Innehållsförteckning för Issue 9 från KOL Social

My position as an editor for a magazine that is predominately aimed at people of colour often sees me addressing issues of inequality, whether they be economic, educational, environmental, or to do with health or immigration. The invisible thread of white privilege – an unearned and often unrecognised advantage that allows greater access to opportunities to those afforded it – runs deep. However, the theme of this issue ‘privilege’ is not to beat that same drum. Whilst acknowledging that the odds may well be stacked against us in many areas of life, we want to focus instead on those who are fixed upon changing such scarcity into abundance, such as the youths featured in Boxing Factory (page 26) – young Ghanaians who go fist-to-fist, literally hoping to fight their way…

Nuria LópezTorres Documentary portrait photographer Nuria focuses her lens on topics related to the world of women, sexualities, identities and violence, with some projects based in social anthropology. Her work has been published in El País, Marie Claire, Esquire Latin America, The Caravan, CNN, The Guardian and Al-Jazeera, among others. On page 40, she puts a spotlight on the lives of the Seris, an indigenous group in Mexico fighting to defend their lifestyle and culture. Luca Sage Luca is an award-winning portrait, editorial and advertising photographer. Based in the UK, he works internationally with both commercial clients and high-end magazines. Luca pursed his earliest ambition to become a professional footballer, only to realise his future lay elsewhere when Chelsea F.C. let him go at the age of 16, but his…

Ibrahim Mahama Ibrahim Mahama uses the transformation of materials to explore themes of commodity, migration, globalisation and economic exchange. His large-scale installations employ materials gathered from urban environments, such as remnants of wood. In addition to the installations, the show at White Cube Bermondsey will feature a new series of collages and drawings created following months of research at Nkrumah Volini in northern Ghana – a silo Mahama recently acquired and repurposed into a cultural hub and repository. Runs from 15 September - 7November 2021 whitecube.com UNTITLED: Art on the Conditions of Our Time This multimedia exhibition, in Cambridge’s Kettle’s Yard, asks viewers to examine the conditions of our time through the prism of Black British artists working today – without reducing the encounter solely to an exploration of Black…

Tokyo, Japan’s capital, is truly the world’s most futuristic city. Advanced technology is everywhere. Teeming with a population of 13.96 million, it runs with clockwork efficiency within an area of 2,700 square miles making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world. And it is expanding all the time. There are people everywhere and they work, talk and walk fast. The complex subway is like an ant colony of interconnecting halls leading to shops and department stores that continue to grow and infiltrate train stations. When you finally surface you are blasted with a Bladerunner-esque cityscape of mural-proportioned LED advertising screens, illuminated neon lights and eye-wateringly high buildings made of glass and granite. The city has one of the largest number of skyscrapers in the world. As…

Every year, Black History Month (BHM) draws focused attention to understanding the intricacies of Black history: how it is woven into British identity; the numerous unheralded figures and organisations that we should celebrate; how to become aware of and unlearn prejudices and biases, and more. It has become and continues to develop into an ever-more vital and vibrant element of our cultural and societal calendar. But is it enough? The theme for this October’s BHM is ‘Proud to Be’. Yet how can we – asmembers of a multicultural society – be truly proud to be unless we engage in conscientious learning and considered unlearning around the experiences of others consistently? That means beyond the borders of BHM, the fervour of the protests around George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter…

Alicia Jarman I want to have my own company in fashion and working with the magazine gives me much-needed experience, new insights and the confidence to move forward. Karen Cameron After years of working in retail, I wanted to be able to flex my writing ability. I have always wanted to work in media and this gives me the chance to explore and learn new skills. Sophie Holden This is my first job post-graduation, and I have always wanted to work with a magazine! I get to practise my photographic skills daily, as well as being able to build my career.…

Being a senior black man in the TV industry in the U.K. can feel a little like being a unicorn: there are not a lot of us around. I’m very aware that my position is both privileged and precarious. There is a lot of focus on what I might have to say, and I feel an enormous responsibility to try and do whatever I can to help others reach their goals – and, ideally, for them to surpass anything I’ve done. I do not, and cannot, take my position for granted. I was born here but we came here from Jamaica. My mother is from Accompong Town. She is a Maroon and I grew up hearing stories of how they fought the British for years and had independence 200+ years…

Good Moms Bad Choices If Oprah and Howard Stern had a baby it would be this weekly podcast. Meet Erica and Milah, two uncensored and outspoken sex-and-cannabis-positive parents who are redefining what modern motherhood looks like and breaking life’s archaic stereotypes. This audio diary is not just for parents but also women who feel alone in their good and bad choices. The Humanity Archive Host Jermaine Fowler explores the untold narratives of history. As people seek to expand their knowledge of Black history and the history of other people of colour—much of which has long been excluded from textbooks about heroes, thinkers and revolutionaries—The Humanity Archive fills the void. Episodes include “Women’s Suffrage Part I: The Seeds Of Equality” and “Slavery & Resistance: A Global Nightmare”. About Racewith Reni Eddo-Lodge…

APryor Engagement First presented at BAMcinématek in 2013, the season documents the career of arguably the most famous stand-up comedian of all time, Richard Pryor. An idol to generations of comedians from both sides of the Atlantic, Pryor’s filmed comedy specials such as Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (Jeff Margolis, 1979) and Richard Pryor: Live on the Sunset Strip (Joe Layton, 1982) live on as a testament to his mastery, seamlessly blending broad character work with searing observations from his perspective as a Black man in America and naked revelations about his troubled childhood and struggles with addiction. Pryor’s stardom propelled him from the stand-up stage to Hollywood, where he starred in classics of Black 70s Hollywood, art house films and everything in-between. Runs until 4 October, BFI Southbank. The…

Street art has come a long way from tagging trains in New York subways and is now a central axis of the contemporary art scene. With roots in the Harlem Renaissance of the Twenties and Thirties, where artists asserted pride in their Black life and identity, public art gained traction as a way of speaking up on issues of racism, feminism, violence, slavery and exploitation. It became fashionable in the Seventies and Eighties for bored youths to doodle on public property, which was viewed by many as a menace to society. The affluent middle classes weren’t used to anyone questioning the bureaucratic government infrastructure, and with the rise of punk and hip-hop a gritty underground scene was forming, which rejected commercial authority. The likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring…

BEAUTY KOL Cosmetics An independent online makeup brand that offers both mineral powders and luxury 3D silk eyelashes. Made from the finest natural ingredients, choose from 20 shades of powders that are paraben-free and suitable for all lifestyles and religions, including vegan and Halal. The nine styles of natural-looking false eyelash strips are handmade and 100% silk. All products are animal-cruelty-free. kolcosmetics.com LU Skincare Skincare products are 100% vegan with carefully sourced ingredients combining essential oils and oat silk. From light day creams to nourishing night creams, they are beautifully scented and provide the best quality skincare for all skin types. Made in England. laurenceandumehltd.com RA, ChelseaClinic Dr Divya Veluvolu specialises in anti-ageing and aesthetic medicine. Services include skin analysis and treatment; cosmetic treatments with dermal fillers; fat transfer; gut…

The KOL Social magazine publishes The Social Directory (pages 77-81) to connect businesses directly to their target audience. Do you have a fashion or beauty brand, an accountancy firm, or a non-profit organisation? Do you have a small business that provides a good service and you want to reach a wider audience? Or perhaps you provide products aimed specifically at people of colour? Whatever industry you work in, sign up now and be featured in our quarterly magazine that’s available in both digital and print format. Visit thekolsocial.com/advertise or email us at advertise@thekolsocial.com SIGN UP BEFORE 30 OCT 2021 FOR A GUARANTEED PLACE IN THE DIRECTORY…

The Gilded Ones By Namina Forna. Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can feel like she belongs. But at the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the colour of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death. (Usborn, £8.99, paperback) Out Now Lockdown FM: Broadcasting in a Pandemic By Gilles Peterson. Densely populated and rich in imagery, this 600-plus page cultural documentation is built around the playlists from 80 Worldwide FM and BBC Radio 6Music broadcasts made by the DJ and broadcaster. He celebrates the birthdays of musicians close to him, such as Stevie Wonder and…

TOURS Griff Winner of the BRITs Rising Star Award 2021, becoming one of the youngest winners in the category at the age of 20, and Top 5 in the BBC’s Sound of 2021, English singer-songwriter Sarah Faith Griffiths aka Griff is set for another transformative year. Following the release of her debut mixtape One Foot In Front Of The Other (Warner Records) she heads out on tour across various venues in Europe including the UK, Ireland and Germany. Runs until7November officialgriff.com Rina Sawayama London-based Japanese singer-songwriter and model Rina Sawayama is eager to finally tour the UK to promote her debut album Sawayama, released in April 2020 – a thrilling adventure of nu-metal and R&B pop, and featuring hit songs such as Comme Des Garcons. Earlier this year the rising…

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Over the past year, our approach to producing our sponsored supplement within KOL Social magazine has been to try to go beyond the usual suspects in terms of who the audience V4CE should reach in and around the charity and community sector. The charity world has been outstanding in meeting the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic emergency. We have been able to show the best in ourselves and the communities we support. However, we still sometimes tend to focus on intimate aspects of our environment and ignore developments in the wider world. Attitudes towards race, for instance. The debate stimulated by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report has been revealing and challenging for all. But it has also been successful in addressing the much more difficult and…

Vicki Senor, aka VickSenStyles, is a hairstylist and one of London’s most respected barbers in an industry that does not fully cater for women in this respect. She has not only built a strong name in the hair industry, but has retained some of her faithful customers since she entered the market 16 years ago. Enough said… Karen Cameron caught up with her at her residency in South London’s Peckham Palms to talk about her journey, from a talented schoolgirl on a side hustle to the dreams she has for her future. How did you get started? I began doing hair at secondary school at 14 or 15 years old, braiding friends’ hair for £5 a head. I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to do when I left school,…