Latest news with #BeverleyKnight
Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Afro hair is still discriminated against in the UK - but the Halo Code calls for change
Black people are still being discriminated against simply for their hair texture and majority are unaware about the halo code - a code to help stop discrimination; but we need more to make a true difference. For years, Black individuals have faced discrimination for something beyond their control - their hair. Despite race discrimination being outlawed for over a decade, people continue to face discrimination because of their hair and, in turn, feel confined by the stigma. In September 2024, Spice Girl Mel B supported the "Fix the Law, not our hair" campaign, led by World Afro Day, to revise the country's equality laws and ban Afro hair discrimination by recognising Afro hair as a protected characteristic. Alongside this, an open letter called the '100 Voices, 100 Words Campaign' was sent to the UK Government and had been signed by 100 influential supporters, including Mel B, Beverley Knight, Fleur East, Sarah-Jane Crawford and many more. The letter called on MPs of all parties to vote for the recognition and prevention of Afro hair discrimination by updating the 2010 Equality Act. Despite these efforts, and the introduction of the Halo Code in 2020, why does hair discrimination persist in 2025? What is the Halo Code? The Halo Code was created by the Halo Collective, a group of 30 young Black campaigners who united through the Advocacy Academy, a social justice leadership charity, after repeatedly witnessing hair discrimination in the UK - especially in schools. The Halo Code is the UK's first explicit policy pledge that safeguards Black individuals from discrimination over their hair. It was established in 2020, specifically to address the fact that even though race discrimination has been illegal under the Equality Act 2010, many Black students and workers were still being penalised, excluded, or judged because of their natural Afro hair or protective hairstyles - missing out on job opportunities and even being expelled from school. The collective emerged in response to the hair discrimination observed across the UK, particularly in educational settings. They aimed to devise a clear, practical solution that would compel institutions to accept accountability. Their investigations revealed that 46% of parents reported their child's school policy penalised Afro hair. Additionally, 58% of Black students have been subjected to name-calling or uncomfortable questions about their hair at school and, for Black women at work, 1 in 5 feel compelled to straighten their hair for the office. They also found that numerous young Black girls found themselves excluded from school or pressured to alter their hair to conform with "uniform" rules. While the code has helped influence changes in workplaces and schools, with backing from major brands like Dove, the code is not part of UK law or government legislation - it is a voluntary code of conduct. Organisations and schools can opt to adopt this code to show their commitment to racial equity and inclusivity. By signing up, they publicly pledge to eradicate hair-based discrimination and revise policies to reflect this commitment. Why is Black hair still being policed? Despite the progress made by the Halo code, the European standard of beauty and professionalism continues to be deeply rooted in British schools and workplaces, with Afro hair frequently suffering from these prejudices. Even school uniform rules often ban natural textures or protective hairstyles, using terms such as "extreme" or "distracting" to describe such hair. For Black children, this can mean being excluded, sent home, humiliated just for showing up as themselves - and it doesn't end there. In workplaces, Black people often face remarks such as "your hair is too big," "unprofessional" or even suggestions to "tone it down", subtly pressuring Black employees to either straighten their hair or choose so-called acceptable styles to blend in. The Halo Code is a step forward The introduction of the Halo Code has been a significant step forward, granting Black people the freedom to style their hair as they wish. However, the reality is that it's not mandatory and many schools and workplaces have yet to adopt it, with many still enforcing unspoken rules about what constitutes "neat" or "presentable". Embracing the Halo Code isn't just a ticking a box - it's a clear indication that inclusion, fairness, and respect are valued in every environment. When schools and workplaces actively support the Halo Code, it communicates to Black students and employees that they are accepted just as they are, without having to sacrifice a part of their identity. But real change cannot be limited to a written policy alone. What we need is for the Equality Act 2010 to explicitly recognise hair as a characteristic warranting the much-needed protection for those with afro hair, and a cultural shift - challenging and unlearning the ingrained biases that still perceive Black hair as "too much" or "unprofessional."
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Greatest Day among hits sung by Gary Barlow at Halifax's Piece Hall
Gary Barlow took to the stage at Halifax's Grade I-listed Piece Hall earlier this week for a live show full of hits. The singer-songwriter, record producer, and Take That frontman brought his Songbook Tour to the venue on Tuesday (June 10) as part of TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall. Open Road, Greatest Day, and These Days were among his openers, while singalong favourites such as Relight My Fire, Back For Good, Rule The World, and Never Forget rounded off the night. Mr Barlow called the Piece Hall an "incredible venue" and said: "Please, please let us come back here!" The night was opened by Beverley Knight, who greeted the crowd by saying: "It's nice here! "This is so pretty. "I am so excited to be here. "Yorkshire's got the vibe!" TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall continues with The Corrs and Natalie Imbruglia performing on Thursday (June 12), and Pendulum with Normandie performing on Saturday (June 14). Other acts set to perform in the coming weeks include Olly Murs, The Script, Simple Minds, Rag'n'Bone Man, The Human League, Paul Heaton, Leon Bridges, Texas, Travis, Il Divo, Roger Daltrey, Anastacia, Squeeze, The Libertines, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Nile Rodgers and Chic.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beverley Knight's 'heart full' after hometown Wolverhampton shows
Acclaimed soul singer Beverley Knight has said her "heart is full" after a week of shows in her starred in Marie & Rosetta at Wolverhampton Grand last month, 40 years after performing on the same stage with the city's youth theatre at 12 years said the singer "gave back to the community in bucket-loads" by inviting students who had never visited a theatre before and singing for visitors with visiting a mural of herself in the city for the first time, Knight wrote on Instagram: "I don't know if I will ever find the words to explain how much being at home in Wolverhampton meant to me." Knight invited 20 students from her old school, Highfields, while 20 others came from Star King Solomon Academy in Birmingham, 90% of whom had never been to a Bird, the theatre's head of marketing, said the singer performed at the Grand's Memory Café for people living with dementia, and assisted blind and partially-sighted audience members on to the stage to get closer to props and costumes. "Wolverhampton is so blessed to have Beverley Knight, a proud Wulfrunian, so visibly championing the city," he added."The audience response to her Grand Theatre debut in Marie & Rosetta was proof of the appreciation the local community have for her." The singer's mural, on Victoria Passage just off Skinner Street, was painted on the side of a shop last September by Wolverhampton-based creator Jack Sankson, also known as paid for the artwork out of his own pocket and said he appreciated Knight taking the time to look at it."It is also great to be recognised by her," he added. Knight said being recognised with the mural and a plaque at the theatre was "just beautiful".She added: "More than anything, [to] the audiences that just kept coming and coming and coming, I can't thank you all enough."My heart's full, it's full." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beverley Knight recording again after return to Wolverhampton
Beverley Knight has said she is planning to record more music after performing in her hometown the first time in 40 years, the artist is treading the boards in Wolverhampton this week for a production of Marie & work features music celebrating the legacy of gospel and blues singer Rosetta Tharpe in the development of rock 'n' said "expect to hear some really bluesy vocals going down, some really earthy sounding stuff" in the music she would record. The singer told BBC Radio WM this would take place "in the short period" after finishing in Wolverhampton and before doing her first show with Take That's Gary Barlow. Asked what kind of material would be recorded, she said for her "it's always a hybrid" before mentioning the "blues and that kind of sound" in her current show and the film Sinners "and that proper fusion of modern blues and that"."I've just been living for it," added Knight, who said she did not know when it would be last performed on stage at the Grand four decades ago in a theatrical production of West Side Story, the singer previously stated. Knight, widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest soul singers, has said to be cast as Sister Rosetta in this week's production was a "great honour".Marie & Rosetta tells the story of Tharpe and her protege, Marie Knight, played by Ntombizodwa Ndlovu. It is on at the Grand Theatre until Saturday. It is set in 1946 in Mississippi and Beverley Knight said it was "right up my street... the gospel, of course, I was born into that whole tradition myself".She added: "I'm so happy I'm home. I'm gonna be in my old bedroom."More or less it looks the same as it was. [The] bed's in the same place... [the] fitted wardrobe's in the same place."Knight said her favourite place in the city "just to zone out and just chill out" was Bantock Park."I love Bantock Park. You've got the lovely cafe there and they do a really good tea and cake and... I go for lovely runs around there in the morning." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Woman's Hour Beverley Knight, ADHD and menopause, Barrister Robin Moira White
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was known as the 'godmother of rock and roll' and influenced countless musicians from Elvis to Johnny Cash. Now Olivier Award-winning performer Beverley Knight is playing Sister Rosetta in a new production, Marie and Rosetta, which has just opened at the Rose Theatre in London. It tells the story of Rosetta and her singing partner, Marie Knight, described as one of the most remarkable and revolutionary duos in music history. Beverley joins Nuala McGovern in the Woman's Hour studio to discuss how the show hopes to restore these forgotten musical heroines to the spotlight. A new programme, Inside our ADHD Minds, is exploring the link between ADHD and the menopause. It's thought that around 3 to 4% of people in the UK, that's 1 in 20, have ADHD - Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However many women still remain undiagnosed for decades of their lives, with those in their 40s, 50s and 60s only now discovering they have it for the first time. Jo Beazley was diagnosed with ADHD just two years ago at the age of 49, after her symptoms worsened during the menopause. She joins Nuala along with Amanda Kirby, the former chair of the ADHD Foundation and a professor in the field of neurodiversity. This week we'll be hearing different perspectives on the recent Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman under the Equality Act, and how it could and should be interpreted on the ground. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has issued interim guidance that, in places open to the public, trans women shouldn't use women's facilities such as toilets. Today Nuala speaks to Robin Moira White, a barrister who specialises in taking discrimination cases, and who is also a trans woman. Robin transitioned in 2011 and is co-author of A Practical Guide to Transgender Law. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Sarah Jane Griffiths
