FEBRUARY 2026 • ISSUE NO. 1975
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‘Hypnotic, poignant, unmissable’ My Father’s Shadow
BRINGING STOLEN TREASURES HOME
has been hailed ‘a must-see film’ ›› p32
Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie with the Magdala Shield he helped return to Ethiopia after more than 150 years
EXCLUSIVE
Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie, grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie I, speaks about his work on returning Ethiopia’s looted relics MORE THAN 150 years after Ethiopian artefacts were plundered during empireera violence, Prince Ermias Sahle-Selassie, grandson of Emperor Haile Selassie I, tells The Voice of his commitment
to preserve heritage and honour ancestors “who fought for our nation’s sovereignty”, a cause that resonates across the African diaspora. ›› p4&6
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Prince Ermias as a child with his famous grandfather, Emperor Haile Selassie I
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Inside THIS MONTH
The Voice says
ROUNDUP
News, views, stories & videos
MAKING A STAND: Bob Marley Beach plaintiffs
10
THE 10 MOST POPULAR STORIES ON VOICE-ONLINE.CO.UK
A life, a lie, a nation looking away: Clinton McCurbin and the truth about deaths in custody
12
The quiet weight Black men carry and why silence is no longer enough
20
When reggae meets readiness: why emergency preparedness is a community issue
24
From Windrush roots to the heart of power: David Lammy on family, struggle and becoming Deputy Prime Minister
32
Lagos, loss and legacy: how My Father’s Shadow captures one family’s journey
38
From disaster to determination: athletics support helps Jamaica bounce back
Access denied: Jamaica’s new equality struggle
W
HEN campaigners describe the exclusion of Jamaicans from their own beaches as “plantation tourism”, some recoil at the sharpness of the phrase. But for many Jamaicans, the term lands not as provocation, but as recognition. It names a deep and long-held unease: the feeling that systems of extraction and exclusion never truly disappeared. They simply changed their clothes. The fight for free and meaningful access to Jamaica’s beaches is about far more than leisure. It is part of a wider struggle against inherited systems of oppression that continue to determine who benefits from the island’s land, labour and natural beauty. That message is gaining momentum, and it is being powerfully amplified beyond the courts and campaign meetings, including through culture and music. Reggae artist Keznamdi’s song Colonial Bondage captures this reality with clarity and urgency. His challenge to the sell-off of land and coastlines to multinational tourism interests echoes what many Jamaicans have been saying for years: that development, as currently practised, too often replicates colonial patterns of ownership and exclusion. No one denies the economic importance of tourism to
This issue is 40 pages EDITOR Vic Motune E. vic.motune@thevoicemedia group.co.uk
CORPORATE AFFAIRS & COMMUNICATIONS Paula Dyke E. paula@thevoicemedia group.co.uk
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Paulette Simpson E. paulette.simpson@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Joel Campbell E. joel.campbell@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk
Jamaica or the wider Caribbean. It provides jobs, foreign exchange and global visibility. But it also comes at a cost. When access to beaches is restricted, fenced off or quietly priced out of reach, the social and cultural price is borne by ordinary people – not corporations. As Keznamdi reminds us, Sunday trips to beaches and rivers are not incidental pleasures. They are central to Jamaican life. They are where families gather, stories are passed down, and community is reaffirmed. To erode access to these spaces is to erase living traditions and undermine a vital part of national identity. The beach has become one of the island’s most valuable resources. Development is not the problem. Exclusion is. What is needed are policies that ensure Jamaicans can enjoy and benefit from their own natural heritage, not just serve it. Musicians, artists and creatives have a vital role to play here. Culture has always been a site of resistance in Jamaica. When artists use their platforms to speak on issues that matter, they help turn private frustration into public reckoning. This is not an anti-tourism argument. It is a pro-justice one. And it is a fight that deserves all our voices.
IT’S MAGIC: Orlando’s Jase Richardson (right) takes on Memphis Grizzlies’ Cam Spencer during the NBA London Game 2026 at the O2
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Windrush families urged to trace lost Premium Bonds as £100m in prizes lies unclaimed
Antigua and Dominica agree to accept US migrants as Trump tightens Caribbean visa rules Unearthed after 40 years: the lost world of Bradford’s 1980s Caribbean community
One fire, 14 lives and a nation that looked away
‘Please help us get justice’: Birmingham family’s plea after man dies following assault
The National Basketball Association takes over London Footballer Omar Bogle hoping for a brighter new year £600,000 boost for Windrush compensation claimants Why British honours undermine anti-colonial politics
The remarkable story of boxer Hezekiah Moscow
Got a story? email us at yourviews@thevoicemediagroup.co.uk SPORTS EDITOR Rodney Hinds E. rodney.hinds@thevoice mediagroup.co.uk ADVERTISING AND SALES E. advertising@thevoicemedia group.co.uk
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FEBRUARY 2026 THE VOICE | 3
News
THE CLASSROOMS WHERE EVERY CHILD CAN THRIVE
Hackney’s Daubeney Primary School wins major award for its pioneering approach to pupil wellbeing. By Sinai Fleary
I
N CLASSROOMS where children feel safe, understood and valued, learning is no longer just about test scores and targets. Children do not leave their lives at the school gates. Experiences at home, in their communities or online inevitably shape how they behave and interact in class. Research has found that teachers who listen without judgment, show patience and acknowledge children’s feelings help build the trust that allows pupils to ask for help and take risks in their learning. They also create classroom environments where mistakes are treated as part of learning rather than failure, increasingly recognised as essential to good education.
as a village school in the heart of Hackney, creating a close-knit community where every child is known, valued and supported. Head teacher Gregory Logan, who last year received a Citation of Honour for his international work in Africa, said the award reflects a deeply embedded school culture rather than a single initiative. “We have open-door communication that ensures that no one falls through the cracks,” he said. “Our staff receive ongoing training to recognise and respond to the ever-growing emotional needs of our children, empowering them to create safe, empathetic environments in every classroom. “We also have EXCELLENCE a well-being and The success of this approach at Daubeney Primary School in Hack- mental health week every ney, east London, has now been half term, and nationally recognised. every adult at Staff and pupils at the school Daubeney has a recently won the FutureEd Award mental health and for Mental Health and Well-Being well-being target on their annual School of the Year 2025. appraisals.” The UK-based annual awards celebrate excellence in education That whole-school commitment for Black African and Caribbean was reinforced in October 2023, heritage communities. when Ofsted awarded Daubeney Daubeney has built a reputation outstanding judgments for
HONOUR: Pupils of Daubeney Primary School and head teacher Gregory Logan with the FutureEd Trophy; left, Father 2 Father CEO Courtney Brown, assistant head teacher Cheryll Gustave and Mr Logan at the recent awards ceremony (photos: Daubeney Primary School/ Paul McKenzie)
personal development and for effective support for pupils with additional needs. Mental health, staff say, is understood by all stakeholders as part of everyday school life rather than a bolt-on programme.
The school’s approach also gives pupils an active role in supporting each other. Daubeney has a Junior Mental Health Team made up of children aged seven to 11, encouraging peer support and shared responsibility for well-being. Last year, the school also launched ‘Da Café’, a pupil, parent and staff initiative supporting enterprise, financial literacy and
community connection. A Year 6 School Council member said: “Hot chocolate with marshmallow surveyed top of the list to sell in our café shop and we sold out on the first day.” Profits from the café go back into school projects that benefit pupils. Assistant head teacher Cheryll Gustave said the award belongs to the entire school community. “We
are so proud of our pupils and Daubeney family, and the fact that we place mental health at the heart of education,” she said. In an inner city environment where many children face complex pressures, Daubeney’s success highlights how responding to emotional needs can transform classrooms into places where every child has the chance to thrive.
BRIXTON BLOOD CENTRE JOINS PILOT SCHEME TO RAISE BLACK DONOR NUMBERS BRIXTON Blood Donor Centre has been selected by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) as one of only three sites nationwide to pilot a new service aimed at increasing the number of Black heritage blood donors. The initiative is designed to make blood donation a more welcoming and empowering experience by enabling Black heritage donors to give blood together as part of a group. The move follows feedback from Black heritage communities which found people were more likely to become regular donors if they could donate collectively, including with colleagues, faith groups, community organisations or friendship networks.
In response, NHSBT has created a group booking system specifically for Black heritage donors, allowing them to reserve slots and donate together. The aim is to create a shared experience that makes donating blood feel more welcoming and impactful. London joins Birmingham and Manchester as the three cities chosen to take part in the new service. The initiative aims to increase the number of Black heritage donors, whose blood is vital in treating people living with sickle cell – the UK’s fastest-growing inherited blood disorder. Around 18,000 people are affected by the condition, with
MAKING A DIFFERENCE: The Brixton Blood Donor centre is one of only three places in the country to be part of a pioneering service to boost the numbers of Black donors (photo: NHSBT)) approximately 300 babies heritage, and donors of born with sickle cell each African, Caribbean or mixed year. ethnic backgrounds are ten Sickle cell is more prevatimes more likely than White lent among people of Black donors to have the specific
Ro blood subtype required to treat the lifelong condition. With one person with sickle cell potentially needing blood from up to 100 donors every year to stay healthy, NHSBT says boosting Black donor numbers is critical. NHSBT Director of Donor Experience, Mark Chambers, said: “The new group bookings initiative provides London groups, be they friends, colleagues, or community members, with the opportunity to reserve slots to give blood together. “NHSBT is calling on London’s Black heritage communities to come together to take advantage of the new service and save up to three lives with each donation.
“The initiative is about creating a shared experience that makes donating more welcoming and impactful – especially for first-time donors – in a setting that feels more like community than clinic.” Sarah-Jane Nkrumah from Sickle Cell Unite, a London organisation that has already used the system, said group bookings were crucial to encouraging donation. “We believe group bookings are incredibly important because they bring the community together. People are often more comfortable donating blood when they attend with friends or as part of a group,” she said.