STILL NO JUSTICE FOR MURDERED
BLACK TEENAGER

31st May marks four years since the gruesome murder of British-born Jamaican teenager Dea-John Reid in broad daylight in the city of Birmingham.

Reid was murdered by a group of white teenagers and grown men who chased him down a street and stabbed him multiple times while shouting racial slurs. The brutal incident was captured on security cameras.

Reid's family are still demanding justice over his murder. A 15-year-old white boy was convicted of the lesser crime of manslaughter - but not of murder, as demanded by the family and prosecution. He received a six-and-a-half-year sentence for the crime, but he is likely to serve only half of his sentence behind bars because of the nature of the British judicial system.

Continued……. Two other teenagers and two adults who had been accused of taking part in the attack on the Jamaican teenager walked free after the court acquitted them of all charges.

Many have described the verdict as a miscarriage of justice. They blame the jury's composition for this. Out of the 12 jurors, 11 were White, while one was of Asian descent. The Ministry of Justice says jurors are randomly selected, but given that people of colour make up over half of Birmingham, it is difficult to understand how a jury in such a case could be 91% white and 100% non-Black.

The verdict has led to calls for deliberate efforts to make juries more ethnically diverse, especially in cases where race is at the centre.

Please follow the Justice 4 Dea-John Reid campaign at https://www.facebook.com/share/c7WE41c8M2kpsEZx/?mibextid=LQQJ4d and lend the family your support.

GOOD NEWS SUNDAY

This week on Good News Sunday, we're lighting up Africa, literally and culturally! From solar-powered backpacks in Tanzania to Burkina Faso honouring a revolutionary icon with the majestic Thomas Sankara Mausoleum to Sudanese folktales bridging continents and generations, the African continent is all about power, legacy, and storytelling magic. Let us know which story brightened up your Sunday.

Credits @folktalesfromsudan
@UNDPTanzania/KumiMedia
@CRAC T-WEB, kerearchitecture.com/about-us

Sources

Sources

https://edition.cnn.com/world/africa/tanzania-soma-bags-reading-light-spc

https://www.ippmedia.com/the-guardian/business/read/only-half-of-households-connected-to-electricity-nbs-report-2024-03-27-103249

https://tanzaniatimes.net/burkina-faso-builds-grand-statue-for-captain-thomas-sankara-to-honor-former-leader

https://www.instagram.com/folktalesfromsudan/

https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0l6hhk9

KENYANS WON’T FORGET COLONIAL HANGINGS

Today, Kenya proudly commemorates 62 years of self-governance, a significant milestone that began with the achievement of internal self-rule in 1963. Decades later, the call for a formal apology from the British royal family resonates strongly among Kenyans. During King Charles III's visit in 2023, the voices of the Kenyan people echoed with demands for acknowledgment and reparations for the injustices inflicted by British colonial authorities.

In 2013, the British government offered a mere £19.9 million in compensation to 5,228 elderly victims, but this gesture fell short of a full and formal apology.

Continued……. The grim legacy of colonial rule in Kenya is marked by the harrowing experiences of 90,000 individuals who were executed, tortured, abused, or detained under inhumane conditions during the State of Emergency declared in 1952, a response to the Mau Mau rebellion.

Wambura Mwai delves into this painful history, shedding light on the bravery of Kenya's freedom fighters who sacrificed everything for their homeland. Will King Charles III find the courage to confront this painful chapter and offer a heartfelt apology for the imperial wrongs of the past?