Extra Homework
Toyin Agbetu feature on Resident Advisor
Back in the late 1980’s, a new DIY style of 'Street Soul' music emerged, influenced by Sound Systems, Lovers Rock & Loose Ends. One name that kept popping up on many of those releases was ‘Master (The Beatcreator) Tee’, one of the many pseudonyms of Toyin Agbetu. Theo Fabunmi-Stone tracked him down for this brilliant, in depth article for Resident Advisor. Even though I obsessively collected his releases at the time, this article fills in a ton of gaps, and covers his activism & community work too.
David Olusoga
‘Black and British: A Forgotten History'
Historian David Olusoga has been popping up a lot recently, both with his ‘Black and British’ series & ‘Africa Turns The Page’ for the BBC. The ‘Black and British’ book is an essential read too, and traces the presence of African people in the UK from the 3rd century onwards. He tells the story of why he got into history here.
Here is are some useful lists of Black-Owned UK & US bookshops. Failing that, support your local independent bookstore. My local one is great, and usually gets books in for me within 24 hours.
Ethical Consumer Magazine:
Check your bank!
Manchester-based Magazine Ethical Consumer has been running for 30 years now. Over the years I have found it a really useful guide for making sure that my money goes to companies that are doing good. The latest issue has a feature on Banks who are often the worst offenders when it comes to investing in companies that profit from Fossil Fuels, Tax Evasion, Conflict & Human Rights abuses. It costs £30 a year to subscribe, and that includes six physical & online issues, plus access to all their guides and reports, which are invaluable for making sure that your money is working for good. For the record, I use Triodos bank & they are ace.