There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack...!

There Ain't No Black in the Union Jack...!

The legacy of Black Britons hasn’t just shaped lives — it’s built the very foundations of the Britain we know today. From forming the backbone of the NHS, to flavouring our food, to driving the pulse of our music, it’s a legacy rooted in resilience - one that lifted entire working-class communities. But now, that history isn’t just being overlooked… It's being denied, reshaped, and rewritten. Across the country, a different story is getting louder. We’re seeing the rise of the so-called “New Patriots.” They could be our neighbours, our colleagues - even our own family members. So how has this shared history - of struggle, solidarity and mutual gain - been pushed aside so easily? And why are so many still dancing to the tune of flag-waving dog-whistlers? We have to ask: do people really not see the path they’re being led down… or is the promise of belonging simply too powerful to resist? Di Tree Of Wi dives into weh really a gwaan with this new kind of patriotism.

Our Windrush Parents - the strength behind us!

This episode is a tribute to our parents… part of the extraordinary Windrush Generation. Invited to travel across the world, they left behind everything they knew - their homes, their families, even their children - to start again in a place full of promise, but also uncertainty. They arrived in England with courage in their hearts, only to be met with ignorance, racism, and open hostility. And still… they didn’t give up. They persevered. They built lives from the ground up. They created communities where there were none - raising families, holding on to their culture, their values, and their dreams. They kept moving forward. Challenging the system. Fighting discrimination. Celebrating every win, no matter how small. Because of their strength, their sacrifice, and their resilience… we are here today. In this episode, we honour them - not just for what they endured, but for what they built, and the legacy they continue to leave behind.

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back Rant! A lot’s happened since we last caught up… but first - are you in your knackerel today? We’re getting real about the changes our bodies go through… no filters. Plus, we’re diving into life updates - and of course, a little wisdom from Di’s Tree of Wisdom.

Season 1 - Episode 1 Black women’s hair

This week’s episode will take us through one of the most contentious issues both within the black community and externally. Black women’s hair. We have seen recently that France’s lower house of parliament has backed a bill banning discrimination based on hairstyle, colour or texture, in a “historic” move supporters say will help penalise workplace discrimination. In the US, at least 23 states have passed legislation aimed at protecting people from hair discrimination. And in the UK, the Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued guidelines against hair discrimination in schools. Black hair has a rich history, symbolizing both empowerment and individuality as well as survival and resistance for men and women. Hair was a sacred tool of communication in ancient African societies. Hair is an undeniable form of self-expression — a way to communicate to the world a part of your identity. But living in a culture steeped in systemic racism and sexism, hair can also be a catalyst for judgment and prejudice.“Hair matters — and it matters to all of us — because it is a form of non-verbal communication,” says social and cultural psychologist Johanna Lukate, Ph.D.During the 1950s and 1960s, natural Black hairstyles such as the Afro, became a pivotal part of the Black liberation movement [https://www.history.com/news/black-power-movement-civil-rights] and a symbol of the growing resistance in a racist America.  So, the Black Afros that we associate with people such as Angela Davis and the Black Panthers of the civil rights movement really became a symbol of resistance."Black women's hair is intentional, and limitless, and historical, and influential, and deeply political in a world often incapable of recognising the depths of its wonder. We also explore our own hair journey and memories, including body hair.

Episode 13 - The Rise of the single black woman

Is there a Rise in the number of Black women who are single? This is part 2 of our discussions around love and dating for black women. The last episode we looked at the world of navigating dating, especially in your mature/fine years. The challenges, opportunities, and just how that whole landscape has changed. This episode Di Tree Of Wi looks at the potential fallout of that landscape, how it impacts black women, and is this contributing to the talk of the increase in the number of single black women. For the first time on record, the number of people who are married has dropped below 50 per cent in England and Wales.    Going to the chapel and we’re… not gonna get married, as it turns out. That’s because, for the first time on record, the percentage of over-16s in England and Wales who are wed or in a civil partnership has fallen below 50 per cent [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/married-divorce-stats-uk-latest-b2485048.html], according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates for 2022. The figure had dropped to 49.4 per cent from 51.2 per cent a decade previously. It’s the latest stat proving the fact that marriage is on the decline [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/marriage-rate-uk-latest-figures-lowest-record-ons-a9464706.html]. And not just in the UK – it’s a trend that’s happening in countries all over the world. Almost 90 per cent of the world’s population now live in countries with falling marriage rates [https://www.cnbc.com/video/2023/07/19/why-are-people-not-getting-married-anymore.html]; in the US, marriage has decreased by 60 per cent since the 1970s. The far-reaching tentacles of oppression via the transatlantic slave trade, chattel slavery, and mass incarceration have depleted the Black male marriage market. Meanwhile, what’s left of the market is further complicated by colorism and beauty hierarchies, leaving heterosexual Black women who desire to be married to a Black man, single for far longer than they intend. It is one thing for a Black woman to choose singleness—which is their prerogative; not everyone desires marriage. It is another thing entirely to desire marriage and to have your agency with regard to your marital status stripped away from you due to mechanisms of oppression that have been in motion for hundreds of years. What are the factors that maybe contributing to single black female? * The discussions around the lack of available men * Colourism is this a factor? * Stereotypes  * Desirability Di Tree Of Wi also discuss feedback from some of our listeners and friends on their thoughts on the Rise of the single black female and the contributing factors.