thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--16 Things Black People Want Their White Friends To Know

Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images "We can’t ignore what’s happening, and it is unacceptable to stay neutral."
George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police in May gave way to a long-overdue national reckoning on race.
The protests that followed sparked change, but we still have a very long way to go — as evidenced, in part, by the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
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It’s imperative that we continue the conversation about race on both a national and personal level — even when it’s not dominating the news cycle. Those who want to be allies must keep listening, learning and taking action that supports the Black community.
To that end, we asked Black people to reveal what they wish the white people in their lives knew and understood. Here’s what they said.
Responses have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity and length.
1. I notice your silence about the acts of racism and other injustices in the news.
“There are a lot of issues that sometimes only affect or disproportionally affect a community. That should not be an exoneration from caring or paying attention. When you are silent, I often feel like I have no choice but to question: Where do you stand? Do you care about what’s happening?
This doesn’t mean you have to start talking politics and social justice 24/7 — I still enjoy seeing puppy pics and newborn photos on my timeline! But we can’t ignore what’s happening, and it is unacceptable to stay neutral. If days, months, years go by and you never discuss these issues or engage with anything I say in person or online, that sends a clear message. It’s difficult to believe that you care.” — Candace Howze, writer and multimedia artist
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2. And it hurts when you speak out but then suddenly go quiet on these issues, too.
“When we see your enthusiasm for justice wane after just a few weeks of another murder or police brutality against us, it’s a psychological struggle for us at times to stay positive about the friendship. Maybe you no longer know what to say or do, maybe you don’t want to keep bringing it up out of fear of making us relive painful moments. But the truth is, those thoughts are running through our minds, regardless, at some point throughout most days.
If you never bring it up again, it leaves us questioning how real we can be around you. How open, honest, and raw can we be? The silence or quieting of your voices make us turn the focus from the real issues to centring our thoughts around you and the realness of the friendship. It makes us wonder how much you understand — or want to understand — systemic racism, and if we can trust you to have our back in covert racist situations. When you go quiet, it’s painful.” ― Michelle Saahene, co-founder of From Privilege to Progress
3. Being Black in this country can be exhausting.
“As a Black person, I have to conform to societal standards to exist in this country. I have to create a caricature palatable enough to comfort white people in white spaces so that I’ll make it home to see my family. I can’t afford to be anything other than what society demands me to be. If I ever become a hashtag, my family will know it wasn’t because I didn’t comply.” — Brittany Neighbors
4. Don’t expect me to educate you on racism.
“As a Black man in a predominately white industry, neighbourhood and social circle, I do field questions, especially over the last few months. My own self-awareness is full of blind spots, and I am not a fount of knowledge in this area — I’m a long way from it. I answer with honesty and transparency, but it is not my job to educate you. There are amazing resources out there for you to explore and start to build your own understanding and awareness.
I have seen the same at work, with a Black employee being expected to deliver on inclusion despite it not being related to her role. I am happy to have those difficult conversations, but you need to know for yourself. Then I can provide a little help in building your own house of awareness.” ― Lee Chambers, environmental psychologist and wellbeing consultant
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Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images It's not your Black friends' job to explain racial issues to you.
5. Yes, we’re living through a difficult time, but I don’t need your pity.
“Just because there is more hate openly directed toward BIPOC right now, please don’t feel sorry for my family or me because we are Black. I am a proud Black woman who loves everything about my race and would never trade in my Blackness for anything ‘easier.’ Save your pity for the racist, whose world is made small and toxic by their limiting beliefs.” — Laura Cathcart Robbins, writer and host of “The Only One In The Room” podcast
6. Listen when I’m talking about my struggles, instead of trying to interject with your own.
“When we share our stories of racism, injustice and discrimination, we don’t need you to chime in about your hardships, too. They are not, and will never be, the same. If we are comfortable sharing what we experience as Black people, it is best to listen, validate the feelings and empathise.” ― LeNaya Smith Crawford, marriage and family therapist and holistic wellness expert
7. Saying I’m ‘articulate’ isn’t a compliment — it’s a micro-aggression.
“I can’t tell you how many white people in my life thought they were paying me a compliment by suggesting that I ‘don’t talk like I’m Black.’ How you speak has everything to do with education, culture and the language spoken at home, and nothing to do with race. Also, if speaking properly is ‘talking white,’ how do you explain the inordinate number of inarticulate Caucasian people on reality television?” ― Cathcart Robbins
8. Your racist jokes aren’t amusing, they’re offensive.
“Too many times, I have been in circles where racially insensitive jokes are passed around and you hear the ‘it’s not that serious’ trope. You’re right. It’s not that serious — for you, who is not Black. I want them to take the time to listen to our experiences while keeping in mind the point about [Black people] not all being the same. I want them to inform themselves as to why these jokes are not appropriate.” ― Jan-Kristòf Louis-Mansano, school counsellor
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9. It’s not ‘weird’ if I get emotional about events involving Black people I’ve never met — whether it’s celebrating their success or mourning their death.
“Black joy and Black suffering are often communal. Americans are often taught the power of individuality, which is important. As Black people, though, we have our unique identities and perspectives, we feel and experience things very communally. I won’t go into all the reasons why, but I think it’s important to understand that we have a shared experience, both here and abroad, that leads us to nearly automatic empathy with each other’s successes and challenges.
“When we share our stories of racism, injustice and discrimination, we don’t need you to chime in about your hardships, too.” - LeNaya Smith Crawford, therapist and holistic wellness expert
While it might seem weird that your Black friend is crying over the murder of someone they never met, or ‘racist’ that they’re ‘cheering for everybody Black,’ it’s a part of how we move through the world. We feel each other’s joy and pain in ways that you may not process in the white community. Keep this in mind if we are having an especially hard day or are just celebrating the dopeness of being Black people.” ― Howze
10. Being the only Black person in an all-white space can be uncomfortable, to say the least.
“When we enter all-white spaces, anxiety can set in quickly. There is an uncomfortable anticipation of micro-aggressions — the stares, the whispers, the performative over-politeness, being treated like a zoo animal there for entertainment and for people to look at. Or, the over-interest that makes you think, ‘Do these people think I’m famous or something?’
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I’ve been at events where some of the only other Black people there were the staff, which caused me to feel shame. Give us a heads up, because maybe all of these things are not instances we emotionally want to deal with at the time. I can only speak for myself, but I sometimes give myself a pep talk when I walk into a room of all white people. That is how common it is for me to be treated a bit different in an all-white space. Because of your privilege, you almost have never, nor will ever be, ‘the only one.’” — Saahene
11. I need you to be an ally, not a saviour.
“We have to work together, but be careful not to burden Black people. Audre Lorde said, ‘The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us to temporarily beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.’
To see genuine change, we need to use different tools and tactics. Those closest to the issue are closest to the solution, but it [shouldn’t] become the burden of Black folx. We have fought for so much already. We need allies and accomplices, not saviours.” ― Tanya Bass, sexologist and speaker
12. Don’t tell me how to feel about inequality and injustice.
“Do not ask Black people to educate or enlighten you on social indifferences or racism. Do not question the validity of Black culture or Black experiences in this country. Do not tell people how to react to the trauma porn you share on various social media platforms. Do your own research. Address your own racial biases and problematic white friends. Use your privilege to better disadvantaged Black communities. Fight and petition for the arrest of the officers that killed Breonna Taylor.” ― Neighbors
13. You can stop making a big fuss about my hair.
“We have hair that grows toward the sun and can be versatile. A Black woman’s hair is her crown, so it is very common to switch up our hairstyles. We can have locs one day, an afro the next, and if we feel like it, we can straighten it, too. We are still the same person. The ‘Oh, I didn’t recognise you’ or the ‘Can I touch your hair?’ and the ‘How did you get it to do that?’ are frustrating and redundant. Honestly, just compliment the look or let it be business as usual. We do not need the extra commentary.” ― Smith Crawford
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lechatnoir via Getty Images Asking a Black person "how they got their hair to do that?" is annoying and tiresome, said therapist LeNaya Smith Crawford.
14. Stop assuming all Black people are the same.
“Due to where I went to high school, I was frequently the token Black friend in my circle of friends. As a result, I ended up being the ‘I have a Black friend’ person without us having had any real discussions about what it means to be Black in this country. I wanted these friends to know what it’s like to be the token Black guy in a predominantly white environment. I want them to know that just because I don’t act like what the news tends to shove down our throats about how Black people look and sound, doesn’t make me less Black. It does not make me ‘an Oreo cookie.’”— Louis-Mansano
15. My hobbies shouldn’t surprise you.
“I can’t tell you how many times I (and many other Black yogis) practiced in studios where the teacher and students were so shocked at my yoga practice and ‘complimented’ me on my form. The disbelief is all over your face — and it’s not a compliment. This is one of the reasons why it has been so important for there to be safe and diverse spaces for BIPOC to practice and grow in their wellness journeys.” ― Smith Crawford
16. Do some research on intersectionality.
“Quite often, my white friends will step up when it comes to injustices toward the LGBT community but stay silent when it comes to issues of race, or find excuses for racist behaviours. I want my white friends to know that I can’t turn any of those off. I am Black and I am gay, all wrapped in the same person. Showing your support for one aspect of who I am shows me that there is a privilege that comes with your level of comfort. Unfortunately, I do not have that privilege.
Throughout history, intersectionality has been ignored when it comes to LGBT rights, women’s rights, voting rights, and so on. We tend to ignore that these issues affect people of colour differently. When I face homophobia from the Black community and racism from the white community, it can be difficult to find a common ground as a safe space. I would like my friends to realise what this means as well.” ― Louis-Mansano


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--How To Staycation In Your Local Area. No Travelling Required.

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Emerging from the hotel room, en route to the pool, I stroll past palm trees flailing their arms toward the sky; the redbrick of the art deco hotel building, tall and stately, is visible below the rich blue sky.
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Crammed in the middle of the hotel is a modest concrete courtyard. People are sat around a dolphin statue, an ode to the hotel’s name. This statue being a statue, not a real dolphin, is a sobering reminder I’m in a London hotel, rather than an exotic resort a long-haul flight away.
I booked a last-minute staycation, you see. I only live down the road. When else would I have chosen to holiday in my own neighbourhood, for fear of a two-week quarantine if I went elsewhere? Staying locally massaged my curiosity and allowed me to experience my city’s culture in a way I never would have before.
Adam Bloodworth A scene from my staycation
Some think of a “staycation” as having a holiday in your own country, rather than going abroad. This could mean travelling five hours away to the coast, or to cities and towns you’ve never been to before.
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But the other staycation – the original intention of the word, perhaps – is having a holiday while actually staying put in your own area. It might not sound as thrilling, but there are ways you can make it feel like you’re on holiday. Here’s how.
Walk a different way around your local neighbourhood to feel like you’ve gone somewhere new.
It’s time to appreciate your local area in new ways, rather than rushing to the station, office or usual coffee pick-up spot. Our brains are easily tricked. Something as simple as walking a different route around your neighbourhood can feel rejuvenating, require little planning, and reap great results.
Look up at the architecture, visit a local park you’d otherwise swerve for one of the more major parks, or stroll down that pretty street you’ve walked past but never explored – you might find a cute statue or uncover a local nugget of information on a notice board that enlightens you about your local environment.
Digging more deeply into where you live can be a mindful activity, and one of the simplest ways to switch off.
Swot up beforehand by finding local attractions you’ve never visited before.
If someone was coming to your village, town or city for the first time, what attractions would they be likely to visit? Find out by acting like a tourist – and do your research. It’s time to swot up on TripAdvisor and YouTube.
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TripAdvisor lists the best things to do in your area, or nearby, along with reviews. Choose the ones you’ve never been to, and add it to your staycation list.
And, no matter which suburb, village or outer Hebridean enclave you inhabit, YouTube will have a video about it. It may be badly shot and have 10 views, but that video will exist. Watch it, and within five minutes, you’ll be confronted by so much new information about your area you’ll feel excited to ‘visit’ as a tourist.
I live in Bethnal Green in east London, and from two YouTube videos, I found an entire song written about a doorstep near my house, that people were hung across the road, and that the biggest civilian disaster in World War II happened at my local Tube station. I hadn’t felt this schooled since I was at actual school.
chrisdorney via Getty Images Having enough time to understand the history of your local area is a simple privilege
Spending a weekend as a tourist in your own neighbourhood will make you feel like you were somewhere else entirely, which is a weirdly thrilling prospect.
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Spend the night somewhere different.
Let’s face it, the cost of this trip is low. All you’ll need is yourself and an open mind. If you have the cash, spend what you would’ve on a train or plane fare on a local hotel. Being a different space in your own neighbourhood, with a different view and perspective on the street outside, is a privilege. And staying in a different bed – like you would if you went away on holiday – is a novelty that makes you feel like you’re out of your usual routine.
If you’ve been made redundant or are struggling financially, you can still have the thrill of staying somewhere new by doing it at home. Camp in the garden and set up your own campsite with cushions, blankets and candles. Or if you don’t have a tent, make a den in the living room. It’s fun to be a kid sometimes.
Adam Bloodworth The courtyard at the Dolphin House Hotel & Apartments
Book the local restaurant food lovers travel to visit.
Is there a nearby restaurant you’ve never tried, but always intended to? Now’s the time to book. If you aren’t clued up on what’s good near you, the Michelin Guide has the very best. If that’s too pricey, try somewhere with a Bib Gourmand, as they’re guaranteed to be delicious, too.
Or maybe it’s more about that local place that isn’t well-known, but well-praised – after all, passion and good service is the creation of all great meals, so who needs fuss? Intent on staying fully at home? Try one of these recipes and challenge yourself to bring a change of flavours into your kitchen.
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But most crucially, remember to fully decompress.
fizkes via Getty Images There's no need to leave your house to practice mindfulness
You may be holidaying at home, but this is home anew – home as it’s never existed before. In this altered version of reality, chores don’t exist and neither do timeframes: so book a few days off work to really feel the benefits of your staycation.
Sit in a different chair, peer through a different window, be mindful in the garden, have a digital detox, change up your routine, and forget about life admin. Reimagine your home space to be somewhere else entirely.
The best bit? There’s no need to haul a suitcase through an airport, adjust your mind to a savage time zone, or set a 5am alarm.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--'My Biggest Concern Is A Sudden Outbreak': How Teachers Feel About Schools Reopening

georgeclerk via Getty Images
Staggered start times, alternate breaks, an end to group assemblies and face-masks in corridors. Much has been said about how the school day will change for children in September – but less has been mentioned about the impact this will have on teachers.
HuffPost UK has asked primary and secondary school teachers how they feel about the imminent school return. They’ve raised concerns such as not being able to take marking home, being isolated from fellow staff, and going for three hours without a toilet break, due to staggered timetables.
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Ruth Golding, who teaches Social Sciences and is a senior leader at a comprehensive secondary school in Plymouth, thinks it’s time for schools to return. She believes children need to get back to regular education, particularly in the south west, where Covid-19 cases are currently low.
But, she notes, reopening has meant an extraordinary effort from site staff and cleaners – and the new term will continue to be a challenge for teachers.
Like many schools, Golding’s has implemented staggered times and “year zones”, which the pupils will stay in to limit mass movement in corridors. This means instead of having their own room, teachers will whizz around the school between lessons, while the kids stay put.
“There will be less opportunity to have those quickly-grabbed supportive conversations in the corridor when you could be heading out in different directions, and it could lead to some colleagues feeling isolated,” she says.
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Ruth Golding Ruth Golding
The switch also has practical implications, as teachers will need to lug their equipment around the school, rather than keeping it in dedicated classrooms.
“One of my colleagues has bought all her team a trolley, a little thing that could make a huge difference to their day,” says Golding. “We must not underestimate the challenges teachers will face this year – teaching is tiring enough without being in different parts of the building all day.”
Golding, who leads the network Disability Ed UK, is particularly concerned about the impact of staggered starts and year zones for those with disabilities or chronic illnesses. “There will be staff and students who will find the return challenging, or not be able to return fully,” she says. “We all need to make sure these transitions are effectively planned for. There will be newly-disabled staff members who have ‘long Coronavirus’ following initial symptoms.”
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Swerupa Gosrani’s school in Derbyshire will also implement “year zones”. Lessons with a practical element – such as Science, Technology and Art – will become “almost impossible” with the new set-up, she says, impacting teachers’ planning, as well as children’s learning experiences.
“We’re also staggering times of the day for starts, finishes and breaks,” Gosrani, who teaches History and Politics to Years 7-13, adds. “For one colleague, this means she won’t be able to go to the toilet for three hours.”
Gosrani predicts most marking will be done electronically, as they aren’t able to take books home. But much of this is still guess-work, as teachers figure things out along the way.
“It’s hard to tell what the impact of all of this could be,” she says. “Some will find it physically challenging moving about and for others, the pressure [will be] a good start to a lesson, when the students are already waiting in the room.”
Swerupa Gosrani Swerupa Gosrani
Despite the difficulties that lay ahead, like Golding, Gosrani does think it’s time for schools to return. “In general I’m pleased schools are reopening,” she says. “I like my job and want to teach in person – kids need it, too.”
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Another teacher, who wishes to remain anonymous, says she feels “quite nervous” about schools reopening, due to conflicting information about children and infection rates – plus a lack of clear plan if things turn south.
“The uncertainty is fuelled by the fact no one really knows if there will be sudden rises in Covid-19 cases and what should be done on a local basis to deal with this in a way that doesn’t negatively impact upon Year 11 and Year 13 students,” says the secondary Science teacher, based in London.
“My biggest concern is a sudden outbreak of Covid-19 through staff and students who don’t display symptoms.”
The teacher says her school is doing all it can to support staff, but the government has done little to help. “In fact, all we’re seeing from the government is negativity towards teachers and a push towards reopening schools at all costs,” she adds.
Concerns over school safety will have plagued teachers’ minds throughout the summer holidays. When HuffPost UK spoke to Bedford-based primary school teacher Alan Jones in June, he was already worried how the school would cope in September.
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Alan Jones Alan Jones
His school was built in 1977, with small classrooms and tight corridors, meaning classes can sit no more than 10 children while maintaining social distancing. The school was already struggling to accommodate Year 1, 6 and key workers’ children when they returned, so he’s unsure how they’ll manage a full cohort.
“It’s almost a military procedure planned to go to the photocopier,” he said in June. “Simple things such as sending them to the toilet or dealing with first aid issues require careful thinking and planning in advance.
“It’s impractical to expect schools to return to normal in September. We don’t have enough space, nor teaching capacity to have all pupils back.”
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A common feeling among teachers is that schools are doing all they can to support staff, but the Department for Education should be doing more.
“My school has been great, they’ve provided PPE if we’ve wanted it and there have been individual risk assessments for those that have wanted them,” says Gosrani. “However, I don’t think schools have had enough support in good time to implement it well.”
Golding adds: “I don’t think there has been any direct advice or support to individual teachers from the Department for Education, and actually the messages coming out from government and the media has been quite derisory.”
After this year’s exams debacle, Golding would like teachers to have clear guidance about the plans for 2021 exams – including an acknowledgement that they will no doubt be impacted by the pandemic, too.
“Instead of putting ‘on the hoof’ plans in place... [the government should be] listening and talking to teachers and consulting with them to produce guidance first, rather than us all finding out through tweets and announcements in the press,” she says. “This has been pretty diabolical practice this year.”
When asked about the support provided for teachers, a Department for Education spokesperson said: “Getting all children back into their classrooms full-time in September is a national priority, because it is the best place for their education, development and wellbeing. This will be particularly important for disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs.
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“We have always been clear in our guidance about the protective measures that schools should implement to reduce risks for staff and pupils as far as possible.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Here's What A Hygiene Expert Wants You To Know About Hand Sanitiser

filo via Getty Images
Hand sanitiser can kill coronavirus, but its overall effectiveness very much depends on the type you use.
Homes, businesses and schools across the UK are potentially using hand sanitisers that can take up to two minutes to kill the virus, as opposed to the standard 20-30 seconds – and could be less effective, too, a Sky News investigation found.
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There are two key types of hand sanitisers: those with alcohol in them, and those without. And experts agree you want to be opting for the former, as alcohol has historically been pretty effective at killing coronaviruses.
The coronavirus has a lipid envelope which protects its structure. When you use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser, the alcohol affects this structure and, in doing so, deactivates the virus. When a person rubs it into their hands, it’s essentially reducing the virus to a safe level so you won’t be spreading it around elsewhere.
Alcohol-free hand gels, on the other hand, are thought to be less effective at reducing the germs on your hands – and they can take some time to kick in.
Professor Sally Bloomfield, honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, explains these hand gels are considered effective providing you’ve had them on your skin for two minutes. In contrast, alcohol hand rubs have been found to work in 20-30 seconds.
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“You do not want to have to stand outside the supermarket for two minutes [while it kicks in],” she tells HuffPost UK. The testing process of such hand gels has also been called into question. “Maybe these sanitisers which are non-alcoholic are effective, but at the moment we have not been given sufficient data to make that judgement,” she continues. “If somebody asked me to recommend a hand sanitiser, I would say: you should use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser which contains at least 60% or more of ethyl alcohol.”
Dr Manal Mohammed, an expert in medical microbiology at the University of Westminster, writing for The Conversation, explains why alcohol-free hand rubs don’t work as well: “Alcohol-free hand sanitisers contain something called quarternary ammonium compounds (usually benzalkonium chloride) instead of alcohol. These can reduce microbes but are less effective than alcohol.”
Studies back up Prof Bloomfield’s recommendation to use a hand sanitiser containing 60% or more alcohol – and this is also in line with guidance from Public Health England (PHE) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also advises against alcohol-free rubs. Hand sanitisers with less than 60-95% alcohol may not work equally well for different types of germs, it says, and may merely reduce the growth of germs rather than kill them outright.
It’s worth remebering that you should only use hand sanitiser if soap and water are not available. This is firstly because soap and water are more effective at combatting the virus, but also because while hand gel does contain emollients to protect the skin from the alcohol, overuse will dry your skin out.
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But, if you’re caught on the hoof, an alcohol-based hand gel will work fine.
Just make sure you rub it in for 20 seconds. “We know from a collection of publications that if you use 60% or more alcohol hand rubs or sanitisers, then that is effective in terms of reducing the coronavirus to a safe level,” Prof Bloomfield says.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Everything My Straight Friends Told Me About Sex Was Wrong

miodrag ignjatovic via Getty Images Young homosexual couple lying and cuddling in bed, embracing and touching
You’re reading Sex Diaries, a HuffPost UK Personal series about how we are (or aren’t) having sex. To share your story, get in touch on ukpersonal@huffpost.com.
My first time hadn’t gone as I’d anticipated.
A stocky man with hair on his chest scrolled through his emails on the bed and made no attempt to cover his nakedness. He occasionally glanced at me as I pulled on my jeans and shirt. The hotel room felt like an Edward Hopper painting, lit by the wall-mounted TV playing a late-night panel show on mute.
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About 30 minutes earlier, I’d put my hands in his hair, and it had felt fragile. The gel he’d used to style it was the kind that made your hair into brittle spikes. As he moved his lips around my body, he arrived at my mouth but simply breathed heavily as he got off instead of kissing me. He went down on me, and I on him. His body convulsed and crumbled as he quickly came.
There had been no penetration, something I believed defined sex but neither of us wanted it, and I hadn’t orgasmed. He’d offered to ‘finish me off’, in the same tone you might ask if someone wanted a lift to the train station. I’d declined.
As I got dressed I wondered if I could call what happened between us ‘sex’? What I’d seen in movies and heard from my friends seemed a world away from what he and I had done. I thought about the lack of fucking. How much did penetration matter? It was, after all, entry into another’s body and it was so linked to virginity, the act of ‘popping the cherry’, to before and after.
My trepidation, I realised, stemmed from a deep confusion around my gender identity, my role within sex, and how all that fit together. This wasn’t helped by my straight friends who defined sex by penetration. When talking about their sexual encounters they would say things like “We did stuff, but we didn’t have full sex”. ‘Stuff’ would often refer to kissing, fingering, and oral, which made sex sound like a game with different levels, where you only ‘won’ by being penetrated.
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I tried to figure out where this preoccupation with penetration came from. Was a religious hangover? Most frown upon, restrict, or outright condemn sex. Did these different harbingers of ‘full sex’ act as a way to avoid sin by lightly skating around it? Or maybe it was biological; penetrative sex is part of our reproductive process, and so it might be held in greater esteem? A law student friend pondered that it was ingrained within our society by law, in which rape is defined by penetration and anything else classed as sexual assault.
When I told my friends the next evening about my sexual encounter, they obviously wanted details. I relayed the Grindr messages, the dirty talk, the nerves I felt walking to his hotel room, but I skimmed over the specifics of the sex itself. I was worried they might write off this entire experience as essentially foreplay because no one had ‘been fucked’. Why did I feel I had to be cagey about the details? Why was penetration, an act far easier for straight people, the pinnacle?
Over the next few months, to seemingly prove something, I burned through men, mostly casual hook-ups and one semi-serious whatevership with an American artist, but no penetration. There were moments I revelled in; the man who left his door unlocked and waited in nothing but a blindfold, a seemingly shy man who dominated me in an Airbnb, and the first drunken, weed-hazed, night with the artist. I found intimacy in ways my straight friends didn’t – in handjobs, in blowjobs, in dirty talk, in submission, in spit, in kisses, in long-held glances, on webcams, and in sweat. Yet, to some, I was a virgin because I hadn’t ever let penetration enter my sexual lexicon.
What is sex from a queer perspective, I wondered. Did it include my Twitter sexting with a man who lives in Germany, online role-play in chatrooms, wanking with men on Skype, voyeurism, or edging? It struck me that sex is not fixed but rather something fluid, ever-changing, and subjective.
The heteronormative perimeters of sex made me feel outside of something, even as my ‘number’ rose above some of my friends. It was as if what I desired was somehow less than what my straight friends did and that I should change. Now, as I run through the men I’ve slept with, I know that it doesn’t, nor should it, matter if they’ve been inside of me or I them.
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Sex, for me, is as I define it and it’s simply about the pursuit of pleasure; however I try and seek it.
Jon Paul Roberts is an essayist and journalist specialising in queer issues, politics, pop culture, and personal narratives. Follow him on Twitter at @jonpaul_roberts


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Exclusive: BBC Staff Accuse Corporation Of Being 'Institutionally Racist'

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The BBC has been labelled “institutionally racist” by its own staff members, HuffPost UK can reveal.
Dozens of current and former Black employees from departments across the corporation gave worrying accounts ranging from being denied career development opportunities to being bullied and then silenced by an ineffective complaints procedure.
Current staffers with total experience spanning over 100 years have called out a “toxic working environment” that, they say, has long been endemic within the culture of the world’s biggest broadcasting corporation.
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In a series of startling revelations, some Black employees have described the BBC’s approach in BBC Africa as “colonial” and likened working there to “being on a plantation”.
When approached by HuffPost UK, the BBC did not initially refute the allegation that it is institutionally racist, but a spokesperson later said: “The BBC is absolutely clear that we are an inclusive and welcoming organisation and we are saddened if anyone is experiencing any form of discrimination at work.
“That is why, as an organisation, we have put so much effort into ensuring that we have robust processes in place for staff to raise complaints which will be dealt with the utmost seriousness.”
One source, B, has worked at the organisation for upwards of three years and says it has a real “issue” with its treatment of Black staff.
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Sure enough, the BBC has been steadily haemorrhaging Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) talent. The number of BAME staff leaving the BBC jumped from 173 in 2014 to 379 a year later, an increase of 120%, according to data obtained from a Freedom of Information request.
In 2016 14.6% of people leaving the BBC were BAME – in 2017 this figure rose to 14.9%, then to 16.4% in 2018 and 18.4% in 2019.
Recent figures indicate that some 15.2% of BBC staff are from BAME communities. But Sir Lenny Henry – who runs diversity watchdog The Lenny Henry Centre for Diversity at Birmingham City University – has previously cast doubt on the BBC’s diversity targets because they do not take into account off-air production staff.
A BBC spokesperson said executives are clear that the corporation has further to go on increasing diversity at senior leadership level at the BBC.
“How can you advise on racism and impartiality if you’ve never faced it?,” one staff member asked on a June staff Zoom call.
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During the private Zoom call, leaked to HuffPost UK in June, staffers openly discussed concerns about racism within the BBC.
Another source, M, told HuffPost UK: “Of course there is an issue with systemic racism in the BBC; look at how many Black staff are in leadership roles, how many Black producers there are, how many shows that have a BAME perspective yet don’t have BAME producers.
“Even when you’re in a senior role with the BBC, as a Black person, you’re not trusted with your own judgement. You’re ‘helicopter checked’ by white managers more often than not, who have final say over how stories are told.”
Source M described newsrooms as unwelcoming environments for Black staff.
“You see the system of racism as soon as you enter the newsroom,” the source continued.
“You open that door and all of the faces – apart from people you know – look up at you in a questioning way. It’s almost like you’re encroaching on somebody’s living room. If I weren’t a confident person, I wouldn’t go to the newsroom. They’re not overtly hostile, they’re questioning as if to say: ‘What are you doing here? This is not your space.’
“I think the most horrendous form of racism is covert, because you can’t put a finger on it. You can’t say: “She called me the N-word,” “He said: ‘You don’t belong here,’” or: “She said I’m not having the job because there’s no space for Black people in the role.” It’s the most hurtful kind of bigotry because you know you’re being overlooked, passed over, left out because of the colour of your skin.
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“Management equate the colour of your skin to having low intelligence.”
In 2001, Greg Dyke, the then director-general of the BBC, condemned the corporation as “hideously white” and said its race relations were as bad as those in some police forces.
One employee, Source C, says very little has changed in the two decades since.
Glass ceiling
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A number of Black BBC employees described to HuffPost UK an “alarming” lack of career development opportunities, contributing to why so many decide to leave the corporation.
“If people go to work and apply for roles and don’t get it – one of us might not be very good, 10 of us might not be very good, but when you see scores of people applying for promotions and not getting through, you’ve got to ask questions. Why is that happening?” Source C said.
“This isn’t us hating on our employer; we’re saying we’ve had our dreams dashed and expectations crushed. A lot of good people have left the BBC feeling that they can’t get through the glass ceiling.”
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Source B said training schemes leave Black staff fed up.
“The BBC creates traineeships and the bulk of the trainees are Black but they use them for a year, there’s no job for them afterwards, and they abandon ship. That’s a problem.
“Some people get here through nepotism and within a few months they’ve got a big job, they’re broadcast journalists or senior broadcast journalists – but why does it seem like when you’re a Black journalist it’s a lot harder to progress despite the good work that you do?
“For a young journalist of colour to come into the BBC and navigate that culture is flipping hard. We get a lot of talent through the door but within a couple of years they’re disillusioned because they’re not given the dues or respect they deserve.
“This culture of taking people’s stories, unique attributes, access to Black audiences, all of that wealth of talent and ability, and using it – that’s a cultural problem.”
The BBC has refuted allegations that some white staff members had been given roles within the corporation through what amounted to nepotism, saying all roles are appointed on an open and fair competition basis
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Source A added: “Although they may let some Black people in through the door they keep them at junior level, at the bottom rung of the ladder, and management are white.”
The BBC told us it had launched a “senior leadership advisers programme” at the beginning of the year that invites staff from diverse backgrounds to join senior leadership teams to “help shape the organisation’s vision and be part of decision making”.
The corporation said it monitors progress constantly on this and is “moving firmly in the right direction” but recognises that there is more to do.
Another source, X, said they know many Black colleagues who have years of experience in their current positions, or are even overqualified but have been constantly unsuccessful when going for promotions and remain in junior roles on a basic wage. X is now considering leaving.
“I’ve spoken to colleagues and wondered if there’s any point working here myself – I’ve worked here for over 10 years,” Source X said.
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“Working at the BBC is like a case of dealing with somebody who doesn’t realise that they have a serious problem. Though every department works slightly differently, I think every Black staffer – wherever they work in the BBC – has the same issue with reconciling with racism. But what keeps you going at times is knowing that, if you’re not there, certain stories that affect diverse communities won’t be covered properly.”
They added: “As a Black journalist, all too often you have white colleagues telling you what’s right, how to go about reporting.
“Managers are happy to have Black presenters being the voice of shows but they’re generally produced by white people. And you’re constantly having to justify why stories that speak to diverse audiences are a story; it’s like they close their ears to other perspectives and you just don’t have a voice.”
The BBC did not deny this claim when it was put by them by HuffPost UK.
“The BBC is institutionally racist,” Source X added.
A number of staff members told HuffPost UK that they are actively thinking about leaving the BBC, though some are dubious about finding better journalistic prospects elsewhere.
Bullying
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“There’s a climate and culture of fear at the BBC,” a former BBC HR specialist, Source T, told HuffPost UK.
This source’s role involved advising on and supporting bullying and harassment grievances. What they didn’t realise was that they too would find themselves at the sharp end of a “toxic” working environment that, they say, included racist microaggressions and managerial gaslighting within the corporation.
Not long after the source began working at the organisation, they said they were taken aside by a colleague who shared concerns about the organisation with them. Source T initially dismissed these, thinking they couldn’t be true at such a reputable, large organisation.
“There was a series of red flags that I ignored; it ended up being a very hard environment to work in as a Black person, harder than I expected, harder than I was even warned,” they said.
Source T handled a number of cases involving bullying claims made by predominantly BAME journalists. Several complaints came from staff based within BBC Africa’s division.
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The source said there were instances where Black staff members would loudly speculate about which employee of colour was next in line to be dismissed from the organisation, painting a bleak picture regarding workplace prospects for non-white members of staff.
Source A said: “I myself have also put in grievances over the years. I don’t know anyone who’s put in a race grievance wherein the BBC found in their favour.
“I even know someone who went as far as tribunal and they managed to knock her out of the tribunal – not based on the evidence of her case but on a technicality. That’s how they do it. They will use their might to block you or try and destroy your case.”
Bullying is endemic, staff say.
The BBC told HuffPost UK it has a “zero-tolerance approach” to bullying and harassment of all kinds.
One employee said on the private Zoom call: “When I started, my manager introduced me to a colleague and when I stretched out my hand to shake a white colleague’s hand, they refused to shake my hand. No, they were not sick, and, no, their hands were not dirty.
“They basically said I didn’t need to know them, therefore I didn’t need to shake their hand. I didn’t think it was a joke; it was a terrible first impression to make and it happened around several white people who all laughed at my expense. I was very uncomfortable with that interaction and I’m still uncomfortable with that colleague today.”
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Source L, who works for BBC Africa, told HuffPost UK: “I’ve struggled with my mental health. I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been in a daze – finding different ways to cope emotionally because the place where I work is completely hostile.
“I really don’t trust the company I’m working for because I don’t trust the people; the highest ranks of management know the problems going on here but no one’s prepared to do anything about it.”
The BBC said it had updated its anti-bullying and harassment policy last year with “clear” guidance for staff on how to raise a complaint under a new simplified system.
The corporation has rolled out “respect at work” training and is promoting “inclusive culture training” and “unconscious bias training” across the organisation.
A spokesperson said the BBC encourages staff to “speak up and come forward about bullying and harassment,” adding: “We treat all complaints seriously and investigate thoroughly in accordance with the anti-bullying and harassment policy.”
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BBC Africa
BBC Africa Screenshot
HuffPost UK has been told that most senior managers at the London hub of BBC Africa are white. They oversee a newsroom of predominantly Black, junior level staffers.
The BBC said “roughly half” of the BBC Africa managers in London, and more than two-thirds of the management across the whole of BBC Africa, are Black or Asian.
It also said all BBC Africa staff were employed “on the basis of their experience and ability”, and that the overall majority of its journalists – most of them in Africa itself – are Black Africans.
“The editor of BBC Africa is a Black Kenyan journalist,” said a spokesperson. “His senior team is made up of four managers, one of whom is white. All of our sub-Saharan African language services are edited by Black African journalists based in Africa and the UK.”
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But sources say that, in London, the leadership is not representative of the 120m audience members served by the continent’s leading international broadcaster.
“I was shocked that things were this bad,” said Source L. “It became apparent to me that the mere fact that you’re white means that you don’t have to justify your qualifications, experiences, knowledge [...] whereas I’ve had to justify my worth, day in and out.”
They added: “And when the promotion comes, managers make snide comments to you as the Black staff member, discouraging you from putting yourself forward.”
According to multiple sources, the team’s make-up affects the way that African stories are told, with narratives invariably being altered, and tainted with racial bias, in alignment with the perspectives of white editors and managers.
“Ignorance would seep through – the subconscious biases would affect how stories were being told,” Source L explained.
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“When concerns are raised around these issues, managers gaslight Black staff and victimise them. This is not what I signed up for. When you raise grievances and suggest witnesses, they don’t speak to all witnesses and when they’re giving feedback, they’ll side with other managers.
“Bullying would take place day in and out, openly, and nothing was done about it by managers.”
BBC Africa journalists are treated like second-rate journalists, multiple sources told HuffPost UK.
“What we’re doing at BBC Africa is producing propaganda – a colonial view of how white people see the continent. Working here is like being on a plantation,” said Source L.
“The BBC is institutionally racist. The institution was never built for us but we were allowed to come in. There’s only a small amount of space we’re allowed to manoeuvre through while saying ‘thank you’, not asking for much. We’re expected to be happy just having a job and being in that space.
“If you understand the structure of the BBC, you’ll know it’s a microcosm of the world in terms of how racism works. Are they prepared to change that? I don’t believe so because it’ll mean having to give away some of their powers.”
Campaigners are now calling for an external investigation into racism at the BBC by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
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A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC goes further than any other broadcaster by publishing diversity data annually, including for leadership positions. We have already achieved our 2020 target on 15% Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff across our workforce. We know there is more work to do on improving diversity at leadership levels across the BBC and we are fully committed to achieving this.
“This summer we set a new mandatory 20% diverse off-air talent target in all new network commissions from April 2021, and a prioritisation of £100m of our existing commissioning budget over three years towards diverse and inclusive content, with £12m for radio.
“The BBC is not impartial on racism and this is fully consistent with the BBC’s editorial guidelines. In recent weeks we have announced a four-point plan to improve our approach on the use of racially insulting language. We will continue to listen and learn.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Anger As Government Issues Guidance To Schools In Lockdown Areas Days Before Re-Opening

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The government has issued lengthy guidance to English schools in local lockdown areas just days before reopening for autumn term.
The Department for Education faced an instant backlash after saying among the guidance that secondary schools could have to use a “rota system” to limit the number of teenagers attending at any one time, with teachers and pupils required to wear face coverings in communal areas.
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The measures were published on Friday evening ahead of schools reopening next week.
Labour’s shadow education secretary Kate Green called the timing of the announcement “insulting”.
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, welcomed the guidance but criticised the timing.
He said in a statement: “To wait until the Friday night before most schools return isn’t the government’s finest moment.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said “another late night publication is fairly typical of what we’ve become used to”.
The staggered approach will limit the amount of people students come into contact with, and will help break transmission chains by giving enough time at home for symptoms to become apparent, said the Department for Education (DfE).
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Education secretary Gavin Williamson said any changes to school attendance “will only ever be an absolute last resort”.
He added: “However, it is important that both Government and schools prepare for a worst case scenario, so this framework represents the sensible contingency planning any responsible government would put in place.”
The guidance said schools should base their plans on a four-tier system, and the extra measures for secondary schools should be introduced at the second tier.
It said: “Schools should ideally operate a rota system that means pupils spend two weeks on-site followed by two weeks at home.
“This allows more than sufficient time for symptoms to present themselves and for pupils to self-isolate and avoid transmitting the virus to others.
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“However, schools can choose to operate a one-week rota (so, five days on-site, followed by nine days at home) if this is necessary for the effective delivery of the curriculum.”
The guidance added: “In addition, in all areas of national government intervention, at schools where students in year seven and above are educated, face coverings should be worn by adults and pupils when moving around the premises, outside of classrooms, such as in corridors and communal areas where social distancing cannot easily be maintained.”
It does not apply to primary school children, as scientific evidence indicates they “play a limited role in transmission”, it added.
All schools remain open at tier one, while tiers three and four mean more stringent restrictions such as closures to all but pupils in vulnerable groups or children of key workers.
Labour’s Kate Green tweeted: “This is so insulting to heads and staff who’ve worked flat out over the summer holiday, and are now expected to cope with yet more new guidance just hours before the bank holiday weekend and only days before term starts.”
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Geoff Barton of the Association of School and College Leaders said: “Obviously, schools haven’t had any chance whatsoever to incorporate this into their planning and will now have to revisit the plans they have put in place.
“In any event, it is a step in the right direction.”
Paul Whiteman of NAHT, added: “We’ve been calling for the Government to publish a Plan B for several weeks.
“Finally it is here, but another late night publication is fairly typical of what we’ve become used to.
“School leaders have a lot of responsibility resting on their shoulders at the moment. These plans will ultimately rely on effective decision making, informed by reliable data about regional transmission rates.
“The desire to keep schools open as long as possible is one we share, yet it must continue to be balanced against the need to keep pupils, staff and parents safe as we move into the autumn and winter months.”
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The DfE also updated its guidance on music performances in schools, saying singing, wind and brass playing should not take place in choirs or ensembles without significant space, plenty of natural air flow for players and audiences and “strict social distancing and mitigation”.
It added: “Pupils should be positioned back-to-back or side-to-side when playing or singing (rather than face-to-face) whenever possible.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Chris Grayling Quits Commons Intelligence Committee After Chairmanship Snub

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Former Cabinet minister Chris Grayling has quit the Commons Intelligence and Security (ISC) committee just weeks after he was blocked from heading the influential body.
The ex-transport secretary has written to the man who beat him to the chairmanship of the committee last month, Julian Lewis, to tender his resignation from the ISC.
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Lewis was expelled from the parliamentary Conservative Party after being elected head of the body with the backing of opposition MPs.
In the aftermath of the vote for chairman, Lewis condemned what he called Downing Street’s attempt to impose its “preferred candidate” to lead the committee.
The move came after Grayling was widely seen as prime minister Boris Johnson’s favoured candidate for the prestigious job.
In a statement at the time, Lewis said that the 2013 Justice and Security Act explicitly removed the right of the prime minister to choose the ISC chairman and gave it to the committee members.
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Amid the controversy, Downing Street denied that that the government was seeking to “parachute” a preferred candidate in to the chairmanship, insisting that it was a matter for the senior parliamentarians on the committee to decide.
The impression that the prime minister wanted Grayling to head the committee – which oversees the work of the intelligence agencies MI5, MI6 and GCHQ – drew raised eyebrows across the political spectrum.
Unlike previous chairmen, the former transport secretary had little experience of security matters and was dubbed “failing Grayling” for a series of policy blunders during his time in government.
The decision to withdraw the government whip from Lewis left the Conservatives without a majority on the nine-member committee.
The spat over the chairmanship came ahead of the release of a much delayed report by the ISC on alleged Russian interference in UK politics.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Exclusive: Tory Peer Dido Harding Pockets £65,000 For Two-Day-A-Week NHS Job

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Tory peer Dido Harding has been paid around £175,000 by the taxpayer since she started a two-day-a week job within the NHS, HuffPost UK has learned.
The former boss of telecoms giant TalkTalk took a salary of up to £65,000-a-year as chair of NHS Improvement (NHSI) for two full years in 2018/19 and 2019/20, forthcoming accounts are set to confirm.
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Some board members of NHSI have waived their salary to save the health service money, but Harding is understood to have been paid.
Harding has led the NHS Test and Trace service since its creation in May and was this month controversially appointed again by health secretary Matt Hancock to lead a new National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP).
Both her Test and Trace job and her new role are unpaid, a move seen by critics as a way of limiting the political row over the way she was appointed without external scrutiny.
But critics say Harding’s payments for her NHSI role show that she has been willing to be paid for other NHS work. Her defenders said she was "Worth every penny
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NHS Improvement was created in 2016 to bring together functions such as patient safety, financial and healthcare monitoring and trust development, but was itself merged with NHS England last year and its role remains largely unknown to the wider public.
In total, Harding has been paid around £175,000 since she took up her post nearly three years ago.
First appointed as chair of the body in late October 2017, annual accounts show she was paid up to £30,000 for her first five months in the job.
After two full years of taking the salary of £60,000-to-£65,000, she is understood to have continued taking her payments in this 2020/2021 financial year too, which covers the period the coronavirus pandemic first struck the UK and assuming her new role at NHS Test and Trace.
However, the accounts also so that some members of the board chaired by Harding have decided to waive their salary.
Non-executive directors Tim Ferris and Wol Kolade decline to take payment, as does associate non-executive director Sir David Behan.
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The former TalkTalk boss was paid a £550,000 salary at the telecoms firm before she quit in 2017, with bonuses taking her pay to above £2m.
Harding was appointed a life peer by David Cameron, her contemporary from Oxford, in 2014. Her husband is Tory MP and former minister John Penrose.
Highly rated by ministers, she was appointed to the NHS Improvement job in 2017.
During her confirmation hearing by the Commons health select committee, she refused its request for her to stop taking the Tory whip in the House of Lords, describing the idea as “tokenistic”.
Although her role in the NHS went largely unremarked, Hancock handed her the key post of “executive chair” of the new NHS Test and Trace service set up to rapidly expand testing and contact tracing to cope with the Covid outbreak.
NHS Test and Trace is not formally part of the NHS and its activities are coordinated by the Department of Health and Social Care.
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Harding’s tenure has been dogged with problems, ranging from the failure to set up an in-house smartphone app to consistently missed targets on reaching 80% of “close contacts” of those who test positive for the virus.
But Hancock and prime minister Boris Johnson have both repeatedly praised her for her “brilliant” work on the pandemic. Allies say that she has worked tirelessly and unpaid for NHS Test and Trace.
Critics point to her record at TalkTalk where the company suffered a major data breach and was given a record £400,000 fine for failing to protect customers details from a hack attack.
Harding is already paid £60,000 a year as a director of the private firm MindGym and £25,000 a year as deputy chair of the Bank of England’s court of directors.
Shadow health minister Alex Norris said: “Nurses on the frontline using food banks or families denied the opportunity to see grandparents because of local lockdowns will be appalled at revelations this Tory peer has pocketed thousands of pounds worth of taxpayers cash.
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“And it only adds insult that this same top Boris Johnson crony is set to carry on pocketing while in charge of the new Health Protection Institute despite failing to deliver a world beating Test and Trace service as we were promised.”
Layla Moran, the Lib Dem MP who chairs the all-party parliamentary group on coronavirus, said: “This money will be seen as a reward for failure at a time when NHS staff are already underpaid and public health experts are warning of an exodus due to the top down reorganisation of PHE.
“Dido Harding’s untransparent appointment to chair the PHE replacement agency was already questionable given woeful record on Test and Trace and Talk Talk before that. But to hear she has been rewarded with such a sum adds insult to injury.
“To salvage any credibility in the government plans Matt Hancock has to now explain why this money was value for taxpayers and what problems this new agency is trying to solve. What we absolutely have to avoid is a rearranging of the deckchairs on this Titanic of a project and ensure someone with real knowledge and competence is at the helm.”
But a department of health source mounted a strong defence of the peer, stressing that there was a big difference in responsibility between board members and being chair of a board.
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“In her role for NHS Improvement, Dido is 100% across everything and treats it like a chief exec job. She’s worth every penny,” the source said.
“If you were trying to make money off the taxpayer you wouldn’t take a high profile job like Test and Trace and work the hours she does for free. If that’s cronyism, we aren’t very good at it.
“There are plenty of people in other parties who have been appointed to public sector boards and just turned up and did the bare minimum. She’s shown she is not doing this for the money. Her enthusiasm and inability to be tired is rivalled only by the Secretary of State.”
NHS Improvement refused to comment. But it did not deny that its new annual report – due in coming days – would show that Harding had received £60,000-65,000 for 2019/20, as well as for 2018/19.
It is understood that Harding works between two and three days a week on average for NHS Improvement, but it is unclear how much time she devotes to each of her roles or how they will work with her new job chairing the National Institute for Health Protection.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--What Restaurant Owners Really Made Of 'Eat Out To Help Out' In August

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When chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled plans to help boost restaurant business this summer with the month-long Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme, it struck meme gold and made the front pages with headlines like “Dinner’s on Dishy Rishi” and “Rishi’s Meal Deals”.
Innuendos aside, restaurant footfall had been struggling ever since the much-touted July 4 reopening and was nowhere near pre-lockdown levels of trade.
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And no wonder: Covid-19 anxiety remains high and reassurances about perspex screens and vats of hand sanitiser weren’t enough to get the bums on those (carefully disinfected) seats. Establishments that had already had to take out tables to meet the social-distancing measures complained about no-shows from customers – and the outlook for the sector looked bleak.
So, in a bid to lend the hospitality industry a helping hand, Sunak struck the deal to end all meal deals: from Monday to Wednesday throughout August, diners could get 50% off their food, up to £10 per person.
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An estimated 85,000 bars, cafes, restaurants and pubs signed up to his list – from nationwide chains like Nandos and Harvester, fast-food giants KFC and McDonalds, and even that family-run bistro at the end of your road. Suddenly, it became hard to even get a table anywhere – the steakhouse chain Hawksmoor said it received 15,000 bookings in just 13 days across the six outlets open during August.
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To date, more than 10 million meals have been eaten on the scheme at a cost of £105.4m to the treasury – money that some suggested might be better spent on free school meals or supporting food banks.
On Bank Holiday Monday, the ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ comes to an end. But despite a surge in bookings and sales throughout August, did Sunak’s campaign help those who actually needed it?
Patrick Campbell, general manager at Brawn, a neighbourhood restaurant in East London, has seen a massive rise in footfall, saying their phone lines have never been busier with people trying to book in.
“Increased bookings mean more cash flow, [which] means we can continue trading, employing staff, and doing what we love,” he tells HuffPost UK. ”We also get to introduce the restaurant to a whole tranche of the public that may not have come to see us before.
It’s maintained throughout the month, he adds. “We’re trying to squeeze people in and we’re seeing a rise in lunch bookings, too. We may be doing six to 10 people for lunch mid-week in August normally. Now, we turn tables and do 40+. The figures don’t really compare, as we have had to remove many tables to ease distancing, but we are as full as we could hope to be.”
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However, Mandy Yin, Malaysian chef-owner of Sambal Shiok Laksa Bar and Nasi Economy Rice, both on Holloway Road in London, is looking forward to the end of the scheme and getting back to the ‘new normal’ level of business.
“It’s not really sustainable to be going at that rate, because people just want a really cheap meal... to be honest, it’s not necessarily always the nicest customer and it’s not our regular customer base,” she tells HuffPost UK.
“I’m in two minds about it all,” Yin says. “Yes, it’s been good for business, but I haven’t been able to plan properly because it’s been a massive, crazy blip for one day [Wednesday] a week for us.
“Maybe I’m being too cynical, I’ll just have to wait to see what the long-term effect is and whether the new customers will stay or not.”
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Some owners fear the discount offer has merely pushed weekend diners to eat out earlier in the week rather than kickstarting a sustainable customer base.
“Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, we’re trading really well and we’re busy, but it sorts of trails off and quietens down on Thursday,” says John Devitt, co-founder of Koya, a Japanese noodle restaurant in Soho and City.
“I think the biggest thing the scheme has done is not just give people some money off their meal, but it’s given customers the confidence to go back to restaurants. There was the fear of having to stay in and to stay alert in March, and now the government is slowly undoing it.”
But Devitt is also preparing to wait and see. “We’re currently operating as outdoor dining only and have not opened back inside yet,” he says.
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With autumn fast-approaching and the transition into colder months on the horizon, that’s another hurdle that restaurants have to think about. Some simply don’t have the space inside to accommodate customers safely, meaning they’ll have to turn customers away or rely on takeaway and delivery.
But the promotion has proved so popular that many restaurants up and down the country and even online food delivery company Deliveroo, have chosen to foot the discount themselves in September. These include chains such as Pizza Pilgrims and the independently-run Flesh & Buns and Kricket – but is there a risk of customers getting addicted to discounts?
“I’d love it to continue for another month, but it’s not profitable for me to continue without the government’s help because it’s such an enormous part of our take per head – I’d be out of business and might as well stay closed,” Devitt explains. “I’ve never been interested in giving people discounts because I think it creates a false economy and we all have to eventually get back to reality.”
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Come September there are more things to consider than simply the end of the ‘Eat Out To Help Out’ discount scheme. Restaurants must deal with the upcoming quarterly rent due at the end of the month, the loss of space inside from operating at a social distance, and outside from the newly introduced outdoor dining throughout the summer, as well as a potential second wave.
“I think it’s a bit of a roll of a dice and we’re taking things as they come,” says John Ogier, co-founder and director of Michelin-starred restaurant Lyle’s in Shoreditch, Borough Market wine bar and bakery Flor and new takeaway-exclusive brand ASAP Pizza.
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“We’re looking at the whole business and seeing how we can knit it together to be more positive, but I don’t think the future is based on a discount scheme – I’m not sure whether that really gives it any longevity,” says Ogler.
Despite the discount scheme being well-received and having boosted sales slightly – it’s still a cautious and nervous time for the industry and customers. Businesses are having to catch up sales from three months of forced closure while ensuring staff safety and tempting customers back into feeling safe to eat out again under new Covid-safe measures.
“I hope there isn’t a cliff-edge moment for hundreds of restaurants who have been propped up by the scheme,” Patrick Campbell says. “It does sometimes seem like the cart has been put before the horse, with plans for expansion back in the operators’ minds before we are truly out of this period of depression.”
As Mandy Yin wrote for the Guardian, it’s unrealistic for businesses to be quiet for so long, then suddenly manage this spike in customers. Thousands of businesses may go down in the next few months because they can’t regain their losses from the months of closure and plummeting bookings.
“I’ve probably experienced a 20% increase from the last month,” she tells HuffPost UK. “For it to be really considered a success, it’d have to be a continuous thing. Of course, the government can’t afford to keep doing it for six months – that’s a lot of money, so I do understand. It was an interesting experiment, but I’m happy for it to be removed. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed and take every weekend as they come.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--It’s Time To Stop Calling White Killers ‘Bullied Teenagers’

National Guard troops stand guard inside of a fenced area in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Brandon Bell via Getty Images
Yesterday, Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old white man, was charged with two counts of homicide and one attempted homicide after allegedly shooting three people with a rifle in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
He is accused of killing two men – one 26-year-old and one 36-year-old. He was a Trump supporter who was in the front row of a rally in Iowa earlier this year; he supported the pro-police Blue Lives Matter movement, and on the night of the shooting he told journalists it was “his job” to protect Kenosha from protestors who were demonstrating, following the shooting of unarmed Black man Jacob Blake on Sunday by a white police officer.
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These are the clearcut facts of the story.
Yet today, as the case has its first court appearance, The Times summarised the above as: “A bullied teenager who revered the police and found purpose as a vigilante appears in court today charged with murder after two people were killed after a night of unrest.”
The framing of the now deleted tweet places Rittenhouse firmly in the role of victim. We are urged to see him as more human and it brings his background into question: a “bullied teenager” who “revered” the police and “found purpose”.
It seems unfathomable that this kind of language would ever be used to describe a Black man accused of murdering two white men.
Equally shocking is the passive way in which the line “Two people were killed” reads does not even make it clear that the “bullied teenager” was the one accused of killing them.
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Funny, I’ve never seen a headline that does this much work excusing and distancing a young black man charged with murder from his crime. pic.twitter.com/pjSzu1U3qE — Jane Bradley (@jane__bradley) August 28, 2020
This framing that so encourages us to sympathise with him is minimising of his alleged crimes, and disrespectful to the deceased and their families.
The situation is worse in the US; right-wing Fox News host Tucker Carlson asked viewers: “How shocked are we that 17 year olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would?”
Following the shooting of Blake, scores of armed so-called vigilantes took to the streets of Kenosha. Rittenhouse was one of many and had links to the Kenosha guard, a local militia group, and was filmed in videos with them that night.
The framing by Tucker echoes the Trumpian rhetoric that portrays the US as a chaotic unpoliced nation defending vigilantes’ right to keep the country “safe”.
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To date, Trump has still not condemned the actions of the militia and his White House adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox the violence could help his election chances as it would better illustrate “the very clear choice on who’s best on public safety and law and order.”
It’s absurd to imagine media framing of this kind occurring in the inverse situation where the perpetrator was Black, Asian, Arab, or another ethnicity.
Last March, when a white supremacist opened fire at a mosque killing 51 people in Christchurch New Zealand, the Mirror splashed on a picture of the perpetrator as an infant smiling with the caption: “Angelic boy who grew into an evil far-right killer.”
It is difficult to imagine a situation where a brown-skinned terrorist who carried out the largest terror attack in a country’s history would the next day be described as “angelic” on the front page.
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When Darren Osborne drove his van into the Finsbury Park Mosque in 2017, The Times’ front page captioned the story as: “Jobless ‘lone wolf’ held over attack on mosque”.
When we talk about white killers we often invoke the “lone wolf”, “troubled loner” stereotype, digging into their background for mental health issues, or family difficulties. There is no immediate link made to the extremist ideology they support. When Osborne entered the mosque he literally said: “I want to kill all Muslims,” yet his attack was still described by some as a “lone wolf” attack, rather than a terrorist attack.
Brown individuals, who aren’t backed by major groups like Isis or Al-Qaeda, who commit murder allegedly in the name of Islamism but aren’t tied to a particular structure, are called terrorists. Often when brown men or foreign men are involved in attacks, people automatically assume terrorism is at play.
Yet, when white men take part in mass shootings based on far-right ideology, their bullying in childhood is often called upon to illustrate their mental health issues. They are treated by the media as individual cases and not as part of a wider systemic problem.
The examples are countless, but the facts are clear: more white people are arrested on suspicion of terrorism than Asian people, and right-wing extremism is the fastest growing terror threat in the UK. Yet, there is a reluctance to change the way we frame terror attacks committed by white people.
Call terrorism what it is: terrorism – do not discriminate based on the perpetrator, and don’t try to invoke sympathy dependent on their race; it is unjustifiable in every single instance.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Government 'Overrules' Council's Desire To Stay In Lockdown In 'Disgraceful' Decision

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The government has been accused of attempting to “placate Tory MPs” by overruling a Manchester council’s decision to stay in a local lockdown and instead lifting coronavirus restrictions.
Northern leaders had already expressed concerns about health secretary Matt Hancock’s new system of drawing up local lockdowns, which gave MPs a greater say.
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Hancock last week asked councils and MPs to reach a consensus on which of their local districts should be freed from coronavirus restrictions and which should remain under lockdown, but leaders warned the idea was a “recipe for disaster”.
On Friday, it emerged that Trafford council’s conclusion that local restrictions on social gatherings between different households should continue was overruled by the government in defiance of the local authority’s wishes – a decision branded “disgraceful”.
Meanwhile, a source in Bradford said they understood that the council area would be effectively cut in half, with restrictions lifted in Tory MPs’ constituencies but continuing to apply in Labour areas.
The source described it as “blatant politicisation of decision-making”.
As of 4pm on Friday, the Department for Health and Social Care had still not revealed the full list of areas locked down.
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But information began filtering out through individual councils.
In a statement, Trafford Labour said the council asked for another week or two of local restrictions on households meeting due to the imminent opening of schools and the long weekend, as well as concerns about neighbouring Greater Manchester boroughs which had higher infection rates.
But, they added: “It is apparent that for all of their claims of working in collaboration with local authorities, the government has decided to overrule the council and lift restrictions in Trafford.”
Trafford Labour statement on local lockdown restrictions link below. Nobody has bothered to discuss gov decision with me - accept a finely balanced decision and we will continue work with residents and businesses over next few weeks to keep people safe https://t.co/kLZhntb9XE — Andrew Western (@AndrewHWestern) August 28, 2020
It is absolutely clear that government claims of partnership working with local authorities are nonsense and approach all about placating Tory MPs. No one in gov has explained decision to overrule us to me, or bothered to contact me at all. Disgraceful. @LGA_Labour @SteveReedMP — Andrew Western (@AndrewHWestern) August 28, 2020
Council leader Andrew Western later added: “Nobody has bothered to discuss the government’s decision with me – accept a finely balanced decision and we will continue work with residents and businesses over the next few weeks to keep people safe.
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“It is absolutely clear that government claims of partnership working with local authorities are nonsense and approach all about placating Tory MPs.
“No one in government has explained (the) decision to overrule us to me, or bothered to contact me at all. Disgraceful.”
Senior Tory Sir Graham Brady, who is MP for Altrincham which falls under Trafford councils, rejected Western’s claims.
Brady, who chairs the powerful Tory backbench 1922 committee, told the Telegraph he had contacted DHSC after being “unpersuaded” by the council’s reasons for extending lockdown.
“I understand that DHSC offered a choice of ending restrictions on the wards with the lowest infection rates, or ending restrictions for the whole borough, and the council chose the latter,” he said.
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“It is worth noting that 19 of 21 wards had between zero and five cases in the last week, with 11 wards have no cases or a single case... Making it illegal for people to see their families seems like an extreme measure in these circumstances.”
Meanwhile, restrictions on mixing between different households in homes or gardens in Burnley and Hyndburn will be lifted from next Wednesday in line with the rest of England, according to public health officials in Lancashire.
Existing coronavirus restrictions in Preston and parts of Pendle will remain, with residents still banned from visiting others in their homes or gardens but they can continue to meet in groups of up to six in outdoor public areas.
People living elsewhere in Pendle and in the northern part of Blackburn with Darwen will still not be able to socialise with anyone outside their household and should only use public transport if essential.
Judith Cummins, Labour MP for Bradford South, said: “I am extremely disappointed that no part of Bradford South has been removed from the local restrictions by the government this week.
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“In the consensus meeting held on Tuesday I made the case for Bradford South to be removed from local restrictions and to revert to the national restrictions given the low to medium infection rate across the constituency.
“The government needs to explain why they have ignored the views of me and my constituents. During this pandemic, it is vital that government acts, and is seen to act, without political bias.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-28--Essex Lorry Deaths: Ronan Hughes Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter

The 40-year-old man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 39 migrants who were found dead in a container in Essex last October. BEN STANSALL via Getty Images
A man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 39 migrants who were found dead in the back of a lorry in Essex last October.
Ronan Hughes, 40, from Co Armagh in Northern Ireland, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday after being extradited from the Republic of Ireland in July.
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He was one of several men accused of being part of a people-smuggling ring linked to the deaths of the 39 migrants last October.
Prosecutors said he played a leading role in the operation by allowing his trailers and drivers to be used in human trafficking.
The bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were found in the trailer of a lorry on an industrial estate in Grays on October 23, 2019, after it landed at Purfleet in Essex from the Belgian port of Zeebrugge.
Among the men, women and children found dead were 10 teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys.
An inquest has heard the victims’ cause of death was asphyxia (a lack of oxygen) and hyperthermia (overheating) in an enclosed space.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-29--UK Can't Rule Out 'Extensive Lockdowns' This Winter, Matt Hancock Warns

Nationwide restrictions cannot be ruled out should England see a spike in coronavirus cases this winter, the health secretary has warned.
Matt Hancock has also hinted that restrictions may not be eased over Christmas in order to avoid an “uptick” in the number of Covid-19 cases.
Speaking to The Times, Hancock said countries in others parts of the world were already experiencing a second wave, adding it was “a very serious threat”.
But he said the UK was managing to keep the number of new cases “flat” through the test and trace system and local lockdowns.
Describing the worst-case scenario, he said the UK could be battling bad flu and a growth in coronavirus as people spend more time indoors.
He continued: “Cases go up again, and we have to use very extensive local lockdowns or take further national action.
“We don’t rule that out, but we don’t want to see it.”
BBC’s Newsnight reported on Friday that a ‘reasonable worst-case planning assumption’ presented to the government warned there could be up to 81,000 excess deaths directly attributed to Covid-19 between July and next March.
The broadcaster said the scenario was laid out in a document signed off by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) for the Cabinet Office at the end of July.
Hancock’s comments come as local Covid-19 restrictions were eased in northern England, which will allow social gatherings between two homes from Wednesday in Bolton, Stockport, Trafford, Burnley, Hyndburn and parts of Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.
Hancock told The Times that a second wave could be “avoidable but it’s not easy”, with schools reopening next week presenting new challenges in stopping the spread of the virus.
In an interview with ITV News, Hancock said: “We’re doing a huge amount of planning to make sure that the NHS is prepared and can cope to make sure that people can have as much freedom to enjoy Christmas, to enjoy winter, as possible.”
But when asked whether there will be special rules to allow more people to visit one another over Christmas, Hancock suggested it could lead to a rise in the number of people catching the virus.
“The danger of a rule like that is that it increases the spread of the disease,” he said.
“I mean, there are an awful lot of things I’d love to be able to do, but the risk of them is that we see an uptick in the disease.
“Hence, we’ve had to take decisions that you wouldn’t ever want to.”
Tory former minister Tobias Ellwood said “draconian action” could be needed if the public do not stick to social distancing rules, hinting the government could take stronger action than local lockdowns.
He told Times Radio: “It’s an enduring emergency and until a vaccine turns up there is a national resolve, there is a responsibility, a duty of every individual… also the Government needs to keep the nation safe and that’s where Matt Hancock’s work comes in and then Rishi Sunak needs to make sure the economy is working.
“If the nation, if individuals aren’t following the rules then ultimately… we cannot break the chain of spread and therefore draconian action is required to take place.”
On vaccines, the health secretary said there is potential for it to be available this year, but that it is more likely next year.
He continued: “It’s a very difficult science, it’s thankfully one that our scientists are up to, and each sign at the moment is going well and going in the right direction.
“But we don’t want to raise people’s hopes too much.”
The government is responding to “an increase in anti-vax messages and anti-test messages”, he said, with a programme under way to tackle “these sorts of conspiracy theories” which he branded as “wrong”.
When asked about the government’s U-turns on a number of policies recently, Hancock said he believed people would have been “really cross” if they did not happen.
“We’re dealing with a crisis that is entirely unprecedented,” he responded.
“We’re dealing with a disease that didn’t even exist, as far as we know, before December last year.
“And so, we’re taking decisions guided by the science on it.
“I think people would, what people would get really cross about, is if a government refuse to change even if evidence came up that there was a better option.”
Prime minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that schools were safe to attend as he encouraged every pupil to return to the classroom.
“The evidence is overwhelming that it is in the interest of the wellbeing and the health of children, young people, pupils, to be back in school rather than missing out any more,” he said.
“So, it is the healthy, safe thing to do.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-29--12 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

12 Amazing Photos You Missed This Week

We’re highlighting exceptional photos from around the world for the week of August 22-28. Check them out below.
Above: The 4-year-old daughter of Marqueese Alston, who was shot and killed by Washington’s Metropolitan Police on June 12, 2018, holds a photograph of her father as demonstrators gather at the Lincoln Memorial for the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” March on Washington in support of racial justice in Washington on Aug. 28, 2020.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-29--Banksy-Funded Boat 'Reaching State Of Emergency' After Rescuing More Than 200 People

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Crew on board a rescue boat funded by British street artist Banksy have said they are “reaching a state of emergency” as they shelter more than 200 people off the coast of Libya.
In a series of tweets posted through their official account, a spokesperson for the Louise Michel also said European authorities had ignored their calls for “immediate assistance”, with the boat so overcrowded it’s now unable to manoeuvre.
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A crew of just 10 have rescued 219 people in recent days, with the majority crammed onto the 30m boat and 33 on a life raft. One person has died, and others on board suffered fuel burns and extreme trauma after spending days at sea.
We repeat, #LouiseMichel is unable to safely move and nobody is coming to our aid. The people rescued have experienced extreme trauma, it's time for them to be brought to a #PlaceOfSafety. We need immediate assistance. — LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 29, 2020
#LouiseMichel is unable to move, she is no longer the master of her manoeuver, due to her overcrowded deck and a liferaft deployed at her side, but above all due to Europe ignoring our emergency calls for immediate assistance. The responsible authorities remain unresponsive. — LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 29, 2020
The vessel set off in secret on August 18 from Valencia, on the east coast of Spain, and has remained in the central Mediterranean since.
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On Thursday the Louise Michel rescued 89 people, including 14 women and four children, from a rubber dinghy in distress, and on Friday responded to a distress call from Moonbird, which monitors migrant boats in the central Mediterranean.
“Louise Michel proceeded at full possible speed & handed out life vests to 130 people to secure the situation,” a spokesperson tweeted after the rescue.
But hours later it became clear that the boat was struggling to cope without assistance from the authorities.
🔴Alert! #LouiseMichel assisted another 130 people - among them many women & children - and nobody is helping! We are reaching a State of Emergency. We need immediate assistance, @guardiacostiera & @Armed_Forces_MT. We are safeguarding 219 people with a crew of 10. Act #EU, now! — LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 28, 2020
“Don’t let it become a body count. Do your job. Rescue them,” the spokesperson wrote. The crew also posted details of their call logs in the early hours of Saturday morning, alleging that neither the Italian or Maltese authorities had responded adequately to their requests despite the boat being within the European search and rescue zone.
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‼ There is already one dead person on the boat. The others have fuel burns, they have been at sea for days and now they are being left alone in an #EU (!) Search and Rescue Zone. Don't let it become a body count. Do your job. Rescue them. — LouiseMichel (@MVLouiseMichel) August 28, 2020
In the most recent tweet, posted early on Saturday morning, the crew confirmed that the boat was still unable to safely move, with “nobody” coming to the vessel’s aid.
They said: “The people rescued have experienced extreme trauma, it’s time for them to be brought to a place of safety. We need immediate assistance.”
According to the Missing Migrants Project, 514 migrants have died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean so far in 2020, 359 of whom died in the central Mediterranean where the Louis Michel is currently stranded.
In October 2019 the EU voted against improving search and rescue operations for refugees stranded in the Mediterranean, with an alliance of far-right and centre-right parties ensuring the narrow defeat.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-29--Smash Mouth Yelled ‘F**k That Covid’ At Rally Now Linked To Nearly 200 Cases

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The band Smash Mouth gave Instagram followers a glimpse of “fan mail” it received after headlining a concert in early August at a South Dakota motorcycle rally that is now linked to the spread of nearly 200 cases of Covid-19.
The image posted on Saturday showed a smashed Smash Mouth CD and a letter calling the band members “motherfuckers.” Several of the top liked comments on the post agreed with the letter’s sentiment, with one arguing that the band “let all your fans who care about human life down.”
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Smash Mouth’s concert took place at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, during the weekend of 8 August. The rally was a crowded affair that attracted more than 360,000 bikers and enthusiasts to the small South Dakota city over a week.
The concert featured other bands, but Smash Mouth achieved notoriety after frontman Steve Harwell announced to the crowd, “Now, we’re all here together tonight, ... fuck that COVID shit!”
Nearly 200 rally-related cases of Covid-19 emerged as of Friday in multiple states – including South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota – since the event’s final day on 16 August, according to health writer Jeremy Fugleberg, who monitored cases linked with the rally from his base in Fargo, North Dakota.
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STURGIS: Reported COVID-19 cases linked to the South Dakota motorcycle rally is 196, by my latest count this AM. Tracking continues. Tally:
SD: 88
MN: 35
ND: 21
Colo.: 20+
Wyo.: 10
Neb.: 7
Mont.: 6
NH: 6
Wisc.: 2
Wash: 1
Sources below: — jayfug (@jayfug) August 28, 2020
Some 462,182 vehicles entered Sturgis during the rally, according to the South Dakota Department of Transportation.
Sturgis rallygoers visited about 61% of all counties within the United States, according to an aggregation of anonymised mobile phone activity shared with The Associated Press by the data analytics company Camber Systems. That potentially included some people who were in the audience during Smash Mouth’s set.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-29--Chadwick Boseman Surprising Black Panther Fans On Jimmy Fallon Shows The Impact The Actor Had On All

Chadwick Boseman Surprising Black Panther Fans On Jimmy Fallon Shows The Impact The Actor Had On All Who Met Him

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Chadwick made history playing the first Black superhero in mainstream comics as T’Challa, the king of Wakanda, in Black Panther.
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The $1.3billion-grossing movie proved to be a landmark moment in the fight for greater representation in Hollywood, putting Black characters at the centre of a blockbuster production, and became the first superhero film to earn a best picture nod at the Oscars.
Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther Marvel
But its legacy is perhaps better measured in the millions of fans it inspired after seeing themselves represented on the big screen for the first time.
And some of those fans got the chance to reveal just how much the landmark film meant to them on the Jimmy Fallon Show in 2018.
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Following Chadwick’s untimely death, people have been sharing a video of the moment the actor surprised fans by leaping out from behind a curtain while they talk about what Black Panther meant to them.
“There is a sense of pride that I’ve seen from most people when they come out of the theatre that is a very unique experience across the board, whether they’re African-American or African, or white, or Asian,” Chadwick said at the time.
Watch the clip below...