QUICK FIRE NEWS 🧨

🚨 Police officer charged with murder of Chris Kaba
👴 Family leave for grandparents is here
🔬 Plans to boost number of black scientists
😓 Young people have less career ambition
✅ Working from home is cutting emissions
❤️‍🩹 Rape victims say police investigations cause more harm

LET'S GET INTO IT 🤓

Britain has got much more liberal minded 🫶

What's the story?
Though there are fears that Brits have been socially regressing, rather than progressing, in fact the past four decades has seen significant advancements according to a leading study. One of the study’s researchers has described it as “a near revolution.”

What's actually changed?
The study recorded much more liberal views on same-sex relationships: only 9% in 2022 said they were always wrong, compared to 50% in 1983. 76% now support the right to an abortion compared to 37%. Other advancements were seen in attitudes towards sex before marriage, having children outside wedlock, and traditional gender roles.

BUT...
Attitudes on transgender people - only recorded since 2016 - were seen as "more volatile" with a decline in public support. For instance, 58% of people supported the right to change your sex on your birth certificate in 2016, which has now fallen to 30%.

Met Police investigating Russell Brand for sexual assault

What's happened?
Russell Brand, comedian and sell-professed 'wellness guru', was accused over the weekend of rape, sexual assaults and emotional abuse. An investigation by the Times and the Sunday Times raised allegations from four women which was aired on Channel 4's Dispatches. Brand has denied all allegations.

Brand strongly denies the accusations, but the public and media immediately split into opposing camps, portraying him as either a villain or a victim of a modern day witch hunt. I found myself torn because, prior to watching the Channel 4 Dispatches programme, I had hoped that these allegations, directed at a public figure whose recent transformation I've admired, would turn out to be unsubstantiated. However, the evidence presented in the programme is compelling, and I suspect charges may be brought eventually. Nonetheless, I remain uneasy about the concept of a "trial by social media." It's essential though to recognise the significant challenges survivors of sexual abuse face, including the daunting burden of proof, persistently low prosecution rates, and often inadequate police investigations.

Whenever the news breaks of assault accusations against male celebrities, I typically am not surprised. Patriarchal power relations affect all of society regardless of political affiliation, or ideological outlook. If a man is granted power, no matter who he is or what he publicly espouses, there is a strong potential for that power to be used against women privately. I also tend to get reminded of the hand privilege plays in how favourably this news is received publicly. I don't usually witness as many people asking for innocence until guilt is proven, or media outlets purposefully choosing positive images of accused criminals to run in their stories unless those accused are affluent or white. 

IN THE BLOG ✍️ "How I Unlearnt My Colourism"

What's colourism?
Colourism is a form of prejudice based on one’s skin tone, establishing a skin tone hierarchy whereby a light skin is viewed as superior to darker skin. Colourism mainly exists within ethnically marginalised communities and reinforces the notion that the lighter your skin tone is, the better you are treated, the more attractive you are, the more respect you will receive.

Why should I read it?

As a society, we have gotten better at detecting and challenging racism, discrimination, and harassment, but colourism can be forgotten about. It has been deeply embedded into older generations’ world view which is then passed onto the next generations from an early age, causing a continuous loop until we break the chain. Chloe, lead trainer, shares her personal experiences.

THIS WEEK WE'RE LOVING 💗