On the penultimate day of 2017, No Fly on the WALL team member Tenelle Matthew reflects on some of the highs and lows for Black women in Britain in the past 12 months. With the sobering events of 2016 and 2017 still fresh in our minds, where are we as Black women going and what … More Where are we as Black women in 2017?
It was only recently that Labour MP Diane Abbott became a vindicated woman after decades of relentless vitriol being swung her way from all, in every direction. However the dregs of humankind in the Right-wing press are at it again, stirring up the anti-Abbott sentiment we’re so used to in order to counter our recently … More Dear Diane
Recently, things were looking rather uncertain for No Fly on the WALL. Our HQ, our home, and the place which has allowed us to ‘Take Up Space’ – Common House – was on the verge of closure due to gentrification and rising rent costs. However, we ran a successful crowdfund campaign and have been able … More The Transformative Power of Networking and Collaboration
Milestones come in all shapes and sizes. On the eve of her thirtieth birthday, Yvonne Maxwell shares her thoughts on her journey to self-acceptance, discovering her sense of self, and defining what that all means on her terms. In a matter of hours I turn thirty. In the months and weeks leading up to … More ‘Defining Myself for Myself’: On Turning Thirty
Off the back of LGBTQ+ History Month (February) and to kick off International Women’s Month (March), Kadie Kposowa reflects on her journey to acceptance of her multiple identities. Too often as black women we are expected to ‘choose’ between race, gender, and our sexuality, despite these intersections being inextricably linked to one another. In the … More ‘Which Me Will Survive All These Liberations?’: On being Black, Gay, and Woman
Following Chinny’s post on black female bodies, Naivasha Mwanji reflects on what it means to love yourself as a black woman and how your foundations can make a huge difference. Looking back at her relationship with her father, a man who identified as Feminist, and experiences at work, Naivasha explores her black womanhood and her growth. … More ‘They Don’t Like You When You Love Yourself’: Reclaiming Self-Esteem
It’s Friday and we’re ending the week with a double serving of No Fly on the WALL posts. The last few months have been characterised by black women intelligently and articulately expressing their feelings about the systematic racism and sexism they endure and being repeatedly shut down and silenced by white media, white men (read: … More ‘My Body Matters’: On Valuing Black Women’s Bodies and Humanity
In her last column entry for No Fly on the WALL, the wonderful Ruth pays homage to that most unique and magical of beings: the carefree black girl. An uplifiting one for you – let all the black girls rise and let all the black girls soar. This one’s for you. Carefree black girl /ˈkɛːfriː/blak/ɡəːl/ … More Column #3: ‘Let Black Girls Rise and Let Black Girls Soar’: Ode to the woke and carefree
Mental health and wellbeing are topics close to the tips of the tongues of many right now. Last Friday night we had the privilege of attending Grey Matters‘ Perception exhibition in Poplar and our recent No Fly on the WALL Academy workshop paid special attention to the mental health of black men. In this post, … More A Day Without Music Isn’t A Day Worth Living: How Mary J. Blige Became My Therapist
TW: detailed descriptions of childhood abuse (physical, sexual, emotional), death, self-injury, silencing, ageism, domestic violence, trauma. In our latest post, an anonymous writer opens the door for much needed conversation about the domestic violence and sexual abuse that happens in some African and Caribbean communities. It is a taboo topic – difficult, uncomfortable, and toxic … More “We Need To Talk About Our Elders”: On Abuse In Black Communities
No Fly on the WALL. 