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The Times •

Durham University students threaten to go on rent strike in Rod Liddle speech row

When Rod Liddle was invited to give a speech at a formal Christmas dinner at Durham University, the idea was to offer an alternative viewpoint in the spirit of freedom of speech.

What the evening descended into was a student walk out, which the organiser Professor Tim Luckhurst branded “pathetic”. It has been followed by protests on campus and claims that the university is riven with class conflict.

One week on, the free speech row shows no signs of abating. The Times has learnt that students

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Stylist •

The Confessions Of Frannie Langton teaches us a lesson we were never taught in schools

From Pride & Prejudice to Bridgerton, I have long been an avid fan of British period dramas. And so, when ITVX announced The Confessions Of Frannie Langton would be dropping over the winter, I couldn’t wait to watch it. The four-part series centres on the eponymous Frannie (Karla-Simone Spence), a young former slave who is accused of murdering her employer, renowned scientist Mr George Benham (Stephen Campbell Moore) and his beautiful wife, Marguerite (Sophie Cookson). As the story progresses, t
Black Ballad •

Why Don't Black Women Own Black Hair & Beauty Shops?

The recent incident at Peckham Hair & Cosmetics has reignited conversation about the politics of black beauty supply stores. There have even been calls to boycott non-black-owned hair supply stores due to a long history of bad experiences in hair shops. From racial profiling to toxic hair products, hair shops are often a contradictory place to be in as a black woman.

I have fond childhood memories of going to the beauty supply store as a child. My mum would buy Pink lotion and those hair ties w
Black Ballad •

The Allegations Against Lizzo Are A Disaster For Fat Black Women Everywhere

On Tuesday, disturbing allegations against Lizzo and her team came to light and they were shocking to read about. Three former dancers are suing, Lizzo, her company and Lizzo’s dance captain, claiming a hostile working environment that involved sexual harassment, weight shaming, racism and a slew of inappropriate behaviour.

It is flabbergasting to think that someone who was known for being empowering and spreading positivity in the pop industry has been accused of overseeing and contributing to
The Bookseller •

Of bad women and white privilege

Caroline Calloway’s first memoir, And We Were Like, was supposed to be published by Flatiron Books, an imprint of Macmillian, in 2016. Except it never happened, because it was revealed that Calloway had a ghostwriter write the proposal – and that she’d lied about her life too, the one that caused publishers to be interested in her in the first place.

Her second memoir, Scammer – Calloway’s attempt to respond to the comments against her – is self-published. Released to journalists this June, it
gal-dem •

Students build own support groups as universities fail to act on racism

Content warning: This article contains mention of discriminatory language.

“I feel like it’s so normalised that police won’t do anything, and I feel like my college is basically useless.”

That is how one student at Durham University described why they did not report multiple incidents of racism they faced whilst studying.

Racism is endemic across the UK’s higher education institutions. An investigation by the Guardian in 2019 confirmed the insidious nature of this form of discrimination in un
Grazia •

TikTok ‘TradWives’ Are Romanticising An Era Where Sexism And Racism Ruled

The Tradwife movement is one that has seemingly passed me by. I would occasionally see on my Instagram page pictures of old-fashioned cottages and gardens. Women standing over perfect dinner tables with loaves of homemade bread, but I didn’t become aware of the so-called ‘trad wife’ trend until I saw Stacey Dooley stay with a family who followed the lifestyle, as part of her documentary series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, and my interest was piqued.

What is a Tradwife? Popularised recently on Ins
b**p •

Book Review: Honey & Spice by Bolu Babalola - Beep

Bolu Babalola had me hooked with Love in Colour in 2020, a beautiful anthology of love stories and she came back in 2022 with a fun romantic novel that I pre-ordered the first chance I could get.

Honey & Spice revolves around Kiki and Malakai, two students at Whitehall university, a fictional British university.

Kiki Banjo hosts a radio show, ‘Brown Sugar Show’ in which she doles out brutally honest advice to the Whitehall university students. But she’s closed off emotionally, especially to lo

Why Celebrating Jubilee Weekend As A Second-Gen Immigrant Feels Wrong

It’s Platinum Jubilee weekend in the UK, marking the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne. But of course, in the UK you’d be more than aware. Nationwide, the red, white and blue bunting are up, and the trifles are setting in the bespoke Jubilee fridges. Corgi cupcakes and coronation chicken sandwiches are flying off the shelves and people are camped outside of Buckingham Palace to catch a glimpse of the woman herself. I can understand the excitement; a four day bank h
b**p •

Book Review: Daisy Jones and The Six - Beep

Daisy Jones and The Six is the story of fictional musicians in the seventies. And I very much recommend this book to anyone in a slump or wanting to procrastinate before exams (like me!)

Written in interview snippets we, learn the ups and downs, the good and bad of how the band was formed. There is realism in the details that make you believe you are reading about a real band. I had never read a book in this style before. But the way Taylor Jenkins Reid writes it gives it the feel of watching a
b**p •

The Maternity Death Gap Explained - Beep

Pregnancy and Childbirth are considered among the most precious times in a person’s life. But for some women, it can be a scary occasion.

In the UK, compared to white women, black women are four times as likely to die in childbirth and during the post-partum period. Asian women are twice as likely.

For years, there have been anecdotes from Black and Asian women, alleging poor treatment at their most vulnerable moment in life. Racial bias in medical care is unfortunately still very real, with p
b**p •

TERFs are the Final Bosses of White Feminism - Beep

The highly successful children’s author has criticised Labour leader Keir Starmer for saying trans women are women, under the Equalities Act.

Starmer also added in this interview that a “more considered, respectful, tolerant debate about these issues” is needed. I’m guessing Rowling saw that part and also objected to it. She hopped onto Twitter and started a transphobic firestorm for which she received immense criticism.

But she also received a lot of support from the TERF community, who have
b**p •

The South College Incident isn't about Free Speech - Beep

As you have all heard by now, at the South College, Durham University, Christmas Formal, principal Tim Luckhurst invited columnist Rod Liddle to speak, with little warning to students. In his speech, Liddle is reported to have made a number of statements that were transphobic, racist and classist.

In response to student concerns, principal Luckhurst called students “pathetic'”for walking out. His wife branded them “arses”.

This culminated in protests at South College last Wednesday, which saw
b**p •

Book Review: Such A Fun Age - Beep

Such A Fun Age is Kiley Reid’s debut novel and she comes out swinging with this fantastic piece of writing.

The story focuses on Emira, a nanny for a wealthy family. She’s a young black woman whose life is turned upside down when she is accosted by a security guard in a grocery shop, assuming she has kidnapped the child.

It is a funny, easy read, looking at the dynamics of privilege, racism and sexism from various points of view. There’s Alix Chamberlain, a rich white woman who just wants the
b**p •

Why We Need Intersectional Feminism - Beep

In the Observer, an opinion piece by Sonia Sodha, White feminists’ are under attack from other women, has stirred up an important conversation about feminism in the UK.

Sodha argues that the discussion and critique of white feminism, whilst sometimes valid, is futile. The infighting among women ultimately weakens the feminist movement as a whole.

Recommended Reading: Feminism – Ignored or Provoked by the Media?

Now, I agree that often the topic of white feminism can be oversimplified. There h