Billionaire Elon Musk has officially purchased social media company Twitter, in a move that has caused both celebration and anger amongst its workers and users.
Despite doubts that Musk would purchase the company after putting the deal ‘on hold’ due to Twitter allegedly misrepresenting the number of bots and spam accounts on the platform, the deal was officially completed on October 27, at an estimated cost of US$44 billion.
It was reported that the Tesla and SpaceX owner, within minutes of acquiring Twitter, promptly fired many executives who were escorted out of the building by security.
Musk’s open letter to Twitter advertisers regarding his acquisition of the company
Musk’s vision for Twitter was laid out in a tweet, where he said it was ‘important to the future of civilisation to have a common digital town square… [because] social media will splinter into far right wing and far left wing echo chambers that generate more hate and divide our society.’
The deal has been praised by conservatives and Republicans, who see it as good progress for online free speech. Many will point to previous examples of Twitter seemingly trying to censor right-wing speech.
However, it has also been opposed and criticised by liberals and Democrats, who fear a rise in misinformation and hate speech on the platform.
It’s bigger than free speech now
The reaction and effects of Musk’s takeover of Twitter should be evidence enough to prove that Twitter has a far more important role in society than most realise or are willing to admit.
It has exposed many for who they really are, most of whom fall into two camps.
There are those who wish to have absolutely no limits to speech at all (even at the possibility of real world harm), and those who wish to shape the internet’s political landscape in their image, to the extent where they would leave a platform that provides a space for opposing viewpoints.
For some, it’s welcomed anarchy. For others, it marks the end of their digital and intellectual comfort.
Many would argue that Twitter has evolved from just another social network to a public utility, something that Twitter workers themselves have described the platform as.
It is ironic, therefore, that a public utility finds itself in the midst of such controversy. To some, the fact that the takeover (for the purpose of free speech) is controversial in itself is the reason why Twitter needed a change.
Lies about the election are not "a difference of opinion."
Rape and death threats are not "a difference of opinion."
Deliberate science misinformation is not "a difference of opinion."
Marvel Comics writer Ethan Sacks voices his opposition to Musk’s pledge.
The only people who should be concerned by this takeover are those who do not truly believe in free speech, but rather a sort of authoritarian online culture.
There are those who are actually upset that there will now be LESS censorship on the platform.
The reaction to Musk’s takeover proves this, as many have left the platform due to somewhat baseless claims about a supposed ‘rise of hate speech’; a concept in itself which has been recently challenged and rejected.
It also proves that many were comfortable on Twitter, pre-Musk, which in turn exposed a cultural and political bias that the company had.
If Twitter considers itself a public entity, it must be free of all bias and become a space where people can simply exchange ideas.
Therefore, to not wish to be part of that is to not want to be part of the public, which is demonstrable proof of how ideologically polarised society has become.
What now?
Musk plans to lay off over a quarter of Twitter’s workforce, and has until 1 November to take legal action to avoid having to pay bonuses to certain executives.
He has also proposed making Twitter’s blue tick verification function a subscription service.
Activists and left-leaning politicians see this as potentially dangerous for democracy and individual rights, whilst right-leaning politicians and commentators believe it to be important for the future of online communication.
To some, the digital playing field has finally been levelled.
It does seem, at least for the immediate future, that this is a watershed moment in the culture war that society seems to find itself in the midst of.
No matter your politics, being black is definitely a thing. A thing with its own experiences, expectations, tribulations and traumas. We could say the same about being British. Well, kind of. Regardless, there is a remarkably unique archetype at the intersection or the in-between of these two worlds. The Black British. What is it? How is it? Who is it? For me, the notion of black Britishness is something that evokes mixed emotions. On the one hand, I absolutely love my experiences growing up as a black body around British culture. From playing heads and volleys in my T90s on road to migraine skanking with my cousins, or watching Eastenders’ Christmas special at my grandma’s.
There are even experiences I’ve had as a direct result of Britain’s marginalization and systemic racism, that through the lens of my Black Britishness, I hold close as fond memories and even routine practice today (chicken shop dinner, anyone?).
This brings me to my next point; being Black and British is very conflicting. I am regularly reminded in typical polite British fashion that I supposedly do not belong here, and frankly, when one takes a deep dive into Britain’s illustriously criminal history, I’m not sure I would want to ‘belong’ here either.
Especially having the Jamaican and Zimbabwean heritage that I do. Yet the wild thing is, when I go back to those countries as someone born in south London, I can be made to feel like I don’t belong there either. And so I find myself back in this in between. This polychromatic identity space in which so much is questioned, discovered, exchanged, redesigned, built, fought for, fought against, and so much more.
It’s coming up to Halloween and people all over are searching for their perfect costume, Witch hats are being bought, fake blood is being splattered, but amongst the light-hearted fun, are individuals purchasing outfits to resemble real serial killers? Even if it needed explaining in the first place, here’s why you shouldn’t be dressing up as The Milwaukee Monster.
Who is Jeffrey Dahmer?
Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as, ‘The Milwaukee Monster’, was an American serial killer and sex offender who committed the murders and dismemberment of seventeen men and boys between 1978 and 1991. The majority of Dahmer’s victims were young, Black, Latino, or Asian men. He was convicted of fifteen of the sixteen murders he had committed in Wisconsin and was sentenced to fifteen terms of life imprisonment on February 17th, 1992. It is thought that systemic racism and institutional failures within the police were one of the reasons why he was able to continue his murders for more than 10 years. Dahmer was later sentenced to a sixteenth term of life imprisonment for an additional homicide committed in Ohio in 1978. He was beaten to death by Christopher Scarver, a fellow inmate at the Columbia Correctional Institution in Wisconsin.
Jeffrey Dahmer, Source: (Getty Images)
Why is this suddenly being talked about in 2022?
On September 21st, ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ was released on Netflix, starring Hollywood actor, Evan Peters, as Dahmer. The show quickly became one of the most-watched shows on the platform. The 10-episode series depicted the lead-up to Dahmer’s murders, showing parts of his childhood, alcoholism, and the most gruesome and shocking aspects of the murders and cases.
However, the series has caused mixed reviews on social media, including some of the victims’ families. Rita Isbell, the sister of Errol Lindsey, one of the serial killer’s victims, explained her family had not been consulted by Netflix:
“I was never contacted about the show. I feel like Netflix should’ve asked if we mind or how we felt about making it.” But it’s not just Netflix’s lack of communication with the victim’s families which is concerning. A Jeffrey Dahmer costume may be one of the most popular Halloween outfits for 2022.
Is there a confusion between reality and fiction within true crime series?
But the prediction of Dahmer being a popular Halloween costume is part of an even larger conversation, is there a line not being drawn between reality and fiction when it comes to depicting crime in television entertainment series?
There have been other reaction videos that have surfaced which react to the Dahmer series. One which caused much backlash was the TikTok of a woman who appeared to be wearing earrings with Dahmer’s face on them, with the caption ‘not gory enough for me.’ This is not the only individual on social media who felt the depiction of the real-life murders in the series were not gruesome enough. It pushes forward the idea that when presenting these real-life crimes in television series with Hollywood actors people can lose a grip on grip that this is reality forgetting that it isn’t fictional content.
Source (TikTok)
As well as this, the series’ inclusion of Dahmer’s childhood and alcoholism left some viewers to say that they felt ‘sorry’ for him. The television series was aimed to give a ‘voice to the victims.’ It brings up another question of how the series’ portrayal of Jeffrey Dahmer was a romanticisation of the events that occurred, viewers were at risk of being desensitised due to the remake of the atrocities that happened.
With the timing of the series release serving as a lead-up to the Halloween holidays, individuals have already been reportedly dressing up themselves or their children as Jeffrey Dahmer. With a quick search on TikTok, it is very easy to find inspiration videos on how to recreate the Netflix Jeffrey Dahmer outfit. Searches for “Jeffrey Dahmer costume” have surged across platforms since the show’s release, with that hashtag earning over 8 billion views on TikTok.
Source: (Instagram)
However, some companies are taking a stand against the insensitivity and inappropriateness of the selling of Jeffrey Dahmer costumes. Ebay has banned sales of Dahmer paraphernalia on its platform, saying it violates the e-commerce company’s “violence and violent criminals policy,” a spokesperson told CBS MoneyWatch. Specifically, the policy prohibits listings that “promote or glorify violence or violent acts, or are associated with individuals who are notorious for committing violent acts,” and is intended to promote safety while respecting the victims of violent crimes, according to the company.
Dear parents— this year, your child probably wants to dress up as Superman or Spider-Man. I can assure you they don’t want to be Jeffrey Dahmer for Halloween. Stop.
Following the reaction to the series release, if it needed explaining, here are a few reasons why it is inappropriate to dress up as a man that took 17 lives.
Consider the families of the victims and what an awful and horrific experience it would be for them to walk past an individual who is dressed up as the murderer of their loved one.
The majority of Dahmer’s victims were part of the LGBTQ+ and Black, Asian and Latino communities, dressing up as Jeffrey Dahmer is insensitive towards these communities and shows little care towards them.
It’s romanticising a real-life serial killer.
So before you run out to buy your Halloween costumes, bear in mind that dressing up as real-life serial killers is not a light-hearted joke… it’s just incredibly weird.
After a short leadership election, Rishi Sunak has become the leader of the Conservative Party and the third Prime Minister the UK has had this year.
It has been announced that Rishi Sunak will take over as leader of the Tory Party and become the next Prime Minister.
It means that Mr Sunak will now be responsible for overseeing the organisation of the fiscal statement which should be delivered to Parliament next week and will pave out government spending for the rest of the year.
It is not yet clear what Mr Sunak’s government policies will entail, however, he faces the difficult task of balancing out the economy and calming down markets during a cost of living crisis. He earned a reputation as chancellor for balancing the books, resulting in higher taxes.
Because of this, it is unlikely that he will stray too far from Jeremy Hunt’s U-turns set out earlier in the month, especially commitments to increase corporation tax to 25 per cent. When it comes to healthcare in the country, Mr Sunak previously suggested bringing in a £10 policy for missing appointments in an effort to tackle NHS backlogs.
Some of his other former policies suggested include toughening up immigration and asylum rules, protecting the green belt, and remaining committed to the UK reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
A brief timeline
Former Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has become our next Prime Minister.
Having launched a slick campaign video just 28 hour after Boris Johnson gave up the ghost, the 42-year-old, whose career in politics only began seven years ago, is now the bookies’ favourite for the top job.
Once dubbed ‘Dishy Rishi’, the Oxford-educated son of pharmacists promises to ‘steer our country through these headwinds’ of the current challenging economic climate and said: “Once we have gripped inflation, I will get the tax burden down. It is a question of when, not if.”
But with Johnson loyalists – who’ve hit out at ‘treacherous’ Sunak – determined to ‘stop Rishi’ in favour of Liz Truss, his hopes to run a government could be derailed.
What you need to know about our next PM.
What’s his background?
Sunak, the eldest of three children, was born in 1980 in Southampton to parents NHS GP Yashvir Sunak and pharmacist Usha Sunak who ran her pharmacy. They were born in Kenya and Tanzania.
His grandparents were born in India before moving to East Africa and then the UK in the 1960s.
Sajid Javid, Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Toby Melville/PA) / PA Archive
He had a prestigious education
Like five chancellors of the exchequer before him, Sunak attended the well-regarded independent boarding school Winchester College where he went on to become head boy. “My parents sacrificed a great deal so I could attend good schools,” he says. “I was lucky to study at Winchester College, Oxford University and Stanford University. That experience changed my life.” He worked as a waiter at a curry house in Southampton during the summer holidays.
“Rishi was always expected to do something,” a former boarding school peer, Tim Johnson, told Tatler. “He was always expected to be head boy as he was clever enough, reasonable enough and well behaved enough.”
A huge cricket fan and known for being friendly, young Sunak was conservative in every sense, said Johnson: he didn’t drink, he was a practising Hindu who avoided beef and even then he was clearly “associated with the Tories”, said Johnson.
Oxford and his career before politics
Even at Oxford, where he graduated with a first in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, Sunak had his sights on the head of government. “His fellow students certainly said, slightly lightheartedly, that he wanted to become Conservative prime minister. But I don’t think anyone took that too seriously – it was more of a joke,” his senior PPE tutor, Michael Rosen, said.
But after Oxford, Sunak won a Fulbright scholarship to Stanford university in California. From there, he eschewed politics and instead opted for a financial career working at various investment firms, including Goldman Sachs, in California, India and Britain.
In 2010 he set up a private investment partnership, Theleme Partners, with an initial fund of £536 million and it was at this time that he started volunteering for the Conservatives a couple of days a week. The Times have said he was a “multimillionaire in his mid-twenties,” but he has never commented on his wealth.
Rishi and his wife Akshata Murty / Twitter
A rapid rise in Westminster
Sunak was elected the MP for Richmond in Yorkshire in May 2015. It’s one of the country’s safest seats, having been Tory since 1906. He was reelected in 2019 with a majority of 27,210.
Between 2018 and 2019 he served as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Local Government before entering the Cabinet in 2019 as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
In February 2020 he became one of the youngest chancellors in history where he presided over the budget throughout the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis. As an MP and chancellor, Mr Sunak’s government salary was £151,649.
In the same year he got another prestigious title – ‘Britain’s sexiest MP’, beating Sir Keir Starmer for top spot, and earned himself the nickname ‘Dishy Rishi’.
What was his position on Brexit?
Sunak voted to leave the European Union in the 2016 Brexit referendum. He called it his “toughest decision since becoming MP” but said it was a “once in a generation opportunity for our country to take back control of its destiny”. He said leaving the EU would make Britain “freer, fairer and more prosperous”.
Furlough and ‘Eat Out to Help Out’
Sunak made history in March 2020 by introducing furlough – a £330 billion emergency mass job retention scheme – allowing employees to claim up to 80 per cent of their wages when the pandemic prevented them from working.
He was also the creator of ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, a Government scheme to subsidise food and drink at participating restaurants, cafes and pubs at 50 per cent up to £10 per person. The scheme subsidised a total of £849 million in meals.
Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty (Ian West/PA) / PA Wire
His wife is richer than the Queen
Sunak met his wife, Akshata Murty, while studying for his masters at Stanford University. She’s the daughter of an Indian billionaire, N. R. Narayana Murthy, known as ‘the Bill Gates of India’ for founding the software company, Infosys. Her 0.91 per cent stake in the company gives her an estimated £700m in shares, which leaves her richer than the Queen.
They married in her hometown of Bangalore, in a two-day ceremony attended by 1,000 guests.
Now she runs her own fashion label, Akshata Designs, and has been profiled by Vogue India. The 42-year-old is also the director of a venture capital firm founded by her father in 2010.
The pair have two children together and live in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, where they’re known for hosting a Champagne summer garden party every year.
She was embroiled in a tax scandal
In April of this year Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, was thrown into the spotlight when it emerged she might be benefiting from tax reduction schemes. It was revealed that she was a non-domiciled (non-dom) UK resident, which meant she was not required by law to pay UK taxes on her overseas income. The BBC estimated this would have saved her £2.1m a year in UK tax.
“This is yet another example of the Tories thinking it is one rule for them, another for everyone else,” Labour said at the time.
“Akshata Murthy is a citizen of India, the country of her birth and parent’s home. India does not allow its citizens to hold the citizenship of another country simultaneously,” her spokeswoman said in her defence. “So, according to British law, Ms Murthy is treated as non-domiciled for UK tax purposes. She has always and will continue to pay UK taxes on all her UK income.”
But not wanting to be a ‘distraction’ for her husband she quickly decided to change her tax arrangements.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty in the stands during day one of the cinch Second Test match at Lord’s (PA Archive/PA Images) / PA Archive
Black women are often overlooked in mainstream media for their achievements. The mainstream women’s movement has historically lacked real inclusion in celebrating black women.
Rather than waiting for mainstream media to play catch-up, we want to use our platform to celebrate the diversity and excellence of black women.
So, keeping in line with our desire to “discover stories from across the political spectrum, local stories, stories that hold power to account, that uncover wrongdoing, that empower the forgotten and the unheard”, the Common Sense Network presents you with 1 of the 5 phenomenal black women who are excelling in their various industries.
Let me introduce you to Eneni Bambara-Abban. Eneni is a Robotics Engineer, STEM Communicator, also, she is the founder of The Techover Foundation, an international NGO, whose ethos focuses on encouraging, supporting, and educating people from underrepresented communities into Tech. She is also the founder of AnimeandChill, a worldwide International Anime and Gaming community, it is a space serving an inclusive community that brings people together to network irrespective of race, gender, and sexual orientation.
In 2021 she was awarded the Rising Star award in Tech by WeAreTech Women and was offered a fully funded membership to be a part of the prestigious BCS, Chartered Institute for IT, she has been identified by The Institute of Engineering and Technology as an engineer that is making who has made a tremendous impact on the world.
Courtesy of Eneni Bambara
Tell us about yourself and your business.
Hi, my name is Eneni Bambara-Abban; I am a Nigerian-British-born Robotics engineer. My main expertise is in Engineering and technology. Over the years, I have changed that. I call myself a steminist now – this comes from the acronym S.T.E.M which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths because I believe that many of the projects I end up doing are between industries, so it is not just set to robotics anymore. I like all the different projects I do and all the different sectors they are in, with diversity and inclusion being the glue that holds them together. I am also very passionate about D&I.
“My mantra is to ensure that all the spaces I am involved in are diverse and inclusive. I include inclusive here and not just diversity because I recently discovered that I have ADHD, so now I am neuro-divergent, which I am coming to terms with. I found that many places, especially the workplace, are not inclusive towards people with disabilities or mental health difficulties. So, I try to ensure that my spaces are genuinely diverse and inclusive.”
Eneni Bambara
Why do you think diversity and inclusion is so important in the workplace?
It is important from so many standpoints, If we are talking from a technical perspective, you have things like algorithmic bias. Many of our AI and machine learning programs are designed by a particular demographic, especially in more prominent corporations; typically, the white cis male is in the room when the algorithms are being developed.
In Algorithm design, when your collecting the data that goes into the algorithm, you have to be very aware of who is collecting that data and making an algorithm out of that. If only one person is collecting the data when the algorithm is being created, it will only favour one type of person.
For example, if you create an algorithm meant to identify a cat on a camera, but you only process pictures of black cats because of the bias of the people operating the algorithm. At the end of the process if you point the camera at an orange cat or a pink cat, the algorithm will not recognise it as a cat.
Courtesy of Eneni Bambara
You would find this same bias in corporations; white cis males are typically attracted to white women. So suppose an algorithm is created for a beauty app or filter meant to detect how beautiful you are. In that case, if the people in the room are not attracted to black women when the algorithm is collecting its data, it isn’t going to detect black women. You can think about the ramifications of that when a child or a young black girl was to try to use that app, but she is unable to because it doesn’t detect her as beautiful.
This is a minimal example, but this spans wide to anything from getting loans. AI powers many loan apps with algorithmic bias in them. This is why, from a technical standpoint, diversity & inclusion is very important because if black women are not at the forefront of this as it is being designed, we will be left out, which will have severe ramifications for us as a people. From an ethical perspective, why wouldn’t you think about everybody you hire? Why would you limit it to one demographic? Ethically we need to ensure that every company is inclusive and their workplace is diverse.
Are there any practical ways you have been able to help women?
Source: @Thetechover (Instagram)
The stats show that many girls study engineering and technology-based subjects but don’t make it to the workplace, or if they do, they are in the workplace for less than a year. There aren’t enough women in STEM, not because they lack passion. The problem is when they get to a stage in their career, someone or something makes them feel like they cannot be in that industry, so they leave. The stats show that women now make up 16.5% of engineers in the UK; in 2010, women made up about 10%. It has gone up but not by a lot.
I created the page so that girls who have felt the same way I have could reach out to me. Social media is a great platform to reach those girls and have them open up to me even if they don’t know me. I believe that through my social media platforms, I have created a safe space where I could show the duplexity and the different faces of what it means to be a black woman in STEM to encourage others, hopefully.
Source: @Thetechover (Instagram)
Social media has allowed me to reach a global audience and provided opportunities for friends to encourage girls to go to universities, facilitate workshops and do interviews. I don’t do this to be a role model; I don’t think the way I go about things is always the best. However, I do these things to represent those who have encountered difficulties to see that they would be okay and that they can also pursue their career in Engineering, this is how I believe I represent women and girls.
Can you tell us a bit more about your business in Tech and your Foundation in Nigeria?
I work as a freelancer in Tech; you can say that I am a creative technologist, which means people outsource projects to me to build for them. I had a business where I was doing the same thing. However, I didn’t know the first thing about running a business. I felt like once people saw a black woman, they didn’t want to support her.
In 2020 I tried to start a business, but running a robotics business requires a lot of physical interactions, so I closed the company and decided to start again as a freelancer, as it allowed me to work anywhere. During the lockdown, I decided to work in Nigeria, and a company hired me to work as a creative technologist for the movies and dramas they were producing. Aside from my job for that company, I also wanted to teach and set up workshops.
This is where my foundation started – I pitched the idea to a company called Arduino, one of the world’s biggest robotics companies. They loved my idea to teach girls in rural Nigeria about the power of Tech and were willing to send me anything I needed to get things started. Planning workshops in those areas was intense because it wasn’t just about education; there was a safety aspect to it with everyone involved – myself and my teams and the girls taking part in the workshops. So, we had to be secretive in the planning and organisation.
In those moments, I realised that Tech is a way to change lives that can get these girls out of their current situation. This triggered something in me and gave me a real sense that this is something that I am meant to be doing not just in the UK and Europe, but I need to be on the ground in these rural areas speaking to girls and setting up these workshops.
Source: @Thetechoverfoundation (Instagram)
What can we expect from you and The Tech Over in the future?
At The TechOver Foundation, we are working with a charity in the Philippines. We are trying to go to the rural areas to find girls from underserved communities who have been forced into prostitution. It is a different kind of struggle, they are not dealing with Boko Haram like the girls in Nigeria, but these girls are dealing with human trafficking and prostitution from an early age. We want to give them the technical skills they could use to change their lives. This project is very dear to my heart and will be happening in the future.
I also have an anime and gaming company called AnimeandChill. Through the company, we do diverse and inclusive events across the UK for all lovers of anime and gaming, we have a lot of events coming up this year, keeping me very busy.
Lastly, I have a film coming out hopefully in 2025 that I am doing in collaboration with Channel 4 called STEM. It is about a Scientist, a Technologist, an Engineer and a Mathematician, you can think of it as Sex in the City meets Hidden Figures, so we will have the technical girls being badass in Engineering from Hidden Figures but also have The Sex In The City drama and love stories intertwined I hope the film will encourage other black women to pursue their dreams regardless of their circumstances.
To find out more about Eneni, click the links below!
The official guidance is often not to give homeless people money but to donate to charities instead. However one pioneering scheme in Bristol is offering a different solution – Britain’s first token scheme where people can give rough sleepers plastic “chips” they can swap for food, drink and, eventually, shelter.
Common Sense sat down with Jack Gascoine to understand more about Billy Chip and the potential impact it could have on homeless people up and down the country.
What is Billy Chip and why did you start it?
BillyChip is a safe and secure currency for the public to donate directly to rough-sleepers, without the worry of their donation being spent on harmful substances. BillyChips are then redeemed by homeless people at any participating outlet for hot takeaway food and drinks.
We pay outlets for any redemptions given out, with all profits raised going to our foundation to fund other homeless and mental health services.
BillyChip was set up in the memory of Billy Abernethy-Hope, a 20 year old ambulance driver from Bristol who sadly lost his life following a motorbike accident in Thailand in 2018, before he left to go travelling Billy had thought of the idea of a redeemable token the public could buy instead of handing over cash.
This was following a conversation with his Dad, Jon about the reasons he preferred to donate to a charity rather than directly to somebody in need, Jon’s concern was facilitating a harmful addiction
BillyChip is a pioneering initiative set up in Bristol offering a cashless solution to help tackle stigma and attitudes toward giving cash and spare change to rough sleepers.
Bily Chip
Starting something can be very difficult. What motivates you to keep going?
The motivation behind BillyChip comes mainly from a drive to provide my friend and his idea with the best legacy possible, sadly Billy isn’t here to carry out his vision of a public resource that will provide support and comfort for those sleeping rough and see nothing better to do with my life than pursue the success of BillyChip.
What has the response been so far?
So far the response has been positive, from outreach services, police officers and homeless people. Since the pandemic, I think society understands that our ever-growing cashless community is having a real detriment to those reliant on spare change donations to get by. BillyChip not only provides a solution to this issue but also overcomes hesitancies held by many of the population around what their donation will be spent on.
Mr Clooney shook hands, posed for selfies and chatted with fans. // Source: Social Bite
How would you rate the Government’s approach to dealing with homelessness?
It’s difficult to comment on the government’s response to homelessness as most outreach services that I deal with are widely self-funded and voluntary. From the brief interactions, we’ve had with trying to work with Bristol City Council it’s very clear that the politics surrounding the funding of homeless services often overshadows new, progressive ideas. This sadly leads to the sector falling behind the times and ultimately, homeless people not receiving the support they could, if funding protocols were more open.
There is also a lack of humility in recognising failing services because admitting personal error in politics is career-ending. I find this disappointing as those in council roles, employed to help the homeless, by and large use their positions to further their own political careers and agendas, rather than fulfilling their requirements.
What are some of the inspiring stories you are seeing about homelessness prevention?
Following the pandemic there seems to have been an increase in people pursuing vocational careers, perhaps this is due to people seeing the end of the pandemic as a fresh start. We have seen many community-led services take off in our city that provide vital support that is not yet properly funded by the government. Services such as dental work, haircutting and clothing support seem to be left up to volunteers and although many in the industry view this as essential support, it often isn’t publicly funded leaving those running the services to feel dismayed and let down in a taxation system they’ve paid into for years. Sadly our praise (applause) isn’t enough and these causes need the respect and support they deserve to fulfil their potential.
How can people support Billy Chip?
People can support BillyChip in a number of ways, as found on our website (www.billychip.com). We have a section called ‘Chip In’ where the public can sign up as volunteers and access literature to pass on to their local coffee outlets to join the scheme. Each volunteer receives a unique volunteer code and if an outlet signs up using that code, the volunteer is entered into our monthly prize draw for concert tickets, trips away etc…
We can also be found across social media platforms @thebillychip where supporters can keep up to date with our progress.
Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng has been sensationally sacked as Chancellor, just thirty-eight days after being appointed.
His tenure is reported to be among the swiftest in British political history despite many correctly predicting his eventual demise, with many also believing that the Prime Minister herself could be next.
After a disastrous and humiliating U-turn of the proposed mini-budget, many MPs had already made up their minds that Kwarteng was simply not the man for the job. His ideas proved to be too unpopular for most Tory MPs and for the markets.
Initially, the Treasury was happy with his plans but a fierce backlash followed soon after, which eventually descended into open revolt against the former Chancellor, it also resulted in a record surge in Labour votes.
The mutinous atmosphere was reportedly mainly due to Kwarteng’s seemingly tone-deaf response to political reality (such as proposing more tax cuts) and his stubbornness towards altering his plans.
According to the Times, Kwarteng flew back to the UK from Washington not knowing he was about to be sacked, having read about his demise from the Times themselves before Liz Truss formally informed him, since then, Jeremy Hunt has now taken the position of Chancellor.
Kwasi Kwarteng’s open letter to the Prime Minister after his sacking
The Conservative implosion continues
The speed at which Kwarteng’s sacking came perfectly encapsulates the imploding Conservative Party. Make no mistake about it; it was a matter of when, and not if, Kwarteng would be given his marching orders.
Within six weeks, a replacement for arguably the third most powerful position in the country has already been made. It is a testament to how truly shambolic the Conservative Party has been in recent months, Kwarteng was undone by his tone-deaf policies and his unwillingness to change them. His decision to scrap the 45p tax rate in itself was ill-timed at best, at a time when energy bills are skyrocketing and the cost of living crisis is affecting so many.
Since Jeremy Hunt has come in, he has immediately reversed all previous tax cuts that Kwarteng made. Many consider him to be not only the right man for the job, but the de facto Prime Minister, as Liz Truss’ ratings continue to plummet, it would be interesting to find out who actually considers Truss to be in charge, irrespective of her actual position.
Truss and Kwarteng’s political leanings are, for the most part, identical. They have been close friends for many years. If one has gone, it would only make sense for the other to go as well. Of course, it’s not as easy to simply sack a Prime Minister. There are steps to be taken before that stage, but many MPs have already started to revolt.
Truss could not even make it to PMQ’s in mid-October (leaving Penny Mordaunt to defend her) where she was accused of ‘dodging questions’ by Sir Keir Starmer, for Rishi Sunak his team and his voters, this is vindication.
The Conservative Government is now the biggest threat to the security and the finances of families across the country.
Liz Truss must come to Parliament on Monday to explain what she plans to do to turn the situation around.
Keir Starmer makes a statement regarding Liz Truss
Can the Conservatives survive?
Simply put, Liz Truss has to either own her mistakes and proceed with the tasks at hand or resign with immediate effect.
Her Cabinet’s recent blunders and U-turns, combined with a lack of faith from members of her party, make her position seemingly untenable.
Truss looks timid and unsure of herself. Within six weeks of taking office, her plans have been reversed and, if recent reports are to be believed, more than 100 MPs are preparing to sign a letter of no-confidence in her leadership.
Liz Truss’ current position is hanging by a thread of uncertainty that reflects years of internal conflict within the Conservative party. Tory MPs are sceptical of the prospect of another lengthy leadership race within the party. Ben Wallace, Penny Mordaunt, and former PM candidate Rishi Sunak are names that have been floating about on social media to replace Ms. Truss’ as Prime Minister.
However, their candidacy would also prove difficult amidst the turmoil within the membership. Robert Halfon a senior Conservative backbencher has warned that a general election would result in a “bloodbath” for this party, the Conservative Party must get its act together if it wishes to remain in power.
Black women are often overlooked in mainstream media for their achievements. The mainstream women’s movement has historically lacked real inclusion in celebrating black women.
Rather than waiting for mainstream media to play catch-up, we want to use our platform to celebrate the diversity and excellence of black women.
So, keeping in line with our desire to “discover stories from across the political spectrum, local stories, stories that hold power to account, that uncover wrongdoing, that empower the forgotten and the unheard”, The Common Sense Network presents you with 5 phenomenal black women who are excelling in their various industries.
Let me introduce you to Abi Shokeye. She is the founder of Rich Skxn, They are the only online retailer for melanin-rich skin in the UK.
Their goal is “to become the world’s leading skincare retailer for black and brown skin and change the game in the beauty retail space.”
They want to inspire those with melanin-rich skin to remove and change stigmas about skincare for black and brown skin, to represent black and brown skin in the commercial space, and give “black-owned brands a platform to showcase their amazing skincare products.”
Tell me about yourself and your business.
Rich Skxn is a personalised retail store that will eventually transition into an app to help people find products suited to their skin. When it comes to brown and black skin, a few skin concerns repeatedly show up, like acne, hyperpigmentation, ingrown hair, or melasma. All these concerns show up on both white and black skin, but how it shows up on our skin and the available treatment we need is a bit different. So, education around those concerns is important so people know what products they could use on their skin. Also, they can see other people like themselves in images or videos, so they can see a representation of what it would look like if they used certain products.
Abi Shokeye | Rich Skxn
When I started my skincare journey, I didn’t have many of these resources available with a lot of tips and advice around looking after brown and black skin or knowing what products work. I spent a lot of money looking for products that work from retail stores like Boots, Super drug and Amazon. However, after doing a lot of research myself, I realised what worked, and I thought it would be great to share it with a community of struggling people like myself who want healthier skin.
That was how I started Rich Skxn. However, I don’t want Rich Skxn only to be a place where you find products but also to find treatments, so if you are looking for an esthetician or a dermatologist that could help you with your skin concerns. So, it would be a full rounded service catered to your skin.
Would you say its more difficult for black women to find skincare products among popular skincare brands?
It may be difficult if you don’t know what you are doing with skincare. If you are someone that has done a lot of research already, you may know how some ingredients work; then you can go into your usual retail store and easily pick out the products you need. However, everyone has a different skincare journey; this is something I’ve realised after catering to thousands of people on Rich Skxn that some people do need help. I want to make it easier for them so they know that this brand is curated for them; that is also why I curate products from other black-owned brands that I know have worked either on my skin or other people’s skin.
Courtesy of Abi Shokeye
What do you think has been the impact on the people that use your services on their skin?
It has been great! I recently surveyed what our customers think about Rich Skxn. The three common things people liked were that Rich Skxn is female-led and black-owned, so they love supporting a black-owned business and that I prioritise their skin and are not an afterthought. You would often find that many brands test their products on white people and then include an image of a black person in the advertisement to pull in black spenders. However, with Rich Skxn, we are inclusive of brown and black skins in our product testing. They are not an afterthought; instead, they are included in every step of the process, from creating the product to its launch. The final thing people like about Rich Skxn is the educational side; people really enjoy the fact that Rich Skxn is personalised to them and their skin concerns and that it comes from someone who understands their skin concerns.
These are the three main things that people enjoy about Rich Skxn. In addition to that is the fact that they can find other black-owned products on the website. The majority of the products on the site are black-owned. I try to add a lot of them because I don’t think most retailers allow black businesses the opportunity to sell their products. One reason for that is that small businesses cannot produce as many products as other larger brands. So, I’m trying to allow my customers to see that brown and black people create other great brands.
Why do you think we need more female black entrepreneurs?
When it comes to business, you will have your ups and downs. However, when you see someone like you, either from London or the UK, anything you can relate to can inspire you. “if they can do it, so can you.” It is essential because they can be one of your biggest motivators, especially if they are black, and they can be funded for their business. It breaks down the stereotype of black people being unable to get financed and inspires you to start your business too. I think it’s also good because you can reach out to these people to get some tips. I think having more female entrepreneurs is a good idea because it allows for more diverse business ideas rather than being stereotypically men. Also, women are very resilient when it comes to business. There are a lot of successful women out here that are doing well.
Courtesy of Abi Shokeye
Are there any women that inspire you?
Rihanna, when I saw her campaign for Fenty beauty, I was inspired to want to do the same for Rich Skxn. She’s inspired me to think bigger than myself and be inclusive. So, she encouraged me to keep pushing, and the fact that she comes out with different products inspires me to be more adaptable.
I am also inspired by many women in the UK, like Patrica Bright, Irene Agbontaen, and Mariam Jimoh. There are so many people out there doing amazing things that I am inspired by, and I am really proud of our people right now!
What challenges have you encountered since you started Rich Skxn, and what advice can you give to other women who want to start a business?
I don’t think I found many things challenging. However, when I started to source funding for Rich Skxn I often found myself pigeonholed as my business was catering to black people. It had me questioning whether I was wrong to cater to one group of people instead of being inclusive to other races. It was a bit of a battle because people couldn’t see how big this could be as brown and black people do have a lot of spending power – we care about how we look. So, that was the only thing I struggled with because of the funding side.
Courtesy of Abi Shokeye
What advice can you give to other women who want to start a business?
Look for people that understand your business, don’t just look for funding anywhere. You need to get funding from people who believe in what you believe in and can see your vision. Otherwise, you may encounter people with different opinions and forget why you are starting your business.
There is nothing wrong with being adaptable; you must be adaptable to your environment but always remember why you are starting your business.
Taking time out for yourself is essential as running a business requires you to wear many hats, so don’t take your mental health lightly.
Get a mentor who has been where you are going that can support and advise you.
Joining the Business Accelerators this year was helpful for me. They can put you in contact with experts to help you develop your idea, and even more, they can help you get funding. So, tap into a business network or business accelerator program.
Finally, get the right people around you in your team.
In December, Rich Skxn will be launching its very own product! I didn’t realise creating a product would take so long. However, we are taking the product through many tests to ensure that our customers would be satisfied with it.
To find out more about Rich Skxn, please click the links below!
There is much talk about the Metaverse these days however many don’t know what it is and many more don’t even care.
2021 was the dawn of the Metaverse. Since Mark Zuckenberg first mentioned the notion, the interest in creating metaverses has spiked. The metaverse is the next big tech platform attracting online entrepreneurs, developers, and other technology leaders looking to jump on the bandwagon and capture a slice of the new emerging market. According to Bloomberg Intelligence, the metaverse market could reach $800 billion in value by 2024.
The metaverse is a combination of the digital and physical worlds. It allows users to work, meet, play games, attend live events, throw virtual parties, and socialize in 3D virtual spaces. Despite its ever-growing popularity, the concept of the metaverse isn’t final or shrouded by mystery. Let’s dive into the metaverse to find out how it might change the world as we know it.
What is a metaverse?
I recently spoke at an event hosted by The University of Manchester where I described the Metaverse as ‘like the internet but 3d’. in many ways, I believe this simple definition gets to the heart of what we are talking about.
A metaverse is a form of virtual reality designed with the help of 3D, VR, and AR technologies where people can simulate their real-life experiences and interact with each other. The metaverse connects the financial, virtual, and physical worlds. It’s a hybrid of social media, personal life, work, and entertainment. A few years ago, the idea was pure fiction.
Now it looks like it could become a reality in the near future. The metaverse is driven by AR where every user controls a character or avatar. For example, there are communities inside the metaverse where you can work, play blockchain-based games, and then manage your crypto finances without leaving the metaverse.
Since the metaverse is still evolving, some of its features are still unavailable. In 2022, there is still no united metaverse. Instead, there are some microverses. It’s a virtual platform created by different communities where its members can socialize and have fun. Each community can start building its own microverse and then get it connected with a decentralized network to build a Metaverse.
What can you do in the metaverse?
With the high-level definitions out of the way, let’s take a look at some specific actions you can already perform in the metaverse.
1. Network
It seems that Meta’s metaverse is going to be a social platform first and foremost. After all, it wouldn’t be much of a virtual “reality” if users didn’t get the chance to interact in some way or another.
Sure, this applies to crypto exchanges and NFT purchases too, but it also involves socializing in a more classic sense.
A great example of this is Roblox, a digital gaming platform. In 2020, over half of kids under the age of 16 in the United States played it. Roblox is a platform through which users can play through a library of video games – all of which are created by Roblox users. There are currently over 20 million games in its library, many of which can generate revenue for the designers.
Users on Roblox can socialize through gameplay as well as an avatar-based platform similar to the early social media phenomenon Habbo Hotel. What it’s ultimately provided is a network through which aspiring game designers can test their skills, meet other people looking to work in the field.
Roblox is just one example of networking in the metaverse. Social media has long served as a way for professionals to meet peers and clients alike. The metaverse is a natural extension of that, and it often provides new and exciting ways to do it.
2. Invest and do business
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, you’ve probably heard the terms “NFT” and “cryptocurrency.” Both are important building blocks in the metaverse and great ways for users and businesses to invest in the platform.
Cryptocurrency is a term encompassing a number of digital currency platforms. The most famous of these are Bitcoin and Ethereum. Cryptocurrency is an unregulated digital currency run through a blockchain system. Its value is in a state of somewhat constant flux but longtime platforms (especially the aforementioned ones) have skyrocketed in value since their inception.
One of the big draws with cryptocurrency is the fact that it is not nationalised. As such, its value is the same in America as it is in Japan, Brazil, and any other nation. The metaverse is a global platform. As such, cryptocurrency is the preferred form of currency for many of its users. Investing in it now looks like it will pay off in the long run as its value continues to increase.
Speaking of investing, NFTs have become a cornerstone of the metaverse. The term stands for non-fungible token. This basically means that an NFT is a unique digital signature used as a sort of deed of ownership on digital goods. An NFT can be a piece of art, a photo, a song, or even a piece of digital real estate.
An NFT authenticates the ownership of whatever it’s attached to and certifies its value (which is unique to the item, hence the “non-fungible” part). It basically allows you to purchase the bricks that make up the world-wide web.
Right now, NFTs are a great investment. Like cryptocurrency, the overall value of NFTs is growing significantly. Some have already sold for millions of dollars. Others, like the famous “Bored Ape” series, have been purchased and shown off by notable celebrities including Justin Bieber (who’s actually built up quite the NFT portfolio recently) and Paris Hilton.
If you’re looking to get into the metaverse for the sake of investing, NFTs are a good place to start. The value of most NFTs right now is likely to keep going up as they grow in popularity.
It’s also a great time to mint some of your own. Almost any piece of digital media can be turned into an NFT. If you or the business you work with has a catalog of music, photography, or art, your potential NFT portfolio may already be bigger than you realise.
What metaverses exist already?
Roblox
A game world where creators can make and share their projects. Although it’s part of the new wave of metaverse tech, it’s been around for almost two decades.
Meta
Sprawling social media site with direct ties to (and impact in) the offline world, and increasing tendrils in fantasy. Meta owns a raft of metaverse technologies, and one of the most established virtual reality headsets that people use to access it.
Minecraft
Sprawling game and simulation world, mostly occupied by kids and teenagers, who create everything out of Lego-like building blocks. Also a long-term player in this space.
3D virtual sandbox where you can build what you want, go to concerts, visit libraries and even attend a virtual Hajj. Poster child of the previous wave of metaverses, with more than 15 million accounts. “The original premise that I liked about Second Life was that it was this big, messy interaction between people,” says Philip Rosedale, its founder.
Whether or not the metaverse will ever truly emerge remains to be seen. There’s a strong chance that the Metaverse discourse will age just as badly as an episode of Reboot. But equally, it does seem right that something will emerge – though whether it will be an existing tech behemoth that cracks it remains to be seen.
There is one thing we can know for sure though: now that people are talking about the Metaverse, you’re going to continue to hear about it endlessly. Just as ‘artificial intelligence’ and ‘fake news’ lost all meaning as soon as they caught on as buzzwords, you can bet that we’re going to be hearing about anything and everything being a ‘metaverse’ investment, however tenuous.
Do recent movements like Black Lives Matter emphasise its present-day importance or is it an outdated tradition that contradicts the progress made in Britain since the 80s?
An outdated tradition?
Since 1987, Britain has celebrated black history month every October. It honours the contributions of black individuals throughout Western history and encourages people to broaden their horizons by learning about the lives of prominent black figures whether in schools or elsewhere. But Britain is very different to what it was in 1987, so should we still celebrate black history month today?
Around the country, people are using their social media accounts to promote books on black history, support black-owned businesses and discuss current issues that affect the black community.
Black history month has its roots in the early twentieth century with the work of Carter Woodson who initiated Negro History Week in the United States in 1926. Later in 1976, February was dedicated to black history month and, in schools, it developed into a tradition which focused on learning about prominent black figures like Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King. Having been inspired by the US, “there was a big focus on black American history.” when it first started in Britain. Still, over the years the focus has slowly shifted towards black British history – providing an opportunity to explore the similarities and differences of the black experience in the US and the UK.
Source (Unsplash.com)
What about everyone else?
Why is it just the black experience that we are recognising? Where is white history month? Or a month dedicated to ethnicities like Hispanics or South Asians? Some argue that having a black history month is insensitive to these ethnic groups since they are also present in Britain and make valuable contributions to society.
It’s important to remember that there are public holidays and other parts of the year that are dedicated to honouring other races and ethnicities. For example, South Asian heritage month runs from the 18th of July to the 17th of August and even though it isn’t as well known as black history month, it is inaccurate to claim that we only dedicate a time in the year to celebrate black people and not do it for other minority groups.
Crowd of young and elderly men and women in trendy hipster clothes. Diverse group of stylish people standing together. Society or population, social diversity. Flat cartoon vector illustration.
It is also often assumed that the first black people in the UK arrived in post-war Britain and that the Black British identity started in the 1950s but thanks to works of scholars like David Olusoga and Peter Fryer we know that ‘black’ people have been in Britain since the 2nd century AD and the modern concept of the race even existed. There were Africans that came to England with the Romans in the 16th century; there are Elizabethan marriage records that detail interracial marriages that took place and African people that feature in cultural artefacts like Tudor artwork and Shakespeare’s plays.
Even the mass immigration of Caribbean people during the Windrush generation starting in 1948 highlights the forgotten historical relationship between black people and Britain. In his book, Natives: Race and Class in the Ruins of Empire, the British rapper, author, activist and poet Akala says that Caribbean countries like “Jamaica have had a political union, albeit through conquest and slavery, with England since before Britain even existed.”
With such a long and forgotten history between England and black people, there is still a need to celebrate black history month and use it as a month to correct the miseducation that has taken place and recognise the importance of black people shaping modern-day Britain. The sooner we learn about the role of black people in British history, the sooner we can alleviate the squeamishness that surrounds conversations about race and start to be honest about the horrors of The British Empire, the legacy it has left behind and how to do better moving forward.
Ignatius Sancho- British abolitionist, writer and composer (blackhistorymonth.org.uk)
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng admitted to Tory members that his economic plan for Britain had ’caused a little turbulence’ despite backing his vision for British economic growth.
Kwarteng was forced to change his speech at the Conservative Party conference last minute, after an embarrassing u-turn by the government.
Just hours earlier before his re-written speech was read Kwarteng announced, ‘with humility and contrition’, that he was ditching plans to remove the 45p interest rate of income tax for the wealthiest 1%, which was unveiled at the mini-budget just ten days prior.
Kwarteng admitted that it ‘had been a tough day’ after being forced to do so.
After his speech, it was also revealed that he planned to bring forward his medium-term financial statement to this month from its original date on 23 November.
Despite this, Kwarteng said the government was dedicated to boosting British economic growth.
“We need to move forward. No more distractions. We have a plan and we need to get on and deliver it. That is what the public expect from the government,” he said to Tory members in Birmingham.
Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng announces he will scrap the 45p tax rate for the top 1%.
Not a good start for Truss and Kwarteng
Whilst it’s true that Labour needs to rediscover and reinvent itself, it seems as if the Conservatives have some work to do as well.
One could be forgiven for thinking that the UK public has effectively jumped from the frying pan into the toaster, with the government not seeming to be able to read the mood of the country.
The Chancellor’s proposal to scrap the 45p tax rate could not have come at a worse time, at least from a PR standpoint.
With the cost of living crisis in full effect, and energy bills soaring across the country, even the most staunch Conservative voter would question the timing of such a proposal.
To describe the backlash as ‘turbulence’ – as Kwarteng put it – is to describe such an ill-timed policy as an uncomfortable but minor inconvenience.
It shows a sort of callous, almost arrogant attitude towards the topic. It’s as if, had the backlash not been so significant, the Conservatives would have gone ahead with their plans.
Blimey, this letter to the FT from a former Treasury Minister under John Major doesn't pull any punches on the Truss /Kwarteng economic strategy pic.twitter.com/mTXDjbfgcp
A former Treasury Minister writes an open letter about the Truss/Kwarteng economic strategy to the Financial Times.
It begs the question to some, as to whether or not Truss and Kwarteng are fit to lead the country at all; not only from a financial perspective but also from a seemingly weak character.
If a backlash is all it takes to reverse policies, are they really ‘leaders?’ Do they have the strength of character to pursue their goals and ambitions for the UK?
Is the government being led by facts, logic, reason, economic law and common sense, or by faux outrage and sentiment?
Despite the scandals and antics of our previous Prime Minister, Boris Johnson – for the most part – delivered what he and his party set out to do. Some would argue that he was so determined, he could come across as deluded or stubborn at times.
But at least there were clear plans and goals for his Cabinet. Not so much, it seems, for Truss and Co.
What now?
It seems as if Boris’ departure has caused chaos. The Conservative party finds itself in the middle of an actual ‘turbulent’ transition period.
With MPs and former Prime Ministerial candidates blaming each other for certain failings, the Party would do well to get its act together before this situation implodes even further.
Kwarteng even went so far as to attempt to blame the mini-budget failure on the recent death of the Queen. “We had a nation in mourning and then, literally, four days after the funeral we had the mini-budget,” the chancellor said.
Black women are often overlooked in mainstream media for their achievements. The mainstream women’s movement has historically lacked real inclusion in celebrating black women.
Rather than waiting for mainstream media to play catch-up, we want to use our platform to celebrate the diversity and excellence of black women.
So, keeping in line with our desire to “discover stories from across the political spectrum, local stories, stories that hold power to account, that uncover wrongdoing, that empower the forgotten and the unheard”, The Common Sense Network presents you with 5 phenomenal black women who are excelling in their various industries.
In our second article, meet Obi Lawanson.
Obi is on a mission to bring quality and luxurious shapewear into the hands of women in the UK through her business Ojiioma. They are “doing the basics brilliantly for women of colour!”
Can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your business?
Courtesy of Obi Lawanson
My name is Obiamaka Lawanson; I live in the UK, and Ojiioma is a UK-registered company. Our products are manufactured in Italy as is it the best place to get quality.
I’ve always liked shape-wear, and I believe that regardless of your size, shape-wear does something to help smooth out the ripples, as I like to call them. However, I felt there had been a gap in the market concerning skin tone. We have the option of black or beige – the beige is good, but it doesn’t do anything for our tone. And very few big brands cater to people that look like me with our various shapes. So I thought something had to be done. At the moment, Ojiioma has three products with two different skin tones to see how we will be received in the market.
Ojiioma started during the lockdown. Why did you decide to start, then?
Some people may say it wasn’t a good time to start a business, but for me, the lockdown was a time to incubate and start putting things together.
I realise that many people lost their jobs during the lockdown, and I could have quickly become one of those people. I work as a contractor in project management, and just before COVID hit, I started working a perm job because of IR35. There was a real possibility that I could have been one of those people. However, I am Christian, and my faith plays a significant role in my life because I don’t know where I would be without it. One of my prayers during that time was for me to be empowered and also to be able to empower others. I wanted to be able to help my church and others who were going through a lot. I felt that a day job wouldn’t necessarily allow me to do that, and at that time, we were all working from home. So I started my business, everything just worked together, and now I am here.
How has your brand been able to empower others?
I recently saw this quote: “You only fail if you quit.” That quote impacted me because of how true it is.
I don’t think many people understand why starting a shapewear brand is such a big deal. When I began Ojiioma, I started because I felt I was addressing an issue that affected women of colour. As women of colour, we are limited in our choices of shapewear; the primary colours in the market at the moment are black or beige. However, I want to bring more colours and products into Ojiioma, so everyone finds their match. At the moment I have two different colours and three products.
One of the ways I have been able to empower others is by showing that they can start their business with baby steps, with whatever they currently have. Ojiioma is self-funded; I have had no help or investors in starting my business – it is all coming out of my pocket, but the important thing is starting. You don’t have to have it all together first, sure there will be bumps along the way, but if you stay the course, you will reap the fruit.
What challenges have you encountered since you have started?
Starting the business was challenging, finding the right manufacturer for the products and researching the type of colours I wanted. However, my main challenge is marketing, getting the message across to people so they can buy from Ojiioma. Getting people to build trust in the business has proven the biggest stumbling block. In my opinion, we are a better alternative to what is currently in the market, and I would say that my shapewear is the only one that has 120 days guarantee.
Why do you think it’s so important for black women should be able to get into creative entrepreneurship spaces?
I believe that our stories can be best told by us. Whether people agree or not, black people are built and shaped differently. It’s not one shape, one colour or one size fits all. As a person of colour, we are shaped differently. I had many women test my shapewear and they always comment on how different it is compared to what is out in the market and how it accommodates different needs. I believe that black women are in the best position to tell the stories of other black women.
What should we be looking forward to from Ojiioma in the future?
I am hoping for big things, Ojiioma turned 1 year old on July 6th. I am expecting us to become the preferred shapewear brand for women of colour – for women in general. I want to try to not just go with the crowd and do what everyone else is doing. So I don’t get lost. I want to have a niche line and not just do too much. I want to keep things simple classy and luxurious.
To find out more about Ojiioma, please click the link below!
In another reversal, it has been widely reported that Kwasi Kwarteng will speed up plans for a new fiscal statement, expected to be focused on spending and deregulation. This is the latest in a stream of U-turns by a government that claims it is listening to the people, but what do these U-turns really tell us about the government?
YouGov regularly tracks what the public thinks about those in power changing their plans, asking respondents to choose between the idea that government U-turns are ‘normally a bad sign – showing they are incompetent, weak, or have not thought their policies through properly in advance’ or ‘a good sign – showing they are willing to listen and change their minds when people complain or situations change.’
Not too long ago, they found that while 30% think U-turns are a negative thing, some 42% look upon U-turns as a healthy sign of a government that listens. Older voters are particularly sympathetic: 58% of those over 65 say U-turns are on the whole a sign that politicians are responsive rather than reckless.
This might make sense in theory but the jury is still on whether this current Conservative government has the sympathy of the British public.
Let’s recap on current events
GMB host Martin Lewis revealed he was ‘sad’ that Kwasi Kwarteng had ‘chosen not to appear’ Source: Mirror
The U.K. government on Monday reversed a plan to scrap the top rate of income tax, after a public backlash and major market turbulence.
The new government had announced a swathe of tax cuts just weeks into its tenure,but they were poorly received by financial markets. Taking the top rate of tax paid on incomes over £150,000 ($166,770) from 45% to 40% was seen as particularly politically toxic as we deal with a cost-of-living crisis.
In the days following their announcement, the pound dropped to an all-time low, mortgage deals were pulled from the market and U.K. government bonds began to sell off at a historic rate, causing the Bank of England to begin a temporary purchase program to calm volatility.
With the Conservative Party plunging in opinion polls since its so-called mini-budget, which was also criticised by the International Monetary Fund in a rare move, several of its own politicians have spoken out against the proposals.
Grant Shapps, former transport secretary, said in a BBC interview Monday morning that the reversal in the top rate tax cut was a “sensible response” because tax cuts for “the people who need them least … jarred for people in a way which was unsustainable.”
It represents a major and humiliating U-turn for new Prime Minister Liz Truss, who was insisting as recently as Sunday she was “absolutely committed” to the cut.
She also revealed that the plan was instigated by Kwarteng and had not been announced to her whole Cabinet. It would have delivered an average £10,000 annual benefit to the country’s 660,000 top earners, the Treasury said.
Truss said in a tweet Monday, “The abolition of the 45pc rate had become a distraction from our mission to get Britain moving.”
“Our focus now is on building a high growth economy that funds world-class public services, boosts wages, and creates opportunities across the country.”
Do people feel sorry for the Conservative party?
It’s hard to make the case that the set of U-turns we have seen from the Conservative government shows a party in touch with the people.
During the conservative leadership race, the prospective leaders spoke to a very narrow section of the British public and essentially told them what they wanted to hear. The ideological space between the leaders was minute and the media largely exaggerated it. What was red meat for the Conservative base scared the majority of the British public.
Tax cuts for the rich in a time of global uncertainty and a cost of the living crisis were never popular. This is why many were shocked and puzzled when the new chancellor announced his policies. The chancellor’s tax cuts, don’t show a cogent economic plan, they appear to be more red meat to a base already sycophantically in love with its new leader. The U-turns show us there is very little ideological underpinning behind this new government. They seem to be working out just what they can get away with. How much they can push the envelope before everyone else pushes, back forcing them to change.
This has been a terrible start for Liz Truss as PM and the most frequently used word to describe her in public seems to be incompetent.
Liz Truss has promised to get the country through “stormy days”, as she vowed to take on the “anti-growth coalition”.
In her speech to the Tory conference, which has been marked by U-turns and internal division, the PM admitted her policies would cause “disruption”. But she said “the status quo is not an option” and “we must stay the course”.
The speech came against a backdrop of financial and political turmoil following the government’s mini-budget. Markets reacted badly to the plans for £45bn in tax cuts funded by borrowing, while the government’s U-turn on its plan to scrap the 45p tax band for the highest earners was fuelled by opposition from Tory MPs.
Liz Truss vowed to “get Britain through the tempest” and insisted “everyone will benefit” from the result of her economic policies in her keynote party conference speech during which she was heckled by climate activists.
Addressing Conservative members at the event in Birmingham, as she battles to save her premiership, the prime minister acknowledged that “these are stormy days”.
“In these tough times, we need to step up,” she continued. “I am determined to get Britain moving, to get us through the tempest and put us on a stronger footing as a nation.”
She continued: “Whenever there is change there is disruption. Not everyone will be in favour but everyone will benefit from the result.”
This is the moment two Greenpeace protesters interrupted Liz Truss’s Conservative Party conference speech, with a banner reading // Source: Twitter
Ms Truss was interrupted by two Greenpeace protesters who shouted: “Who voted for this,” as they held up a banner. They were quickly removed by security in the conference hall. In a tweet after the incident, Greenpeace said activists were there to “denounce the prime minister ‘shredding’ her party’s 2019 manifesto promises”.
The group added: “The PM is U-turning on fracking, strong climate action, and world-leading environmental protections. Who voted for this?”
Continuing on, Ms Truss told the audience she and Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng “will keep closely co-ordinating our monetary and fiscal policy” after the government’s tax-cutting mini-budget saw the pound slump to a record level.
The prime minister mentioned growth 29 times in her speech, recognising that her goal was “difficult but necessary”.
She argued cutting taxes was “the right thing to do morally and economically” as it allowed people to keep more of their own money so they are “inspired to do more of what they do best”.
The context of her speech makes it all the more interesting.
The turmoil and bumpy road, Ms Truss vows to take the country through were in part created by her and announcements from the new chancellor. It’s a microcosm of a wider phenomenon This new conservative government expects the British public to trust the very party that has presided over the economy for over a decade. We are supposed to trust the very party who created the problem to fix it; it’s a tall ask for the British public.
There is no denying that behind the scattered applause at the conservative party conference is a very torn party. The unity appears to the mainly cosmetic.
The only crutch that gives these senior figures reprieve from their gloom is a view that another leadership race would be ridiculous and, for a party languishing so far behind in the opinion polls, an imminent election would amount to a death wish.
