My Articles
Black Rights Matter: The Restriction of Free Speech in the Black Community
On August 23, 2020, Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot by law enforcement. This incident sparked daily peaceful demonstrations, which later escalated into confrontations with police, leading to rioting and arson. Tragically, during these protests, two individuals expressing their views were shot and killed. Such incidents of police violence contribute to heightened racial tensions, resulting in passionate protests and discourse on campuses. In this charged emotional climate, universities may implement policies aimed at reducing conflict. However, these policies can inadvertently limit free speech for many groups, leaving them feeling silenced and potentially leading to further tensions and escalations. To address these issues, discourse should be encouraged on American campuses, providing students with a platform to voice their concerns and discuss systemic issues. Educational institutions, while often considered safe spaces, must prioritize the nurturing of open dialogue to foster meaningful change. The actions of law enforcement, such as those by the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department, not only ignite discussions but also negatively impact the ideologies of many within the Black community, fostering distrust toward institutions that should support them. While challenging conversations can be difficult in the wake of such incidents, engaging younger generations is crucial for fostering long-term change. The tragic loss of life can serve as a catalyst for universities to create environments where all voices are heard and valued. The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has been instrumental in promoting intellectual growth across various groups. The discourse facilitated through social media has exposed individuals to diverse perspectives. However, restrictions on free speech within American campuses can hinder efforts to advocate for racial justice and equality. The BLM movement empowered young people to express themselves; thus, educational institutions should strive to cultivate spaces for robust discourse and sociopolitical debates among students. In conclusion, fostering an environment where all students feel free to express their thoughts is essential for addressing systemic issues and promoting understanding. Universities must commit to protecting free speech as a fundamental aspect of the learning experience, ensuring that all voices contribute to the ongoing dialogue around race, justice, and equality.
Image Source - Seattle Times
Robins' applause from the city
After a short time has passed since his departure, Mark Robins has left sky blue fans no time to mourn before his rapid return to the city. Robbins has been recognized for his work across the club and community, receiving an honorary doctorate. Professor John Latham CBE, Vice-Chancellor of Coventry University, said: “Mark Robins has played a crucial role in helping Coventry City come out of a dark few years and helped restore pride and belief among the fan base. Mark Robbins is set to be this year’s third famed commendation, following on from cricketer Moeen Ali and Post Office scandal campaigner Alan Bates. Robins success at the club can be seen through their time span in the FA cup where they were prolific against some extraordinary teams. The sky blues reached the semi-finals of the tournament, only to be knocked out in an extravagant manner against Manchester United after Robin’s men brought the game back to 3-3 but lost out on the victory due to penalty despair. Robins was the longest serving manager in the league and his sacking sent ripples through the media and fanbase. Many fans dismay will not be able to be conveyed to Robins due to the event being solely ticketed toward students and their parents with University faculty also attending. This means that press will not be allowed to question the ex-manager about him losing his role as head coach. Robins will be likely be quizzed on not only his impact on the city but how the city impacted him during his extended stint here. Robins took part in countless community programmes that aimed in levering the support of the city from the club. This included partaking in supporter led conferences, Q&A’s and charity based events in which money was raised for schools and those most vulnerable in Coventry. Whilst fans will be upset that they cannot get their hands on tickets for Robins’ return to Coventry to see someone who means so much to them, they’ll all be glad that he’s being commended for everything he’s achieved in their names.
A microbrewery with a massive impact (B2B)
Dhillon’s Brewery, a Coventry based brewery, boasts commendations such as winners of 'best steam lager in the UK', bronze SIBA national and gold midland independent beer awards for their red rebel IPA, silver and bronze SIBA midlands independent beer awards for our bright eyes golden pale ale. The brewery is famous for its Sky-Blue lager and the theme of Coventry runs throughout. This makes it the perfect location, being only a short walk from the CBS Arena. Matchdays make the brewery home to thousands of fans. Dal Dhillon, director of the brewery, has shown his business prowess through the growth of the company. Stemming out from the brewery to more recently, the acquisition of the Spire Bar. In December 2021, they secured a 20-year deal with Christchurch Spire in the centre of Coventry. The building itself is part of Coventry’s history and at the heart of the city. Dal’s acquirement of the spire allows for the business to truly integrate itself as part of the city. In similar manoeuvres, Dal secured a multi-year deal with the CBS arena to open a 400square meter bar. The bar was opened in August 2023 and was the base to promote the new beer at the time ‘Ghost Town Lager’ which is still seen to shadow the Sky Blues in sales due to its youth. however, sales of Ghost Town are growing with prospects to expand the range. When looking at Dhillon’s impact on the city, you first must look at the expanse of employment roles that the company bring in. Dhillon’s hires hundreds of workers, many of which are students due to Coventry being a student city. However, Dhillon’s is also an extremely “diverse” company which mirrors the city itself, after being awarded the city of culture title in 2021. Director of operations at the Brewery, Gordon Mazvihwa, has stated how “Dhillon’s is very community oriented and (their) ethos has always been to give back to Coventry by excelling the elevation of the night-time economy.” Master Brewer, Pedro Borges, has many years of experience in the field. Borges acquired his General Certificate in 2018, along with a Master of Business Administration in 2021. Borges’s skills have truly been the lever for Dhillon’s as a brand, and he is the true mastermind behind the beers that they create. Gordon Mazvihwa’s years at the brewery have truly helped shape the success of the business as a whole and the entirety of his career has been directed at providing a face for the business. On match-days Gordon is the figurehead that is the first hand shook upon entry by many. A lot of visitors at the brewery boast his excellence and knowledge of the Sky Blues. Gordon himself claims that the brewery “strives to offer alternatives in the hospitality industry by providing unique experiences” and made it apparent that this not only entails this venue but is a cumulative ideology across all of the Dhillon’s venues.
The child's body buried 80cm under the garden of Handsworth home had 'very obvious' and 'extremely unusual' health issues, trial told
A court report
By Will Roberts Court reporter In December 2022 the body of Abiyah Yasharalayah was found buried in the garden of a home in Handsworth, police became aware of the existence of the child via an investigation due to other investigations leading to the father of the child, Tai-zamarai Yasharalayah’s social media accounts being checked. Where images of the child were made apparent. On the 21st of December 2022, the post-mortem of Abiyah Yasharahyalah was carried out. The parents of Abiyah, Tai-zamarai Yasharahyalah, aged 42, and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah, 43 are on bail for two counts of neglect, child cruelty and perversion of the course of justice. Both defendants pled not guilty on all counts. It had been made apparent by the prosecution early in the trial that Abiyah died between December 2019 and January 2020 at the age of approximately 3 years and 9 months old. Also, previously the court heard of other health conditions that the child was undergoing including "severe malnourishment", with broken bones, rickets, anaemia, dental disease and stunted growth. All of which are believed to be linked to the deficiencies in dietary requirements and therefore can be seen as be neglectful by the prosecution. A circular hole with a diameter of around 8mm situated in the left side of the lower jaw and the tooth, and the bone surrounding were decayed due to the existence of the abscess around the molars. This unusual opening would have caused a “bad taste” and bacterial leaking when bursting through the bone after months of the infection growing, Dr Andrews told the jury. The absence of a cortical plate (the smooth outer layer) in the child’s lower and upper jaw led to a lack of ‘structural integrity’ in the bone and therefore caused a separation in the roof of the mouth. However, the Dr stated the “very unusual” nature of the missing cortical plate, miming to those in the jury in an attempt to ascertain an understanding of what this meant. Dr. Andrews explained to the jury that there was a “lack of bony structure” in front of the teeth leading to “mobility in the teeth” with the “separation of the midline” showing the “extent of the bone disease”, the jury heard. Dr. Sally Andrews (dental remains expert) took to the stand as a witness. The dental remains of Abiyah Yasharahyalah indicated both poor nutrition and hygiene, the court heard. Dental hygiene was called into question when Dr Andrews pointed out the ‘obvious’ nature of the strain Abiyah’s body was going through prior to the death of the child. When invited to consider the age of the child, Dr. Andrews stated that she believed the boy to have been between the ages of “two and half to four years”. Dr. Andrews presented dozens of images to the jury of both oral bone and tooth decay. When examining the oral bone structure of the child, Dr. Andrews noticed a countless number of issues which point toward malnourishment. Especially the idea that Abiyah had a “deficiency of vitamin D, Calcium and tricalcium phosphate”. This deficiency led to both enamel hypoplasia and amelogenesis imperfecta. Hypoplasia refers to a condition where the person has a lack of tooth enamel, therefore leading to the higher likelihood of cavities and erosion. When inspecting the maxilla, Dr. Andrews went on to further explain to the jury the other teeth abnormalities that are suspected to have existed whilst the child was alive. For example, the “hypocalcification” which occurred again due to a lack of calcium. The teeth had shown “enamel about as thin as an eggshell”. The occurrence of this is said to cause immediate decay and further increase the pain which the child was undergoing. Similarly, amelogenesis imperfecta refers to a disorder of the development in teeth and in the case of Abiyah Yasharahyalah this caused indentations on his teeth which tend to lead to rapid wear or breakage. The “fragility” of Abilayah’s teeth is something that Dr. Andrews heavily denoted to the courtroom. Mentioning how there was heavy evidence of dental decay and that the cavities “existed in life”, the Judge made sure to establish. Dr Andrews also touched on the shape of the jaw. Stating that the Remus was ‘flat’ and how there was ‘no right angle’ in the jaw. The doctor made it apparent that “with bone structure such as that you can’t possibly have healthy gums”. Dr Andrews explained to the jury how “amelogenesis imperfecta” can be traced through families. Another point Dr. Andrews put forward to the jury was that of the adult teeth which had begun to grow which is indicative of the age that the child was. In humans, adult teeth generally begin to emerge around age 6 and continue developing until approximately age 21, when the last set of molars, or wisdom teeth, typically appear. The defence will take to the stands at Coventry Crown Court on the 7th of November 2024 and are expected to still plead not guilty.
Coventry's music scene that continues to change minds globally
Pete Chambers (BME) described Coventry as “multicultural before we knew what that meant”. And, with 44.7% of residents identifying as being part of an ethnic minority group, it is apparent that Coventry is a home for people no matter where they are from or what they look like. This is what is at the heart of the 2-Tone movement. 2-Tone music is formed of reggae, ska and punk music. It blends the ideals of 1960s Jamaican reggae with British music from the 70s. Jerry Dammer, lead singer of ‘The Specials’ was the founder of 2-Tone records in 1979 and most bands that followed the movement were signed to the label at the time. Bands such as ‘The Selecter’, ‘Madness’ and ‘The Beat’ came together to help Dammer create a 2-Tone movement that couldn’t be stopped. However Pete Chambers (BME) also believes that it wasn’t just Coventry who felt the power that ebbed from 2-Tone, Chambers stated “Outside the West Midlands … the movement became something of a huge eye-opener, songs like "It Doesn't Make It Alright" and it's hard-hitting lyrics (Just because you're a black boy, just because I'm white, it doesn't mean you have to hate me, doesn't mean we have to fight).” Similarly, Gordon Mazvihwa (director of operations at Dhillon’s brewery, one of Coventry’s larger music venues) believes that “The Iconic 2-Tone and Ska movement was truly revolutionary as it did not only envelope Coventry, it mesmerised the whole world. Showed the progressive nature of Coventry as people of all backgrounds all over the world enjoy 2-Tone and Ska till to this date.” Local businesses still hold the values of 2-Tone close to their hearts. Dhillon’s Brewery for example has recently brought out a two-tone lager alongside their already popular Ghost Town lager, a favorite of Coventry City FC match-going fans. Gordon Mazvihwa referred to the brand as “molded by Coventry's rich history and culture”. Furthermore pointed out the fact that “As a multicultural company Dhillon's Brewery has been inspired by the 2-Tone pattern and is encapsulated in our Ghost Town Lager and the 2-Tone Black Lager. A celebration of the 2-Tone pattern and how a simple 'Cheers' of a beer can bring people together”. The 2-Tone café and simmer-down restaurant in Walsgrave are similarly 2-Tone centralised. The music movement has clear reflections in not only the name of the company but also in the décor and background music. With Jerry Dammers himself said to be a ‘fan’ of the establishment, these businesses not only encapsulate the scope of 2-Tone by the length of distance some fans travel to come and visit but also how orientated the city still is around the genre with those that gather there feeling at home. Not only were people changed, but, the music scene as a whole had to make space for the meteoric 2-Tone to leave a mark. Pete Chambers (BME) even mentioned how “It bought mixed race bands to the fore, energising a generation of would-be musicians of any colour to follow the 2-Tone example. It made it acceptable to sing about racism and intolerance and to take a stand. This was of course exemplified with the Jerry Dammers classic (Free) Nelson Mandela, probably one of the finest protest songs ever written. A song that brought Nelson Mandela’s name into the consciousness of millions of people. A proud day for 2-Tone Records, Jerry Dammers and of course Coventry.” This cry of protest was heard globally and its release in 1984 under the 2-Tone label was a response to Mandela’s arrest under the apartheid government and reached number 9 in the UK music charts. With its upbeat melodic tones, this song was not only a protest but drew off the music culture and traditions of South Africa. And, the fact a multi-racial band sang this draws together the ideas of what 2-tone held at its core. So where does this leave the future of 2-Tone? Coventry continues to until this day to celebrate the bands that made an impact and the bands themselves still bring their message to the world. Speaking to ‘Just Dropped In’ a music and record store in Coventry’s Fargo Village, they stated that “there’s still stuff in the pipeline for The Specials”. However, they also believe that this could be a rumor, with the death of Terry Hall in December 2022 (as announced by them on social media) having a major impact on the recording of their new album in America with their last recorded performance being at Coventry Cathedral in 2023. Fortunately, Coventry Cathedral has always, since its creation, symbolised rebuilding and restoration. And, whilst the band The Specials may be coming to a conclusion themselves, the message that they so beautifully put out to the world lives on. New 2-Tone music is made until this day, with bands such as Madness releasing music as recently as March 2024. In terms of the link between 2-Tone and protest movements, we still see the bond thriving. In recent times, we saw the case of Saffiyah Khan who “became a powerful symbol of passive resistance against an angry EDL member. That photograph spoke a thousand words, a young mixed race woman smiling defiantly in the face of racism she was also wearing a Specials T-Shirt on that day. She eventually got to sing with them too” – tells Pete Chambers. 2-Tone events still occur around Coventry with Gordon Mazvihwa telling us about the way they “work very closely with the 2Tone Museum and are proud sponsors. Yes, we hold an annual all day festival with the Sukhi from the 2Tone Museum. It is for a fantastic cause as it is for charity, a truly momentous day with upto seven bands playing live. It is one not to miss.” And the 2-tone museum themselves still greeting guests from across the globe, with “Just Dropped In” stating that, when you look at the booklet of names and where theyre from they travel from all around to come and see the powerful displays. 2-Tone is coventry’s greatest movement and it’s clear to see how so many hold it in their hearts to this day, the sound continues on and seems never ending, anthisesizing the lyrics from the song ‘the sound of this town’ “the band’s wont play no more”. Except they do, and in my eyes, they always will.