Blackbright News - Did you know that everyone's mentally ill?

BlaCKBlaCK - BBRRIIgghhttAA VVooii cc ee ff oorr tthhee DDiissaaddvvaannttaaggeedd SStt iiggmmaatt ii ss eedd && SSttee rreeoottyyppeedd

Issue 31

UUpp CC ll oossee

&& PPeerr ssoo nnaa ll

-- BBaa rr rryy BB iigggg ss

DDoo YYoouu KKnnooww EEvveerryyoo nnee

MM iigghh tt bbee MM eenn ttaa ll ll yy II ll ll ??

WWhhaa tt ddoo JJKK RRoowwll ii nngg

&& SSeerreennaa WWii ll ll ii aammss

hhaavvee iinn ccoommmmoonn??

Blackbright_JANUARY 2013v3_Copy of October 2012 12/6/2012 10:06 PM

Black-Bright NewsThe Voice of the Disadvantaged

Stereoptyped & StigmatisedFounder/Managing Editor: Myrna Loy

Effective 1 January 2013, Blackbright

News will be the voice for people who have felt stigmatised or

stereotyped because of race, culture, religion, homelessness,

immigration status, economic situation, gender, health condition,

sexual orientation, age, disability or because they’ve been

abused. Blackbright News intends to do this by 1) disclosing the

personal experiences of famous and ordinary individuals who

have openly shared similar challenges, 2) using awareness raising

strategies to highlight the impact of stigma, especially when it

inhibits the ability to realise full human potential, 3) mentoring,

offering advice, talks and/or referring on and, 4) promoting prod-

ucts that encourage well-being, ranging from music, spas, holistic

therapy, counselling to making good choices.

Blackbright News was founded in May 2006, to redress the

negative stereotyping of black people in the UK. However, we

have now widened our remit to include everyone who feels

stereotyped or stigmatised, and to specifically give a voice to

those individuals who feel stereotyped or stigmatised because of

mental illness.

Blackbright News is a global publication that uses narratives

to explore the rationale behind diagnosis, treatment and sup-

port, and can be used as a training approach to promote oppor-

tunities for debates and discussions regarding stigma.

Blackbright News is a black-led quarterly magazine that will

be the voice for any stigma/stereotype-related situation, regard-

less of situation or race. We are prepared to receive informa-

tion in most formats, e.g., illustrations, poetry, short stories, let-

ters, statements or feature articles, preferably supported by

images/photos. If someone feels uncertain about their writing

ability, we can arrange for a telephone (or face-to-face) inter-

view. We will treat whatever is divulged to us seriously and con-

fidentially. We will not publish names or identifying information

unless expressly asked to do.

Blackbright News has a particular interest in the way people

who have a mental health condition are being treated in institu-

tions and care homes. We seek input from corporate,

health/legal representatives and organisations that offer

respite/independent living accommodation for those with men-

tal health issues. Friends, family members and carers are also

welcome to share observations and their positive and negative

experiences.

Blackbright News is a nonpartisan, philanthropic publication,

as such it takes no stand on public policy issues. Any opinions

expressed in its publications are those of the authors and not of

the publication. Blackbright News is self-financed and thrives on

the resourcefulness, resilience and commitment of its members.

We are seeking contributions from professionals and lay persons

alike. We are also seeking financial and non-financial support

through sponsorships, advertising, contributions, donations, and

inviting volunteers to gain work experience in something they

have a passion for; for example, journalism, photography, graphic

design, poetry illustrating, distributing, marketing and promoting.

Founder, Publisher & Managing Editor: Myrna LoyBack Cover Design: Lakshmi Narayan Gupta

Back cover & ‘Girls’ Photo taken by Garfield Hall

Assistant Editor: Vanessa Brooks JD (USA)

BLACKBRIGHT NEWSStudio 57 Saywell Road LU2 0QG

PAYPAL email: [email protected]

Tel: 01582 721 605www.issuu.com/blackbrightnews (for previous issues)

or www.myspace.com/blackbrightnews ISSN No. 1751-1909

1

As a way of enabling individuals/businesses to support

Blackbright News, whilst building up their business/person-

al profile, we are selling advertising space for products and

services in our publication at competitive rates and, in return

- the paid advert will be accompanied by a matched size press

release or feature on their product, e.g. full page advert would

receive a full page feature.

Blackbright News accepts that Social Services and the

Metropolitan Police can redress certain injustices; however,

we can provide a safe haven for the aggrieved voice.

Individuals who have been adversely impacted by stigma in

ANY form, can access Blackbright’s Counselling Service for a

reduced fee, and through its ‘Dare Me to Know’ (DMK)

Column, can receive free advice, practical support and useful

referrals from Blackbright’s ‘Agony Mate’. We also provide

Mentoring Programmes and Motivational Talks to anyone

impacted by stigma.

For more information email: [email protected]

DDoo YYoo uu KKnnooww EEvveerryyoonnee

MM iigghh tt bbee MMeenn ttaa ll ll yy II ll ll ??

Did You Know...

...we all have the potential to suffer from men-tal health problems at some point, especially ifwe have experienced job loss; isolation;poverty; housing problems; loneliness;divorce/separation; difficulties in relation-ships (including work/family members); peerpressure; bullying; miscarriage/abortion;chemical dependency/drugs; death, guilt; con-flict; illness; abuse; poor self-image, lack ofsleep; carer responsibilities; deception,betrayal - the list goes on! (See 0 for symp-

toms)

Blackbright_JANUARY 2013v3_Copy of October 2012 12/6/2012 10:06 PM Page 2

2

The Continuing Stigma of DepressionThe curious continuing stigma of depression

Published on November 1, 2009 by Jonathan Rottenberg, Ph.D. in Charting the Depths

Part of the mission of patient advocacy groups is to reduce the stigma associated with depression. This

is noble and important work because historically people who have suffered from depression have tend-

ed to suffer in silence and/or not sought treatment because of the shame associated with admitting

depression. In the US in the 19th and 20th centuries, virtually every form of mental illness was associ-

ated with a moral failing or sign of a weak character.

Seemingly in tandem with the efforts of patient advocacy groups, pharmaceutical companies have

expended enormous resources in advertising so that the public will come to see depression as a med-

ical illness. Given that something like 27 million people are taking antidepressants, it is clear that it has

become more acceptable to take medications for depression.

But has the stigma associated with depression changed in any meaningful way? My sense is no.

A quick internet search finds remarkably abundant evidence of the continuing stigma of depression. I

was particularly struck by a poll in which 92 percent of Britons said that admitting a mental disorder

would damage their career.

My hunch is that the disease/defect model of depression, which I have written about in my three pre-

vious posts, is unwittingly contributing to the ongoing stigma of depression. Through the lens of the dis-

ease model, the legions of the formerly depressed are a “broken” people who need lifelong assistance.

I would like to see a more revolutionary public education approach, with campaigns that emphasize the

unique strengths that are required to endure depression. Even if a person is helped by drugs or thera-

py, grappling with a severe depression requires enormous courage. In many ways, a person who has

emerged from the grip of depression has just passed the most severe of trials in the human experi-

ence. If we acknowledge that surviving depression requires a special toughness, we will see not see

formerly depressed people as a broken legion, but as a resource who can teach us all about overcom-

ing adversity. I think it is unlikely that such views will be widespread until we are out of the thrall of the

disease model.

While I applaud groups such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness in their effort to reduce the stig-

ma of depression, I believe they have erred in so completely casting their lot with the disease model.

I believe this unfortunate state of affairs has resulted from perceiving *only two choices* about what

kind of problem depression is — either it is a disease or it is a moral failing.


CCOONNTTEENNTTSS

1. Blackbright Has Changed

2. The Continuing Stigma

of Depression

3. Mental Loophole Closed

4. Serena Williams & J K Rowling

6. Bi-Polar

8. Bi-Polar contd

Lifetime Struggles (a Poem)

9. Ashanti vs Nyabingi (where the

Mentally Ill use their initiative)

11. Rosemary’s Living Room

(true story by Emansha)

13. An insight to Flo Awolaja

16. Up Close & Personal with

Barry Biggs

18. What Zambia means to me

19. Steve Stephenson Profiled

20. You might be mentally ill!

3

DID YOU KNOW�Mental health loophole ‘closed’

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt says urgent retrospective

legislation is needed to correct a “technical error” affect-

ing up to 5,000 patients sectioned under the Mental

Health Act since 2002. The error means doctors who sec-

tioned patients in England did not have the right jurisdic-

tion to do so. A technical error has been identified inthe way 4 strategic health authorities (SHAs) – NorthEast, Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands andEast Midlands – have been administering theprocess for approving doctors to work under the Act.This involves the process of approving doctors toassess and detain patients.

Doctors who assess patients, and make recommen-

dations under the Mental Health Act, are required

under section 12 of the Act to be ‘approved’ to do so.

The Act requires the approval to be by the Secretary

of State. The Secretary of State has properly and

lawfully delegated that approval function to

SHAs since 2002.

http://www.mentalhealthtoday.co.uk/ (Oct 2012)

Since the DSM-I (which

stands for Diagnostic &

Statistical Manual of Mental

Health Disorders, 1st edi-

tion, 1952) was revised in

1968 (DSM-II) black men

have constantly been misdi-

agnosed as schizophrenics.

Surely what researchers

construe as “masculinised

hostility, violence and

aggression” Pyschiatry, as

Metzl points out, is inherent-

ly focussed on the molecu-

lar.

With their focus on matching individual symptoms to diag-

nostic codes, the psychiatrists who replaced one diagnosis

with another were blind to how institutional racism shaped

their choices... ...This is why “cultural competence” train-

ing programmes are at best useless, and at worst reinforc-

ing stereotypes. [extracted Karen Franklin, Ph.D]


JK Rowling, best-selling author, has spoken out

about the depression and difficult childhood that

inspired her to write the Harry Potter books. Joanne

Rowling made the revelation after agreeing to let a

film crew follow her for a year in the life of docu-

mentary during the release of her latest novel Harry

Potter and the Deathly Hallows. She admitted the

Harry Potter series began as an attempt to reclaim

her childhood and even ends the series by giving

Harry Potter a family.

She is now one of the world’s richest women, but at

the time lived in a cramped flat in Edinburgh with

her baby daughter Jessica. At one point she suffered

so severely with depression that she woke every

morning expecting to find her baby daughter dead.

Rowling was only able to afford the rent after a

friend paid the deposit. It was there she began writ-

ing the first Harry Potter book.

Depression hit Rowling when her first marriage to a

television journalist broke down after just two

years.She had moved to Portugal to teach English

and gave birth to her first daughter Jessica. The

Harry Potter author says she was prescribed cogni-

tive behavioral therapy after suffering “suicidal

4

DJ Lady Loy on Jamrock Sundaysfor Music & Interviews

SUNDAYS 8PM - 10PM (GMT)

www.jamrockradio.comPromoting New Music & New Artists

email: [email protected]

Art Therapy - Paintings by Myrna Loy

Despite being the biggest cause of disability in

the Western world, mental ill health is still so

highly stigmatised that millions of sufferers

report being taunted, abused and shunned by

society for their illness.

Although many popular public figures, includingStephen Fry, tennis champion Serena Williams andsinger Lana Del Rey, have been opening up about theirown mental health problems, the stigma faced by thegeneral public does not seem to have lifted.

It was such a huge opportunity for Serena to win her14th slam against Virginie Razzono that internal pres-sure to win, media pressure, the ‘pressure throughexpectancy’ of family, friends turned what could havebeen an exciting feat into an unbearable burden. No-one expected her to lose to the 111th ranked femalein the first round.

Internal pressure and emotion caused her to makeerrors. So, did Razzano deserve to win? Absolutely!

http://martinstake128.wordpress.com/2012/05/31/serenawilliams-the-french-open-what-the-hell/

Photo by David Fisher


thoughts” in the aftermath of separation from her first

husband, Jorge Arantes, a Portuguese journalist.

She said: “I’d had a short and quite catastrophic mar-

riage. I had to get my baby back to Britain and re-build

us a life and adrenaline kept me going: “It was only

when I came to rest it hit me what a complete mess I

had made of my life. That hit me quite hard. We were

as skint as you can be without being homeless and at

that point I was definitely clinically depressed.

“That was characterized by a numbness, a coldness

and an inability to believe you will feel happy again.

All the colour drained out of life.”

AFRAID FOR HER DAUGHTER

Rowling hit an all-time low when she convinced her-

self something awful was destined to happen to her

two-year-old daughter. She said: “I loved Jessica very

very much and was terrified something was going to

happen to her.

“I’d gone into that very depressive mind set where

everything has gone wrong so this one good thing in

my life will now go wrong as well.

“It was almost a surprise to me every morning that she

was still alive. I kept expecting her to die. It was a bad

bad time.”

Revisiting the scene film crews took Rowling back to

the flat a few miles from Edinburgh where she over-

came depression by writing first novel Harry Potter

and the Philosopher’s Stone.

Where the healing began

She said: “This is really where I turned my life around

completely. My life changed so much in this flat. I feel

I really became myself here. Everything was stripped

away. I’d made such a mess of things.“I just thought I

want to write so I wrote the book..”

Source: http://www.center4mh.org/minds/jk-rowling

5

Listen to www.jamrockradio.com

on Sundays, 8pm - 10pm (GMT)

All children need love and proper care

Many children have being abused

throughout the world.

Many children have become

victims of violent crime.

Many children are living a life without hope.

A lot of children are living their lives in fear.

The children they do need our love and care.

We need to teach them positive things,

so that a positive life they all will live.

Motivational words

we should always place in their minds.

And the things that we do to them

should always be so friendly and kind.

Without the children we don’t have a future.

We as adults are the ones that they look up to.

Remember children live what they learn;

words contain a lot of power and strength.

And in all cases, use words that will give them

upliftment and help.

For all the children who are presently living in despair.

On your behalf, I really care. Please don’t kill, hurt,

neglect, abuse or ill treat any more of our children.

Because when we hurt and abuse them. Who will be

there to love and protect them?

by Paul Green


6

Stigma and BipolarBy Mick Carroll

Recently, celebrities as diverseas Stephen Fry, Bill Oddie,Catherine Zeta-Jones and‘Shameless’ author, PaulAbbott, have been talkingabout their experiences ofbipolar. It’s made quite a differ-ence to the way some peoplenow see the illness. But with

perhaps 2% of the population having bipolar, theremay be as many as three million affected – if you countthe impact on family, friends, and workmates.

Despite this newly raised awareness, it still takes anaverage of ten and a half years for someone with bipo-lar to get a correct diagnosis with at least three mis-diagnoses while they wait. Getting the wrong diagno-sis can have devastating results.

One reason that people with bipolar struggle to get acorrect diagnosis is that they often keep the symptomsto themselves for fear of the reaction from others.

Bipolar – sometimes known as manic depression - is asevere mental health illness characterised by signifi-cant mood swings including manic highs and depres-sive lows. The majority of bipolar individuals experi-ence alternating episodes of mania and depression. Inbetween episodes sufferers may have long periods ofstable functioning. The illness is treated with psychi-atric medication and has the highest suicide rate of allmental illnesses. So it’s vitally important that peoplewith the illness can get help as soon as possible butstigma can get in the way.

In a recent Independent blog Nigel Griffiths, a trusteeof the charity Bipolar UK, welcomed the celebrity dis-closures. He movingly described his own experienceswaiting for the proper diagnosis and the damage thathis illness did to his career and his relationships.

It wasn’t until he and his wife were watching a docu-mentary made by Stephen Fry –‘Secret Diary of theManic Depressive’ – that they began to understandNigel’s illness and he could begin to look for the rightsort of help.

It’s not always so easy to accept your illness if you’reused to hearing bipolar referred to negatively.

Most of us have heard ‘oh, he/she’s soooo bipolar’ saidof someone who’s a bit more emotional than theirfriends. This is unlikely to be a medical diagnosis. It hasstrong derogatory overtones meaning that the friend’sgreater emotional range is distasteful or negative insome way. Whatever the intent, the statement ‘sooobipolar’ is often uttered with aggression. It is unlikelythat the friend is bipolar, there’s more to bipolar thanthat.

Mania (High)Someone experiencing mania may not recognise it ishappening. Incoherent, rapid or disjointed thinkingor being easily distracted are the more common fea-tures of an episode of mania. Other symptoms mayinclude aggression, paranoia and hallucinationsaffecting vision or perception. Grandiose delusions orideas can occur where the sense of identity and selfhave been distorted by the illness. Sometimes theterm psychosis (losing touch with reality) is used todescribe these symptoms when they are severe.

HypomaniaOften hypomania is explained as a less severe form ofmania. Someone who is experiencing hypomania canseem very self-confident and euphoric but may reactwith sudden anger, impatience or irritability, for theslightest reason. They may become more easily dis-tracted, more talkative or challenging. They may alsobecome more reckless than usual, which might meanerrors of judgement, sometimes involving spendingtoo much money or taking on more than they cancope with.

Depression (Low)Most people who have bipolar will experience severedepression at some time. Usually this will follow anepisode of mania or hypomania. For some peopledepression will be more likely to occur during thewinter months. Common symptoms experiencedduring depression include: a feeling of emptiness orworthlessness (as opposed to sadness), loss of ener-gy and motivation for everyday activities, pessimismand negativity. Thoughts of death and suicide arealso common symptoms.

Treatment and Support There are a number of mood stabilising medicationscommonly prescribed for bipolar. Many people findthese medications, taken singly or in combination,help stabilise their mood cycles. For more informa-tion please visit our website.

‘Talking therapies’ such as cognitive behaviouraltherapy and counselling can often be useful and usedto help recovery. GPs and consultants can make refer-rals to local practitioners

Bipolar UK is the national charity dedicated to sup-porting individuals with this much misunderstoodand devastating illness, their families and carers. Webelieve the majority of people with bipolar can effec-tively manage their illness through a combination ofdifferent approaches including medication.

We provide a range of services to enable peopleaffected by bipolar and associated illnesses to takecontrol of their lives. Last year we reached out andsupported over 65,000 individuals through our serv-ices and information/advice publications. This year’sfigures show that we will exceed that number. Wealso work in partnership with research organisationsand campaign for new developments to tackle keyissues.

(Continued on Page 8)


Black-Bright Newsfor your News & Views

Readers say they have found

Black-Bright “relevant, useful and

informative”

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encourand actively inviting participation from people

who have constructive ideas, enthusiasm and a passion

for expressing issues that wll benefits its readers, pro-

viding a medium where contributors can express

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BLACK-BRIGHT Educates by:

Providing a new paradigm of thinking (hence its

award-winning appeal and global readership); and act-

ing as a cross-generational and cross-cultural advocate

for life-long learning by researching, providing infor-

mation; obtaining information from experts and

reporting on situations that are not always easily

accessible.

BLACK-BRIGHT Motivates by:

Focussing on the emotional needs and aspirations of

its readers, allowing them to share hurts, concerns

and injustices with a view to having them redressed.

Identifying ways to rejuvenate, rebuild and reshape

our readers; encouraging positive attitudes and realis-

tic expectations to facilitate a sense of wellbeing.

BLACK-BRIGHT Elevates by:

Implementing ethical, moral and spiritual character

building strategies within articles and stories for the

upliftment of its readers.

Blackbright News was nominated for the Nationwide

Award for Voluntary Endeavour in 2007. Blackbright

News was nominated for and received: the Black

Business Initiative Award 2006 for using social entre-

prenurialship to enlighten the black community; the

Mayor’s Citizenship Award 2007 for its outstanding serv-

ice to the local community and the African-Caribbean

Achiever’s Award 2007 in recognition for outstanding

accomplishments in Luton and nominated for Learn

Direct Award, 2008 and nominated for BBI Award, 2009.

Black-Bright has provided employment opportunities for its volunteers,

and continues to encourage university students to gain work experi-

ence by working with the magazine.

Do you know someone who has been unjustly treated or has concerns

about a mental health situation? Email: [email protected]

7


8

LIFETIME STRUGGLES

By Mikhaila Samuels (above), New York

She has mommy issues…

No, she has daddy issues.. No!

She has issues that not even the tissues

made in the Kleenex factory

can wipe away…

She cries herself to sleep at night,

But by daylight the makeup

smeared on her face

Will hide her disgrace

and allow things to seem alright…

for just a little while longer...

another pill stronger...

She pops them like pimples

on a pubescent boy’s face,

Just to taste what happiness is like..

If only for awhile.

Child, that girl got issues!

Issues, Issues, Issues ...

that not even

Kleenex tissues can wipe away

Our services encompass a national network of self-help groups, self-management support, a mentoringscheme working with hospitals and psychiatric units,a youth service, workplace training and our vibrant eCommunity, a web-based discussion forum for indi-viduals affected by bipolar to share their views andexperiences.We also seek to combat the stigma and prejudiceassociated with bipolar disorder. We produce aselection of information and guidance publicationsand campaign for research into treatment.

Bipolar – The Facts

• 1% to 2% of the population experience a life-time prevalence of bipolar disorder. Recentresearch suggests as many as 5% of the pop-ulation are on the bipolar spectrum.

• However the impact and devastation of bipo-lar is not just about the sufferer alone.Extending the impact to parents and partnersfor example, bipolar impacts over three mil-lion people in the UK today.

• The World Health Organisation has identifiedbipolar as one of the top causes of lost yearsof life and health in 15 to 44 year olds, rank-ing above war, violence and schizophrenia.

• It takes an average of 10.5 years to receive acorrect diagnosis for bipolar in the UK.Misdiagnosis occurs on average 3.5 times.

• Bipolar increases the risk of suicide by up to20 times.

• Even with current medical treatments, peo-ple with bipolar spend around 50% of theirlives after onset with significant symptoms,mainly depressive.

• Compared to other health problems thathave a similar or lower impact, treatment ofbipolar is still hampered by misunderstand-ing and severe stigma.

• Bipolar impacts every aspect of our lives.Marriages, families and friendships can beplaced under significant pressure and day-to-day living can at times seem an impossibility.

Nigel Griffiths is clear: “Are celebs coming out withbipolar? Bring it on, I would say. Handled respectful-ly, famous people with a bipolar disorder can reallyhelp to raise awareness and be positive role modelsfor others to follow.” And respect seems to be thekey word for the rest of us too.

For more information on bipolar visit our website www.bipolaruk.org.uk

or phone us on: 020 7931 6480

Mick Carroll, is Head of Fundraising and Communications, Bipolar UK


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9

NYABINGI/ASHANTI

EMPOWERING THE MENTALLY ILL

Myrna Interviews Ashanti Manager & Founder of Nyabingi,Fitzroy Wilson, who says:

“Mental Illness is a journey. not a destination”

I learned a lot during the interview with Fitzroy Wilson who

is the Manager at Ashanti, an organisation that provides

services for Asian and African-Caribbean communities suf-

fering with mental illness and which is run by the NHS.

Fitzroy is a Senior Social Worker by profession and has

been working at Ashanti for over ten years.

Ashanti came out of a UCAN research, commissioned by

Luton Borough Council to review Caribbean males in the

mental health system. The University of Central Lancaster

(UCAN) found that there were a limited number of appropri-

ate staff to assess the cultural behavior of Caribbean males

and as a result, black Caribbean males were being misdiag-

nosed. Aggression, anger, frustration, gesticulating and ani-

mation in Caribbean men was construed as ‘not normal’. It

was also found that cultural identification enabled Black

Ethnic Minorities (BMEs) to feel acknowledged and under-

stood by professionals of their own culture and race.

The criteria for referral to Ashanti is those individuals who

are mentally ill and diagnosed as either critical or substantial

are eligible to be referred to Ashanti.

UCAN found that when BMEs fell into the hands of the white

mental health system, not only were they diagnosed from a

European premise, but that the likely remedy administered

to BMEs was drug therapy NOT talking therapy.

Studies show that black men were labeled with the mental

illness at least five times more than any other group. This

race-based misdiagnosis emerged when activism, passion

or aggression became equated with mental illness. The

criminalisation of mental illness and misdiagnosis of schizo-

phrenia meant many black men were placed in prisons

rather than psychiatric hospitals for proper diagnosis.

“There is a direct correlation between the criminal system

and mental health in respect of the black male, and that was

why it is important that black people said to be suffering

mental ill health are assessed by BME professionals”.

Although we are constantly reminded that 1 in 4 are likely to

experience or know someone who has experienced mental

health problems in their life time, when it comes to BMEs,

BMEs are ten times more likely to have mental health issues

according to the Department of Health statistics.

It was because of this constant misdiagnosis why Ashanti


10

SPECIAL NOTICE

BLACKBRIGHT NEWS is looking forvolunteers in the field of journalism,

graphic design and photography.We are also seeking regional agents.Students who need work experiencewelcome, but should be interested in

magazine publishing and relatedaspects.

EMAIL BIO/INTEREST to: [email protected]

came into being, under the auspices of Lorna Palmer (now

Lorna Sackey-Clarke), to correct the misnoma that all the

BMEs that have been institutionalised are mentally ill.

Sometimes, it is the definition of ‘reasonable’ behavior that

determines whether or not someone is psychotic in a white

society, so when (for example) a woman speaking in

tongues at a Pentecostal Church claims God is talking to

her, or she spoke fervently to God last night” she would be

considered as having ‘lost the plot’, particularly when it is

assessed against the European model of measuring behav-

ior. BMEs are also considered as being ‘hard to reach’

especially when it came to mental health, but Ashanti high-

lighted that a lot of the vulnerable adults feel like an under-

class – as though they are not a part of society and proved

that with the provision of mental nourishment, support,

social inclusion and activities, they were not hard to reach -

services knew where to find them if they needed them.

The stigma of mental illness is also a issue, and sometimes

it is the perception that can determine the outcome. It is dif-

ficult to explain that a service user is not his/her illness.

Mental health does not define the individual, but those

affected by mental health issues, find that they have to keep

it to themselves for fear of it affecting job prospects, friend-

ships and marriage.

Fitzroy joined the Ashanti [After-Care Service] in 2001, and

discovered that in having discussions with service users, he

was able to pinpoint their needs and strategic vision, which

was, in short, a need for social inclusion; empowerment and

independence. However, with the cutting of services, the

Caribbean luncheon club was to be one of the services that

was to be ‘adjusted’. Sensing the demise of the luncheon

club, which was a service Ashanti offered that was therapeu-

tic for service users, Fitzroy conducted a survey to ascertain

whether the service was as important to the service user as

he felt it was. He therefore asked the service users what

kinds of things they needed, what they enjoyed most, and

what kind of services they needed.

It was the potential loss of the luncheon club that fermented

the embryo of Nyabingi. Nyabingi moved away from Ashanti

and this was the place where the mentally ill helped them-

selves through their ‘cook and eat’ programme and the

Nyabingi drums project (where they are often commissioned

to play for others). The service-users run Nyabingi with the

aid of senior vice-chair who works in an advisory capacity,

and it is the service users who chair the meeting and take

minutes. Nyabingi is intent on empowering the service

users.

In 2005, Nyabingi became a charity and won national

awards. Trustees either have a history of mental illness,

have been through the system or have certain skills to men-

tor. It was the race relations bill that allowed Nyabingi to

develop. Ashanti vs Nyabingi – two different services.

Ashanti is Professional led, Nyabingi is service-led, enabling

self-help and facilitating self-definition.

Fitzroy asked me how can we deliver race equality in terms

of mental health – I didn’t have the answer, but Ashanti

seems to be the answer because it uses a Care Programme

approach, which is a specific and additional service to the

mainstream.

by Myrna Loy


11

told me that she had lived in her family

home with her husband and her daughter

for over 40 years and had no intentions of

moving out.

After their divorce their daughter moved out

to live with her father leaving Rosemary,

who is now 85 and suffering with mental

health issues, to fend for herself. Although

her daughter was readily available on the

phone she did not visit her mother much,

perhaps once or twice every three months,

which I felt was just not enough. After get-

ting to know Rosemary’s daughter I realised

that her daughter could not cope; didn’t

seem to know how to seek help; had just

accepted her mother’s mentall illness and

assumed that this was the way she wanted

to live - she did not think any further.

After three months of getting to know

Rosemary she finally invited me into her

home. Rosemary began calling me and I

started visiting Rose at least three times a

week, making sure she had something to

eat and her room was clean. I even brought

her a bed as she had been sleeping on a two

seated settee, which was not doing her

arthritis any good. On more than one occa-

sion I would clean just the living room

where Rose lived, cooked, eat, sleep, and

wash, etc., and had removed eight black

bags of rubbish. It was all becoming too

much for me.

By now I knew that Rose was a hoarder.

Rosemary was living in squalor and needed

help desperately. As time went on I was vis-

iting Rose on a regular basis and I started

to notice that her home was badly infested

with cockroaches and loads of flies who had

been laying eggs all over the house. I found

it really difficult on my visits to settle down

and stay with her for long periods so my vis-

its started to become shorter.

Rosemary’s Living RoomBy Emansha

It was my day off work and I decided to do a

little window shopping in town. I liked walk-

ing and often walked through the whole town

on my days off. As I strolled along enjoying

the day I noticed an old lady struggling with

a large shopping trolley, she was heading

speedily towards an empty park bench. I

watched her struggling to pull the trolley

close enough to the bench, so I went over and

offered to help. I asked her if it was ok to sit

with her for a little chat, she said yes and as

she seemed friendly enough, I sat down.

Her name was Rosemary. This was the first

time I met Rosemary in the summer of 2010.

She talked non-stop about so many things,

however, I enjoyed her company but for some

reason something didn’t seem right or smell

right as a matter of fact. It was then I began

to notice the soil clothing, mismatching

shoes she was wearing, and the habitual way

she constantly clenched her fist to hit the air

as if she was directly hitting somethingy- yes

this was very strange behavior I thought. As

time went by Rosemary said she was heading

home and needed to go to the bus station. As

it turned out I didn’t live very far from her so

I offered her a lift and she accepted. I

dropped her outside her house, helped her to

her door and said goodbye.

Rosemary, and I became great friends over

the next few months and we would often

meet each other as if by chance in town.

Sometimes we just walked about or we would

stop in her favorite café for a drink. She

began telling me stories about her life. She


12

She was living alone in a very large four bed

roomed house but I was horrified at the con-

dition this woman was living in, so as a friend

I took on the responsibility of assisting Rose

as best as I could (but I was to find out later)

that as much as I wanted to help, I alone just

could not cope with the situation. I tried

encouraging her to contact the local authori-

ties, doctors, etc., but she was not happy

about seeing anyone from local authority as

she believed they were trying to take her

house away.

As a hoarder, she collected and brought

home anything she could lay her hands on.

She often walked the streets visiting as many

charity shops as she could on a daily basis.

She loved clothes and although she did not

need to buy clothes she would often be seen

pulling her trolley filled with clothes she had

just brought along the way. Rosemary would

buy food and bring it home just to leave it to

rot in the bags just the way she bought it

from the shop. Rotting fish, rotting meat and

rotting vegetables was left lying around on

the floor causing more infestation.

Rosemary, continued opening up and telling

me more and more about her inner struggle

to get help. Rosemary had been put in touch

with a social worker who had visited her

twice only during the time I had been around

visiting and she had only stopped to talk for

a short time - due to the infestation of flies

and cockroaches I guess.

The council’s environmental health depart-

ment had also been to clean the house of ver-

min such as rats, cockroaches on a previous

occasion, after complaints from the neigh-

bors. The house was completely stripped

from top to bottom of furniture, clothes,

plates, pots, bedding - everything was

destroyed. Rosemary, told me that even the

things she treasured such as photographs of

her family abroad and even her personal

belongings that were priceless were

destroyed. The council had done a clean

sweep of the house and left her living in one

room, The Living room. She was warned not

to use upstairs as the floorboards were

unsafe due to wood rot, and they could cave

in at any moment. Her bathroom was unin-

habitable and she was not allowed to use

this, as the floorboards there were also very

unstable. The wash-basin was broken and

the bath was blocked and soiled as Rosemary

had been throwing urine and other bodily

wasted down the plughole.

One evening, Rosemary, began disclosing

how the local authority had already been to

her home and emptied it of all her furniture

and were planning to return to try and move

her out into sheltered housing - she was

adamant that she was not leaving her house

so they sorted out temporary sanitisation for

her such as toilet and bathing facilities. A

large bucket with a lid and extremely strong

disinfectant was what they gave Rose, for a

toilet, this bucket was collected every

Thursday and replaced with a new one.

The living room was where Rosemary did

everything. She cooked on a two hob camp-

ing stove which, her daughter had purchased

for her, which was a fire hazard waiting to

happen as Rosemary often forgot to switch it

off and I would often come back to see burnt

pots. Her food was stored on the floor

around this cooking implement; she had no

fridge as there was no electric to some of the

house and a fridge could not fit in the living

room which was already overcrowded by a

bed, three piece settee and cooking equip-

ment.

Only now, I concluded that Rose had mental

health issues, as she was not functioning

normally. She was often depressed, anxious,

unstable and extremely forgetful. She did

not clean anything as she also suffered with

arthritis and found it difficult to bend and

often found it difficult to use her hands.

To be continued... by Emansha


13

“I learned to think… art is not only about drawing”. I

didn’t expect that response. Sensing my confusion Flo

clarified: (not verbatim)

As artists, nothing happens by accident – there is a

reason for the colour we choose, there is a reason

why we place something on the left as opposed to

the right, a reason for the medium we use, so we

need to think about what we are painting, why we

are painting and what story we want to tell through

our craft – she reiterated, “that requires thinking!”.

I had always worked backwards, i.e. paint something

on the canvas and then think about it afterwards –

but she told me that my thinking process took place

in my subconscious - now, that made me think!

Flo comes from a family of achievers – her mother is

a Printer so, as a child, the house was full of reams of

paper, so the opportunity to draw was there. Her late

father was a TV Engineer, and draughtsman. Flo

knew what she wanted at a very early age – she loved

colour and was always drawing. In fact, when Flo

was in her rebellious teen’s stage at school, her Art

teacher took her under her wing and asked Flo what

she wanted to do. Flo did not hesitate: “I want to be

a graphic designer!” she challenged in a cocky man-

ner. So it was her Art teacher who mentored her

towards her dreams and Flo took heed.

Flo is a mother of a 18 year old son, who she is very

proud of. Jamal is a chip off the old block; he knows

what he wants to do just like his mother, and is cur-

rently studying law.

Reflecting on my own ‘A’ Level art learning experi-

ence I wondered why I had not followed through my

love of the craft. I had wanted to be a fashion or inte-

rior designer. I wondered what I would have been

doing if I had followed through, but I recalled that I

did not believe that art had a destination back then.

Flo attended the Hornsey School for Girls and subse-

quently acquired a BA in Graphic Design, an MA in

Visual Communications and a (PGCE) Post Graduate

Certificate in Art and Design.

AnInsight

toFlo

AwolajaPhoto taken by

Thaybo Jayesimi

Flo Awolaja and Denise Lewis work in partnership on

the positiveimageproject, and have together produced

and published a book called “Black Children in Care –

Health, Hair & Skin.

I interviewed Flora because she had agreed to create a

logo for Blackbright News, and I was keen to know how

a graphic designer got involved in publishing, and was

to learn the reason later.

Flora Awolaja a Nigerian, who does not speak Yoruba,

wishes she had learned the language so that she could

feel more linked to her culture.

Flora, (or Flo as she is called), is like many of us who

were either born in the UK or came over from Africa or

the Caribbean at a very young age, who wanted to fit

in and whose parents felt that English was the lan-

guage of the God’s and Goddesses and so denounced

their native dialect.

Flo is both articulate and eloquent, and as I engaged

with her, her life sifted out with a sieve like quality - lit-

tle by little.

The humble woman, with a somewhat nervous laugh

who walked through my door clutching two black

books that were bursting with ideas, was not only an

accomplished graphic designer (the reason for the invi-

tation), but a qualified Art teacher who attended the

prestigious Royal College of Art in London.

As Flo ate the dinner I had prepared for her, I went

through the logos she had designed, looking for one

that I felt accurately reflected the ethos of Blackbright,

and there were many of them! As I looked through

them I was drawn to many. However, I was not only

thinking of which logo to choose, but wondering what

Flo’s thinking process was when she created them.

I personally found my ‘A’ level art class confining and

felt constrained by structure and stringent rules, so I

threw a question at her: “What did you learn by study-

ing at The Royal College of Art?” She did not hesitate:


14

When Flo finished college, she accepted a 2 week

placement with the BBC, however 4 years later she

was still there. Flo decided that she wanted to move

on, but in order to move on, she realised she needed

to get additional qualifications so she did a Post-

Graduate in Design Management and resigned from

the BBC.

Flo decided to freelance and ended up freelancing for

ten years as a Graphic Designer, creating book covers

for Alex Pascall, OBE, The British Library, among oth-

ers, and Children’s publishers Dorling Kindersley. Flo

said: “Freelancing gave me a taste for business”. She

also found that it improved her thinking process as

she had to think quickly to meet deadlines; it also

challenged her to make enough money to support

herself and her son.

When Flo’s father died, she took to poetry and writing

as therapy and now has several finished or nearly fin-

ished books waiting to be published. After freelanc-

ing, Flo got her Post-Graduate Certificate in Education

(PGCE) in Art & Design and went into teaching to sup-

port Jamal in his learning and education.

Flo is currently teaching art to young people aged

between 16- 19 years old and says: “It is great being

paid to do what I love to do”. She loves the age group,

which she encour-

ages to think the

same way the Royal

College taught her to.

I asked Flo how did

the positiveimage-

project come about,

and she explained

that it started off as

friendship (L), and

then two friends with

a vision, and with

Denise’s Social Care

background and Flo’s

teaching and graphic design experience – everything

just knitted together to

make it a reality, so they

now work together to get

their book; Black

Children in Care; Health,

Hair, and Skin, published,

and into all Social Service

departments within the

UK, highlighting the

plight of Black Children in

Care. To raise much

needed funds for the

printing of their book, inspirational t-shirts are

designed to build an income to support the project.

I asked Flo what is next for her, and she told me that

she wants to be a Lecturer at Howard University in

the United States! People like Flo do not walk

through my door every day. A humble, and shy

demeanour disguising a wealth of knowledge,

expertise and experience.

I shall be interviewing her partner Denise Lewis, in

the next edition, when positiveimageproject picture

(just like a painting) will come together.


AN INTERVIEW WITH BARRY BIGGS

Blackbright_JANUARY 2013v3_Copy of October 2012 12/6/2012 10:06 PM Page 16

llaa ddyy ll ooyy ggee tt ss UUpp CC ll oossee && PPeerr ss oonnaa ll

wwii tt hh BBaa rr rryy BB iigg ggss

I got home from work to find my invited guest, Barry Biggs in

my office on his laptop. It was the first time I had met him and

I wondered what kind of person he would be. Would he have

a sense of humour; would he be talkative or would be reclu-

sive? I was eager to learn more about the man who is remi-

niscent of lovers rock and whose nostalgic tracks were

among my collection.

Biggs’ voice has the high shrill of a skylark, and from

Sideshow, originally performed by Blue Magic, to his earlier

renditions of ‘one bad apple’ [by the Osmonds], to his latest

remake of Tony Gregory’s 1963 song, ‘My Darling’, his altru-

istic personality compliments his style.

I watched him skilfully navigate between You tube® and other

programmes while listening to his own music and occasional-

ly singing along with songs that inspired him – as if he was

thinking “I wonder what it would sound like if I sang this

song?” I asked him how he felt when he heard himself sing:

“I don’t like my voice – I am very self-critical. Every time I

hear my voice I want it to be better” and then he asked:

“What do you think of my voice?” turning the question back

on me.

When I hear Barry’s voice, I think it is perfect and I told him

so, but I knew what he meant, because as a radio presenter,

despite people saying I have a ‘good radio voice’, I am self-

critical as well, so when I review my weekly shows, I, too, try

to sound better.

Barry Biggs (aka ‘Mr Do Over Man’ because he mainly per-

forms cover tracks and former lead singer of Byron Lee & the

Dragonnaires after his first group the Astronauts disband-

ed) conjures up images of CD covers, where his fair plump

face, long Indian hair, somewhat Asianic features and sar-

donic smile betrays a history of love and heartache.

Barry Biggs is the epitome of Lovers Rock, and from his

memorable tracks “Love Come Down”, “Sideshow” to “A

Promise is a Comfort to a Fool” (which he wrote himself),

the memories of these tracks transport us back into the

late 70s, early 80s, when we held our dance partner tight

against the wall and swooned to his high octaves.

Barry was born in 1947, and I can’t remember whether he

told me he was born in the UK and then went to America,

or whether he was born in Jamaica, then came to England,

and then emigrated to the United States, but he is tri-

national. Barry flits between Jamaica, America (where he

runs his pattie enterprise) and the UK (where he spends

time with his family, music colleagues and friends).

Biggs was eating fish and chips when I came home, and I

wondered why he was eating fish and chips when there

was curry coat freshly made with ‘hard food’ on the stove.

Barry was disappointed that he could not enjoy the bat-

tered fish which ‘had gone off’, so I asked him if he pre-

ferred to eat the escovitch fish I had prepared beforehand.

He said he preferred fish and chips and that his father had

introduced him to fish and chips in 1961, and he liked to

maintain the tradition:

“Every time I am in England, I always have fish and chips!

the local fish and chip shop-owner knows me well. In fact

16


I like shepherds pie and most English food!” He said like a

pleasured school-boy.

I served him with the escovitch fish with a little coleslaw and

left him to eat it, while I went into the other room to download

music for my Sunday show. However, every now and then,

my concentration would be interrupted by the melodious shrill

of his voice as he clicked on one of his new tracks and

allowed the intro to permeate my ear lobes, which would

draw me into the room again to investigate:

“Nice track” I commented, time and time again.

“It’s on my latest CD - it is an exclusive!; I will make you a

copy of it..” and he did; within minutes.

Barry is a whizz on the computer, and he came equipped with

a burner and blank CDs, which showed me that he is pro-

active and ready to promote and share. For me, this charac-

ter trait illustrated not only his efficiency, but his generosity of

spirit.

The more time I spent with Barry, the more I warmed to him

and when he said he would make me a special for me and

gave me a sneak preview of what it would sound like, I felt

privileged. I heard the intonations come through his thin lips

that melted me and getting a special from Barry Biggs would

be fantastic, I thought, containing my excitement.

I tottered off to my laptop in the other room, intermittently lis-

tening to Barry’s selections while downloading and listening

to tracks producers had sent to me, trying not to override the

sound of what Barry was playing.

It was no use, I could not concentrate - I decided to play some

southern soul.

“Johnny Adams” is the greatest singer in the world!” I heard

Barry shout out; “Do you have any of his music?” I hadn’t

heard of Adams before, but found one of his tracks among

one of my compilation albums.

“He was big in 1976 and died a pauper” he informed me, and

then, as if reminiscing the loss of a great musician, he began

to search through his repertoire so he could share Adams

vocal skills with me. I could see why Barry was in awe of him.

Adams transitioned effortlessly from his modal voice to a

falsetto by several octaves intermittently through the track.

“I wish I could sing like that” Biggs said in admiration.

For me, Biggs made those transitions from modal to falsetto

in his day-to-day interactions, and certainly during the short

time he spent with me, because he naturally transitioned from

his modal speaking voice to his upper register when he start-

ed singing to the tracks he was playing.

I used this opportunity to asked Barry when he recognised his

talent to sing, and he admitted that he always knew he could

sing but he was very shy as a child and it wasn’t until he left

his home in Paddington as an adolescent to go and live in

Balham, when he met Owen Grey, a reggae singer, that he

realised his passion for singing. He remarked:

“I used to follow Owen around and watch him perform. I

loved the excitement when Owen was on stage and I knew

at that moment, performing was what I wanted to do!”

Biggs went to Rutherford Grammar School in Marylebone

(London) and got 7 O’ levels and much to his parents dis-

appointment, Barry did not pursue any of the subjects he

passed, instead he wanted to focus on music: “My parents

are happy now!” he said with a laugh – and that is because

after 45 years, Barry is still in demand and performing

shows back to back, and promoters will tell you that to get

Biggs on the bill is not cheap – so when they pay out, they

know they will get value for money!

Biggs decribed his very first show when he performed in

Jamaica in 1968, and admitted to being nervous, but after

that, Barry sailed to stardom making hits in Jamaica with

‘One Bad Apple’ by the Osmonds and topped the UK charts

with Sideshow, A Promise is a Comfort to a Fool, Work all

day, Love Come Down and many more.

Barry started off as a camera man and engineer at the for-

mer Jamaica’s Broadcasting Corporation (JBC), and

moved on to work in the studio - he loved it. The studio rep-

resented what he loved to do, which is to enhance his vocal

skills.

“I am always in the studio”, Biggs says proudly. He records

his music at Dynamic Sounds where he is a Studio

Manager and Engineer, and mixes all his music. He also

uses Willie Lindo’s Studio and Eye to Eye Studio in

Birmingham.

We dropped Barry home to his affluent home in North West

London at about 11pm, but before we dropped him off he

asked if we could stop at his local fish and chip shop, where

George at the Chippenham would do right by him. “Fish

and Chips?” I asked, astonished, when only twenty minutes

earlier he had been so full he couldn’t eat the curry goat.

“Oh yes, I am hungry now!”, he admitted. We dropped

Biggs and his selective hunger off outside his local fish and

chip shop and he came back to the car with a large heavy

brown paper bag:

“Me have two large fish in dis bag” he said pleased with his

purchase. I could see the glee in his eyes. “I love fish and

chips” he repeated, “they always remind me of my father”.

With a final salutation, we dropped him off home and

watched him enter his home with his evening meal.

I had planned to conduct the interview with Barry Biggs the

week before on my radio station, but he couldn’t make it.

However, as it turned out, I got a wealth of information dur-

ing his surprise visit and discovered that in talking informal-

ly with him, Barry shared a wealth of information that I could

have never extracted on live radio. Radio interview ques-

tions tend to feel orchestrated and based on conjecture,

whereas in an honest social environment, I knew I had

engaged with a genuine, sincere and masterful personality!

Is Barry Biggs your real name? I asked inquisitively.

“Yes, it’s actually Barrington Biggs!” How wonderful to be

able to say this is my real name and ‘Here I am’, which is

the title of his latest release. Look out for Barry’s latest CD

on Itunes. and in all popular record stores.Interview conducted and written by Myrna Loy (Lady Loy)17


18

What Independence ofZambia Means to Me

By Nchimy Kasongo

On the 24th of October 2012, Zambia cele-brated forty- eight (48) years of independ-ence. The story I tell of how we got there,is one told to me by relatives who werethere. In addition, it includes what I wastaught in school, so bare with me if you arereading this and this is not exactly how ithappened...I wasn’t there.

Zambia was colonized by the Britishbetween 1889 and 1901, and it has beensaid that, the main reason the British colo-nized Zambia was because of its mines.Zambia mostly mines copper, which isexported, even today and is one of the maincomponents of the country’s GrossDomestic Product (GDP).

During this time of colonisation, Black peo-ple could not attend the same schools asWhite people, Black people could not get

married to White people, and Black peoplewere not allowed to enter stores, instead asmall window was created for Black peopleto buy their groceries. In addition, jobs suchas management jobs were only for Whitepeople. In government formation, themajority of Members of Parliament wereWhite as were voters.

In the 1950’s the average salary was esti-mated at approximately £ 2,000 a year forWhite people and £200 a year for Blackpeople. However, certain individuals, nowreferred to as “Independence Heroes” tooka stand, and things started to slowlychange. For instance, in 1953, six Membersof Parliament were Black from the initialzero Members of Parliament being Black. In1958, the United National IndependenceParty (UNIP) was formed and lead byKenneth Kaunda, and peaceful demonstra-tions (turned into riots) were held protest-ing the injustices, with many lives lost alongthe way.

Fortunately, in1964, UNIP wonelections withKenneth Kaundabecoming thecountry’s firstPresident.

To celebrate theseHeroes, andremember the sac-rifices they made,some including

their own lives, on the first Monday of everyJuly is “Heroes day” and everyone whoplayed a part in ensuring the country’s inde-pendence, both alive and passed on, arehonoured. Furthermore, in the country’scapital city Lusaka stands a statue of a manbreaking a chain and this represents the lib-eralisation of the country from colonialisa-tion.

Nchimy is a Graduate studying at the Univerity of Bedfordshire and this

is her first article – Congratulations!


19

Steve Stephenson MBE, pictured with Chris Gayle above

Steve Stephenson, a Social Worker by profession, is a

quite remarkable individual, who is a pioneer in com-

munity development in the UK. Whilst most people

excel in one area, Steve has been a social worker,

youth and community worker, lecturer, sports and char-

ity promoter.

Steve is also linked with the mental health service,

when he worked for Social Services as Manager at

Ashanti (based on Marsh Road, Luton), a Charity for

Black and Asian people with mental health difficulties,

and he remarkably managed to save Ashanti from clo-

sure.

Steve was also one of twelve people selected from a

population of 50,000.000 Jamaicans In the UK to

receive a Special Award for Sports. One of the people

he supported was Chris Gayle, now a cricket star play-

er in the India Premier League (IPL) and West Indies

(pictured above). Another person that Steve supported

was Venol John a promising footballer who was also a

dancer with Kylie Minogue – others like Mitchell

Thomas, Mark Walters and Dwight Yorke, former

Manchester United player, are included in his reper-

toire.

Steve, the former chairman of the Victoria Mutual

Caribbean Cricket Cup National Competition in the UK,

has been supporting the Jamaican Under-15 Cricket

Team for the past 25 years, along with other young

cricketers from the UK and Caribbean

Steve has raised thousands of pounds for various

charitable causes, by working with Courtney Walsh,

Jimmy Adams, Richie Richardson, Sir Vivian Richards,

Gordon Greenidge, Devon Malcolm and West Indies

Cricket Team, He also received support from Black

footballers John Barnes, Paul Elliott, Mark Walters and

Cyril Regis and other Celebrities include Rudolph

Walker (‘Patrick’ in Eastenders) to name a few.

Steve received 6 national awards, including the MBE

from the Queen in 1996, Voice Newspaper Special

Award for Race Relations 1998.In 2003 he received

the Prime Minister medal of Appreciation from PJ

Patterson for services to Jamaica and Caribbean

people in the UK.

In addition he is the Organiser of the Winston Davis

Annual Benefit match. The Match has been played in

Bristol for the past 3 years.

He was born in Kingston, Jamaica on Human Rights

Day, 10 December 1953. He is in the Black Who’s

Who and The Voice Newspaper’s list of the 100 most

influential black people in Britain.

He is the Joint- Coordinator for the Jamaican

Diaspora (Western Region) which covers Swindon

and Bristol.

Steve is one of the few Jamaicans to have the dis-

tinction of being honored by both the British and

Jamaican Governments.

In 2009 he organised another successful reception

for Chris Gayle West Indies Team in Bristol. He also

had a Reception for the Full West Indies Team in

2012, when he gave Special Award to Shivnarine

Chandserpaul.

Football

Steve was Chairman of Ebony Football Club in

Luton. One the first Black Football Clubs in the

UK.The team was supported and Coach by Ricky

Hill on various occasions.

In 1998 he made history by putting on the first and

only Tribute to the Pioneers of Black British Football

Event. Twenty Nine Footballers attend with a galaxy

of Celebrities from various fields.

Steve also gave evidence on Racism in Football to

the House of Commons Selected Committee headed

by David Mellor MP (Source: Steve Stephenson)

__________________________________________________

DID YOU KNOW... Jack Leslie - Born to a Jamaican

father in Canning Town, Leslie was the only profes-

sional black player in England

during his time with Plymouth

Argyle (1921-1934). He was set

to become the first non-white

player to represent England at international level

before he was denied the opportunity when selectors

were made aware that he was "a man of colour".

Later in his life, Leslie told journalist Brian

Woolnough: "They must have forgot I was a coloured

boy."


20

BLACKBRIGHT MENTOR(A Counselling Service)

DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT BE MENTALLY ILL?

Yes, everyone of us, throughout one period of our

lives, has suffered mental illness, because it is very

likely that we have all experienced one of the follow-

ing causes of stress or depression:

Job loss; betrayal; family breakdown; unruly children;

disability; loss; bullying (school/corporate); guilt,

isolation; victimisation; racism; bigotry; entrapment;

abuse (physical, emotional, psychological); debt;

insecurity; low self-esteem; disruption at work/

home; carer responsibilities, peer or family pres-

sure; work overload; sibling rivalry; lack of support;

pre or post-natal depression; divorce/separation;

forced or arranged marriage; honour situatios; poor

communication; ex-partners; institutionalisation;

poor self-image; abandonment; drugs and alcohol;

smoking (including cannabis); addiction; mistrust;

infidelity; deception; illness; death; disfigurement;

poverty; redundancy; loneliness; upbringing;

attacked; lack of support, suicidal, fears, violation;

major disappointments, legal problems, etc.

Signs and Symptoms of Depression FEELINGS OF HELPLESSNESS & HOPELESSNESS.

A bleak outlook—nothing will ever get better and

there’s nothing you can do to improve your situation.

LOSS OF INTEREST IN ACTIVITIES. No interest in

former hobbies, pastimes, social activities, or sex.

You’ve lost your ability to feel joy and pleasure.

APPETITE OR WEIGHT CHANGES. Significant

weight loss or weight gain—a change of more than

5% of body weight in a month.

SLEEP CHANGES. Either insomnia, especially wak-

ing in the early hours of the morning, or oversleep-

ing (also known as hypersomnia).

ANGER & IRRITABILITY. Feeling agitated, restless,

or even violent. Your tolerance level is low, your

temper short, and everything and everyone gets on

your nerves.

LOSS OF ENERGY Feeling fatigued, sluggish, and

physically drained. Your whole body may feel

heavy, and even small tasks are exhausting or take

longer to complete.

SELF-LOATHING. Strong feelings of worthlessness

or guilt. You harshly criticize yourself for perceived

faults and mistakes.

RECKLESS BEHAVIOUR. You engage in escapist

behavior such as substance abuse, compulsive

gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports.

CONCENTRATION PROBLEMS. Trouble focusing,

making decisions, or remembering things.

UNEXPLAINED ACHES & PAINS. An increase in

physical complaints such as headaches, back pain,

aching muscles, and stomach pain.

If you feel you are experiencing difficulties in any of

these areas, or can relate to any of the symptons,

and need information or advice, then drop us a line

- information will be treated confidentially and you

will be kept anonymous (i.e. no identifying fea-

tures)

Backtrack your life to see how many of these of

these symptoms you can relate to. If you can iden-

tify with any one of them, then drop our counsellor

a line at [email protected] where you will

receive advice in the next edition of Blackbright

News.

Need Private Counselling? Tel: 07957 540 899 -

1st 5 consultations are #15 per hour!

or email: [email protected]


21

17 Ways to Love Yourself

1. Fall in love with Yourself:

Think about what makes you, you. Just like a

flower that needs watering to grow, learn to nur-

ture yourself in every way. Love yourself for all the

good that you see and accept your flaws and the

fact that you are imperfect. This does not meant

that you do not learn to change from your short-

comings; instead, you are being gentle and kind to

yourself for all your flaws. Look in the mirror and

fall in love with the reflection that is You.

2. Eliminate Self Criticism:

Do you often berate yourself over the tiniest thing?

Is there a little voice inside your head that often

tells you that you are no good because you are stu-

pid or make mistakes. If you find that you criticise

yourself often, make an effort to stop the self criti-

cism.

3. Be Kind And Positive:

When you start to think kindly and positively about

yourself, the love you have for yourself just grows.

Make it a habit to praise yourself every day, while

in the front of the mirror. Because of such

thoughts, you naturally undertake empowering

actions that support your development.

4. Acknowledge Your Effort:

It’s not always about winning or having success in

everything that you do. Many times, it is the effort

that counts! Acknowledge that you’ve done your

best, even if you have failed to produce tangible

results.

5. Let Go Of Worry:

Loving yourself requires you to let go of your

worry. It is a horrible way to live a life filled with

constant worrying. I can attest to that! Worry does

not help in any way. It cannot, on its own, make

things happen. Only wise actions can! So instead of

worrying, spend time thinking about what you

can do to help in the situation. If the situation is

beyond your control, then ask the Universe for

your desired outcome and let things work out on

their own. Things will come to be, if they are

meant to be.

6. Trust Yourself: Have confidence in your abil-ities.

Know that you have the ability to make important

changes for yourself, for as long as you put your

heart to it. You can also support yourself by visu-

alizing desired outcomes.

7. Forgive Yourself:

If you have made mistakes in the past that had

caused you to feel less worthy, then you need to

forgive yourself. All of us make mistakes; so there

really is no need to beat yourself up over them. Or

if you’ve been carrying around a baggage of emo-

tional hurt because of a childhood trauma, learn to

forgive yourself that it is not your fault.

8. Be Truthful To Yourself:

Loving yourself requires you to be truthful about

your own feelings. If you are happy, acknowledge

the joy. If you are sad, acknowledge the sorrow.

When you are truthful about your feelings, you do

not try to lie to yourself or seek to bury your neg-

ative emotions. Instead, acknowledging what you

feel provides a good guide to what your thoughts

are. And as we all know, thoughts can be changed,

so that healing and self growth can take place.

9. Grow Spiritually:

When you spend time growing spiritually, loving

yourself is an automatic thing. You become more

peaceful, connected, kind, loving and compassion-

ate. You nurture a mind that grows more beautiful

by the day. How do you not love yourself in the

process?

10. Make Positive Affirmations Everyday

Reframe your mind with positive affirmations. For

instance, say this to yourself “I love and accept myself

completely and unconditionally.” Read your affirmations

out loud several times a day

11. Express Gratitude

Express gratitude for the person that you are. For

instance, cultivate an appreciation for your strengths and

gifts. Also, feel a sense of gratitude that you are alive and

well, and fully capable of making a difference in your life.


Photo of little girl by Garfield Hall

Back Cover by Lakshmi Narayan Gupta22

12. Nurture Your Dreams:

Why deny yourself your dreams? When you nurtureyour dreams, you would love the life that you are lead-ing. Every moment that you live is a joy because youare expressing yourself fully.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointedby the things that you didn’t do than by the ones youdid do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from thesafe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.Explore. Dream. Discover. —Mark Twain

13. Boost Your Self Confidence:

Make a deliberate attempt to look for opportunities

that can help improve your confidence. For instance, if

you are particularly good at doing something, set aside

more time to indulge and improve your skills on it.

Knowing that you have particular gifts can boost your

self esteem.

14. Relax:

Give yourself space to take breaks every now and then.

If you spend your time working, without paying atten-

tion to your health, it also means that you do not love

yourself well enough to take care of your own body. Fill

your time with silence, soothing music and visions of

beauty; anything that nourishes your Soul

15. Have Fun:

Inject some fun into your life. Life is meant to be an

enjoyable. Don’t take life or yourself too seriously. If

you can think of life in this manner, you automatically

relax and quit worrying over things that do not matter.

16. Look After Your Body:

It is important that you strengthen yourself with prop-er nutrition and regular exercise. Your body is a templeand you should treat it with respect, love and care. Ithas been found that the lack of self love is often theroot causes of conditions like eating disorders, obesityor even terminal diseases.

17. Learn To See Beauty:

When you learn to see beauty in every thing, you will

also see beauty in yourself. Hence, stop to smell the

flowers. Notice everything. Feel everything. The pink

blush of the flowers in your garden, the greenness of

the plains, the whisper of the gentle wind, or the myr-

iad hues of an evening sky.

Source:www.abundancetapestry.com/how-to-love-yourself-in-17-ways/

Healthy Recipe

Pan-Fried Paprika Chilli Salmon

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 12–15 minutes

Serves 4

Course: Dinner

Main ingredient: Fish

Ingredients:

30g Flora Cuisine

4 salmon fillets

3 tbsps paprika

½ tbsp hot chilli powder

2 tsps mixed herbs

Sauce:

150ml reduced fat crème fraîche

1 tsp Colman’s horseradish sauce

Drizzle of runny honey

Preparation:

1. Blend the spices and herbs together andsprinkle evenly over the salmon fillets.

2. Heat the Flora Cuisine in a non-stick fryingpan over a low heat. Add the salmon skin sidedown and gently cook for 12–15 minutes or untilcooked through, turning occasionally.

3. Mix the crème fraîche with the horseradishand honey to taste and serve dolloped over thesalmon. Serve with new potatoes and vegeta-bles.

Did you know?

It takes 12 litres of water to produce just one tomato!

Find out how to make more of the food you buy at


www.myspace.com/blackbrightnews or www.issuu.com/blackbrightnewsemail: [email protected]

Founder & Managing Editor: Myrna Loy

BB llaacckkbbrriigghhtt NNeewwssTTaakkeess uuss oouutt ooff tthhee ddaarrkknneessss,, iinnttoo tthhee ll iigghhtt !!

Photo of little girl by Garfield Hall

Back Cover by Lakshmi Narayan Gupta


Blackbright News - Did you know that everyone's mentally ill?

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