Black Networking Group » black british

Black Presence Web Site

BNG — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:03:27 +0000

Churchill’s Asian spy princess comes out of the shadows

BNG — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 19:36:07 +0000

By Divya Talwar Producer, BBC Asian Network

Britain’s Asian spy Noor Inayat Khan was shot by the Nazis in 1944 after being betrayed

“Liberte!” – That was the last word spoken by the heroine of Churchill’s elite spy network before being executed by her Nazi captors.

On 13 September 1944, the glamorous British agent, code named “Madeline,” was shot dead at Dachau concentration camp.

Despite being tortured by the Gestapo during 10 months of imprisonment, she had revealed nothing of use to her interrogators.

Noor Inayat Khan, died aged just 30, but her story has gone down in history.

She joined Winston Churchill’s sabotage force, the Special Operations Executive (SOE), and became the first female radio operator sent into France in 1943, with the famous instruction to “set Europe ablaze”.

The role was so dangerous that she arrived in Paris with a life expectancy of just six weeks.

Gestapo arrests

Noor became the last essential link with London after mass arrests by the Gestapo had destroyed the SOE’s spy network in Paris.

As her spy circuit collapsed, her commanders urged her to return, but she refused to abandon what had become the principal and most dangerous post in France because she did not want to leave her French comrades without communications.

For three months, she single-handedly ran a cell of spies across Paris, frequently changing her appearance and alias until she was eventually captured.

Despite having a full description of her and deploying considerable forces in their effort to break the last remaining link with London, it was only her betrayal by a French woman that led to Noor’s capture by the Gestapo.

Noor’s decision to stay in Paris to fight Nazism was a decision that cost her her life.

Despite carrying a passport of an imperial subject she had no innate loyalty to Britain.

Winston Churchill sent SOE agents to France in 1943 with the instruction to “set Europe ablaze”

Born in Moscow to an Indian father and an American mother, she was a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, the renowned Tiger of Mysore, who refused to submit to British rule and was killed in battle in 1799.

Her father was a Sufi Muslim who moved his family first to London and then to Paris, where Noor was educated.

But when war broke out in 1939, Noor and one of her brothers, Vilayat, decided they had to travel to London, dedicating themselves against what they saw as the evil of Nazi Germany.

Her fluent French, quiet dedication and training in radio transmitting were quickly spotted by SOE officers.

Highest sacrifice

Noor’s bravery has long been recognised in France, where there are two memorials and a ceremony held each year to mark her death.

However, in Britain, although Noor was posthumously awarded the George Cross in 1949, her courage has since been allowed to fade in history.

That is about to change with the launch of a campaign to raise £100,000 to install a bronze bust of her in London, close to her former home.

It would be the first memorial in Britain to either a Muslim or an Asian woman.

Shrabani Basu, who spent eight years researching Noor’s history in official archives and family records, said: “I feel it is very important that what she did should not be allowed to fade from memory.

”Noor died for this country. She made the highest sacrifice. She didn’t need to do it. She felt it was a crime to stand back.

”She was an incredibly brave woman and I think it is important that her bravery is permanently recognised in this country.”

The project, which has the backing of 34 MPs and prominent British Asians, including human rights campaigner Shami Chakrabarti and film director Gurinder Chadha, is being led by Noor’s biographer, Shrabani Basu who wrote The Spy Princess in 2006.

Around £25,000 of the cost of the bust has been raised and permission granted to install the sculpture on land owned by the University of London in Gordon Square, close to the Bloomsbury house where Noor lived as a child in 1914, and where she returned while training for the SOE during World War II.

The memorial is scheduled to be completed and installed by early 2012.

Noor Inayat Khan’s story will be featured on Asian Network Reports on Tuesday 11 January at 1230 and 1800 GMT and afterwards on BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12151715

Walter Tull – footballer and army officer

BNG — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 23:03:42 +0000

http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/walter-tull-footballer-and-army-officer/3649.html
Duration: 03:56
The inspirational story and autobiographical details about Walter Tull – a black professional footballer in the early 1900s who went on to fight in the First World War. Walter was only the second black player in football league history who played for Tottenham Hotspur 1909, and later, Northampton Town. During his time in the Army, Walter progressed into the officer ranks, dying in France in 1918.

Britain’s Black History – Black Britons

BNG — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 21:56:58 +0000

Some good anti-racist UK Classroom Resources (Key Stage 3)

From a search for “Britain’s Black History” on this site:

http://www.teachers.tv/resource/classroom

Fata He

BNG — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:47:21 +0000

FATA HE is a West African word which means ‘Inclusion’ and was established in 2001 to redress social and economic inequalities relating to Black and Minority Ethnic (B&ME) individuals, families and groups within the city of Plymouth. Since becoming incorporated as a Limited Company (Social Enterprise) in 2003, Fata He has become an umbrella organisation for other B&ME individuals and groups, and works closely with other local, sub-regional and regional organisations.

Since the dissolution of the Plymouth Anti Racism Task Force (ARTF) in April 2004 Fata He have continued to support a number of individuals and groups who deliver services to B&ME communities including the Plymouth Gypsy community.

As the recognised sub-regional B&ME infrastructure hub for Devon, Cornwall, Plymouth and Torbay, Fata He with its partner B&ME organisations represents the B&ME Home Office funded Change Up infrastructure body in this sub region. Fata He received a small amount of funding in 2005 from the Change Up Early Spend programme to develop its capacity to take up position as lead B&ME organisation for the sub region.

The role of Fata He as lead B&ME sub regional infrastructure hub will be to:

Work closely with mainstream organisations to develop best practice and act in a supporting and advisory capacity in improving service access and provision for its excluded beneficiaries

Provide organisational development support to B&ME voluntary, community and business sector groups to help them grow and nurture their long term development

Develop a range of specialist provision through 4 sub regional locally based Forums and a sub regional representative Forum which meets the needs of B&ME people throughout the sub regional area.

Fata He plan to develop their services to fill identified gaps in the market. In essence we will develop a niche market of specialist services to add value to existing provision in the sub region. In order to make Fata He sustainable in the longer term, strands of delivery will be developed under four key areas:

B&ME Capacity Building

B&ME Social Enterprise Development

Asset Management

Consultancy and Training

In addition to the above and as previously highlighted we will develop, support and facilitate a sub regional infrastructure representative B&ME hub through the establishment of four local B&ME Forums in which Fata He will facilitate the exchange of information, provide networking and development opportunities for individuals and the Forum as a whole.

Our Vision is to
‘Build a sustainable, vibrant and cohesive B&ME voluntary and community sector in Devon, Cornwall, Plymouth and Torbay through a number of strong, innovative, proactive and representational B&ME Forums and a sub regional infrastructure hub’

Through a facilitating and supportive approach enable the B&ME voluntary and community sector to play its full part in the delivery of local projects and services, participate in the local implementation of social and economic regeneration strategies and also to tackle in partnership the problems of social exclusion in B&ME communities.

Equal Opportunities Statement

Introduction

Fata he believes in equal opportunities for all people in our community and we try and put our policy into practice in everything we do. We aim to deal fairly, openly and honestly with people applying for jobs, our Directors, employees, and clients who use our services.

Fata He was created to help change the previous lack of opportunities for people in our area to benefit from and to participate in the social and economic regeneration of the area. We are particularly dedicated to ensuring that all sections of the community are able to participate in and benefit from Fata He activities and we take care to ensure that there are no hidden barriers which might prevent this.

Fata He also understands that because everyone is different, there is a need for its workforce and client base to reflect and be representative of the community it serves. We are dedicated to enabling people to access the jobs and economic improvements which we might help to create and support in our business and in all our activities, either in our sole name or in partnership with others.

Aims

As a community based social enterprise organisation, any black or ethnic minority individual living in, having a business in, or being a community organisation in our catchment area, can become upon invitation a director of our Management Board, entitled to attend meetings and vote, and to help in our activities.

Fata He is a social enterprise established to benefit black and ethnic minority groups, business, families, and individuals although no one from the wider community would be excluded. We are committed to helping with the social and economic regeneration of our area and the wider areas of the city, and actively attempt to improve opportunities for all people so that they can participate in all Fata He activities. We aim to improve the social, economic, health, quality of life and opportunities for all people in our community.

Fata He will not unfairly discriminate (directly or indirectly) against anyone because of, for example their race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexuality, age, ability or disability, education, literacy, religion (or non-religion), political activity, trade union activity, marital status, domestic situations, being HIV positive, and whether people are in or applying for full-time, part-time or job share work. (These are examples only. Other forms of discrimination will be tackled whenever they.

http://www.fatahe.com/index.aspx

Do Racist Attitudes Hinder Mothers of Mixed-Race Children?

BNG — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:11:17 +0000

Professor Ravinder Barn and Dr Vicki Harman from the Centre for Criminology and Sociology at Royal Holloway, University of London are carrying out research into white mothers of mixed-race children. It is part of a wider study of mixed-race children and young people that has spanned more than two decades. See more at:-

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100428121600.htm

With Thanks to:-
University of Royal Holloway London (2010, April 28). Do racist attitudes hinder mothers of mixed-race children?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 5, 2010, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2010/04/100428121600.htm

Soul Brittania – The Specials/Rhoda Dakar

BNG — Wed, 05 May 2010 11:05:52 +0000

RHODA DAKAR, known for singing with Two Tone bands The Bodysnatchers, The Specials and Special AKA will be collaborating with MIXED (Facebook Group) to write testimonies of the people taking
part…

Arthur Warburton – The first black professional football player.

BNG — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:00:39 +0000

Crossing the White Line – The Walter Tull story

BNG — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:37:12 +0000

Welcome to Crossing the White Line:The Walter Tull Story website, an award winning initiative put together by City of Westminster Archives and Walter Tull biographer, Phil Vasili and funded by Kick it Out and the Heritage Lottery. This website is part of a project, which aims to raise awareness and celebrate the short but historically significant life of Walter Tull; a uniquely brave, gifted and determined man of mixed heritage, whose life reads like an epic adventure. Walter Tull was a leader of men, a national hero, yet his story still remains largely untold.

http://www.crossingthewhiteline.com/index.htm

Stephen Lawrence 10 years after

BNG — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:22:14 +0000