thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Removing Statues Doesn't Erase History – It Makes It

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The outlandish slurs were not so much damning as they were predictable. The protesters who brought down the statue of obscure Bristol slave trader, Edward Colston last week, were immediately compared to “ISIS” and the “Taliban” then denounced as “thugs” and “vandals” who were “purging” and even, according to Boris Johnson, “desecrating” monuments to Britain’s great and the good. “Good”, because even if some of them had trafficked and murdered tens of thousands of slaves, they had also been great philanthropists. According to one tabloid, such men “also gave fortunes away and helped build Britain and the modern world.” This tabloid certainly got one thing right: the extracted-for-free labour of captured black people literally made the modern world. It provided the foundational money for capitalism, funded much of the industrial revolution and shaped modernity as we know it.
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“Those tearing down statues enable us to witness history in action.”
Amidst all the screeching condemnations of the protesters for “erasing” history by bringing the statue down, often coming from handwringing liberals, for whom history is apparently reducible to a large piece of bronze placed at a reverential height, something very important has been overlooked. The young people whose eager raised hands—brown, Black, white—tugged collectively at the ropes that brought Edward Colston down, as well as their counterparts, like those who beheaded a statue of Columbus in the USA, are, in fact, makers of history. They enabled us to witness history in action. They both offered the nation—and the world—a history lesson about Britain’s slave past and showed us how change takes place in the present. It is time to stop fetishising large pieces of rock and metal as “history” when it is also, in fact, being made in front of our eyes.
A statue of Cecil Rhodes, the controversial Victorian imperialist who supported apartheid-style measures in southern Africa is seen, mounted on the facade of the Oriel College, in Oxford ASSOCIATED PRESS
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As historical agents, in the space of a week, these protesters have instigated a wide-ranging review of statues, building names and plaques in many cities including London, reignited parliamentary discussions about systemic racism, put race and class back on the media agenda frontally, forced senior police officers to comment on institutional racism, and galvanized discussions in the education sector about how the curriculum might address the history of empire and slavery more fully and honestly. Statues are manifestly only a start. As the Black Lives Matter movement grows and is sustained, we will see changes enacted across society as people from all communities begin to think and act differently, and as Britain starts to reconsider who it puts on pedestals, what values they represent and whether those values are relevant to the present.
“What these young protesters are demanding of all of us today is the courage to see history in all its fullness and, frequently, ugliness.”
In one sense, however, the protesters who brought Colston down and who now have the long-controversial Cecil Rhodes statue at Oxford’s Oriel College in their sights are destroyers—but of mythology rather than history. Those who, for instance, defaced a statue of Winston Churchill by spraying “was a racist” on it were demanding that our understanding of historical figures and icons not be selective. They were pointing out that it was perfectly possible for someone who has been treated as a war hero to also have been very deeply racist, even by the standards of his time when he was described by contemporaries as “antediluvian”. They were reminding us that as late as 1942, when the world was signing up to the Atlantic Charter and its enshrining of “self-determination” as a global principle, Churchill insisted that it did not apply to the darker nations of Asia and Africa. What these young protesters are demanding of all of us today is the courage to see history in all its fullness and, frequently, ugliness. There is nothing brave about living inside comforting mythologies of being a force for nothing but good. That the British Empire was certainly not.
“When great uprisings take place, civil disobedience is a vital tool and one that cannot be undertaken by filling out government forms.”
There are those who say that statues should remain because public space is a “classroom” and allows for history to be taught and reinterpreted. This is what has happened with the statue of Henry Dundas in Edinburgh, where a plaque will explain his role in delaying the abolition of slavery. However, using such monuments as teaching tools or public memory can also incorporate any defacing, graffiti or relocation, teaching us not just about how they came to be elevated but also how and why they were removed from their pedestals. Reinterpretation of the statues in public memory should acknowledge that a historical moment came when they were rejected. I could imagine, for instance, the now-retrieved statue of Colson lying on its side by the Bristol Harbour with a plaque explaining how and why that came about. Any such relocation or museum-izing must, of course, be done in full consultation with the relevant communities.
The protesters have been admonished, by the Leader of the Opposition, among others, for having done things the “wrong” way. In the cases of both Colston and Rhodes, “the right channels” had been tried, to little avail. Secondly, when great uprisings take place, civil disobedience is a vital tool and one that cannot be undertaken by filling out government forms. Certainly, Rosa Parks did not seek city council permission to refuse to sit at the back of the bus.
“History isn’t just for the taking: it is also for the making.”
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Instead of condemnation, the young protesters who have kicked off a nationwide reconsideration of who we literally put on pedestals and why, deserve our gratitude as agents of historical change. They remind us that terrible things didn’t just happen in the past but remain unchallenged and continue to shape our present. They are asking profoundly important questions: Who is Britain? Whose history has come to represent British history? Why is it only wealthy, white men whose actions often inflicted great suffering? Who gets to write this history, and who speaks for the British past? If it is indeed respect for history that we espouse and if indeed we wish to see history truthfully articulated rather than erased, we could do no better than to join the passionate, demanding and difficult conversation that they have now got underway. For history isn’t just for the taking: it is also for the making.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Jess Glynne's Supposed Isle Of Wight Festival 'Lifetime Ban' Reversed After Less Than A Year

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Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter. Jess Gylnne’s supposed ‘lifetime ban’ from the Isle Of Wight Festival has been reversed after less than a year.
As you may recall, festival boss John Gidding banned the singer from performing at future events last June, after she cancelled her scheduled set at the eleventh hour.
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Jess cited exhaustion after pulling out of her slot just hours before, having only completed her support slot on the Spice Girls’ stadium tour a day earlier.
Giddings said at the time that he was “shocked” by Jess’ actions, claiming she had showed “no regard for people that bought a ticket”.
“She will never be booked to play the Isle of Wight again,” he told The Mirror at the time.
However, it seems that organisers may have had a change of heart.
Jess Glynne performing at Wembley Arena in October last year Jeff Spicer via Getty Images
On Friday morning – the day that this year’s event had been due to launch – the line-up for the 2021 festival was announced, and Jess’ name was a surprising addition.
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According to an Isle Of Wight press release, Jess said: “The Isle of Wight Festival and Jess Glynne have unfinished business and both are delighted that she will be returning next year. Jess is coming back for her fans and will have a show for you that will not disappoint, so get ready!”
Nice use of the third person there, Jess.
HuffPost UK has also contacted a representative for the Isle Of Wight Festival over the decision to reverse Jess’ ‘lifetime ban’.
🚨 Our huge #IOW2021 line-up is here 🚨
There's a host of 2020 names joining next year's bill as well new additions @thescript, @JessGlynne, @carlyraejepsen, @mavisstaples and more! Tickets go on-sale at 9am Monday 15th June. pic.twitter.com/Hh0TsaDXqa — Isle of Wight Fest (@IsleOfWightFest) June 12, 2020
Shortly after Jess’ Isle Of Wight cancellation, it was suggested that she had been out at an afterparty until the early hours of the morning the previous night, having completed her final show on the Spice Girls’ UK tour.
Jess confirmed this to be the case in a statement posted on Twitter, in which she also revealed she’s had to axe a number of additional gigs on medical grounds.
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“It absolutely kills me to say this – especially given what has happened in the past few weeks – but on the advice of my throat surgeon, I am going to have to cancel my next shows through until July 14 and I hope to be back as soon as possible after that,” she wrote.
“I know many of my fans feel I let them down so badly when I pulled out of the Isle Of Wight festival but the reason I knew I just wasn’t going to be able to make that performance has now been made clear to me by my doctor, Dr Zeitels.
“It is true that I went out and celebrated the end of the Spice tour. That was a massive high for me and I wanted to mark it with the women who’d become friends and mentors to me, but I had also been suffering on and off for weeks with anxiety about my voice. It wasn’t right. I wasn’t sounding my best and I felt there was something wrong.”
A month before her Isle Of Wight cancellation, Jess pulled out of a performance at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, again just hours before she was due to take to the stage, saying she’d lost her voice.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--My Pride Anthems: Arlo Parks

My Pride Anthems: Arlo Parks

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything, and that includes how we’re all celebrating Pride in 2020.
With huge public gatherings out of the question, we’re asking a range of LGBTQ celebrities and allies for their personal Pride anthems, to help us all get into the Pride spirit from lockdown.
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Sharing the queer artists that most inspire her today is British singer-songwriter Arlo Parks, who last month won critical acclaim when she debuted her single, Black Dog.
Charlie Cummings
In her My Pride Anthems interview, the Sound Of 2020 contender reveals the songs that make her personal Pride playlist, and discusses how The Internet singer Syd helped her realise her own dream of performing...
Lava La Rue – Widdit
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“Lava La Rue is a queer artist, she’s young, and I’m fortunate enough to be friends with her. I feel like she really represents the variety that exists within music by queer artists, and it just makes me feel really powerful.
“For some reason, Widdit has this sense of nostalgia to me. It just reminds me of a lot of the R&B music that I was listening to growing up. For me, there’s a sense of comfort to it, I listen to it when I’m in a strange mood, and it always grounds me. And also, this was the first song of hers that I heard, so it has that sentimental value.”
Frank Ocean – Ivy
“Frank Ocean is one of my favourite artists of all time. I remember when I read his open letter, I think it’s one of the most powerful things I’ve ever read.
“I’m very into music that is vulnerable, and emotional, and I really appreciate that. And to see a queer artist have such a large platform and be able to touch so many people, and make music so visceral and personal, it’s really amazing.”
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Janelle Monáe – Make Me Feel
“Firstly, this song just makes me feel like a badass. And secondly, I remember when I went to Glastonbury, and being blown away by her confidence and being inspired also by hearing about her story of, like, gradually working up to coming out and her background and stuff. I just find her very inspiring.
“Again, her music does hark back to some of the older queer icons, but at the same time there’s this uniqueness to how she approaches and what she makes.”
Snail Mail – Thinning
“I’ve always had a soft spot for kind of indie rock music, and it just reminds me of when I was younger and my first few crushes, and that feeling of being slightly confused and excited and not really being sure what’s going on.
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“Crunchy guitar music has always got a special place in my heart. I’m really into it.”
The Internet, feat. Kaytranada – Girl
“When I was growing up, I was always kind of looking towards trying to find other Black queer women who were making music, and I think Syd was one of the first people that I really latched onto and connected to.
“I remember seeing The Internet live when I was a little bit younger and that was one of the moments where I realised that this was something that I really wanted to do, and that I could do. So I really love The Internet.”
Watch the music video for Arlo Parks’ Black Dog below:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Donald Trump's Latest Analogy Looks Like It's Riddled With Typos But It Honestly Isn't

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Donald Trump is infamous for his rambling and bizarre speeches, but he may well have outdone himself with a mind-boggling attempt to explain why some buildings cost more than others.
The president was speaking at a round table event with faith leaders on Thursday when he tried to tout the benefits of healthcare options for veterans that necessitated the government picking up part of the bill.
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In essence he was trying to say that it sounds expensive, but actually isn’t.
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He said: “But it’s one of those many cases where it’s actually less costly and better.”
Now it needs to be noted that the following is word-for-word what the president said.
“Sometimes you’ll see a building it costs less money than another building that costs more because the one that built the one that costs more, this one looks better, the one that’s cheaper, it looks better.
“They say, ‘how much more did you spend for that building?’ Actually we spent less. You can do that, it’s called: You have to know what you’re doing. If you know what you’re doing.”
At this point he appeared to realise he wasn’t actually making much sense. In an attempt at a save, he added: “That’s only good for the real estate people in here. Of which there are plenty by the way.”
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OK Mr President, sure.
It wasn’t the only thing he said during the event that raised eyebrows. Discussing police reform in the wake of the death of George Floyd, he said officers were “dominating the street with compassion” during anti-racism protests.
CNN’s Don Lemon described the comment as “the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard”.
Earlier in his CNN Tonight show, Lemon described Trump as a “relic” for appearing to deny that racism exists.
President Trump says we’re going to fight racism “very easily” and “quickly.”
“Wow. I wish that was true. Except that it has been 400 years after the first enslaved black people were forcibly brought to this country. Centuries of blood and oppression.” - CNN’s @DonLemon pic.twitter.com/5yzx33szLY — CNN Tonight (@CNNTonight) June 12, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Sharon Stone Details Terrifying Moment She Was Stuck By Lightning In Freak Home Accident

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Sharon Stone has revealed that she was once hospitalised after being hit by lightning in her own home.
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The Basic Instinct star told of how the freak accident happened while she was filling up an iron with water.
She described the incident as “really intense”, telling the Films To Be Buried With podcast how she was thrown across her kitchen by the shock, hitting her fridge as she landed.
Sharon Stone SOPA Images via Getty Images
Sharon said: “I was at home. We had our own well. I was filling the iron with water and I had one hand on the faucet and one hand on the iron and the well got hit with lightning and the lighting came up through the water.
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“I got picked up and thrown across the kitchen and I hit the refrigerator.
“I was like, ‘Woah’ and my mother was standing there, and my mother just belted me across the face and brought me to.”
Sharon did not reveal when the incident happened, but continued: “I was in such an altered state… She threw me in the car and drove me to hospital and the ECG (electrocardiogram) was showing such electricity in my body.
“It was so crazy.”
Last year, Sharon made headlines for similarly unexpected reasons when she was blocked from the dating app Bumble.
She revealed her account had been shut down over assumptions her profile was fake as she took to Twitter begging not to be “shut out of the hive”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Sadiq Khan Warns Black Lives Matter Protesters Of Far-Right Plans To Hijack Demonstrations

Police chiefs have warned that forces will act to stop disorder after 62 officers were injured in protests triggered by the death of George Floyd.
Khan said he is working with the Metropolitan Police and partners to ensure statues and monuments at risk, including the Cenotaph, Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela, are covered and protected.
He warned that there have been confirmed new cases of coronavirus among protesters around the world, adding: “I fear we will see the same here.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--6 Things White People Say That Highlight Their Privilege

Feminist scholar and anti-racism educator Peggy McIntosh famously described white privilege as an “invisible weightless knapsack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.”
In other words, white people typically move through life unaware of all the head starts, resources and access the colour of their skin affords them. They don’t recognise these unearned advantages until they’re pointed out — and even then, some white people will try to deny the existence of their privilege.
It should be noted that merely acknowledging your white privilege isn’t enough — but it is one small and necessary step toward taking action and wielding that privilege to help dismantle the systems that oppress the Black community and other people of colour in this country.
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We talked to educators, activists, therapists and professors about the things white people often say that highlight their privilege without them realising it.
1. “It’s not my job to fix racism because I’m not racist.”
What you’re essentially saying is that because the systemic racism doesn’t hurt you personally — a privileged position to be in — you don’t need to be involved in the fight against it. White people must step up to the plate, act as allies and use their privilege for good.
“It takes the actions of every single person to call out racist behaviour and be a part of the solution,” Michelle Saahene, co-founder of From Privilege to Progress, told HuffPost. “It’s a privilege to be able to only talk about race and never experience it. It’s a privilege to choose not to talk about it or acknowledge it.”
This statement also ignores the fact that racism is largely a structural issue, not just an individual one.
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“People of colour would also like to live in a world where their skin colour didn’t impact the way they were treated and just never talk about race,” Saahene added. “But systemic racism is real, people of colour must talk about race, to navigate a system that was never meant for their freedom — and continues with the support of white silence.”
2. “I don’t see colour.”
The intent behind this statement is to demonstrate that you’re not a prejudiced person. But, as psychologist Erlanger Turner put it, “we all see racial difference unless we’re visually impaired.” Refusing to acknowledge the colour of someone’s skin is also a refusal to acknowledge the struggles they’ve endured and discrimination they’ve faced because of their race.
“For most white people, they have the privilege to receive many benefits in society based on ‘whiteness’ that people of colour don’t receive,” said Turner, an assistant professor of psychology at Pepperdine University who studies mental health among racial and ethnic communities. “For example, think about the recent protests [in Michigan] when white men went into a state government building with guns and they didn’t experience any harm. Yet, Black people engage in peaceful protests and police are shooting them with rubber bullets. That’s white privilege.”
3. “There’s no need to worry about the police if you’re not doing anything illegal.”
“White people often claim that Black people, specifically, should have nothing to worry about if they, Black people, aren’t doing anything illegal,” said anti-racism educator Myisha T. Hill, author of “Check Your Privilege: Live Into the Work.” “This is because white people tend to feel an innate sense of safety and security from the policing policies that racially profile and target Black people, in many cases leading to the use of excessive or even lethal force. This is a prime example of white privilege.”
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4. “I don’t want to post about racism on social media because I’m scared of the backlash.”
If the fear of relatives unfollowing you on Instagram or leaving “all lives matter!” comments on your Facebook posts prevents you from speaking up at all, your priorities are out of order. Refusing to use your voice and platform in this way is “putting your comfort above all else,” even “above humanity,” Saahene said.
“It is a privilege to not have to take a risk of alienating yourself from others,” she said. “It’s saying that the drama or backlash you don’t want to face from potential racists is more important than speaking out against innocent people being oppressed.”
5. “I don’t have white privilege.”
Some white folks insist white privilege doesn’t apply to them because they’re not wealthy or because they’ve worked hard for what they have or because their life has been a struggle in any number of ways. They get defensive when they hear the term because they don’t really understand it.
White privilege doesn’t mean all white people live charmed lives. “It simply means that the colour of your skin is not one of the reasons you may experience personal or professional hurdles,” said Abigail Makepeace, a marriage and family therapist who specialises in trauma.
For white people to dismiss the benefits they’ve reaped because of their whiteness only goes to show how oblivious — and privileged — they really are.
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“The mere assumption that someone does not benefit from systemic privilege reveals how inherently unaware they may be of systemic racism,” Makepeace said. “Ignorance of complicity indicates that someone has been protected from and sheltered by the system — a luxury that POC have never had.”
6. “I’m not sure when I should start talking to my kids about racism.”
One of the most common concerns Hill hears from white moms is not knowing when or how they should broach the subject of racism with their children. The question itself demonstrates that white parents have the ability to wait for the “right” time to talk to their kids about racial discrimination; Parents of colour are often forced into having those conversations with their kids at a young age.
“This urge to shelter their white children from the realities of racism is directly born of their own white privileges. Black, brown, indigenous, Asian, Pacific Islander, people of colour, do not have the luxury of putting blinders up to shield our children from racism,” Hill said. “Our livelihoods depend on us constantly having these heart-wrenching conversations with our children, from very early ages, about why they have to behave differently from white children and what to do if we are pulled over by the police. Because our safety is never guaranteed.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Uber To Introduce Mandatory Face Coverings For Drivers And Passengers

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Uber has announced that it will make face coverings mandatory for drivers and passengers across the UK from Monday.
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The minicab app firm’s regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood, said: “For months we’ve been urging people to stay home, for their safety and the safety of drivers who make essential trips.
“Now, as cities begin to reopen and people start moving again, we’re taking measures to help everyone stay safe and healthy every time they use Uber.
“We’ve introduced measures to ensure that every driver can access the PPE (personal protective equipment) they need for free to help keep them safe when driving with Uber, and, from Monday, we will require anyone using the Uber app in the UK to wear a face covering.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Hollywood Celebs Get Dragged For Cringeworthy Anti-Racism Video

I take responsibility for every unchecked moment, for every time it was easier to ignore than to call it out for what it was. Every not-so-funny joke. Every unfair stereotype. Every blatant injustice no matter how big or small. Every time I remained silent. Every time I explained away police brutality or turned a blind eye.
I take responsibility. Black people are being slaughtered in the streets. Killed in their own homes. These are our brothers and sisters. Our friends. Our family. We are done watching them die. We are no longer bystanders; we will not be idle. Enough is enough.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Biden Very Nearly Drops An F-Bomb On Trump's 'Very Fine' Racists

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Former Vice President Joe Biden caught himself before he used the F-word on Thursday to describe the racists who take comfort in some of the words used by President Donald Trump. Instead, Biden paused and admonished himself to “watch my language” before ultimately settling on “folks.”
Biden was speaking at a roundtable discussion about his plan to reopen the economy amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. But he also took some shots at Trump’s divisiveness, saying the president was pitting Americans against each other based on race.
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Biden recalled Trump’s comments after the violent clashes between white supremacists and protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017.
“He said there were ‘very fine people’ on both sides,” Biden said. “No president in the history of the United States of America has ever said anything remotely like that.”
Biden also noted that the president’s words matter.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--BA, EasyJet And Ryanair Launch Legal Action Over Coronavirus Quarantine Policy

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British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair announced they have launched legal action against the government’s “flawed” 14-day quarantine policy.
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The airlines claim it will “have a devastating effect on British tourism and the wider economy, and destroy thousands of jobs”.
They said in a joint statement: “The airlines have asked for their judicial review to be heard as soon as possible.
“The airlines have not yet seen any evidence on how and when proposed ‘air bridges’ between the UK and other countries will be implemented.
“Instead, they want the government to readopt its previous quarantine policy introduced on March 10, where quarantine is limited to passengers from ‘high-risk’ countries.
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“This would be the most practical and effective solution and enables civil servants to focus on other, more significant issues arising from the pandemic while bringing the UK in line with much of Europe which is opening its borders mid-June.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Tennessee Lawmakers Vote To Keep KKK Leader’s Bust In Capitol, Igniting Protests

Venita Lewis, right, led a demonstration Wednesday in Nashville that demanded the removal of a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from inside the State Capitol. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Protesters rallied outside of the Tennessee State Capitol Wednesday after lawmakers voted to keep a bust of a Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader on full display in the capitol, following arguments that removing it would erase history and could be offensive to some.
A House committee in Nashville voted 11 to 5 Tuesday to continue displaying the bronze bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, which has survived public protests and demands for its removal since it was erected in 1978.
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Venita Lewis, who helped organise protests outside the Capitol this week, argued that keeping symbols of racism and white supremacy on public display does nothing but hurt current and future generations of Black people.
Demonstrators take part in a protest Wednesday outside of the Tennessee Capitol. The bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former Confederate general and Ku Klux Klan leader, has been the center of controversy for years. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Hell, I don’t want to be reminded that I was a slave. I don’t want to tell my children that,” Lewis, wearing a T-shirt reading “I will breathe,” told a crowd on Wednesday. “We are generating racism and hate for the next generation. It’s not fair to you, your children and your children’s children.”
Republican lawmakers argued that removing the bust wasn’t the solution and that it could open the door to other controversial monuments being torn down.
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Representative Jerry Sexton, who voted against the bust’s removal, appeared to excuse the state’s history of racism.
The bust has been a controversial addition to the Capitol since it was erected in 1978. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“It was not against the law to own slaves back then. Who knows, maybe some of us will be slaves one of these days. Laws change,” Sexton, who is white, told the legislative panel. “But what about the people that I represent, that it will offend them if we move this? They’ll be offended. They won’t like it. But it doesn’t seem to matter.”
He went on to question House Democrats’ understanding of ethics since they support abortion.
“Who decides what is ethical, what is right, when we’re killing millions of babies every year in this country because of abortion,” Sexton said.
🚨MUST-WATCH: “Maybe some of us will be slaves one of these days— what about the people I represent that will be offended if we move this?”
TN GOP Rep. Jerry Sexton’s WILDLY BIZARRE 🤪defense of keeping the KKK GRAND WIZARD BUST in the Capitol... equating it with Abortion. 🤔 pic.twitter.com/EHvnYtnIzx — The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) June 9, 2020
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Representative London Lamar, a Black Democrat who represents Memphis, said there is no complexity in this issue.
“Supporting Nathan Bedford Forrest is supporting racism. There is no grey area. There is no way around. You’re either for it or against it. Period,” she tweeted.
Representative Antonio Parkinson, another Black Democrat from Memphis, likened the public imagery of Forrest to the state displaying Nazi propaganda.
“What if every day you walked into the House or Senate chambers and you saw a bust of Hitler before you entered?” he posted on social media. “That sickness in the pit of your stomach that you’re feeling right now ... that’s what we feel everytime we (African Americans) enter the capitol of Tennessee.”
Forrest, the first grand wizard of the KKK, amassed a fortune as a plantation owner and slave trader prior to serving in the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
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Forrest was the first grand wizard of the KKK and a general in the Confederate Army. ASSOCIATED PRESS
There had been a push to honor Forrest in the Capitol as far back as 1901, according to the Nashville Scene. Talk of erecting a monument in his memory reportedly died down until the 1960s, when the civil rights movement inspired a new wave of Confederate monuments to be erected across the country.
State Democrats did have some success Wednesday in the passage of a bill that would eliminate the governor of having to continue to proclaim Nathan Bedford Forrest Day, an annual state holiday on July 13. Democrats had tried to eliminate the holiday altogether but were unsuccessful.
Late last month, a statue of the late Tennessee lawmaker and newspaper publisher Edward Carmack was toppled by anti-racism protesters in front of the state Capitol.
Edward Carmack statue down at the TN capital. @NC5PhilWilliams pic.twitter.com/CHcZaS5hno — Brian Hallett (@hallettbrian) May 31, 2020
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Carmack’s editorial work included endorsing the lynchings of Black men in Memphis who were trying to establish a grocery store in the late 1800s. When Black civil rights pioneer and newspaper writer Ida B. Wells spoke out against the lynchings, Carmack incited a mob against her and her newspaper office was destroyed. Carmack went on to become a successful politician and the statue of him was erected on the Capitol’s grounds in 1927, according to the Tennessee State Museum’s website.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--The Black Lives Matter Protests Are Working. Here's Proof

In the weeks since police killed George Floyd in Minneapolis, nonstop protests across the US have called out systemic racism and police brutality — and have already given rise to significant reckonings and policy changes in cities and companies nationwide.
Floyd, who was Black, was killed on May 25 when a white police officer, Derek Chauvin, knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes as Floyd pleaded, “I can’t breathe.” The demonstrations the following night in Minneapolis soon spread across the country and the world, as people took to the streets to demand justice for Black victims of police violence and an end to the status quo of racism and white supremacy.
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Last week, former US President Barack Obama compared the recent protests to those in the late 1960s civil rights era, calling this moment a “sea change,” adding that there’d been “as much honest conversation in this country on the topic of race in the past week as has taken place in my living memory.” Civil rights legend Representative John Lewis echoed the sentiment, praising the racial diversity of today’s protests, which have been largely led by young Black people, saying these would “help redeem the soul of America.”
And so far, the Black Lives Matter protests — which built off years of work by BLM activists since 2013, in the streets, in halls of government and educating the public — have spurred some significant changes.
From cities redirecting funding from police departments to Confederate monuments coming down in droves, here are some of the steps toward racial justice and ending police brutality that we’ve seen in just 16 days since protests began:
A protester faces military police near the White House to protest the death of George Floyd, on June 3 in Washington, D.C. OLIVIER DOULIERY via Getty Images
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Police are being held accountable.
Hundreds march with the Coalition of Black Youth in Boston on June 10. The protestors marched from Nubian Square to City Hall to urge Boston City Council to reallocate Boston police funding to youth jobs programs like SuccessLink, violence prevention, and to hire additional mental health counselors in Boston Public Schools. Boston Globe via Getty Images
Cities are defunding police.
In Minneapolis, a veto-proof majority of city council members pledged earlier this week to “begin the process of ending” the city’s police department , seeking to instead invest in a “new transformative model for cultivating safety.” What such a model will look like in the city remains to be determined.
In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a proposal to cut the police department’s budget and shift the money to programs to help “communities of colour.” The mayor said the exact amount will be determined with the city council as part of the budget process.
In Los Angeles, the city council introduced a proposal to redirect at least $100 million to $150 million from the LAPD budget to disadvantaged communities and communities of colour. The mayor expressed support and pledged additional funds to support the Black community.
In San Francisco, city supervisors and the mayor together said they were committing to redirect part of the police department’s budget to serve the Black community. The amount has not yet been determined.
Schools are cutting ties with police.
A statue of Confederacy President Jefferson Davis lies on the street after protesters pulled it down in Richmond, Virginia, on June 10. PARKER MICHELS-BOYCE via Getty Images
Monuments to racists are being toppled.
The tech industry is facing a reckoning.
Facebook, a company notorious for its inadequate oversight on false information or dangerous messaging spreading on its platform, is reviewing the policies that allowed President Donald Trump’s inflammatory “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” post to stay up. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who has long been unwilling to budge on such issues, said he would reevaluate the policy after outraged employees staged a virtual walkout.
Reacting to the same violence-inciting language, Twitter put a warning label on one of Trump’s tweets for the first time. The warning, which obscured Trump’s tweet unless users clicked through, said the remarks “violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence” and the company had determined it “may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”
Snapchat announced it will no longer feature Trump’s account on its “Discover” page, saying it can’t promote accounts “linked to people who incite racial violence,” whether they post those comments on the Snapchat platform or elsewhere.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian announced he’s stepping down from the company’s board so that his seat could potentially be filled with a Black candidate. “There are too many white faces around the table,” he said.
Amazon is implementing a year-long moratorium on law enforcement’s use of “Rekognition,” the company’s facial recognition technology, after years of pitching the product to police departments. Law enforcement’s use of facial recognition technology can be abused and lead to mistaken identifications, critics say, and Congress has yet to implement regulations on its use.
Similarly, IBM is no longer offering facial recognition technology and vowed to oppose any use of such software by police forces for mass surveillance or racial profiling. Microsoft followed suit and said it will not sell facial recognition technology to the police.
Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Juneteenth will be a company holiday. The day, June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.
Driver Bubba Wallace wears a Black Lives Matter shirt as he prepares for a NASCAR Cup Series auto race on June 10 in Martinsville, Virginia. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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America’s sports leagues are facing a reckoning.
In a stunning vindication for football players who knelt during the national anthem, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confessed the league was wrong to try to stop their peaceful police brutality protests. “We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest,” Goodell said.
Following the NFL, the US Soccer Board of Directors voted to repeal an official policy requiring players to stand during the national anthem. “Black Lives Matter. We can do more and we will,” the board said.
NASCAR announced that it would ban the display of the Confederate flag at all its events and properties. The hate symbol is a near-ubiquitous site at events held by NASCAR, which has a predominately white fan base and whose officials are steadfast Trump supporters.
Major American companies are facing a reckoning.
After hundreds of Adidas workers walked off the job to protest their employer’s lack of support for Black employees, the athletic company committed to fill a minimum of 30% of new positions with Black or Latinx people.
Like Twitter and Square, Nike announced it will recognise Juneteenth as a company holiday .
Walmart announced it would stop placing “multicultural hair care and beauty products” in locked cases in any of its stores. The practice has long been criticised as implying that the customer base for those products, which is largely Black, is more likely to shoplift.
The CEO and founder of The Wing, a women-centred co-working space, stepped down as dozens of employees staged a digital walkout, saying the company “doesn’t practice the intersectional feminism it preaches.”
Supporters of Black Lives Matter, hold signs during a protest outside the Hall of Justice as they demonstrate against the death of George Floyd, in Los Angeles, California on June 10, 2020. MARK RALSTON via Getty Images
News media is facing a reckoning.
The New York Times’ editorial page editor James Bennet resigned after widespread backlash to an op-ed by Senator Tom Cotton that advocated for military action against anti-racism protesters.
On Monday, Bon Appétit magazine’s editor-in-chief stepped down after a photo of him wearing brownface resurfaced and staffers of colour publicly criticised the company’s treatment of people of colour. Two days later, the magazine apologised for being “too white” and promised changes.
After mounting requests from staff to improve diversity, the Los Angeles Times editor reportedly committed to hiring Black reporters as the next to come on board in the Metro section.
Refinery 29 editor-in-chief Christene Barberich resigned after many former staff members, including several Black employees, came forward to speak about racism they experienced working at the website.
Entertainment is facing a reckoning.
Paramount Network cancelled “Cops,” one of the longest-running shows on TV that embeds camera crews with officers as they pursue and arrest suspects, sometimes in humiliating fashions. Since the show started in 1989, critics have pointed out that it’s racially skewed to show more Black arrests and that cops on the show sometimes coerce people they arrest into signing release forms to appear on the show.
A&E cancelled “Live PD,” one of the highest-rated shows on cable. Similarly to “Cops,” the show followed real officers and offered a one-sided look at policing from the perspective of law enforcement.
Bravo TV fired two cast members from “Vanderpump Rules,” one of its highest-rated shows after it came to light that two longtime stars of the reality show, Stassi Schroeder and Kristen Doute, had falsely reported a Black guest star on the show to the police. Bravo also fired two of the show’s other cast members who were exposed for racist tweets several months ago.
The CW network fired Hartley Sawyer, one of the stars of “The Flash,” after he was exposed for writing racist and misogynistic tweets .
The Grammys music awards announced plans to rebrand its “Best Urban Contemporary Album” category. The term “urban” has been criticised as an outdated and stereotyped way to categorise music produced by Black artists.
Country music band Lady Antebellum changed its name to Lady A, apologising to fans for the ties its name had to the Civil War and slavery.
Lifetime cancelled an upcoming reality show with “Dance Moms” star Abby Lee Miller after she was accused of making a racist statement to one of the young girls on her show.
Protesters participating in a Black Lives Matter rally march to Downtown Pittsburgh from Mount Washington on June 7 to protest the death of George Floyd. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Public opinion has shifted.
For activists out on the streets today and the movement for Black lives and racial justice more broadly, the work is far from over. Much of these moves represent incremental change or simple promises of change, and fall far short of what activists are calling for. For instance, while over a dozen cities are considering reducing police budgets, Minneapolis’ city council is still the only one to go so far as to announce it will “dismantle” its police force, and it still has to develop a plan for what “transformative public safety” model will take its place.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Trump Campaign Says You Can't Sue If You Get COVID-19 At His Rally

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Those registering for Donald Trump’s massive rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, next week will notice a message on his campaign website when they sign up: You may contract Covid-19 at the rally, but it’s not Trump’s fault.
The legal disclaimer is the closest Trump has come in weeks to acknowledging that the coronavirus is still rapidly spreading across much of the country. The number of cases leapt past 2 million this week while outbreaks grow in 21 states and more than a dozen see record surges.
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But that isn’t stopping his return to holding rallies on June 19, a day recognised as the end of slavery in the US. The Tulsa rally venue ― an indoor arena with a 19,000-person capacity ― is a prime breeding ground for the virus to spread, especially if basic safety measures aren’t put into effect. In its message to registrants, the Trump campaign says catching the virus is “an inherent risk” of attending
By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to Covid-19 exists in any public place where people are present. By attending the Rally, you and any guests voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to Covid-19 and agree not to hold Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.; BOK Center; ASM Global; or any of their affiliates, directors, officers, employees, agents, contractors, or volunteers liable for any illness or injury.
By agreeing not to hold Trump or others involved in the event liable if they get sick, attendees waive their right to sue.
“We are looking forward to the tremendous crowds and enthusiasm behind President Trump,” Michael Glassner, the Trump campaign’s chief operating officer, said in a statement announcing the rally.
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The registration page doesn’t note any social distancing guidelines that will be in effect at the rally and does not note that the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people wear masks indoors when it’s difficult to keep a safe distance from others. People at Trump’s rallies are generally packed shoulder to shoulder.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Fawlty Towers Episode Removed From UK Streaming Service Over Racial Slurs

UKTV have removed an episode of Fawlty Towers from its streaming service because it contains racial slurs.
The broadcaster, which is owned by the BBC, said it had temporarily made The Germans unavailable while it carries out a review.
The famous episode first aired in 1975 and sees John Cleese’s misanthropic hotel owner Basil Fawlty goose-stepping around while shouting “don’t mention the war” in front of a group of visiting Germans.
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John Cleese played hotelier Basil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers PA/BBC
It also contains scenes showing the Major Gowen character using offensive language about the West Indies cricket team.
According to reports, Major Gowen’s scenes had already started to be edited out by some broadcasters.
A UKTV spokesman said: “UKTV has temporarily removed an episode of Fawlty Towers The Germans from Gold’s Box Set.
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“The episode contains racial slurs so we are taking the episode down while we review it. We regularly review older content to ensure it meets audience expectations and are particularly aware of the impact of outdated language.
“Some shows carry warnings and others are edited. We want to take time to consider our options for this episode.”
Broadcasters and streaming services have reevaluated their content in light of the Black Lives Matter movement, following the death of George Floyd.
Earlier this week HBO Max temporarily removed the 1939 Oscar-winning civil war epic Gone With The Wind because of its racial depictions.
The BBC and BritBox followed Netflix’s lead and removed Little Britain and Come Fly With Me – which frequently saw comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams performing in blackface – from their platforms.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--The UK Economy Shrank More Than 20% During The First Full Month Of Coronavirus Lockdown

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The UK economy shrank by an “unprecedented” 20.4% in April, the first full month of the coronavirus lockdown.
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The new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) mark the largest monthly contraction since records began in 1997 and massively outstrips the then-record 5.8% drop in March gross domestic product (GDP) reported last month.
It means that GDP fell by 10.4% in the three months to April and sets the UK on course for one of its worst quarters in history.
Statista
Jonathan Athow, deputy national statistician at the ONS, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Well, 20% is really unprecedented.
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“Actually, if you take March and April together the fall was 25%. So in two months the economy shrank by a quarter.”
May’s GDP figures are also likely to be awful, before things start to ease again in June as the economy slowly reopens, PA Media reported.
Large parts of the British economy were placed on ice on March 23 when prime minister Boris Johnson told people they must stay inside and only leave the house when absolutely necessary.
The measures were announced to slow the spread of Covid-19.
Experts had been expecting April’s GDP to contract by 18.7%, according to a consensus compiled by Pantheon Macroeconomics.
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds warned the UK economy is shrinking at a faster rate than those of other developed countries.
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Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she said: “What particularly concerns me is that actually we’re not just looking at one month of economic damage.
“There was a report that came out a couple of days ago from the OECD and it suggested that the drop in GDP for this year for the UK would actually be worse than for every other industrialised nation.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Dad's Comics Show How To Start Addressing Racial Injustice With Kids

As racial injustice and police brutality dominate the national conversation, “Fowl Language Comics” artist Brian Gordon has decided to use his platform to show solidarity with the Black community and guide other non-Black parents who are navigating these issues with their children.
On June 3, the artist shared a comic about explaining non-peaceful protests to kids, who may see imagery in the news that they don’t understand.
Brian Gordon/Fowl Language Comics
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Brian Gordon/Fowl Language Comics
The caption advised researching and supporting the National Urban League or Colour of Change.
“I think that for parents, a very real part of any national crisis, and especially this one, is explaining it to our kids,” Gordon told HuffPost. “The act of writing and drawing this comic was also an act of figuring out how I could do that.”
He emphasised that children are not too young to talk about racism and standing up for what’s right ― especially considering that children of color don’t have the privilege to avoid these conversations.
“It’s important to me that we don’t sugarcoat things ― the act of doing that among white people is why things have never been fixed,” explained Gordon, who is white. “It’s time to face the problem head-on, and since our kids will be part of that, we need to be honest with them. This comic is just a real reflection of the kinds of conversations we’ve been having at our house.”
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On Monday, Gordon shared a follow-up comic about becoming anti-racist.
Brian Gordon/Fowl Language Comics
Brian Gordon/Fowl Language Comics
Gordon said his family has been donating money and finding other ways to support racial justice organisations. They’ve also focused on educating themselves.
“My wife and I read a lot, both news articles and books, and every day, we regroup to talk about what we’ve learned and how we can contribute to the solution,” he said. “With the kids, we make sure that we emphasise why this is so important on a daily basis. They need to realise that in the midst of what feels like a lazy summer for them, it’s actually a truly horrific time in our nation’s history.”
Beyond educating their children, Gordon and his wife are also working to raise upstanders ― people who take action and stand up for others when they recognise something is wrong.
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“We talk about how to speak up when we see injustice,” he noted. “Our daughter recently explained to someone online why ‘All Lives Matter’ is a bad thing to say, all on her own. And she’s 10, so I think it’s starting to sink in for them.”
Still, he added, raising anti-racist kids and combating injustice is a life-long commitment, not something to check off a checklist.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Coronavirus Anxiety Hits Women And Young People Hardest, Hair Study Suggests

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Women and young people are experiencing higher levels of stress and anxiety caused by the coronavirus crisis, the preliminary results of a landmark study suggest.
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Scientists are examining samples of people’s hair in a landmark study alongside questionnaires to discover how the huge variety of stresses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic are impacting on their physical and emotional health.
Strands of hair contain the stress hormone cortisol, and researchers carrying out the study will test samples from participants during the first few weeks of lockdown and then again from samples 12 weeks later to examine if stress levels are sustained or heightened over the period of time or if people adapt to the crisis.
The aim is to get an understanding of how anxiety levels change during the pandemic and the impact of chronic stress on people’s health to allow greater planning for the future.
Almost 3,100 people have been recruited to the Covid Stress Study and scientists have analysed data from the first wave of the research which shows that people are experiencing significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression than would normally be seen in the UK population.
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This is not altogether surprising given the multiple ways coronavirus has disrupted people’s lives and caused anxieties from experiencing bereavement to financial hardships, childcare issues and isolation triggered by social distancing and lockdown.
However, researchers have been surprised to find that the preliminary results show that participants who identify as key workers – who may be facing intensely stressful situations on a daily basis throughout the crisis – don’t seem to be experiencing higher levels of stress than other people.
Fifty per cent of the study’s participants identified as key workers, but their stress and anxiety levels were pretty much the same as people spending the majority of their time at home in lockdown.
Kavita Vedhara, professor of health psychology at the University of Nottingham Kavita Vedhara
“It might be that this suggests that even if you are in a stressful job on the frontline, if you are able to go out to work and feel you are doing something positive, maybe that counteracts what those who are not working or feel isolated at home are experiencing.” said Kavita Vedhara, professor of health psychology at the University of Nottingham who is leading the study.”
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The initial findings of the study also reveal that younger people and women are affected most by feelings of stress during the pandemic.
“Younger people have more to lose, are more likely to feel economic vulnerability and are more likely to be socially damaged by this pandemic.”” - Prof Kavita Vedhara, University of Nottingham
The team of researchers will look at the factors most strongly associated with how people they are and their perceptions of how lonely they feel and their worries about getting Covid-19 and their experiences of positive moods to look at how interventions can be targeted to help people manage their stress during difficult times.
“Younger people have more to lose, are more likely to feel economic vulnerability and are more likely to be socially damaged by this pandemic.” explained Prof Vedhara.
“The fact that women seem to be experiencing higher levels of stress could be down to the fact that they are more likely to be juggling homeschooling their children and maybe working from home and have other pressures, demands and worries.
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“Women are also more likely to lose their jobs.”
Participants recruited to the study will take part in the second wave of the research in July by taking another sample of their hair and completing another questionnaire giving an insight into their emotional and physical wellbeing. Both hair samples will be tested to assess how levels of the hormone cortisol change.
Scientists will be looking at the difference in people’s stress levels between the two periods of the pandemic to see if people adapt and are able to manage their stress through the challenging climate.
Prof Vedhara said: “If we find higher stress levels over a sustained period of time, it would suggest that people are not adapting and it would be at this point that we would be concerned about the impact on people’s mental and physical health.”
She explained that cortisol does many things including regulating the immune system and that if levels of chronic stress lead to a sustained period of raised cortisol, it could affect people’s immune systems making them more vulnerable to illnesses – including Covid-19.
If it emerges that the emotional impact of the coronavirus pandemic affects the stress hormone cortisol and leads to physical changes, researchers want to be able to give people choices about what they can do to reduce the impact of stress.
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Prof Vedhara told HuffPost UK: “The information we have got from this study is already informing the government as Public Health England have been in touch with us.
“The volunteers taking part in this study have already had some impact and the work they do ahead will be even more important.”
The Covid-19 Stress and Health Study is being carried out by experts at the University of Nottingham and King’s College London with the support of stress hormone testing company MyFertile.
Hair measuring one centimetre in length taken from the back of the head will allow researchers to analyse how much cortisol has been in circulation for the previous four weeks. Samples of hair taken at the two intervals of time will be tested.
Jennifer Adams, 30, is one of the participants who has volunteered for the trial. She told HuffPost UK that even though she is usually very positive, the coronavirus lockdown hit her hard, particularly as she lives alone.
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Jennifer Adams
Jennifer, a global programme manager, was used to travelling a lot with her work and working in an open plan office surrounded by people, as well as having a full and active social life with family and friends.
She admitted that after the first few weeks of lockdown, she felt stressed and panicked when the enormity of being stuck inside on her own for long periods of time sank in and she became worried about family members becoming ill.
Jennifer told HuffPost UK that even though we are still in lockdown, she feels a lot more positive.
However, she said that even though she is trying not to get stressed, she has had physical issues such as toothache and shingles.
“I spoke to the doctor as I have had shingles before and I was told it was probably stress related.” she said. “Even though I am trying not to get stressed and going for runs and spending time outside, I think my body is feeling stressed out.”
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Jennifer is still working from home but experienced added work stress when her firm announced redundancies. “My position is fine, but some of my colleagues have their jobs up in the air.
“It is really difficult not being able to put your arm around them and support them in person.”
“Even though I am trying not to get stressed and going for runs and spending time outside, I think my body is feeling stressed out.”” - Jennifer Adams
Jennifer says that she often feels like she is on the telephone all day for work and by the end of it, she feels exhausted and sometimes feels too drained to talk to people in the evening as well.
However, she says the easing of lockdown allowing exercise more than once a day and permitting her to go on a socially distanced walk with someone else has made her feel happier and more positive.
“Things feel a bit easier and you no longer feel confined to being inside and it doesn’t feel as lonely as it did.” she said.
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“All the little things you can now do make you feel a bit more normal. When you are in a park, talking to a friend, you can forget about coronavirus for a while.
“Life feels a little less scary than it initially did.”
Jennifer says she is interested to see what the outcome of the hair stress study will reveal and how stress levels changed throughout the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Here's Who People Are Choosing To Be In Their 'Support Bubbles' – And Why

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People in England who live alone or are single parents of children under 18 can now team up with another household and see them in a normal setting – basically, they can go into their house and don’t need to keep two metres away.
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Yes that means that for some, hugs, kisses, sex and staying overnight in a different place are back on the cards.
The new rule was revealed by prime minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday, leaving a lot of people pondering what happens now. Some are seeing the ‘support bubble’ update, which comes into play on June 13, as a way to have sex with partners who they haven’t seen in ages, others are thinking about how they can help older relatives or socially-isolated mates who live alone.
But the fact you can only choose one household is causing all kinds of dilemmas. Do you choose your parents or your partner? Your bestie or your grandma? Some are pretty baffled as to what to do next.
Choosing that one household for your #supportbubble pic.twitter.com/VOywQcm6FC — Tim Bullock (@piearce9) June 10, 2020
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🤦♀ we’re having to decide whether it’s my brother’s family or mine who will be support bubble for my mum. Although come to think of it ... maybe she doesn’t want any of us! 😆🤷♀ — Yvonne Winborn (@ywinborn) June 11, 2020
How am I supposed to commit to a social bubble? I can’t even commit to a shampoo brand — Harriet Marsden (@harriet1marsden) June 11, 2020
The ultimate aim of the ‘support bubble’ model is to boost mental wellbeing or allow childcare to be shared between households. It’s just an option (you don’t have to do it if you’d rather not), although it’s highly likely people living alone will seize the opportunity once it comes into force. It’s worth noting that people who are shielding are still unable to form such bubbles. So, who do you choose?
‘I chose my partner’
Grace Latter, 26, from Hastings, found herself in this predicament immediately – she ended up choosing intimacy, and her parents were totally cool with that.
“I suddenly found myself having to choose between reuniting with my very close family at the parents’ house, and being able to snuggle up with my boyfriend for the first time in nearly 12 weeks,” she tells HuffPost UK.
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“I chose the latter, because right now I need the comfort and closeness with my partner, and I know I’ll be able to stay round mum and dad’s and let them cook me dinner someday in the near future – until then, we can continue having takeaway chips in their front garden now and again.”
Latter, who works part-time in retail, says she’s most excited to have a physical connection with her boyfriend again – “it’s been tough going without that level of intimacy for so long.”
Mama’s reaction when I told her I was probably going to ‘bubble’ with my boyfriend. pic.twitter.com/DUY1vvtnDw — _gracelatter (@_gracelatter) June 10, 2020
‘I chose to see my family’
For Sarah Howells, the choice was obvious. The 34-year-old lives alone in Nottingham and has asked to form a support bubble with her mum, her step dad and her sister, who live together in Lincoln.
“My mum was so pleased,” she tells HuffPost UK. “She is 64 and has asthma and my step dad is 71, so they haven’t really been out much at all – only to walk the dog.
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“I did visit her a few weeks ago when it was sunny. We sat in the garden at a safe distance, but we both burst into tears when we couldn’t hug each other. So it will make a huge huge difference that we can now.”
Howells, who works in PR, plans to visit them this weekend and stay overnight. “I can’t wait,” she adds.
Matty Lewis has also chosen to see his family, rather than friends. The single dad, who is 32 and lives in York, says it was a difficult decision to make.
“Everybody’s circumstances are different, and for me, I am single but have a four-year-old boy (George) who I’m fortunate enough to have been able to see during lockdown. But he hasn’t seen my family at all and that’s been tough for them all. I also know there’s friends of mine in York who live alone who I’ve been supporting, but for now, I can only visit one household, so family it is.”
Lewis says the PM’s announcement came as a huge relief – as someone who works with a local Men’s Support group, Yorkey Dads, he was concerned about rising levels of isolation and loneliness. The store manager at O2 will be “bubbling up” with his mum, gran and brother who live together.
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“My plan will be to visit one day a week on a Sunday, for a couple of reasons,” he says. “I work full-time and we’re back in work now so that’s keeping me busy. The distance means I couldn’t visit realistically throughout the week, so a nice family day on a Sunday makes sense – and, of course, its a tactical feeding option with a Sunday roast on the menu. I’m not daft.”
‘I chose help with childcare’
For Rosie Dutton, a single mum from Tamworth, there’s no contest for her bubble. She chose her daughter’s paternal grandparents who live close by. The 35-year-old mindfulness coach has spent the past 12 weeks parenting alone, including while she was struggling with suspected coronavirus – so she was “elated” with the latest announcement.
“I have joked, as a single parent and person, that it’s a tough decision between ‘grandparents or sex’, but I jest. Obviously the support from another adult with my parenting is a huge relief and means I may be able to return part-time to work too,” she says.
“There’s no contest really, for my daughter to see her grandparents and hug another adult is priceless.” That said, she is weighing up the risks attached. “I also need to assess whether or not I’d be putting them at risk, it’s a tough decision,” she says. “Maybe sex is the better option after all.”
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‘I chose my best friend’
Liz Beardsell says picking her support bubble was easy, given she lives in London while her family are in the Lake District – and is currently single.
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“I am not dating anyone. Had I been, I would have chosen that person,” she says. “I checked in on one other friend who lives alone to make sure she had someone in her social bubble, and there were too many factors to consider when it came to friends who live in house shares.”
So she messaged her best friend, who said she’d been waiting for Liz to ask. “I am visiting them on Monday, they have been doing up their garden during lockdown and have a new pizza oven, her husband DJs and makes the best cocktails – so we’re going to have a little party,” she says. “I’m going to sleepover like we are teenagers again.”
The 38-year-old podcast producer has gone 12 weeks without human touch and can’t wait to see her best friend and husband and their two-year-old son.
“I’m getting three hugs for the price of one,” she says. “My best friend will jump on me and give me a long tight squeeze, her husband will give me a caring and protective ‘we made it to this stage’ hug and I’ll receive a playful but equally as impactful hug from their son. Each hug will be meaningful, emotional and release some well needed endorphins.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--I Let My 8-Year-Old Cook Us A 3-Course Meal. Here's How It Went.

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“Mummy, can I roast a chicken – all by myself?”
I’ll admit I stopped to consider whether this was possible, for about... half a second, before vehemently shaking my head. An eight-year-old, let loose on an oven? No. Just no. Unthinkable. Right?
Well, I did think about it. And the more I did, the more it seemed like a fine idea. It took a lot of work, which was a godsend in a year when finding innovative ways to occupy your kids has become so essential. She chose the menu herself, carefully researching online what she wanted to cook, then wrote down a shopping list of ingredients. She asked if she could come to the supermarket with me, rather than dragging her feet and whining. And she actually offered to tidy up the dining room to make it clean and clutter-free. I know.
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It was glorious to see how excited she was, and made me realise that aside from baking cupcakes and the occasional banana bread (it is 2020, after all), I could – and should – involve my kids in cooking meals a whole lot more.
Tempted to give it a go in your own household? Here’s how it went for us, to give you a taster.
Victoria Richards Starter: strawberries and cream cheese
The menu: Starter: Cream cheese and strawberries on crackers Main: Roast chicken dinner Dessert: Cupcakes
Yep, you read that right. Cheese and strawberries on crackers to start. “I was in bed and just thought of what I would like to eat,” my eight-year-old told me, when I asked her where the (somewhat bizarre) combination had come from. “Maybe I dreamed it, actually,” she added. Which actually made a lot of sense.
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Cutting up the strawberries was easy enough – she used a knife with a serrated edge that’s safe for kids. It’s even sturdy enough for my three-year-old to use to chop up (real) mushrooms and tomatoes for his (toy) kitchen, and meant I could leave her to do it by herself without worrying she’d hurt herself. A substantial amount of cream cheese got smeared on the kitchen worktop, of course, but that was par for the (first) course.
The main dish was my real concern. She wanted to cook “a proper roast dinner”, which meant roasting a chicken... in an oven. By herself.
For that bit, I watched from a careful (close) distance to remind her to wash her hands properly, before and after handling raw meat. She plopped it into a roasting dish without any issues, and used a brush to add oil and salt. At one point, she left the dirty brush on the kitchen worktop – just another opportunity to talk about good hygiene (which has never been more important).
We’d already preheated the oven – I had to do that, as the button is out of reach – but she was able to open the door and put the dish in without any problems. She asked Google Home to set a timer for 1hr 40. Job done. We didn’t actually have anything to put in the oven with the chicken, but... baby steps. Right?
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Next were the cupcakes, which she worked on while the chicken cooked. With an easy recipe, needing just a few ingredients, she was able to do it all by herself. She even made her own piping bag for the icing, using some cellophane we had in the ‘art drawer’, inspired by the Great British Bake Off.
I found myself hovering, at this point – more because I was anxious about the mess, rather than worrying whether she was doing it right. But she was unshakeable in her self-belief. “Go away, Mummy,” she said, calmly. “I have cracked an egg before, you know.” All that was missing was the eye-roll.
The cupcakes joined the chicken in a different part of the oven until it was done – and that’s where my role became more vital. No matter how mature she is, I wasn’t confident letting her don oven gloves and take out a piping hot dish alone. That bit’s reserved for adults – ditto, the carving (though, she was able to use her knife for some of it), and making the gravy (I didn’t want to risk any accidents after boiling the kettle).
“With great excitement, she called us in for dinner. She’d even made us all place-settings bearing our names.”
And there we had it. With great excitement, she called us in for dinner. She’d even made us all place-settings bearing our names.
How was it all, you ask? The starter pretty much tasted of cream cheese and strawberries, on Jacobs cream crackers. The unexpected benefit was my three-year-old son, who won’t eat anything but plain rice, peanut butter and turkey dinosaurs, declared it “delicious”. She’s achieved something I haven’t been able to. Win.
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The chicken was perfect – the skin crispy and golden, the sea salt and olive oil she basted it with giving it a wonderful tang. Win. And the cupcakes were high on taste, low on presentation – nevertheless, her brother liked them so much he smeared them in his hair.
What did she learn? Pride, some cooking tips, and confidence. Not only did it teach her about healthy eating, measurements and safety, it also gave her some essential life skills.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Jack Leslie: Calls For Statue Of Forgotten Footballer Who Should Have Been England's First Black Pla

Jack Leslie: Calls For Statue Of Forgotten Footballer Who Should Have Been England's First Black Player

Jack Leslie of Plymouth Argyle in 1922. Topical Press Agency via Getty Images
As calls intensify for statues of slave traders and imperialists to be removed, a campaign has been launched to erect a monument honouring Jack Leslie – who in 1925 should have been the first Black footballer to play for England.
Leslie, a prolific goalscorer for Plymouth Argyle, was included in the national team to face Ireland 95 years ago. But his name mysteriously disappeared from the team sheet shortly afterwards, seemingly because FA officials had come to watch him play and discovered that he was Black.
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He was never again given the chance to play for his country and his name has been largely forgotten. It wasn’t until 53 years later that Viv Anderson went down in history as the first Black footballer to represent England at senior level, in a friendly against Czechoslovakia at Wembley in 1978.
Viv Anderson, the first Black footballer to play for England. Mark Leech/Offside via Getty Images
Now, two Argyle fans want to give Leslie the recognition he never had in his lifetime, by way of a statue outside the team’s stadium Home Park.
The Jack Leslie Campaign has the backing of Leslie’s family and the club, which last year named a new boardroom at the ground after him.
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Co-founder Greg Foxsmith said: “At a time when people are recognising that Black lives matter and statues of slave traders are coming down, we believe that putting up a statue is a more positive way to celebrate Black achievement and challenge racial stereotypes.”
Leslie was born to a Jamaican father and grew up in Canning Town, east London. He joined Argyle from Barking in 1921, and was one of only a handful of Black players in England at the time.
August 10 1926: Plymouth Argyle FC trainer Tommey Haynes as a points duty policeman directing the way to promotion. Leslie is seen second left. Gill via Getty Images
In a long and illustrious career, during which he became club captain and helped the team to promotion, he scored 137 goals in 401 games, before retiring in 1934.
It is said that when Argyle manager Bob Jack told Leslie he had been selected to play for England he was “knocked sideways”.
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According to Argyle, while later working in the boot room at West Ham United – his local team – Leslie said of his omission: “They [the selection hierarchy] must have forgotten I was a coloured boy.”
He is reported to have said: “I did hear, roundabout like, that the FA had come to have another look at me. Not at me football but at me face. They asked, and found they’d made a ricket. Found out about me daddy, and that was it.
“There was a bit of an uproar in the papers. Folks in the town were very upset. No one ever told me official like but that had to be the reason; me mum was English but me daddy was Black as the ace of spades. There wasn’t any other reason for taking my cap away.”
Leslie died in 1988. The campaign hopes his story will raise awareness of discrimination and a fundraiser has been launched to pay for the statue.
Co-Founder Matt Tiller added: “We are reaching out and calling on people to support this campaign. We want football fans, politicians, organisations and companies, but most importantly individuals, to sign up to show support, and where they can, donate towards the statue fund. We are working with Plymouth Argyle towards a physical launch once football returns to some kind of normality.”
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Laurie Cunningham is recognised as England’s first Black footballer at any level. The West Bromwich Albion star appeared for the Under 21s in 1977.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Fear, Dread, Anxiety: This Is How The Nation Feels Right Now

nadia_bormotova via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
The coronavirus pandemic has “substantially” worsened people’s mental health, according to a new study. It’s a pattern we’ve been witnessing for some time – responses to HuffPost UK’s ‘How Are You Feeling?’ project reveal people have experienced a spectrum of emotions.
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Among more than 200 responses collated were candid descriptions of people’s mental health struggles: from depression, stress and anxiety to feeling completely in despair and suicidal.
One NHS nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, was signed off work with depression prior to the pandemic. “I feel as if I have no value,” she said. “I was getting better before lockdown but I have been suicidal at times. My GP continues to sign me off sick but hasn’t seen me or spoken to me on the phone for over three months.”
The proportion of people reporting at least one mental health problem “more than usual” has more than doubled, with almost one in four (24%) respondents saying this in April, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS).
This compares to one in 10 people who they predict would’ve reported the same had the pandemic not occurred.
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The “sizeable deterioration” in mental health overall was driven by more problems being experienced, rather than deteriorations in existing problems. The scale of this deterioration in mental health “is of a magnitude unlike anything we have seen in recent years”, the IFS said.
Of those who shared their thoughts for HuffPost UK’s ‘How Are You Feeling?’ project, many cited health anxiety, depression and concerns for the health of loved ones, as well as for the uncertainty ahead.
Hannah, from London, said: “I wake up most days with a sense of dread at the thought of having to face another day with no light at the end of the tunnel. I experience mood swings of normality and depression. I’m sick of it all and cry almost every day.”
Therapists have noticed common themes among clients in the virtual therapy room, including loneliness, money worries, grief and anxiety. One reader told us: “Most of all I am fearful for the health of my loved ones as we now know, anyone can become seriously ill with Covid-19. I’m anxious for my own health as I’m in the shielded group.
“I feel we’re all in a living nightmare, not knowing who will be struck down hardest with this illness. I feel sad every day for those whose lives have been lost and for their grieving families. I feel depressed and helpless.”
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The NHS lead for mental health, Claire Murdoch, urged people to not “undervalue their mental health” right now, as she expressed fears those struggling may not come forward.
She said the number of people seeking help has dropped during the crisis, but the NHS is ready to move “very, very fast” to respond to a predicted imminent surge in need.
For those who feel like their mental health has suffered, NHS talking therapies are still running and taking on new patients – people can self-refer online or speak to their GP about getting psychological support. Private psychotherapists are also running virtual therapy sessions, and can be found via sites such as Counselling Directory and BACP.
Therapists previously shared advice with HuffPost UK for those feeling anxious about this prolonged period of uncertainty. Tips included: turning off news notifications, prioritising self-care and learning how to create your own certainty.
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But not all mental health problems are created equal and plenty of people still need regular and physical help. Lockdown has meant most therapy sessions are virtual, and some people aren’t comfortable talking about their mental health problems, mental illness or addiction while at home.
And, a survey by Mind found a quarter of people who have tried to access mental health support during lockdown have been unable to get help.
The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it’s “already spending record amounts on mental health” and it recently provided £5 million to mental health charities to fund additional services for people struggling with their mental health as a result of the pandemic.
Former MP and vice president of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), Luciana Berger, said the UK needs a long-term action plan for mental health support, just as much as a plan for economic recovery.
“Ministers have made promises of support for mental health charities and there have been discussions of what the NHS can do,” she wrote in an opinion piece for HuffPost UK.
“Part of this must be proper resources for counselling and psychotherapy, especially to support bereaved people, for those ‘locked down’ with their abuser within a relationship, for vulnerable children, for older people, and for those going through the shock of losing their jobs.”
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Useful websites and helplines: Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393. Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill). CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service. The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0300 5000 927 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.
How Are You Feeling?
Covid-19 is more than a news story – it has changed every aspect of life in the UK. We are following how Britain is experiencing this crisis, the different stages of collective emotion, reaction and resilience. You can tell us how you are feeling and find further advice and resources here.
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Useful websites and helplines
Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
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CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--Outdoor And Drive-In Cinemas You Can Visit In The UK

Jewelsy via Getty Images
Outdoor cinemas reopened in the UK from June 15, allowing film fans to kick back in front of a big screen in the great outdoors.
Venues are implementing social distancing measures so you can enjoy a film stress-free, while a growing number of American-style drive-in cinemas are also popping up across the UK, allowing you to stay inside your car for some extra peace of mind.
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Here are six outdoor cinemas across the UK.
The Luna Cinema
Where: Midlands, London, Oxford, Hertfordshire
The Luna Cinema usually hosts outdoor screenings across the UK where visitors can crash out on deckchairs – but this summer it’s launching new, drive-in pop-up cinemas to help cinema-goers feel safe while social distancing. The drive-in locations are at Warwick castle in the Midlands, Allianz Park in London, Blenheim Palace in Oxford and Knebworth House in Hertfordshire, with more due to be announced throughout the summer. Visit the website for screening details.
@TheDriveIn
Where: Nationwide
@TheDriveIn is embarking on a huge nationwide tour, bringing drive-in pop-up cinemas to Manchester, Newcastle, Liverpool, Southampton, Cardiff, Glasgow and more this summer. The company is hosting six shows in each city, from family friendly afternoons to late night blockbusters. Visit the site for all listings.
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The Star & Mouse Picture Show
Where: Suffolk
The Star & Mouse Picture Show is a “trinket-cinema” usually located in rural Cambridgeshire, but it’ll be hosting drive-in cinema nights at Helmingham Hall, Suffolk, from July. You’ll get far more than a film, as screenings usually include pre-show entertainment, ranging from car bingo to quizzes and live music. Visit the site for upcoming films.
The Free Range Film Club
Where: Across London
Don’t have a car? Don’t sweat. The Free Range Film Club is running a series of car-free, socially distanced screenings this summer across London. Visitors will be “strictly limited, allowing you and your companions to enjoy the movie in allocated spaces, safely socially-distanced from other groups”. Expect a programme of cult classics, feel good faves and indie flicks. Visit the site for more info.
Cinestock
Where: West Sussex (with added pop-up venues nationwide)
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While its home is in the town of East Grinstead, West Sussex, Cinestock is expanding to host screening events in a number of locations across the UK. The company is also looking to restart its indoor drive-in cinema nights, allowing viewers to stay “safe and self isolated in your own cars”, but avoid the pitfalls of British weather. Keep an eye of the website where show dates and times are due to be announced.
Sunset Cinema
Where: West London


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-12--I Grew Up Black Mixed-Race In The White Countryside. This Is How It Shaped My Identity

HuffPost UK The author as a child
The ugly, brutal racism that killed George Floyd is symbolic for black people across the world who have to live with the constant sense of being othered, disrespected and dehumanised. I’ve never been the victim of police brutality, but the Black Lives Matter movement is making me think again about the racism that has shaped me deeply.
Born in London to middle class immigrant parents; my mother is from India and my dad from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When I was four, my parents made the big decision to take part in ‘black flight’ – the act of minorities sacrificing living in cosmopolitan areas for their own economic advancement. They chose to leave multicultural North London for the sleepy seaside town of Felixstowe.
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I can distinctly remember feeling ‘othered’ from an extremely young age. I was the only brown kid in my class for almost the entire time at primary school, and for a long time mine was the only black family I knew, and we lived in a society that continually reinforced whiteness as the norm – my dad was continually stopped by the police in his BMW for months until the local police force realised they were stopping the same black man who clearly not involved in criminal activity, again and again.
“In my childhood, I didn't want to draw attention to the fact that I was different – I can remember cringing at my dad blaring his Congolese music from the car when he picked me up from school.”
And it wasn’t just adults who participated in making us feel like outsiders. Anyone who ever tells you that children “don’t see race” is wildly underestimating how embedded racial concepts are in our culture. I distinctly remember being told by one of my school peers when I was nine that “I needed to marry my own kind”. We both understood what that meant.
Of course, this was continually reinforced by a school curriculum and wider popular culture that I almost never saw myself in. I remember learning about the ancient Egyptians and staring at illustrations of them in my textbooks, their skin milk bottle white. The best I could do was steal glimpses of my history from books at home, and listen to my parents’ stories about black American heroes like Malcolm X and the grim realities of the British Empire.
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Going to university can often be a difficult experience for BAME people, as many leave more multicultural environments for much whiter ones. For me, it was the opposite. The four years I spent at Surrey, finally gave me an understanding of what it meant to belong.
HuffPost UK The author as a child
But, it also taught me that, as hard as my parents had tried, I had huge gaps in the knowledge of my cultures compared to my peers. I didn’t know anywhere near as much about the food, music, clothing, or language. In my childhood, I wanted to minimise my cultural heritage and not draw attention to the fact that I was different – I can remember cringing at my dad blaring his Congolese music from the car when he picked me up from school. But as a young adult I suddenly felt like I was missing a huge piece of my identity, something which I’m still trying to rediscover.
Like a typical graduate with no idea what I was going to do next, I reluctantly moved home to Felixstowe. The town was slightly more multicultural than when I’d first arrived, but the microaggressions still came thick and fast. Starting a job at a local restaurant, some staff claimed they’d “never be able to remember my full name” and insisted I shorten it. The one and only time I went to a white hairdresser, my hair – despite being chemically relaxed – was described as “challenging”.
After the EU referendum, myself and another black girl I didn’t know were eyed up by a grim looking young guy who shouted that “this doesn’t even look like England anymore”. Our mere existence was enough to rile some people. An understanding of anything outside of whiteness or the white experience often seemed impossible in this suburban bubble, where a positive view of multiculturalism for many people is probably ordering a Chinese.
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“The racial self-hate I carry is a painful thing to fully come to terms with.”
Living back in London now offers me a surface level comfort in who I am, and the chance to explore my heritage further. But growing up in a suburban bubble will have impacted me on a deep psychological level. It’s impossible to say I don’t buy into racial stereotypes more than I might realise, or on a deeper level view white skin, hair and features the ultimate standard of beauty. I know there are environments where I might subconsciously tone down my ‘other-ness’: not eating the ‘ethnic’ foods I like, not having my curly hair in its natural state, not wanting to wear Congolese or Indian traditional clothing, quieting my voice to not come across as the ‘loud black girl’. Realistically, it’s probably reflected in the friendships I’ve made, and even my dating choices.
The racial self-hate I carry is a painful thing to fully come to terms with. I know that I can never fully unlearn all those negative racial messages poured into me as a child, and continue to navigate as an adult in a world that beyond my small hometown, still sees whiteness as best.
And what of the many, no doubt well-intentioned people from my hometown? I often wonder how they are perceiving the visuals of slave trader statues being torn down, the questioning of historical figures central to their identity, or the insistence from this generation that we aren’t going to just sweep race under the carpet any more? There will be some who can’t be helped, but I hope this open and honest dialogue we are finally beginning to have with each other is a good start for the rest of us.
Banseka Kayembe is a freelance writer and runs Naked Politics, a platform dedicated to empowering and engaging young people in politics
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