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Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
I sent one Whatsapp message of thanks to a group of Black dads and everything changed
Yahoo News – Insights speaks directly to the people with an inside track on the big issues. Here, Marvyn Harrison explains how a Whatsapp message started a movement for Black dads. Marvyn Harrison is the founder of Dope Black Dads and Dope Black Men. He is a regular contributor to Good Morning Britain, Steph's Packed Lunch, The Kick Off, and BBC 5Live. He has published two children's books with Pan Macmillan Kids, "I Love Me" and "The Best Me", and is soon to announce another book focused on helping men with personal transformation. On Father's Day 2018, I sent a message to a few friends, thanking them for being examples of fatherhood I could admire. At the time, it came from a place of unease. I wasn't sure if I was doing enough — for my children, for their mother, or for myself. I felt disconnected — present in action but not fully in energy. I remember that day clearly. I was exhausted when someone shared an image on Instagram: a father pushing his child on a swing. He looked tired too, but he was there — fully present. That image stayed with me. It captured something I couldn't yet name: the quiet persistence it takes to keep showing up with love, even when no one is watching. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement I grew up in East London, Hackney, as one of four children raised by my Jamaican mother and grandmother. My father wasn't present. It was the women in my life who built my foundations: shaping my values, showing me how to move through the world, and instilling care — especially for those pushed to the margins. So that day, when I messaged a few close friends to say, 'Thank you for being visions of fathers I can follow,' it wasn't just appreciation — it was reaching out. "Dads get overlooked — and Black dads rarely get credit,' wrote one friend. The response was immediate: messages of gratitude, honesty, vulnerability. It became clear that this wasn't just my experience. There was a hunger among Black fathers for a space to be seen, heard, and understood — without judgment. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement A WhatsApp group wasn't enough. Within months, I went to a studio, gathered a few friends, and recorded our first conversation. That's how Dope Black Dads began. I worked as an advertising strategist at a major agency until 2020, and I loved solving problems. But I made a career shift to find more joy and freedom — freedom to interpret data through my lens as a working-class, Black father from London. We launched in October 2018, during Black History Month. Today, over 60 contributors from around the world join in — from co-parenting and blended families to race, sex, and identity. What started as a WhatsApp group of 23 Black fathers in London has grown into a global digital community of 40,000 men discussing Black fatherhood. (Image supplied) The First Time I Saw Myself on Stage The first stage production I ever saw that made me think about Fatherhood was Barbershop Chronicles. Watching Black men of all ages simply being themselves — playful, vulnerable, angry, joyful — was transformative. It was more than entertainment; it was a mirror. That experience affirmed what we were creating through Dope Black Dads: a space where Black men could be fully themselves without apology. Where honesty was valued over perfection, not just through one-dimensional narratives. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement When I heard about the Black girl who was strip-searched in school, it brought me to reflective silence. Moments of pride — like seeing Lewis Hamilton acknowledge his mother's maiden name — remind me why it's so necessary to hold space, speak up, and stay present. The community changed me. It also sparked something wider: the birth of Dope Black Mums, Dope Black Women, Dope Black Men, and Dope Black Queers — each creating spaces on their own for connection, growth, and support. We started talking about therapy, money, intimacy, mental health — topics that would've been taboo among men just a decade ago. This work also forced us to confront what we'd absorbed about identity: ideas about manhood, success, and emotion. We had to unlearn the myth that strength meant silence, or that value came from financial stability alone. Therapy became necessary, not optional. We started showing up differently, for each other and ourselves. If someone was stuck — in a job, relationship, or emotionally — we sat with him. Fatherhood and the Future Raising my son, now nine, and my daughter, seven, I want them to know they don't have to choose between strength and softness. They can be both. Marvyn Harrison says he and his partner are building a home where care is the foundation, not the afterthought. (Image supplied) The release of Adolescence and the BBC documentary The Angry Black Man? reminded me why this work matters. The anger was never just about rage — it was about boys expected to be tough before they're ready. About being misunderstood, unseen. These projects made it impossible to ignore how often young male emotion is misread — especially when it's Black. ADVERTISEMENT Advertisement We can't wait for institutions to catch up. At 41, I'm raising children in a society that still struggles to fully see us. I feel both the weight and the gift of this work. My partner and I are building a home where care is the foundation, not the afterthought. Where being strong doesn't mean being silent. What started as a WhatsApp group of 23 Black fathers in London has grown into a global digital community of 40,000 men discussing Black fatherhood. It started with a message of gratitude. It became a movement. And it's still growing — because we refuse to leave each other behind. *As told to Rabina Khan
Daily Mail
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Lando Norris has to quit talking about his fragility and doubts, Damon Hill warns, writes JONATHAN MCEVOY... as McLaren title hopeful is told he is providing fuel for his rivals
Damon Hill speaks and the lessons should reverberate across the decades straight to the heart - or more accurately, the head - of Lando Norris. The 1996 world champion sits in the McLaren hospitality area just a few feet away from the chair on which Norris provided his latest essay in psychological vulnerability a day before. You could sense the 25-year-old's nagging doubts amid his rich talent. Hill draws on his own experiences of being in the spotlight and going up against some of the finest drivers in history. He raced against Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher, just as Norris faces the best of his era led by the indefatigable Max Verstappen, as well as having to contend with the emergence as a title threat of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri. 'I had some good advice,' remembers Hill, now 64 and working at the Miami Grand Prix as a pundit for BBC 5 Live. 'After a difficult year in 1995, I was helped to change the way I went about things. 'The advisor was a woman called Mary Spillane. I became aware of her because the BBC asked her as a sports psychologist to do a piece on body language, comparing how Michael and I carried ourselves. I remember watching it in utter horror. 'I had always thought I would be judged on how I drove, not on how I walked. But that wasn't the case. I walked with my head down, thinking, as I came into the paddock. I was told I had to stare people in the eye, not look like a haunted figure. 'I asked Mary to come to see me in Ireland. She gave me various tips, basic stuff. One thing I remember, and this is relevant to Lando now, she advised me not to share all my concerns with the world. She told me: "Save it for the book." 'Having worked on Sky for a number of years, I understand better now that everything is interpreted and analysed. For example, Martin Brundle will be able to spot a champion from a mile off on the basis of a driver's manner and body language because he has years of experience of observing this. 'Competitors, too, eye each other up and down. It is a real thing. Sport is so much a mind game. The power of the impression drivers give off now is exponentially greater with social media.' Hill is one of the most thoughtful of world champions and his mind works at lateral angles - a singular contribution Sky have denied their viewers since their unwise decision to dispense with his services this season. That is radio listeners' gain, and he will be in the commentary box again in Monaco and at Silverstone. Apropos media, social or traditional, I ask Hill whether Norris - who headed into Sunday night's race in Miami trailing Piastri by nine points, having not won a grand prix since the opening round in Melbourne - is well served by reading reviews of his performances. Do the interpretations of others play funny tricks on the mind? 'I remember reading that I made strange jerky movements on the podium,' he says, recalling the observation penned by sportswriter Richard Williams. 'I thought, "No, I don't". But I looked at it and he was right. So, there are contradictory ways of thinking about this. 'On one hand, not reading reports or posts may protect you from bruising things you may not wish to be reminded of or be aware of. But, on the other hand, you can read something that is useful, a remedy for something you could put right.' Norris has taken a battering from Alan Jones, Williams's world champion from 1980. While noting that he is an Australian and a Melburnian to boot, as is Piastri, his comments from only a few days ago are pertinent in any assessment of Norris's title challenge. Jones, himself as tough as teak, noted that Norris is quick, but added: 'Mentally, he's quite a weak person. 'He's coming out with all this nonsense that he's got a bit of a mental thing. He's dwelling on some of the problems he's had rather than the positives. When they start talking all that nonsense, you know you have got them.' In contrast, Jones praised 24-year-old Piastri for exhibiting 'an old head on young shoulders.' Hill's response: 'It was brutal. Yes, Alan was upping the positives for Oscar for obvious reasons but there is certainly some truth in what he said. 'Lando has admitted to fragility and doubts, and he needs to put that behind him. It is about fine margins when you are fighting a team-mate, in a dominant car, for a world title, though Max is relentless and has the tip of a wedge between the two McLaren drivers. 'If it comes down to a state of mind, Lando would be well-advised not to express his concerns so openly but to limit it to his inner circle. 'There is pressure enough in his situation without inviting people to question his psychological make-up because he is laying it all out there. It becomes a natural and fair subject to ask him about.' There is plenty of food for thought for Norris as he looks to keep up his title challenge A final, left-field insight from Hill. 'Buddhists have what is called an "inner smile". Mary taught me this. You meditate and think of something happy. It changes your mood and brings a calmness into you.' It's all food for thought for the tortured Norris. If he cares to read it.
The National
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The National
Kemi Badenoch calls for mass deportations of immigrants
The Tory leader said that all illegal immigrants should be deported in a bid to outflank Nigel Farage to his right. Farage has previously dismissed calls for mass deportations as impossible. Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Badenoch said: 'We need to make sure that we remove foreign criminals from our country. And we actually put down an amendment that says that we will deport. It's not going to be easy, but you've got to start from somewhere. 'If you start from the position of, oh, well, it can't be done, then you're never going to do it. We have a problem now with immigration being too high. I have acknowledged that that happened under the Conservatives' watch. I was not in charge. I am now. And that is something that we are going to fix.' READ MORE: Kneecap to receive no more public funding, says Downing Street Host Matt Chorley asked whether she was committed to 'mass deportations of hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants'. The Conservative leader replied: 'Of foreign criminals? Absolutely. If people are in the country illegally, then they should be deported. That is the law. Otherwise you're rewarding people for breaking the law.' Farage (below) recently unveiled plans to create a 'minister for deportations' if he became prime minister, but has previously ruled out mass deportations. (Image: PA) In an interview with GB News last September, Farage said: 'For us, at the moment, it's a political impossibility. I'm not going to get dragged down the route of mass deportations or anything like that.' Elsewhere, Badenoch called for a statue of Margaret Thatcher to be built outside Parliament, saying it was 'odd' there was not one already. She said: 'I do think that we should have a statue of Margaret Thatcher outside Parliament. READ MORE: Labour MP pans party's broken pledges as Grangemouth refining ends 'There's one that's near the chamber of the House of Commons that's inside, but most people would never see that. I think she's such an iconic figure. It's odd that she isn't there.' The Tories face a bruising result at the upcoming local elections in England, where they are defending almost 1000 seats. A poll by Tory peer Lord Hayward predicted a devastating night for his party, estimating they will lose between 475 and 525 council seats. Their losses are expected to be Reform's gains, with Farage's party expected to win between 400 and 450 seats in local authorities across England.
The Independent
25-04-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Alex Yee enters the unknown at London Marathon and invites you with him
Even for Olympic champions, the days before running the London Marathon bring a mixture of nerves and excitement. Alex Yee is no exception. The world triathlon champion and gold medal winner in Paris last summer, his first attempt at the marathon distance will start on home turf: Lewisham's own will join line up alongside the elites at Blackheath, a few miles from the hospital where he was born and the running track in Ladywell where he started out, and which now bears his name. Yee remembers watching the marathon from a young age, leaning over the barriers to watch the fastest in the world fly through the south London streets before crossing Tower Bridge. It will be surreal to join them now, and he has hinted at feeling a sense of imposter syndrome, given that he will be starting in the strongest marathon field ever assembled, including the greatest of all time in Eliud Kipchoge. 'It feels like I've taken a wrong turn to get here,' he told BBC 5 Live this week. Yee has been open and honest about the challenge he faces. Rather than shy away from the fact that he is stepping into the unknown, Yee is fully embracing it. Of course, the 27-year-old is more accustomed to swimming and cycling before he runs, and the mechanics of a triathlon race - beyond the obvious - couldn't be more different. In the triathlon, there are natural points where momentum can switch and surge, notably displayed by Yee in his astonishing comeback to beat rival Hayden Wilde to gold in Paris. In attempting the marathon, Yee will need more of the same spirit. His target is in the range of 2:08 to 2:09, which would put him among some of the fastest British times ever recorded in the marathon. Yee's race simulation in Portugal earlier this month saw him go through 30km in 3:05/kms, exactly where he wanted to be. It is the final 10km, and the little 2.195km on the end, that for now remains untouched at race-pace, lingering at the back of Yee's mind. Even with months of marathon training behind him, no one knows what will happen then. And - perhaps aided by the fact that his adventure in London is a bit on the side, with a hugely successful career in the triathlon to go back to once this is finished - it is a process that Yee has invited his fans and followers to join him in. Yee's YouTube series ahead of the marathon, The London Detour, goes into the insecurities and doubts that come with the daunting prospect of the unknown - and yes, even double Olympic champions are not immune from those. What also comes through is the depth of Yee's support team and the thoroughness of their preparations - from the testing labs at New Balance's Boston headquarters and bespoke race-day shoes to practicing his fluid pick-ups on the simulation run. Yee has continued his sessions in the pool and on the bike - although running, which has always been his biggest strength of the three, has taken up far more of his focus than usual. Afterwards, he hopes his marathon experience will lead to growth, giving him something extra to take back into triathlon and the journey towards to LA 2028. Courage is required after stepping outside the comfort zone. 'Alex is an athlete who outperforms on race day what he does in training,' says his coach Adam Elliott. 'When I watch a triathlon I can trust Alex knows what he is doing and he's going to deliver everything he's got. On race day at the marathon I'm going to stand there not knowing what's going to happen. Do we know what's going to happen in the last 10km? We can train for it as much as we want - but without running 42km flatout, no, not really.' Yee would tell you exactly the same. 'Yeah… marathon is gonna be hard' was the Strava title of one of his long runs at the start of his block. But it is with that honesty that Yee will prepare to leave it all out there on Sunday.
Times
24-04-2025
- Business
- Times
Ofcom puts tech firms above child safety, children's commissioner says
The children's commissioner has accused Ofcom of prioritising tech companies over the safety of young people. Dame Rachel de Souza criticised the regulator as it unveiled the final rules that tech companies have to follow to protect children under the Online Safety Act. De Souza, who is a statutory adviser to Ofcom under the act, said: 'I made it very clear last year that its proposals were not strong enough to protect children from the multitude of harms they are exposed to online every day. 'I am disappointed to see this code has not been significantly strengthened and seems to prioritise the business interests of technology companies over children's safety.' She added that she would be 'urgently' raising the issue with Ofcom and calling for stronger proposals. An Ofcom spokesperson said: 'We don't recognise this characterisation of our rules.' From July tech platforms will have to prevent children from seeing pornography or material that promotes or encourages suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. They will also have to reduce abusive, hateful, violent and bullying content being seen by children. De Souza's statement echoed criticisms made by the father of Molly Russell, who took her life at 14 after viewing toxic content online. Ian Russell said he has lost trust in Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, over online safety. He told Times Radio: 'Peter Kyle, secretary of state. I think I've pretty much lost trust with Peter Kyle. I think he's deeply concerned. I haven't met an individual who doesn't want to make the online world safer, but his priority is to build trade and to build data centres, for example, and invest in big tech. He's almost got a conflict of interest in his brief.' Kyle also ruled out an Australian-style social media ban for under-16s, telling BBC 5 Live he preferred to leave control of this to parents. 'Parents need to have the flexibility to parent in a way that's suitable for their children and circumstances,' he said. Russell and his charity, the Molly Rose Foundation, believe Ofcom's rules do not go far enough in protecting children. The foundation claims that 'little will change practically on social media sites' as a result of the new rules. The charity says this is because the regulator has built in a loophole, that platforms must only ensure they don't recommend content if they already know it's harmful. Ofcom said it disagreed with this. The charity also says that tech platforms will not have to stop showing dangerous challenges, only that they will have to recommend them to users less often. Content moderation proposals 'bake in the industry standard which has been found to be insufficient', it said. Ofcom said that the foundation is 'wrong' on dangerous stunts as they must be excluded from children's feeds under the new rules. Almudena Lara, Ofcom's child protection policy director, said the Russell family 'have gone through the most horrendous experiences that one can go, and it's right of them to be ambitious and to want more, and to want us to go far further and faster'. However, she added: 'This is a very ambitious package that will be transformational. So I don't think that it is right to say that this is a missed opportunity and that this will not make a difference to children's online experiences.' Other charities gave a cautious welcome to the new laws. Rani Govender, policy manager for child safety online at the NSPCC, called it a 'pivotal moment for children's safety online' but urged stronger action against encryption of private messaging. Imran Ahmed, CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said: 'We welcome the new regulations implemented by Ofcom which are a first step towards keeping our children safe online.' Campaigners had feared the act would be watered down as a result of trade talks with the US. However, ministers have been adamant the child protection measures are not up for negotiation, although other elements of the act could be. Kyle said US tech firms 'must adhere to British laws' if they are to operate in the UK and that Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, who have lobbied Donald Trump for weaker overseas regulation of their companies, must 'adapt to the different territories they have access to'. Tech companies that fail to comply with the new rules could face fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of global revenue — whichever is greater — meaning potentially billions of pounds for the largest firms. In the most serious cases Ofcom can block a service in the UK or take criminal action against executives. What is the Online Safety Act? At least five years in the making, the act, which received royal assent in 2023, is an attempt to reduce the amount of harmful material viewed online. It has several sections, but the main ones are a crackdown on illegal content and new rules to protect children from harmful material. During the passage of the bill large parts that tried to tackle 'legal but harmful' content for adults were taken out because of freedom of speech concerns. The laws on illegal content are already in force. Ofcom has been appointed as the regulator to enforce the act. What has Ofcom just announced? Ofcom has published the final version of the rules to protect children which will come into force in July. The regulator has set out more than 40 practical measures for tech firms to meet to comply with their duties. They will have to prevent children from seeing pornography or material that promotes or encourages suicide, self-harm and eating disorders. They will also have to reduce abusive, hateful, violent and bullying content being seen by children. Crucially they will have to start introducing age verification to check who is under-18, which can be through AI facial age estimation, photo-ID or a credit card check. Will any of this make a difference to social media? It depends on who you ask. Ofcom and the government are hailing this as a watershed moment in addressing concerns about content found on platforms and search engines. Ofcom has powers to fine companies billions if they don't comply, block the service in the UK and even take criminal action against executives. The processes that Ofcom require the companies to now follow is very detailed and burdensome. Some charities like the NSPCC and Center for Countering Digital Hate have generally welcomed the codes. However, Ian Russell, the father of Molly, has expressed his disappointment at the rules, saying 'little will change practically on social media sites' as a result. In anticipation of the act, many platforms have been introducing new controls to protect children over the past six months. Ultimately a proper judgment will have to come later this year to see if companies are complying and if Ofcom is prepared to take enforcement action. Does this affect a wider social media ban? The act does not address such a ban which has become an issue over the past year since Australia became the first country to introduce it for under-16s. Attempts to lay the groundwork for a ban in the UK through a private members bill were watered down by ministers and Peter Kyle, the technology secretary, has all but ruled it out, considering restrictions a matter for parents. Won't all this be watered down in US trade talks? Ministers have been pretty adamant that the child protection measures will not be affected by the talks, so they must be quite confident they are on firm footing. However, they have been less forthright about other parts of the act. Given the Trump administration's concerns about freedom of speech regulation, that could make certain elements of the illegal harms rules vulnerable. For instance, platforms will have to remove illegal hate speech content, which could be contentious for some US companies like Meta, which have lobbied Trump about removing overseas rules that it considers to be censorship. Ofcom's future plans to require companies to take emergency measures against disinformation in situations like the Southport riot could also be affected.
