Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

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In our last episode, we spoke about the negative experiences that many black people face once they've entered the workplace. As such, many black men are choosing to leave their traditional corporate jobs to instead build a career that is uniquely their own - whether that is entrepreneurship, freelance work or otherwise.

To explore this, I’m talking to entrepreneur and founder of Vivida, Simeon Quarrie.

Simeon Quarrie is a storyteller, creative, international speaker and entrepreneur. Having made a name for himself as a photographer - a process in which he became the first black ambassador for Canon - he's turned his talent to creating workplace training like we've never seen before through his company Vivida.

So in this episode we talk through his journey to becoming a successful and widely recognised storyteller, the challenges of becoming an entrepreneur and his advice for young black men on taking a career path that is less trodden.

For more information about Simeon, find him on LinkedIn and Instagram (@simeonquarrie) or via his company Vivida at: www.vivida.io/

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Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

In this episode, I'm interested in exploring what happens to black men after they leave the education system. Our careers play a significant part of our lives, so with employment outcomes looking poor for black men but particularly young black men, I want to uncover the problem at hand and what can be done.

To explore these issues, I’m talking to Action for Race Equality’s Chief Executive, Jeremy Crook OBE and Moving on Up’s Project Support Officer, Victoria Atanda.

Action for Race Equality is a charity on a mission to end racial inequality. Working on issues such as education, employment and criminal justice, Action for Race Equality champions fairness, challenges discrimination and pioneers innovative solutions to empower Black, Asian and Mixed Heritage people. Their Moving on Up initiative works with young black men in London to help them gain meaningful employment, as well as partner organisations and business to help improve the employment landscape for black men.

So we talk about the concerning statistics, what ought to be done to solve these problems, and the work the Moving On Up initiative is doing to support young black men seeking employment.

For more information about Action for Race Equality, visit: https://www.actionforraceequality.org.uk/

NB: Before the interview we play audio from a Moving on Up campaign video - to watch the video visit here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLW74O_aP90&t=56s

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

After talking to the team at Just For Kids Law last episode, I was really keen to hear the perspectives of a black teacher. I wanted to know why schools were struggling to see more black teachers, his experience as a teacher and in teacher training, his perspective on the experience of black boys in the classroom, and what needs to change within the education system.

To get to the bottom of this I’m talking to Jeffrey Boakye who has spent 15 years teaching English to secondary school students. 

Jeffrey is an author, broadcaster, educator and writer with an interest in issues surrounding education, race, masculinity and popular culture. Ahead of this interview, I read his recently published the book I Heard What You Said, which gives an unforgettable insight into racism in modern education. 

So in this next interview I’m keen to understand Jeffrey’s experience as a teacher and his perspective on what needs to be changed to address the pressing issues at hand.

For more information about Jeffrey, visit:https://www.jeffreyboakye.com/

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

In this episode, I’m interested in exploring the UK's education system and the influence it has on the opportunities, outcomes and experiences of black boys. After doing some research on this, I found some concerning statistics showing a large disparity between exclusion rates among black pupils and their white peers - particularly when looking at black boys. And when looking at black Caribbean students in English schools, we see exclusion rates up to six times higher than those of their white peers in some local authorities. 

To get to the bottom of this I’m talking to education solicitors Florence Cole, and Sabrina Simpson, and Policy Officer Ayomide Sotubo. All who work for Just For Kids Law.

Just for Kids Law is a UK charity that works with and for children and young people to hold those with power to account and fight for wider reform by providing legal representation and advice, direct advocacy and support, and campaigning to ensure children and young people in the UK have their legal rights and entitlements respected and promoted, and their voices heard and valued.

So we talk about the concerning statistics, what ought to be done to solve these problems, and the work Just For Kids Law is doing to support young black children going through the exclusion process.

For more information about Just For Kids Law, visit: https://www.justforkidslaw.org/

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

In this episode, I’m interested in gaining a more general understanding of what identity actually means. Both historically and in the context of today’s society.

To understand this, I’m speaking to FUR-Han Sa-Ma-Nar-Knee, a lecturer and researcher of social anthropology, specialising in grassroots community building, everyday co-operation, and the shaping of political consensus in diverse areas.

Furhan’s career has seen him work with both community groups, and national and international organisations, ranging from teenagers in Kilburn, London. To the World Bank and Oxfam. 

He has advised on a range of issues around migration, diversity, policy and inclusivity. And has written about his research in the popular press, including articles in Aeon magazine and the Huffington Post.

So we talk about the meaning of identity, why it’s important and his take - from his research- about the role of identity in black masculinity.

For more information about Farhan Samanani visit: https://farhansamanani.net/

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences & issues facing the black community. In this series, Jord Hailwood uncovers the experience of black men & boys in the UK today.

...

In this first episode,  I want to know if there’s any merit to the idea that there exists universal elements to the black male identity. To answer this I’m speaking to someone who wrote the book on black masculinity in modern-day Britain… quite literally.

Iggy London is an award winning filmmaker, artist and writer. Known for his distinctive style and gripping stories, his work crosses many mediums. From films to poetry to photography. He has created work for the likes of Nowness, Love Magazine, Nike and Vogue, And his work has been covered on i-D, Highsnobiety, Dazed and the Guardian, to name a few.

I’ve managed to catch Iggy ahead of the release of his debut book ‘Mandem’. Mandem is a collection of essays exploring what it means to be a black man in contemporary Britain

And so, as our resident expert, I’m keen to explore Iggy’s view of identity, his own identity and what he’s learnt about black masculinity in the process of editing his book.

For more information about Iggy London, follow him on Instagram @iggyldn, and to pre-order/purchase his book, visit: https://jacarandabooks.co.uk/products/mandem

Credits

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted by Jord Hailwoord

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mangrove is an exploration of the experiences and issues facing the black community in the UK. In this series, our host, Jord Hailwood, will be uncovering the experiences of black men and boys in the UK today. We’ll be discussing everything from dating, to media representation, the black queer experience and mental health. And we’re featuring a range of voices, including public figures, activists, journalists, and more.

Follow us on Instagram @mangrove_podcast

Credits:

Hosted by Jord Hailwood

Produced by Tyra at Foss Creative Studio

Brought to you by Lives of Colour

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.