A reflective review of The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, exploring his journey through racism, resilience, and poetry, revealing a powerful literary voice and lasting legacy discovered too late.

A reflective review of The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, exploring his journey through racism, resilience, and poetry, revealing a powerful literary voice and lasting legacy discovered too late.

A reflective review of The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah, exploring his journey through racism, resilience, and poetry, revealing a powerful literary voice and lasting legacy discovered too late.

A compelling review of INK! From the Age of Empire to Black Power, highlighting pioneering Black journalists, their struggles, and their vital role in shaping British journalism and social justice movements.

A thoughtful review of Decolonising My Body, exploring ageing, identity, beauty standards, and self-discovery through Hirsch’s journey of reclaiming heritage, spirituality, and body autonomy.

A powerful review of We Were There – How Black British Culture, Resistance and Community Shaped Modern Britain, exploring Black British history beyond London, highlighting community resilience, culture, and resistance across Britain.

Keon West’s The Science of Racism blends psychology, neuroscience, and data-driven research to illuminate systemic racism, debunk myths, and propose evidence-based strategies for meaningful societal change.

Ellen E. Jones’ Screen Deep explores how film and TV shape empathy, challenge racism, and influence culture, showing storytelling as a powerful vehicle for social change.

We all have media blind spots—books, films, or shows that everyone says are essential, yet somehow never make it to the top of our reading list. Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo was one of mine.

Anyone following these reviews might notice a pattern: most of the books I cover are non-fiction—autobiographies, histories, essays, or explorations of racism.

Anyone following these reviews might notice a pattern: most of the books I cover are non-fiction—autobiographies, histories, essays, or explorations of racism.

Britain is becoming increasingly diverse. According to census data, mixed-race people are the fastest-growing demographic in the UK. Yet despite this growing diversity, positions at the “head table”—where key decisions are made—remain largely dominated by older, white men due to systemic, institutional, and structural racism.

Modern Britain has a complex relationship with its imperial past. While often treated as a distant history, the legacy of empire is evident in town squares, museums, and economic structures.

For many, the wealthy are distant, almost fictional figures—Scrooge McDuck in his money vault or Lex Luthor plotting world domination. Musa Okwonga’s One Of Them provides a rare insider view of elite British education, focusing on his time at Eton College, and sheds light on class, privilege, and racism.

To say that Black women have had a rough time of it would be a massive understatement. Historically, Black women’s voices have often been silenced or ignored. Even during women’s suffrage movements, progress largely excluded women of color.

The world is undeniably in a very dark place right now. It feels like a constant barrage of terrible news—things getting worse every day—and it can seem as though we’re sleepwalking toward the end of days.

A reflective review of Piccolo Is Black, exploring Jordan Calhoun’s memoir on race, religion, and representation, highlighting Black coding, identity, and navigating racism through pop culture and personal experience.

Natives: Race And Class In The Ruins Of Empire by Akala is a book that defies neat categorisation. Much like Akala himself—a rapper, author, lecturer, activist, poet, and entrepreneur—this work is part autobiography, part history lesson, and part social critique.

As a white man, my hair has always been just hair—something to style or worry about only in the abstract, like the looming threat of male pattern baldness.

The extrajudicial murder of George Floyd in 2020 was one of the most significant socio-political flashpoints of recent years. It sparked protests worldwide, including in Britain, and amplified the Black Lives Matter movement in the public consciousness.

Mainstream perceptions of Europe often paint a picture of a continent shaped by centuries of civilization, remarkable achievements, and liberal-minded openness. Yet this narrative frequently overlooks or minimizes the historical and cultural contributions of millions of people of African and Caribbean heritage living across the continent.

The nature of racism and white supremacy has evolved over the decades, becoming subtler as society has grown—on the surface at least—more inclusive. Yet the mainstream understanding of racism hasn’t kept pace. Many people still define racism by the intent of the perpetrator rather than the impact on the victim.

This Is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity by Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu is a powerful, unapologetic exploration of race, identity, and resistance in modern Britain.

Brit(ish): On Race, Identity, and Belonging by Afua Hirsch combines autobiography, social commentary, and cultural exploration to examine what it means to be Black and mixed-race in Britain.

How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi is a thought-provoking blend of memoir, history, and social analysis. Kendi challenges the idea of being “not racist,” arguing that we are either racist or actively antiracist.