Racism seeks to silence black women in Europe.
The challenges and resilience of Black women in the face of systemic racism. Browse curated news, find exciting opportunities, and selection of resources and much more.
In this newsletter, you will find:
🗞 A curated selection of news and stories about migration matters.
📣 Opportunities
📚🎧🎞 A selection of resources and more!
In the UK, the aftermath of the Conservative Party's largest donor's racist comments, saying that looking at Diane Abbott makes you “want to hate all black women” and saying the MP “should be shot”, serves as a stark reminder of the various mechanisms through which racism operates.
From the delayed acknowledgement of the racist comments to the silencing of Diane Abbott in a debate about her raise troubling questions.
Diane Abbott, the first Black woman to become a Member of the UK Parliament in 1987 and the longest-serving Black MP, has dedicated her career to advocating for political representation of Black African, Caribbean, and Asian communities. Yet, despite her decades of service, she continues to face such appaling treatment.
In the same week, Malian French singer Aya Nakamura, one of France’s biggest music stars and a potential candidate for performing a song by Edith Piaf — France's greatest popular singer and one of the most celebrated performers of the 20th century — during the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, was targeted by a far-right group in a disturbing attack.
They hung a banner by the River Seine that read: 'There’s no way, Aya, this is Paris, not the Bamako market.'
These examples vividly illustrate the pervasive racism in Europe that consistently seeks to suppress the voices of Black women.
Amid these challenges, resilience and resistance shine through. Black women unite, organise, and stand in solidarity with one another.
To all our Black sisters across Europe, know you are not alone. Stay strong, and keep raising your voices against racism and injustice.
Juliana da Penha
🗞 Migrant Women Press Curated Selection of News and Stories🗞
Charter Works: A woman of colour cannot save your workplace culture
S. Mitra Kalita, co-founder and CEO of URL Media, a network of Black and Brown news and information outlets in the U.S., emphasises the importance of creating inclusive cultures and providing ongoing support for women of colour in professional settings.
Unbias The News: Widowed by Europe’s Borders
Border Graves Investigation by Unbias the News sheds light on the tragedies of lives lost along European migration routes in the past decade and the human consequences of immigration policies. Among these narratives lies Samrin's story: her husband vanished after being pushed back into the dense forests stretching across Belarus, Lithuania, and Poland.
The Prisma: A woman immigrant’s tireless fight to be with her children again
For over a year and two months, a Mexican woman endured the heartache of being forcibly separated from her children by the Mexican and British governments. Through her determination, including a hunger strike and untiring advocacy efforts, she fought tirelessly for their reunion.
Nadja Media: Under fire, undeterred: How Gazan female journalists are redefining digital advocacy
Through their innovative approaches and resolute commitment, Gazan female journalists are challenging Western narratives about Israel's war on Gaza, redefining the landscape of digital advocacy, and showcasing their resilience and determination in the face of adversity.
InfoMigrants: European Parliament rules 'fail to protect migrant victims'
The Platform for International Cooperation on Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) revealed in a press release on March 14 that although the European Parliament has made strides in improving crime reporting for migrant victims, it continues to neglect fully safeguarding them from immigration enforcement.
📷 Photo Spotlight
Neil Hadlock’s sculpture Migrant Family depicts a family from Northern Europe who left the ship before continuing to Paragon Station, where they will travel by train to Liverpool and then by ship to America. Over two million people passed through Hull and other Humber ports to America between 1836 and 1914.
✨Project Spotlight✨The Face of the Modern British Workforce
In celebration of their 10th Anniversary and International Women’s Day 2024, Black Ballad launched the campaign ‘The Face of the Modern British Workforce’, spotlighting Black British women's diverse talents, hopes, dreams, and achievements. With 56 Black women representing different industries and life experiences, the campaign aims to inspire and provide a comprehensive view of modern Britain.
📣 Opportunities, Events, Training and more!
📣 Opportunities
In the UK, the Journalism Diversity Fund can help with the costs of studying on an NCTJ-accredited course. The deadline is Wednesday, 1 May 2024. Info on how to apply here.
The Migrants’ Rights Network is seeking volunteer experts from a range of legal backgrounds to support our campaigns and communities.
The Other Side of Hope, a UK-based literary magazine edited by immigrants and refugees, is open for submissions. The deadline is 30 April. More info.
Applications for the Center for Migration, Gender, and Justice 2024 Migrant Youth Leadership Program are now open. The Application Deadline is 30 March. More info.
📅 Events
Virtual Black American Women Tour of London is a virtual tour of London and beyond highlighting the important and inspiring roles U.S. Black women played in the transatlantic freedom struggle. Wed, 22 May 2024 18:00 - 19:30 BST
Friends of Romano Lav invites everyone to the annual International Roma Day parade and community meal on 6th April from 12pm in Glasgow. More info here.
Forced Migration and The Arts - March 2024 Conversations. Thursday, 28 March 2024, Online, 2.00-3.30 pm; 4.00-5.30 pm & 6-7.30 pm UK Time
Help Migrant Women Press to amplify migrant women's voices and redefine migration narratives in the media.
🎧🎞📚MWP Selection
🎧 In a special episode of the podcast ‘Making it’ in Western Europe, Lazy Women hosts Selin Bucak, a Turkish journalist now residing in Paris, about her just-released book “The Last Day Before Exile: Stories of Resistance, Displacement & Finding Home”.
🎞 Watch a video of a Palestinian artist painting sad pictures on the walls of Gaza, showing the ongoing struggle.
📖 Book Recommendation by our Literature Editor, Laura Rodriguez-Davis
Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan
Jessica Pan has lived in a few different places across the globe, but settling in London as a Chinese-American woman, she finds herself friendless and lonely, struggling to make connections. So she does what any self-respecting introvert would do: she vows to live like an extrovert for a year. Pan delves into stand-up comedy, a solo trip, improv, and talking to strangers, all in the name of her experiment. Anyone who has struggled to find community while making a home amid the unfamiliar will relate with Pan, whose bravery and candour are humorous, fear-inducing, and inspiring.
✨ This month's quote✨
“All our silences in the face of racist assault are acts of complicity.” Bell Hooks
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