Head to Head debates
Our communities speak with many voices . Each week in the Voice we bring you opposing views on a topical issue affecting black people. The arguments are crafted by the talented pool of writers from Media Diversified, which aims to make the British media tell more than one story.
If you are interested in taking part, get in touch.
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The debates:
Should we celebrate interracial relationships? 8 May 2014
Loving relationships between black/Asian and white people have long been a fixture in modern Britain with the population of ‘mixed race’ Britons estimated to have passed two million people.
According to Gallup In 1959 only 4% of Britons approved of ‘mixed’ marriages whereas last year that figure had risen to 87%. But what is a mixed relationship? And should we celebrate them as a sign we are heading towards a post-racist society?
Yovanka Perdigao and Ella Achola
Is Game of Thrones just for white people? 1 May 2014
Fantasy TV drama Game of Thrones is well into its fourth season now and its popularity seems to go from strength to strength. The show has single-handedly taken dungeons and dragons out of the realm of spotty teenage boys and into the public consciousness. The show has since been criticised as both racist and sexist, so we ask is the show only for white people?
Imogen Edwards and Shane Thomas
Has Obama been good for black people? 24 April 2014
On Saturday, April 26, there will be just 1,000 days left until Barack Obama, the USA’s first black president, leaves office. His election in 2008 was described as a watershed moment in American race relations. But as we turn into the home strait we must ask, has Obama been good for black people?
Me and Rohail Ahmad
Can a post racial society exist? 10 April 2014
Emperor Haile Selassie once famously said: “Until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes… everywhere is war” – but is the idea of a post-racial society a pipe dream or something to genuinely work towards?
Joyce Adwoa Agyeum and Kiri Kankhwende
Is natural hair a political statement? 3 April 2014
How black women choose to wear their hair has been a topic of debate for decades. But is deciding to forgo straighteners and weaves to sport natural hair simply a matter of choice or does it make a political statement?
Emma Dabiri and Damilola Odelola
Are Faith Schools damaging society? 27 March 2014
A third of state-funded schools in the UK are faith schools. But is it right to entwine learning with religious teachings or should faith be taken out of education?
Me and Micah Yongo
Are black people homophobic? 20 March 2014
Rap and dancehall lyrics, criminalisation in parts of the Caribbean and Africa and the alleged ‘hyper masculine’ nature of black culture are all held up as evidence of an inbuilt uneasiness about gay people. So is homophobia an integral part of black culture or just another stereotype that needs slaying?
Desiree Wariaro and Christina Fonthes
Can black people be racist? 13 March 2014
In our multicultural society, there are many white people who claim to have personally experienced ‘reverse racism’. Whether in the shape of physical attacks or simply being made not feel unwanted somewhere. Are black people exempt from being racist or are we just as susceptible to bigotry and prejudice as everyone else? A lot seems to depend on how you choose to define racism.
Amna Germanotta Riaz and Glen Chisholm
Should we forget about slavery? 6 March 2014
The success of Steve McQueen’s award-winning film 12 Years a Slave, his presentation of Solomon Northup’s harrowing memoir of brutality under slavery, has everyone talking about this horrific period of human history again. But is remembering slavery a vital part of understanding the world we live in now or a damaging ball-and-chain which keeps us stuck in the past?
Coming soon: Should black people vote Tory?
Mouth of the Marmoset 