trunk Project brought me and Binita Kane, my co-founder, together. Binita had been on her own journey in 2017 to Bangladesh to visit her father’s ancestral village which he had to flee in the middle of the night from. Together, we built SAHM. We really wanted to explore our appetite for understanding our own collective South Asian history. 

My first degree (undergraduate) was in History – a subject area I’ve always been passionate about, to explore our collective British South Asian history, which most people don’t have a great deal of knowledge about. I was lucky enough to have a history teacher growing up in West London who encouraged me to do my own research on my British South Asian culture. Our people don’t have the platform to explore our shared British history and identity – so it’s really been about creating that platform. 

Just this year actually, for SAHM 2022, we hit a reach of 405 million across our social channels – in just one month. We feel we have a huge sense of responsibility as the custodians and guardians of South Asian Heritage Month. I really do feel a huge sense of responsibility. 

Was the wave of BLM (Black Lives Matter) a source of inspiration for SAHM?

BLM wasn’t a significant inspiration as we had had our concept launch in 2019, prior to George Floyd’s murder. We were inspired by Black History Month, but our work with SAHM is much more than just history. It’s about the past, present and the future. When we were conducting our research, myself and Dr Binita Kane (SAHM co-founder) came across SAHM in Ontario – which has been held every May since 2002. The question then became why can’t we do that here? And why not nationally? The UK has a significant South Asian population so the opportunity was clearly there. 

Are you hopeful that SAHM will provide the space to reduce frictions and barriers in our collective community? 

Take the example of West London – there’s a significant Somali population following the 1990s Somali civil war and also a big population of South Asians. My school headteacher growing up there was a British Punjabi man, and his presence as headteacher meant that we didn’t feel limited in what we could be. 

In a similar way, SAHM is there to intertwine the nuances of South Asian Heritage into mainstream culture such that we don’t feel ashamed to talk about Diwali or Eid, wear a kurta pajama or shalwar kameez, and so on – so South Asians don’t feel limited in what we can aspire to be. 

Take music for example – the most famous pop and rock singer in history is Freddie Mercury of Queen, whose family was of Parsi/Gujarati origin. South Asians have always been a part of this wider British culture, but we’ve been embarrassed to talk about our authentic selves. This goes back to people from earlier generations from the subcontinent adopting Anglicised nick-names upon their arrival to the UK in order to fit in. 

This ultimately goes back to South Asian people being proud of who they are, and not being embarrassed to be expressive with our identity. We need to do this in a very British manner – not American nor Canadian. We are British and we are South Asian. So SAHM effectively provides that space to talk about what it means to be South Asian in Britain today. 

Do recent events – namely the passing of the Queen, provide a pivotal moment in what it means to be British and the relation with the wider Commonwealth?

To some extent, I do think so – look at the institutions of the Crown for example, as being present-day reminders of our colonial history. The Koh-i-Noor more specifically acts as a metaphor to the complexity of the issue – currently, in the Crown Jewels, its history traces from Lahore to Kabul to the Mughals and then as far to the Southern Indian Empire of Vijayanagar from which the Mughals stole the diamond. So when people talk of returning the Koh-I-Noor, where do we return it to? Similarly, you can see our collective and nuanced British South Asian identity in the same way. 

Where do you see the broader South Asian community going moving forward?

Clearly, there is a huge level of disparity within the British South Asian communities between those at the very bottom compared to those at the top – we currently have a British South Asian Prime Minister yet socioeconomic indicators of many within the British South Asian population remain low. 

How do you deal with something like this? We’re dealing with a rapidly changing environment but social mobility is the real issue here rather than race and ethnicity. 

Importantly here SAHM can provide a platform for honest discussion of these issues, a month to talk and eventually open other doors, for example, wider inclusion in our national school curriculum. From the inception of SAHM, I want it to eventually not exist – I eventually want it to disappear. I say this because I want SAHM to have built-in obsolescence – why limit the conversation to one month? However, I look at the example of Black History Month – that’s been running for 35 years and it’s needed more now than ever. That’s why I reckon SAHM will be around for many years to come. People need to know about Freddie Mercury’s Gujarati-ness, how South Asian food managed to end up on every British high street, and even how the British Bhangra music industry exported the sounds of 1980s Southall and Birmingham back to Punjab. I’m proud to be brown, and I want others who are brown to be proud of who they are too and be able to celebrate all parts of South Asian-ness. 

Emiko: ‘I want my music to inspire people”

The Common Sense Network
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Emiko: ‘I want my music to inspire people”

As part of our BLACK British edition The Detail which you can read now, we sat down with Singer Emiko to reflect on Black Britishness and his singing career

With a voice so timely yet so timeless West London’s singer-songwriter Emiko is an exciting artist that exudes the kind of energy, soul and quality found in the timeless music from our past.

What does being Black and British mean to you?

For me, I think it means navigating, all the influences that I’ve been fortunate enough to be exposed to growing up. I have my African Nigerian culture mixed with British culture which Is mixed with the Black British experience.

It’s like finding yourself within all these different forms of identification and its nice because you get to have a mixture of all those types of cultures and it actually gives you a more well-rounded outlook on life. I see Black British as being well-rounded.

How does your music reflect the black and British experience of growing up in the UK?

I’d say it reflects the black and British experience purely because I’m a black artist making music but also because the genre of music that I do (R&B) is inherently an American genre so even in the UK, we are still creating our own version of R&B with a British or Black British spin on it.

It’s quite an exciting time but obviously, we grew up listening to a lot of R&B from the states so it’s nice that we actually get to define what we interpret as R&B in the UK whilst also having influences from the American culture. For me, it’s just telling stories and being able to have my story resonate with another Black British folk as well

Who are the trailblazers who inspire you to curate music and more?

I would say a lot of the time it’s my peers, so people that I’m on the come up with. We see each other progress and see give each other advice. I love my peers in the creative scene and I love seeing other people succeed as well; it’s quite inspiring.

How does your music empower and represent the Black and British identity?

I think that it’s so important that we tell our stories and my story is to do with being British, it is to be with doing black, my experiences, my pain, love, anguish, mental health, all these things that make me who I am and i put them all into my music.

I always want there to be some sort of message or substance to the music I create, whether that’s through soulful sounds or spoken word or even rapping. I also know that the fact I’m doing what I’m doing means that I’m inspiring other people and opening doors for black creatives. They may say ‘well if he can do it then I can do it.

I love how my music can empower others and also how it can show that there are different types of black British identity. I’m just one type being, you know, soulful sounds R&B that type of jazz genre but we have a multitude of genres of black artists who are representing themselves in so many different ways so it’s just letting people know that there’s space for you regardless of what your musical interest is.

A sit down with Actor and Artist Khalil Mandovi

The Common Sense Network
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A sit down with Actor and Artist Khalil Mandovi

As part of our BLACK British edition The Detail which you can read now, we sat down with Khalil Madovi to reflect on Black Britishness and his career so far.

How does your music reflect the black and British identity does the exclusivity reflect the experience?

I am black and British, therefore anything I do anything, anything I say is Black and British, it doesn’t have to fit within the umbrella of what we are told black Britishness is. My music reflects the experiences of my life and my story, the stories that I’ll share through my music, I think powerful music has to come from a place of truth, this reflects my Black British experience. Whether that’s party culture, whether that’s love, whether you know self-awareness reflection on existential issues. These types of questions can arise from the kinds of experiences in journeys that I’ve had as a black brit you know, this reflects my Black British identity.

My music reflects my identity in a few ways. A huge part of Black Britishness is diaspora, it is the multifaceted nature of ‘where we are from’ and ‘where we are really from’, bringing those elements together I definitely draw from both my Jamaican and Zimbabwe heritage in my music as well as my London energy and also, I refer to my time in Manchester where I spent a lot of time growing up there when I was young. My music reflects my identity in a few ways, the experience is kind of an exclusive one and music reflects that experience.

How do music and the performative arts intertwine with the black and British experience?

Music is a huge part of our culture, dance is a huge part of our culture. So naturally, being black has shown me that expression is a huge part of my identity, who I am, how I’ve learned to navigate the world, music as a form of expression, performative art as a form of expression, to see that they intertwine would imply that they were once separate, I think that imagery blends them together, it’s more than just a collage of elements that has different colours within the same picture. I think that the black British experience is an expression, I think the black British experience is music I think it is Art, I think it is dance as it’s deeply ingrained in who we are. So many other stories are told through these forms of media, expression is such a huge part of that is something we celebrate something we train from a very young age.

Why did you start to curate music? who are your musical influences?

Music has always been around for me you know, so it’s always been something I was interested in I was good at, it was a form of expression I knew that was taught to me from like birth, my Mum is a vocalist, my Dad’s been involved in the music industry. It was always an option because I liked it and I was good at it. When I was young there was one day when I was with my Dad, Grandma and Sister in South London on the way to a market, playing on the radio was Never Soft by Ms. Dynamite featuring Labrinth, produced by Labrinth on the way, that way that song made me feel, that’s when I knew I wanted to make other people experience the same feeling through music. Listening to Labrinth’ work was one of the catalysts that inspired me to start. A few years later I then found myself with a cracked version of Logic and I started figuring stuff out, I was doing a music GCSE at the time because I wanted to understand the mechanics of music that’s when I began playing around more at that point I threw myself into a much deeper level.

So many people are popping in London right now man, Little Simz, Cleo Sol, Inflow he’s like one of the greatest producers ever, we don’t give him his flowers he’s a significant influence for me. Many different people are doing so many amazing things right now. As far as my musical influences Labrinth is huge, Kendrick Lamar, Donald Glover, Hiatus Coyote Daft Punk D’Angelo, J Dilla, Ghetts, Chip, Wretch 32, Coldplay, Shaka, Kanye West Tyler, The Creator, Drake are just some of the people who influence me.

Do you think black British musicians are underrepresented in the mainstream, do they fit into the commercial space?

I’d say they’re not underrepresented because in the mainstream music scene in the UK there’s a black presence there, but the totality of what the black presence symbolises isn’t represented in the mainstream. If the world is an ocean and Black British musicians are like a huge iceberg, the mainstream would be the vantage point or the viewpoint or perspective that we have from what we can see of everything above water. If the mainstream is only what you can see above water then you know that a lot is going off in the ocean below the water level but you can’t see it because of what the mainstream perspective is.

I’d say that black British musicians are underrepresented in that respect because we are such a vast entity. We tap into so many different pockets, many people are doing so many beautiful and brilliant things but they wouldn’t get the mainstream shine so a lot of people don’t know about them.

Thankfully, we live in the Internet era, which means you could you can just be in your niche bag and let the world find you. Before in the music industry, the reason record labels had so much power was that they were the ones that presented you to the world but now we live in a life where the world and an audience can find you, being consistent and putting yourself out there pays off, your audience will find you and that is a beautiful thing.

You can read the full version of The Detail Magazine Here

Should we boycott the World Cup?

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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Should we boycott the World Cup?

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has acknowledged his regret over allowing Qatar to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.

“The choice of Qatar was a mistake,” the 86-year-old said in an interview with Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger.

“At the time, we actually agreed in the executive committee that Russia should get the 2018 World Cup and the USA that of 2022. It would have been a gesture of peace if the two long-standing political opponents had hosted the World Cup one after the other.”

“It’s too small a country. Football and the World Cup are too big for that.”

It comes after fresh concerns have reignited an international debate regarding the treatment of LGBTQ+ individuals and workers in the Gulf state, just two weeks before the tournament begins.

In Qatar, same-sex relationships and the promotion of them are criminalised, with punishments ranging from fines to the death penalty.

Qatar World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman recently said that homosexuality is “damage in the mind”.

There are also concerns about the treatment of the country’s workers leading up to the World Cup, with Amnesty International reporting that workers have been subjected to terrible living conditions, delayed salaries and threats and blackmail by their employers.

Are we really surprised?

Once again, football’s darker side has come to light, making for the realisation of uncomfortable facts and truths, and whether or not fans of certain clubs should think twice before taking the moral high ground.

Like most things in life, everything has a price. Qatar has the third-largest natural gas reserves in the world, putting them in a position of leverage over Western countries.

This isn’t the first time that football’s relationship with morals has been called into question.

Similar concerns have been raised over the treatment of certain demographics by Gulf and Middle Eastern states over the past decade.

Many of them own clubs in an obvious attempt to sportswash their image; namely Paris St. Germain, Manchester City and more recently, Newcastle United.

Airlines such as Emirates – that sponsor clubs such as Real Madrid, Arsenal and AC Milan – are often associated with the United Arab Emirates, with many human rights groups regarding them as substandard when it comes to human rights.

Multinational bank Standard Chartered – which sponsors Liverpool – own a coal mine in north Columbia called Cerrejòn, which is causing irreparable damage to the local indigenous Columbian community.

Liverpool forward Luis Diaz is from this community.

Whilst most agree that this World Cup in particular is a testament to corruption being an open secret, many should acknowledge the skeletons in their own closets before passing judgment.

Are Western countries really as morally superior to the Qatari state as they would like to think?

Newcastle fans celebrate their club being bought by the Saudi Public Investment fund from former owner Mike Ashley.

Many would argue that allowing Middle Eastern and Gulf states into football in the first place makes football organisations and communities complicit in their alleged crimes.

Is the average Manchester City fan concerned about human rights violations in the UAE? Probably not, because the club regularly win Premier League titles.

From a moral standpoint, if the average person wishes to boycott this tournament then they should also boycott all other organisations, countries and clubs that are involved.

A person cannot be selective in their outrage. Either they boycott everything, or they boycott nothing.

What happens next?

The tournament kicks off on Sunday 20th November, with the host nation taking on Ecuador.

Despite being formally forbidden by FIFA, England captain Harry Kane plans to wear a ‘One Love’ armband in games, in support of the LGBT community.

Former Manchester United full-back Gary Neville, who now works as a pundit, has been called out for agreeing to work for the Qatari state broadcaster during the tournament.

The winter may be making us more depressed

Lucy Tudor
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The winter may be making us more depressed

Winter has started to take hold in the UK. People wake up to go to work in the cold, dark mornings, and then are later returning home in the evenings once again in darkness. The days are getting shorter and the cold, dark nights are getting longer. It’s a miserable fact, and there’s no surprise that this can affect people’s well-being. So with this in mind, it’s time to start raising awareness of Seasonal Affective Disorder- SAD. 

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder? 

According to the NHS, Seasonal Affective Disorder is a type of depression that comes in and goes in a seasonal pattern. It is sometimes also known as ‘winter depression’ due to how symptoms of the disorder appear more apparent in this season, but this is a type of depression which can occur throughout any time of the year. 

No experience with the disorder is the same as each of us will face different challenges in our daily lives, but there are some symptoms which you could look out for if you feel yourself or someone close to you may be experiencing seasonal depression: 

  • A persistent low mood 
  • A loss of pleasure and interest in normal day activities 
  • Feeling lethargic or little energy throughout the day
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Decreased sex drive 
  • Difficulty sleeping as well as a difficulty to get out of bed

But what causes it? 

There is no definite reason why seasonal affective disorder occurs, but there have been some studies which have suggested the reasons why individuals feel they are more affected in the winter months. The main theory is how lack of sunlight can stop a part of the brain called the ‘hypothalamus’ from working correctly. This could impact the production of melatonin (which is the hormone that makes you sleepy, people with SAD could be producing an increased amount). It could also be affecting your serotonin levels due to a lack of sunlight, as well as the shorter days disrupting your body’s internal clock. 

I spoke to Maisie and Zuri,  who had both experienced SAD to understand more about what it is truly like to feel you are suffering from the seasonal affective disorder. 

Maisie explained “I started to feel I was experiencing seasonal depression at some point during secondary school. The most prominent symptom I experienced was extreme tiredness. During the winter months when I was at school, I’d often come home and go to bed for a “nap” at 4 pm but wouldn’t wake up until my alarm went off at 7 am the following day. I also find myself feeling “down” for a lot of the winter.”

Zuri grew up in a cold quaint town on the East Coast of the United States where she explained the winters were very harsh. 

“In my own experience, the winter season made me feel more affected because I wasn’t able to control the weather. There were many times when I was forced to stay indoors because of extreme weather for weeks when I was a teen. The danger of not being able to leave your house spawns fear regardless, but constant darkness and solitude add to the discomfort.” 

There are treatments which can help if you feel yourself or somebody else is experiencing SAD. On the NHS advice website, they explain that even small lifestyle changes could help those experiencing the condition. I asked Zuri and Maisie if there was anything they would suggest for those who felt they were experiencing SAD. 

“During the winter, I take vitamin D supplements since this is what we’re often lacking in the absence of sunlight. They’re by no means a magic solution but they do make me feel slightly more energised when I’m otherwise exhausted.” 

“Whenever I feel winter depression creeping in, I try my best to try and not to let it affect my mood whether that means watching movies that make me feel better or trying my best to get into a holiday spirit. Something I also try to remember is that a lot of people are probably feeling similar so I would say try and not be too hard on yourself if you feel extra isolated during the colder months.” 

It is not only lifestyle changes which are suggested the GP can also advise on types of therapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), as well as medication such as antidepressants. You should consider speaking to your GP if you think you are experiencing SAD and you are struggling to cope. 

If you feel you or someone you know is experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder and would like to speak to professionals for advice here are some organisations working to support those through the seasons. 

  • MIND: Providing advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem. (0300 123 3393). 
  • The Mix: A UK support service for young people. Helping you take on any challenge you’re facing – from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. (0808 808 4994). 
  • YoungMinds: One of the UK’s leading charities fighting for children and young people’s mental health. (020 7089 5050). 

The Twitter meltdown has exposed the worst of us

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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The Twitter meltdown has exposed the worst of us

Billionaire Elon Musk has officially purchased social media company Twitter, in a move that has caused both celebration and anger amongst its workers and users.

Despite doubts that Musk would purchase the company after putting the deal ‘on hold’ due to Twitter allegedly misrepresenting the number of bots and spam accounts on the platform, the deal was officially completed on October 27, at an estimated cost of US$44 billion.

It was reported that the Tesla and SpaceX owner, within minutes of acquiring Twitter, promptly fired many executives who were escorted out of the building by security.

Musk’s open letter to Twitter advertisers regarding his acquisition of the company

Musk’s vision for Twitter was laid out in a tweet, where he said it was ‘important to the future of civilisation to have a common digital town square… [because] social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.’

The deal has been praised by conservatives and Republicans, who see it as good progress for online free speech. Many will point to previous examples of Twitter seemingly trying to censor right-wing speech.

However, it has also been opposed and criticised by liberals and Democrats, who fear a rise in misinformation and hate speech on the platform.

It’s bigger than free speech now

The reaction and effects of Musk’s takeover of Twitter should be evidence enough to prove that Twitter has a far more important role in society than most realise or are willing to admit.

It has exposed many for who they really are, most of whom fall into two camps.

There are those who wish to have absolutely no limits to speech at all (even at the possibility of real world harm), and those who wish to shape the internet’s political landscape in their image, to the extent where they would leave a platform that provides a space for opposing viewpoints.

For some, it’s welcomed anarchy. For others, it marks the end of their digital and intellectual comfort.

Many would argue that Twitter has evolved from just another social network to a public utility, something that Twitter workers themselves have described the platform as.

It is ironic, therefore, that a public utility finds itself in the midst of such controversy. To some, the fact that the takeover (for the purpose of free speech) is controversial in itself is the reason why Twitter needed a change.

Marvel Comics writer Ethan Sacks voices his opposition to Musk’s pledge.

The only people who should be concerned by this takeover are those who do not truly believe in free speech, but rather a sort of authoritarian online culture.

There are those who are actually upset that there will now be LESS censorship on the platform.

The reaction to Musk’s takeover proves this, as many have left the platform due to somewhat baseless claims about a supposed ‘rise of hate speech’; a concept in itself which has been recently challenged and rejected.

It also proves that many were comfortable on Twitter, pre-Musk, which in turn exposed a cultural and political bias that the company had.

If Twitter considers itself a public entity, it must be free of all bias and become a space where people can simply exchange ideas.

Therefore, to not wish to be part of that is to not want to be part of the public, which is demonstrable proof of how ideologically polarised society has become.

What now?

Musk plans to lay off over a quarter of Twitter’s workforce, and has until 1 November to take legal action to avoid having to pay bonuses to certain executives.

He has also proposed making Twitter’s blue tick verification function a subscription service.

Activists and left-leaning politicians see this as potentially dangerous for democracy and individual rights, whilst right-leaning politicians and commentators believe it to be important for the future of online communication.

To some, the digital playing field has finally been levelled.

It does seem, at least for the immediate future, that this is a watershed moment in the culture war that society seems to find itself in the midst of.

04 – The Detail: BLACK British

Mike Omoniyi
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04 – The Detail: BLACK British

Guest Editor: Khalil Madovi

No matter your politics, being black is definitely a thing. A thing with its own experiences, expectations, tribulations and traumas. We could say the same about being British. Well, kind of. Regardless, there is a remarkably unique archetype at the intersection or the in-between of these two worlds. The Black British. What is it? How is it? Who is it? For me, the notion of black Britishness is something that evokes mixed emotions. On the one hand, I absolutely love my experiences growing up as a black body around British culture. From playing heads and volleys in my T90s on road to migraine skanking with my cousins, or watching Eastenders’ Christmas special at my grandma’s.

There are even experiences I’ve had as a direct result of Britain’s marginalization and systemic racism, that through the lens of my Black Britishness, I hold close as fond memories and even routine practice today (chicken shop dinner, anyone?).

This brings me to my next point; being Black and British is very conflicting. I am regularly reminded in typical polite British fashion that I supposedly do not belong here, and frankly, when one takes a deep dive into Britain’s illustriously criminal history, I’m not sure I would want to ‘belong’ here either.

Especially having the Jamaican and Zimbabwean heritage that I do. Yet the wild thing is, when I go back to those countries as someone born in south London, I can be made to feel like I don’t belong there either. And so I find myself back in this in between. This polychromatic identity space in which so much is questioned, discovered, exchanged, redesigned, built, fought for, fought against, and so much more.

Here’s The Detail

READ THE MAGAZINE
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Here’s why you shouldn’t dress up as Jeffrey Dahmer for Halloween

Lucy Tudor
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Here’s why you shouldn’t dress up as Jeffrey Dahmer for Halloween

It’s coming up to Halloween and people all over are searching for their perfect costume, Witch hats are being bought, fake blood is being splattered, but amongst the light-hearted fun, are individuals purchasing outfits to resemble real serial killers? Even if it needed explaining in the first place, here’s why you shouldn’t be dressing up as The Milwaukee Monster. 

Who is Jeffrey Dahmer? 

Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as, ‘The Milwaukee Monster’, was an American serial killer and sex offender who committed the murders and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991. The majority of Dahmer’s victims were young, Black, Latino, or Asian men. He was convicted of fifteen of the sixteen murders he had committed in Wisconsin and was sentenced to fifteen terms of life imprisonment on February 17th, 1992. It is thought that systemic racism and institutional failures within the police were one of the reasons why he was able to continue his murders for more than 10 years. Dahmer was later sentenced to a sixteenth term of life imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978. He was beaten to death by Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Wisconsin. 

Jeffrey Dahmer, Source: (Getty Images)

Why is this suddenly being talked about in 2022? 

On September 21st, ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ was released on Netflix, starring Hollywood actor, Evan Peters, as Dahmer. The show quickly became one of the most-watched shows on the platform. The 10-episode series depicted the lead-up to Dahmer’s murders, showing parts of his childhood, alcoholism, and the most gruesome and shocking aspects of the murders and cases.

However, the series has caused mixed reviews on social media, including some of the victims’ families. Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, one of the serial killer’s victims, explained her family had not been consulted by Netflix: 

“I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it.” But it’s not just Netflix’s lack of communication with the victim’s families which is concerning. A Jeffrey Dahmer costume may be one of the most popular Halloween outfits for 2022. 

Is there a confusion between reality and fiction within true crime series? 

But the prediction of Dahmer being a popular Halloween costume is part of an even larger conversation, is there a line not being drawn between reality and fiction when it comes to depicting crime in television entertainment series? 

There have been other reaction videos that have surfaced which react to the Dahmer series. One which caused much backlash was the TikTok of a woman who appeared to be wearing earrings with Dahmer’s face on them, with the caption ‘not gory enough for me.’ This is not the only individual on social media who felt the depiction of the real-life murders in the series were not gruesome enough. It pushes forward the idea that when presenting these real-life crimes in television series with Hollywood actors people can lose a grip on grip that this is reality forgetting that it isn’t fictional content.

Source (TikTok)

As well as this, the series’ inclusion of Dahmer’s childhood and alcoholism left some viewers to say that they felt ‘sorry’ for him. The television series was aimed to give a ‘voice to the victims.’ It brings up another question of how the series’ portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer was a romanticisation of the events that occurred, viewers were at risk of being desensitised due to the remake of the atrocities that happened.

With the timing of the series release serving as a lead-up to the Halloween holidays, individuals have already been reportedly dressing up themselves or their children as Jeffrey Dahmer. With a quick search on TikTok, it is very easy to find inspiration videos on how to recreate the Netflix Jeffrey Dahmer outfit. Searches for “Jeffrey Dahmer costume” have surged across platforms since the show’s release, with that hashtag earning over 8 billion views on TikTok. 

Source: (Instagram)

However, some companies are taking a stand against the insensitivity and inappropriateness of the selling of Jeffrey Dahmer costumes. Ebay has banned sales of Dahmer paraphernalia on its platform, saying it violates the e-commerce company’s “violence and violent criminals policy,” a spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. Specifically, the policy prohibits listings that “promote or glorify violence or violent acts, or are associated with individuals who are notorious for committing violent acts,” and is intended to promote safety while respecting the victims of violent crimes, according to the company. 

Source: (Twitter)

Following the reaction to the series release, if it needed explaining, here are a few reasons why it is inappropriate to dress up as a man that took 17 lives.

  • Consider the families of the victims and what an awful and horrific experience it would be for them to walk past an individual who is dressed up as the murderer of their loved one. 
  • The majority of Dahmer’s victims were part of the LGBTQ+ and Black, Asian and Latino communities, dressing up as Jeffrey Dahmer is insensitive towards these communities and shows little care towards them. 
  • It’s romanticising a real-life serial killer. 

So before you run out to buy your Halloween costumes, bear in mind that dressing up as real-life serial killers is not a light-hearted joke… it’s just incredibly weird. 

Who is Rishi Sunak? Here is what you need to know.

Mike Omoniyi
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Who is Rishi Sunak? Here is what you need to know.

After a short leadership election, Rishi Sunak has become the leader of the Conservative Party and the third Prime Minister the UK has had this year.

It has been announced that Rishi Sunak will take over as leader of the Tory Party and become the next Prime Minister.

It means that Mr Sunak will now be responsible for overseeing the organisation of the fiscal statement which should be delivered to Parliament next week and will pave out government spending for the rest of the year.

It is not yet clear what Mr Sunak’s government policies will entail, however, he faces the difficult task of balancing out the economy and calming down markets during a cost of living crisis. He earned a reputation as chancellor for balancing the books, resulting in higher taxes.

Because of this, it is unlikely that he will stray too far from Jeremy Hunt’s U-turns set out earlier in the month, especially commitments to increase corporation tax to 25 per cent. When it comes to healthcare in the country, Mr Sunak previously suggested bringing in a £10 policy for missing appointments in an effort to tackle NHS backlogs.

Some of his other former policies suggested include toughening up immigration and asylum rules, protecting the green belt, and remaining committed to the UK reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

A brief timeline

Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has become our next Prime Minister.

Having launched a slick campaign video just 28 hour after Boris Johnson gave up the ghost, the 42-year-old, whose career in politics only began seven years ago, is now the bookies’ favourite for the top job.

Once dubbed ‘Dishy Rishi’, the Oxford-educated son of pharmacists promises to ‘steer our country through these headwinds’ of the current challenging economic climate and said: “Once we have gripped inflation, I will get the tax burden down. It is a question of when, not if.”

But with Johnson loyalists – who’ve hit out at ‘treacherous’ Sunak – determined to ‘stop Rishi’ in favour of Liz Truss, his hopes to run a government could be derailed.

What you need to know about our next PM.

What’s his background?

Sunak, the eldest of three children, was born in 1980 in Southampton to parents NHS GP Yashvir Sunak and pharmacist Usha Sunak who ran her pharmacy. They were born in Kenya and Tanzania.

His grandparents were born in India before moving to East Africa and then the UK in the 1960s.

<p>Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Toby Melville/PA)</p>
Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Toby Melville/PA) / PA Archive

He had a prestigious education

Like five chancellors of the exchequer before him, Sunak attended the well-regarded independent boarding school Winchester College where he went on to become head boy. “My parents sacrificed a great deal so I could attend good schools,” he says. “I was lucky to study at Winchester College, Oxford University and Stanford University. That experience changed my life.” He worked as a waiter at a curry house in Southampton during the summer holidays.

“Rishi was always expected to do something,” a former boarding school peer, Tim Johnson, told Tatler. “He was always expected to be head boy as he was clever enough, reasonable enough and well behaved enough.”

A huge cricket fan and known for being friendly, young Sunak was conservative in every sense, said Johnson: he didn’t drink, he was a practising Hindu who avoided beef and even then he was clearly “associated with the Tories”, said Johnson.

Oxford and his career before politics

Even at Oxford, where he graduated with a first in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Sunak had his sights on the head of government. “His fellow students certainly said, slightly lightheartedly, that he wanted to become Conservative prime minister. But I don’t think anyone took that too seriously – it was more of a joke,” his senior PPE tutor, Michael Rosen, said.

But after Oxford, Sunak won a Fulbright scholarship to Stanford university in California. From there, he eschewed politics and instead opted for a financial career working at various investment firms, including Goldman Sachs, in California, India and Britain.

In 2010 he set up a private investment partnership, Theleme Partners, with an initial fund of £536 million and it was at this time that he started volunteering for the Conservatives a couple of days a week. The Times have said he was a “multimillionaire in his mid-twenties,” but he has never commented on his wealth.

<p>Rishi and his wife Akshata Murty</p>
Rishi and his wife Akshata Murty / Twitter

A rapid rise in Westminster

Sunak was elected the MP for Richmond in Yorkshire in May 2015. It’s one of the country’s safest seats, having been Tory since 1906. He was reelected in 2019 with a majority of 27,210.

Between 2018 and 2019 he served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Local Government before entering the Cabinet in 2019 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

In February 2020 he became one of the youngest chancellors in history where he presided over the budget throughout the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis. As an MP and chancellor, Mr Sunak’s government salary was £151,649.

In the same year he got another prestigious title – ‘Britain’s sexiest MP’, beating Sir Keir Starmer for top spot, and earned himself the nickname ‘Dishy Rishi’.

What was his position on Brexit?

Sunak voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He called it his “toughest decision since becoming MP” but said it was a “once in a generation opportunity for our country to take back control of its destiny”. He said leaving the EU would make Britain “freer, fairer and more prosperous”.

Furlough and ‘Eat Out to Help Out’

Sunak made history in March 2020 by introducing furlough – a £330 billion emergency mass job retention scheme – allowing employees to claim up to 80 per cent of their wages when the pandemic prevented them from working.

He was also the creator of ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, a Government scheme to subsidise food and drink at participating restaurants, cafes and pubs at 50 per cent up to £10 per person. The scheme subsidised a total of £849 million in meals.

<p>Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty (Ian West/PA)</p>
Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty (Ian West/PA) / PA Wire

His wife is richer than the Queen

Sunak met his wife, Akshata Murty, while studying for his masters at Stanford University. She’s the daughter of an Indian billionaire, N. R. Narayana Murthy, known as ‘the Bill Gates of India’ for founding the software company, Infosys. Her 0.91 per cent stake in the company gives her an estimated £700m in shares, which leaves her richer than the Queen.

They married in her hometown of Bangalore, in a two-day ceremony attended by 1,000 guests.

Now she runs her own fashion label, Akshata Designs, and has been profiled by Vogue India. The 42-year-old is also the director of a venture capital firm founded by her father in 2010.

The pair have two children together and live in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, where they’re known for hosting a Champagne summer garden party every year.

She was embroiled in a tax scandal

In April of this year Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, was thrown into the spotlight when it emerged she might be benefiting from tax reduction schemes. It was revealed that she was a non-domiciled (non-dom) UK resident, which meant she was not required by law to pay UK taxes on her overseas income. The BBC estimated this would have saved her £2.1m a year in UK tax.

“This is yet another example of the Tories thinking it is one rule for them, another for everyone else,” Labour said at the time.

“Akshata Murthy is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parent’s home. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously,” her spokeswoman said in her defence. “So, according to British law, Ms Murthy is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. She has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income.”

But not wanting to be a ‘distraction’ for her husband she quickly decided to change her tax arrangements.

<p>Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty in the stands during day one of the cinch Second Test match at Lord’s (PA Archive/PA Images)</p>
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty in the stands during day one of the cinch Second Test match at Lord’s (PA Archive/PA Images) / PA Archive

Meet Eneni, a robotics engineer breaking down barriers for women

Ololade Bamigbade
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Meet Eneni, a robotics engineer breaking down barriers for women

Black women are often overlooked in mainstream media for their achievements. The mainstream women’s movement has historically lacked real inclusion in celebrating black women. 

Rather than waiting for mainstream media to play catch-up, we want to use our platform to celebrate the diversity and excellence of black women. 

So, keeping in line with our desire to “discover stories from across the political spectrum, local stories, stories that hold power to account, that uncover wrongdoing, that empower the forgotten and the unheard”, the Common Sense Network presents you with 1 of the 5 phenomenal black women who are excelling in their various industries.

Let me introduce you to Eneni Bambara-Abban. Eneni is a Robotics Engineer, STEM Communicator, also, she is the founder of The Techover Foundation, an international NGO, whose ethos focuses on encouraging, supporting, and educating people from underrepresented communities into Tech. She is also the founder of AnimeandChill, a worldwide International Anime and Gaming community, it is a space serving an inclusive community that brings people together to network irrespective of race, gender, and sexual orientation.

In 2021 she was awarded the Rising Star award in Tech by WeAreTech Women and was offered a fully funded membership to be a part of the prestigious BCS, Chartered Institute for IT, she has been identified by The Institute of Engineering and Technology as an engineer that is making who has made a tremendous impact on the world.

Courtesy of Eneni Bambara

Tell us about yourself and your business.

Hi, my name is Eneni Bambara-Abban; I am a Nigerian-British-born Robotics engineer. My main expertise is in Engineering and technology. Over the years, I have changed that. I call myself a steminist now – this comes from the acronym S.T.E.M which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths because I believe that many of the projects I end up doing are between industries, so it is not just set to robotics anymore. I like all the different projects I do and all the different sectors they are in, with diversity and inclusion being the glue that holds them together. I am also very passionate about D&I.

“My mantra is to ensure that all the spaces I am involved in are diverse and inclusive. I include inclusive here and not just diversity because I recently discovered that I have ADHD, so now I am neuro-divergent, which I am coming to terms with. I found that many places, especially the workplace, are not inclusive towards people with disabilities or mental health difficulties. So, I try to ensure that my spaces are genuinely diverse and inclusive.”

Eneni Bambara

Why do you think diversity and inclusion is so important in the workplace?

It is important from so many standpoints, If we are talking from a technical perspective, you have things like algorithmic bias. Many of our AI and machine learning programs are designed by a particular demographic, especially in more prominent corporations; typically, the white cis male is in the room when the algorithms are being developed.

In Algorithm design, when your collecting the data that goes into the algorithm, you have to be very aware of who is collecting that data and making an algorithm out of that. If only one person is collecting the data when the algorithm is being created, it will only favour one type of person.

For example, if you create an algorithm meant to identify a cat on a camera, but you only process pictures of black cats because of the bias of the people operating the algorithm. At the end of the process if you point the camera at an orange cat or a pink cat, the algorithm will not recognise it as a cat.

Courtesy of Eneni Bambara

You would find this same bias in corporations; white cis males are typically attracted to white women. So suppose an algorithm is created for a beauty app or filter meant to detect how beautiful you are. In that case, if the people in the room are not attracted to black women when the algorithm is collecting its data, it isn’t going to detect black women. You can think about the ramifications of that when a child or a young black girl was to try to use that app, but she is unable to because it doesn’t detect her as beautiful.

This is a minimal example, but this spans wide to anything from getting loans. AI powers many loan apps with algorithmic bias in them. This is why, from a technical standpoint, diversity & inclusion is very important because if black women are not at the forefront of this as it is being designed, we will be left out, which will have severe ramifications for us as a people. From an ethical perspective, why wouldn’t you think about everybody you hire? Why would you limit it to one demographic? Ethically we need to ensure that every company is inclusive and their workplace is diverse.

Are there any practical ways you have been able to help women?

Source: @Thetechover (Instagram)

The stats show that many girls study engineering and technology-based subjects but don’t make it to the workplace, or if they do, they are in the workplace for less than a year. There aren’t enough women in STEM, not because they lack passion. The problem is when they get to a stage in their career, someone or something makes them feel like they cannot be in that industry, so they leave. The stats show that women now make up 16.5% of engineers in the UK; in 2010, women made up about 10%. It has gone up but not by a lot.

I created the page so that girls who have felt the same way I have could reach out to me. Social media is a great platform to reach those girls and have them open up to me even if they don’t know me. I believe that through my social media platforms, I have created a safe space where I could show the duplexity and the different faces of what it means to be a black woman in STEM to encourage others, hopefully.

Source: @Thetechover (Instagram)

Social media has allowed me to reach a global audience and provided opportunities for friends to encourage girls to go to universities, facilitate workshops and do interviews. I don’t do this to be a role model; I don’t think the way I go about things is always the best. However, I do these things to represent those who have encountered difficulties to see that they would be okay and that they can also pursue their career in Engineering, this is how I believe I represent women and girls.

Can you tell us a bit more about your business in Tech and your Foundation in Nigeria?

I work as a freelancer in Tech; you can say that I am a creative technologist, which means people outsource projects to me to build for them. I had a business where I was doing the same thing. However, I didn’t know the first thing about running a business. I felt like once people saw a black woman, they didn’t want to support her.

In 2020 I tried to start a business, but running a robotics business requires a lot of physical interactions, so I closed the company and decided to start again as a freelancer, as it allowed me to work anywhere. During the lockdown, I decided to work in Nigeria, and a company hired me to work as a creative technologist for the movies and dramas they were producing. Aside from my job for that company, I also wanted to teach and set up workshops.

This is where my foundation started – I pitched the idea to a company called Arduino, one of the world’s biggest robotics companies. They loved my idea to teach girls in rural Nigeria about the power of Tech and were willing to send me anything I needed to get things started. Planning workshops in those areas was intense because it wasn’t just about education; there was a safety aspect to it with everyone involved – myself and my teams and the girls taking part in the workshops. So, we had to be secretive in the planning and organisation.

In those moments, I realised that Tech is a way to change lives that can get these girls out of their current situation. This triggered something in me and gave me a real sense that this is something that I am meant to be doing not just in the UK and Europe, but I need to be on the ground in these rural areas speaking to girls and setting up these workshops.

Source: @Thetechoverfoundation (Instagram)

What can we expect from you and The Tech Over in the future?

At The TechOver Foundation, we are working with a charity in the Philippines. We are trying to go to the rural areas to find girls from underserved communities who have been forced into prostitution. It is a different kind of struggle, they are not dealing with Boko Haram like the girls in Nigeria, but these girls are dealing with human trafficking and prostitution from an early age. We want to give them the technical skills they could use to change their lives. This project is very dear to my heart and will be happening in the future.

I also have an anime and gaming company called AnimeandChill. Through the company, we do diverse and inclusive events across the UK for all lovers of anime and gaming, we have a lot of events coming up this year, keeping me very busy.

Lastly, I have a film coming out hopefully in 2025 that I am doing in collaboration with Channel 4 called STEM. It is about a Scientist, a Technologist, an Engineer and a Mathematician, you can think of it as Sex in the City meets Hidden Figures, so we will have the technical girls being badass in Engineering from Hidden Figures but also have The Sex In The City drama and love stories intertwined I hope the film will encourage other black women to pursue their dreams regardless of their circumstances.

To find out more about Eneni, click the links below!

Billy Chip: A new currency helping homeless people buy a hot drink and food

Marcel Brown
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Billy Chip: A new currency helping homeless people buy a hot drink and food

The official guidance is often not to give homeless people money but to donate to charities instead. However one pioneering scheme in Bristol is offering a different solution – Britain’s first token scheme where people can give rough sleepers plastic “chips” they can swap for food, drink and, eventually, shelter. 

Common Sense sat down with Jack Gascoine to understand more about Billy Chip and the potential impact it could have on homeless people up and down the country.

What is Billy Chip and why did you start it?

BillyChip is a safe and secure currency for the public to donate directly to rough-sleepers, without the worry of their donation being spent on harmful substances. BillyChips are then redeemed by homeless people at any participating outlet for hot takeaway food and drinks.

We pay outlets for any redemptions given out, with all profits raised going to our foundation to fund other homeless and mental health services.

BillyChip was set up in the memory of Billy Abernethy-Hope, a 20 year old ambulance driver from Bristol who sadly lost his life following a motorbike accident in Thailand in 2018, before he left to go travelling Billy had thought of the idea of a redeemable token the public could buy instead of handing over cash.

This was following a conversation with his Dad, Jon about the reasons he preferred to donate to a charity rather than directly to somebody in need, Jon’s concern was facilitating a harmful addiction

BillyChip is a pioneering initiative set up in Bristol offering a cashless solution to help tackle stigma and attitudes toward giving cash and spare change to rough sleepers.

Bily Chip

Starting something can be very difficult. What motivates you to keep going?

The motivation behind BillyChip comes mainly from a drive to provide my friend and his idea with the best legacy possible, sadly Billy isn’t here to carry out his vision of a public resource that will provide support and comfort for those sleeping rough and see nothing better to do with my life than pursue the success of BillyChip.

What has the response been so far?

So far the response has been positive, from outreach services, police officers and homeless people. Since the pandemic, I think society understands that our ever-growing cashless community is having a real detriment to those reliant on spare change donations to get by. BillyChip not only provides a solution to this issue but also overcomes hesitancies held by many of the population around what their donation will be spent on.

Mr Clooney shook hands, posed for selfies and chatted with fans. // Source: Social Bite

How would you rate the Government’s approach to dealing with homelessness?

It’s difficult to comment on the government’s response to homelessness as most outreach services that I deal with are widely self-funded and voluntary. From the brief interactions, we’ve had with trying to work with Bristol City Council it’s very clear that the politics surrounding the funding of homeless services often overshadows new, progressive ideas. This sadly leads to the sector falling behind the times and ultimately, homeless people not receiving the support they could, if funding protocols were more open.

There is also a lack of humility in recognising failing services because admitting personal error in politics is career-ending. I find this disappointing as those in council roles, employed to help the homeless, by and large use their positions to further their own political careers and agendas, rather than fulfilling their requirements.

What are some of the inspiring stories you are seeing about homelessness prevention?

Following the pandemic there seems to have been an increase in people pursuing vocational careers, perhaps this is due to people seeing the end of the pandemic as a fresh start. We have seen many community-led services take off in our city that provide vital support that is not yet properly funded by the government. Services such as dental work, haircutting and clothing support seem to be left up to volunteers and although many in the industry view this as essential support, it often isn’t publicly funded leaving those running the services to feel dismayed and let down in a taxation system they’ve paid into for years. Sadly our praise (applause) isn’t enough and these causes need the respect and support they deserve to fulfil their potential.

How can people support Billy Chip?

People can support BillyChip in a number of ways, as found on our website (www.billychip.com). We have a section called ‘Chip In’ where the public can sign up as volunteers and access literature to pass on to their local coffee outlets to join the scheme. Each volunteer receives a unique volunteer code and if an outlet signs up using that code, the volunteer is entered into our monthly prize draw for concert tickets, trips away etc…

We can also be found across social media platforms @thebillychip where supporters can keep up to date with our progress.

The Conservatives are in real danger

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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The Conservatives are in real danger

Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng has been sensationally sacked as Chancellor, just thirty-eight days after being appointed.

His tenure is reported to be among the swiftest in British political history despite many correctly predicting his eventual demise, with many also believing that the Prime Minister herself could be next.

After a disastrous and humiliating U-turn of the proposed mini-budget, many MPs had already made up their minds that Kwarteng was simply not the man for the job. His ideas proved to be too unpopular for most Tory MPs and for the markets.

Initially, the Treasury was happy with his plans but a fierce backlash followed soon after, which eventually descended into open revolt against the former Chancellor, it also resulted in a record surge in Labour votes.

The mutinous atmosphere was reportedly mainly due to Kwarteng’s seemingly tone-deaf response to political reality (such as proposing more tax cuts) and his stubbornness towards altering his plans.

According to the Times, Kwarteng flew back to the UK from Washington not knowing he was about to be sacked, having read about his demise from the Times themselves before Liz Truss formally informed him, since then, Jeremy Hunt has now taken the position of Chancellor.

Kwasi Kwarteng’s open letter to the Prime Minister after his sacking

The Conservative implosion continues

The speed at which Kwarteng’s sacking came perfectly encapsulates the imploding Conservative Party. Make no mistake about it; it was a matter of when, and not if, Kwarteng would be given his marching orders.

Within six weeks, a replacement for arguably the third most powerful position in the country has already been made. It is a testament to how truly shambolic the Conservative Party has been in recent months, Kwarteng was undone by his tone-deaf policies and his unwillingness to change them. His decision to scrap the 45p tax rate in itself was ill-timed at best, at a time when energy bills are skyrocketing and the cost of living crisis is affecting so many.

Since Jeremy Hunt has come in, he has immediately reversed all previous tax cuts that Kwarteng made. Many consider him to be not only the right man for the job, but the de facto Prime Minister, as Liz Truss’ ratings continue to plummet, it would be interesting to find out who actually considers Truss to be in charge, irrespective of her actual position.

Truss and Kwarteng’s political leanings are, for the most part, identical. They have been close friends for many years. If one has gone, it would only make sense for the other to go as well. Of course, it’s not as easy to simply sack a Prime Minister. There are steps to be taken before that stage, but many MPs have already started to revolt.

Truss could not even make it to PMQ’s in mid-October (leaving Penny Mordaunt to defend her) where she was accused of ‘dodging questions’ by Sir Keir Starmer, for Rishi Sunak his team and his voters, this is vindication.

Keir Starmer makes a statement regarding Liz Truss

Can the Conservatives survive?

Simply put, Liz Truss has to either own her mistakes and proceed with the tasks at hand or resign with immediate effect.

Her Cabinet’s recent blunders and U-turns, combined with a lack of faith from members of her party, make her position seemingly untenable.

Truss looks timid and unsure of herself. Within six weeks of taking office, her plans have been reversed and, if recent reports are to be believed, more than 100 MPs are preparing to sign a letter of no-confidence in her leadership.

Liz Truss’ current position is hanging by a thread of uncertainty that reflects years of internal conflict within the Conservative party. Tory MPs are sceptical of the prospect of another lengthy leadership race within the party. Ben Wallace, Penny Mordaunt, and former PM candidate Rishi Sunak are names that have been floating about on social media to replace Ms. Truss’ as Prime Minister.

However, their candidacy would also prove difficult amidst the turmoil within the membership. Robert Halfon a senior Conservative backbencher has warned that a general election would result in a “bloodbath” for this party, the Conservative Party must get its act together if it wishes to remain in power.

Meet Abi Shokeye – The founder of Rich Skxn

Ololade Bamigbade
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0
Meet Abi Shokeye – The founder of Rich Skxn

Black women are often overlooked in mainstream media for their achievements. The mainstream women’s movement has historically lacked real inclusion in celebrating black women. 

Rather than waiting for mainstream media to play catch-up, we want to use our platform to celebrate the diversity and excellence of black women. 

So, keeping in line with our desire to “discover stories from across the political spectrum, local stories, stories that hold power to account, that uncover wrongdoing, that empower the forgotten and the unheard”, The Common Sense Network presents you with 5 phenomenal black women who are excelling in their various industries. 

Let me introduce you to Abi Shokeye. She is the founder of Rich Skxn, They are the only online retailer for melanin-rich skin in the UK. 

Their goal is “to become the world’s leading skincare retailer for black and brown skin and change the game in the beauty retail space.”

They want to inspire those with melanin-rich skin to remove and change stigmas about skincare for black and brown skin, to represent black and brown skin in the commercial space, and give “black-owned brands a platform to showcase their amazing skincare products.”

Tell me about yourself and your business.

Rich Skxn is a personalised retail store that will eventually transition into an app to help people find products suited to their skin. When it comes to brown and black skin, a few skin concerns repeatedly show up, like acne, hyperpigmentation, ingrown hair, or melasma. All these concerns show up on both white and black skin, but how it shows up on our skin and the available treatment we need is a bit different. So, education around those concerns is important so people know what products they could use on their skin. Also, they can see other people like themselves in images or videos, so they can see a representation of what it would look like if they used certain products.

Abi Shokeye | Rich Skxn

When I started my skincare journey, I didn’t have many of these resources available with a lot of tips and advice around looking after brown and black skin or knowing what products work. I spent a lot of money looking for products that work from retail stores like Boots, Super drug and Amazon. However, after doing a lot of research myself, I realised what worked, and I thought it would be great to share it with a community of struggling people like myself who want healthier skin.

That was how I started Rich Skxn. However, I don’t want Rich Skxn only to be a place where you find products but also to find treatments, so if you are looking for an esthetician or a dermatologist that could help you with your skin concerns. So, it would be a full rounded service catered to your skin.

Would you say its more difficult for black women to find skincare products among popular skincare brands?

It may be difficult if you don’t know what you are doing with skincare. If you are someone that has done a lot of research already, you may know how some ingredients work; then you can go into your usual retail store and easily pick out the products you need. However, everyone has a different skincare journey; this is something I’ve realised after catering to thousands of people on Rich Skxn that some people do need help. I want to make it easier for them so they know that this brand is curated for them; that is also why I curate products from other black-owned brands that I know have worked either on my skin or other people’s skin.

Courtesy of Abi Shokeye

What do you think has been the impact on the people that use your services on their skin?

It has been great! I recently surveyed what our customers think about Rich Skxn. The three common things people liked were that Rich Skxn is female-led and black-owned, so they love supporting a black-owned business and that I prioritise their skin and are not an afterthought. You would often find that many brands test their products on white people and then include an image of a black person in the advertisement to pull in black spenders. However, with Rich Skxn, we are inclusive of brown and black skins in our product testing. They are not an afterthought; instead, they are included in every step of the process, from creating the product to its launch. The final thing people like about Rich Skxn is the educational side; people really enjoy the fact that Rich Skxn is personalised to them and their skin concerns and that it comes from someone who understands their skin concerns.

These are the three main things that people enjoy about Rich Skxn. In addition to that is the fact that they can find other black-owned products on the website. The majority of the products on the site are black-owned. I try to add a lot of them because I don’t think most retailers allow black businesses the opportunity to sell their products. One reason for that is that small businesses cannot produce as many products as other larger brands. So, I’m trying to allow my customers to see that brown and black people create other great brands.

Why do you think we need more female black entrepreneurs?

When it comes to business, you will have your ups and downs. However, when you see someone like you, either from London or the UK, anything you can relate to can inspire you. “if they can do it, so can you.” It is essential because they can be one of your biggest motivators, especially if they are black, and they can be funded for their business. It breaks down the stereotype of black people being unable to get financed and inspires you to start your business too. I think it’s also good because you can reach out to these people to get some tips. I think having more female entrepreneurs is a good idea because it allows for more diverse business ideas rather than being stereotypically men. Also, women are very resilient when it comes to business. There are a lot of successful women out here that are doing well.

Courtesy of Abi Shokeye

Are there any women that inspire you?

Rihanna, when I saw her campaign for Fenty beauty, I was inspired to want to do the same for Rich Skxn. She’s inspired me to think bigger than myself and be inclusive. So, she encouraged me to keep pushing, and the fact that she comes out with different products inspires me to be more adaptable.

I am also inspired by many women in the UK, like Patrica Bright, Irene Agbontaen, and Mariam Jimoh. There are so many people out there doing amazing things that I am inspired by, and I am really proud of our people right now!

What challenges have you encountered since you started Rich Skxn, and what advice can you give to other women who want to start a business?

I don’t think I found many things challenging. However, when I started to source funding for Rich Skxn I often found myself pigeonholed as my business was catering to black people. It had me questioning whether I was wrong to cater to one group of people instead of being inclusive to other races. It was a bit of a battle because people couldn’t see how big this could be as brown and black people do have a lot of spending power – we care about how we look. So, that was the only thing I struggled with because of the funding side.

Courtesy of Abi Shokeye

What advice can you give to other women who want to start a business?

  • Look for people that understand your business, don’t just look for funding anywhere. You need to get funding from people who believe in what you believe in and can see your vision. Otherwise, you may encounter people with different opinions and forget why you are starting your business.
  • There is nothing wrong with being adaptable; you must be adaptable to your environment but always remember why you are starting your business.
  • Taking time out for yourself is essential as running a business requires you to wear many hats, so don’t take your mental health lightly.
  • Get a mentor who has been where you are going that can support and advise you.
  • Joining the Business Accelerators this year was helpful for me. They can put you in contact with experts to help you develop your idea, and even more, they can help you get funding. So, tap into a business network or business accelerator program.
  • Finally, get the right people around you in your team.

What can we be looking forward to from Rich Skxn?

In December, Rich Skxn will be launching its very own product! I didn’t realise creating a product would take so long. However, we are taking the product through many tests to ensure that our customers would be satisfied with it.

To find out more about Rich Skxn, please click the links below!

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