COVID-19: the great leveller myth
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson When Boris Johnson tested positive for Covid-19 in late March, Michael Gove reminded us that “the virus does not discriminate”. The UK government spread the myth of…
#PublishingPaidMe and racial inequality in the publishing industry
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Following the surge in the Black Lives Matter movement, calls for change across the world have been frequent and loud. However, you may be unfamiliar with the…
Why the toppling of statues is a step towards countries confronting their racist past
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Recent discourse surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement and the toppling of statues symbolic of our racist history has been hotly debated. People across the globe have…
The fashion industry continues to exclude and exploit black people
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Diversity and representation within the fashion industry has been a longstanding subject of contention. In the last decade, this issue has gained traction, as consumers are increasingly…
Black Lives Matter: A cause that needs direction
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson The Black Lives Matter movement isn’t a new one, but the murder of George Floyd has once again thrust it to the fore and the video of…
Why I’m not expecting black people to talk about race
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson In her seminal work Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge conveys her frustration at her attempts to explain structural racism to…
The reality of systemic racism in Canada
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson George Floyd’s death made us all feel a deep sense of shame, guilt, upset, frustration or anger as many of us, especially white people, had to grapple…
Why did Starmer condemn the Colston statue toppling?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Labour is suffering an identity crisis. After a cataclysmic showing at last year’s snap general election, which saw their campaign marred by Brexit and anti-Semitism thanks to…
Systemic racism: the true legacy of empire?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson It is very easy to look across the pond to the United States, see the deep-rooted societal issues around race relations and say: ‘that is tragic, but…
Systemic racism in British sport: not such a level playing field
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson British Sport is a long way off from truly being equal to all. Sport is a universal language that connects people regardless of their background and has…
Hate crime: the brutal reality of everyday inertia
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson In the midst of the pervasive pain and fulminating fury at the centre of Black Lives Matter’s powerful protests – presenting a turning point in Britain’s egregious story…
Why does racism still underpin policing in the USA?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson America’s original sin perpetuates. Like it or not, the notion of whiteness over blackness is enshrined within American history, and it still fundamentally underpins racial inequality in…
Instagram influencers are undermining activism
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson It has been almost three weeks since protests began following George Floyd’s murder in Minneapolis. What has followed has been momentous. Protests have spread internationally in support…
Biden has to prove he is capable of making the promises of change a reality
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Following George Floyd’s death, and the subsequent protest marches, the US has become even more divided– between those fighting for change, versus those fighting to sustain the…
America’s racist history – how we can make the future different?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Three weeks ago, I wrote an article commenting on how the fatal shooting of unarmed black jogger Ahmaud Arbery was symptomatic of a system which prioritizes the…
Social media activism can be incredibly powerful, but it can also be incredibly dangerous
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Since the killing of George Floyd, social media activism has proved itself to be an incredibly powerful phenomenon. Millions of people have taken to Instagram and Twitter,…
White silence is no longer an option
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson The murder of George Floyd has seen people across the world mobilise in acts of solidarity on an unprecedented scale. It has managed to create greater awareness…
The UK Government’s deafening silence is complicity of the highest order
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson On Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab decided to change the job description of one of the Great Offices of State, in order to appease a racist. When…
Why has COVID-19 brought a return of Yellow Peril?
Illustrations by Hannah Robinson Last week Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General, stated that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused “a tsunami of hate and xenophobia, scapegoating and scare-mongering”. This effect of the…
The diverse classics series: A half-cooked but salvageable step in the right direction
Illustration by Hannah Robinson America’s largest chain bookstore Barnes & Noble came under fire recently after announcing plans to launch a new series of diverse classics. The ill-advised series takes the…
What can we learn from ‘Megxit’?
Illustration by Hannah Robinson For the past week or so, British media discourse has been dominated by the announcement from @sussexroyal on Instagram that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would be…
Don’t forget about men like Roy Moore
The whirlwind of the patriarchy moves at such a dizzying pace these days that its hard to find time to be upset about something before some new famous man you…