The Blackwash
Making cultural & historical commentary on social issues. Laundry is the only thing that should be separated by colour!
The Blackwash
Sisters in the Shadows: Who's Protecting Black Women from Domestic Abuse?
The statistics are shocking but undeniable - Black Caribbean women and those of mixed white/Black Caribbean heritage experience the highest rates of domestic abuse among all ethnic groups in the UK. This urgent crisis demands our attention, understanding, and action.
Domestic violence extends far beyond physical harm to include psychological manipulation, emotional trauma, sexual violence, economic control, and persistent threats. The prevalence is staggering: 86% of Caribbean or African heritage women in the UK have either directly experienced abuse or know a family member who has. Despite this, only 57% would report these crimes to police, suggesting the actual numbers may be even higher.
Even celebrities aren't immune. Jamelia was struck while breastfeeding before channeling her experience into her iconic song "Thank You." Mel B endured nearly a decade of abuse before becoming a patron for Women's Aid and receiving an MBE for her advocacy. Keisha from Sugababes recently revealed years of controlling behavior and physical assaults. These high-profile cases illuminate what countless unnamed women experience behind closed doors.
Organizations like Sistah Space provide critical, culturally-sensitive support specifically for Black women experiencing domestic violence. Their decade of service offers hope in a landscape where 85% of Black women don't feel supported by non-Black domestic violence advisers due to lack of cultural understanding. The roots of this crisis run deep, potentially stemming from historical trauma, colonial legacies, and what researchers call "post-traumatic slave syndrome."
Breaking this cycle requires acknowledging the problem, supporting specialized organizations, demanding better policies, and creating environments where survivors feel safe to speak their truth. If you or someone you know is affected by domestic violence, please reach out to Sister Space or other support services. Together, we can work toward healing our communities and protecting our sisters.
Welcome to the Blackwash. Today's episode is titled DV in the Community. Let's start with a definition. Domestic violence is a pattern of abusive behaviour in any relationship. It includes physical, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse, as well as threats of violence or economic control. If any of the following is triggering for you, please protect your mental health and I'll see you on the next episode.
Speaker 1:Statistically, according to govuk, here are the percentages of people aged 16 and over who reported being victims of domestic abuse in the previous 12 months, by ethnicity. Which ethnicity do you think statistically came out on top? I'll start from the top. So Asian is 4.4%. That breaks down into Indian, which is 2.1%. Pakistani, which is 1.9. Asian other, which is 1.3. Black overall is 3.5%. That divides into black African, which is 2.8. Black Caribbean, which is 6.2. Next category is mixed. You have that over rule being 7.9. If you're mixed white Asian, that's 5.3 and if you're mixed white slash black Caribbean, that's 20.6. Mixed other is 3.2. White over rule is 4.7. White British is 4.8 and white Irish is 5.4 and white other is 4.2. The time period is from April 2022 to March 2023 and, methodology wise, they surveyed over 16,000 people 16,000 people. So, to answer the question statistically, black Caribbean people and people of mixed white slash Black Caribbean ethnic backgrounds experienced the highest rates of domestic abuse Black Caribbean 6.2, and white and Black Caribbean 20%. So for Black Caribbean, that's double that of Black African, and when you're looking at some of the other Asian groups, it's triple that. In addition, the statistics from 2017 to 2020 aren't too dissimilar. You can also find them on the govuk website.
Speaker 1:These statistics also reflect the experiences of our starlets, those in the spotlight. In February, when I was in Senegal, I listened to the Paul Brunson podcast, where Jamelia opened up about after giving birth. Her abuser struck her while she was breastfeeding her four-year-old baby. Of course, she also penned the iconic song Thank you who remembers it? For every last push you gave me, for every time I sat in tears. There truly is something about taking your pain and turning it into purpose.
Speaker 1:Another one of our starlets, mel b from the spice girls, detailed her abusive relationship in her 2018 memoir, brutally honest, describing physical, emotional and financial abuse. If you're unaware, in april 2017, mel b filed a restraining order alleging that her then-husband, Stefan Belafonte, beat, threatened and exploited her during nearly 10 years of marriage. In one incident after her Olympic performance in 2012, he allegedly punched her, leaving rug burns, and then forced her to tweet a false explanation. Thankfully, after separating in late 2016 and announcing her divorce in early 2017, she returned to her mother's bungalow in Leeds, financially drained, with only £700 to her name. Now she is a charity patron of Women's Aid and was honoured with an MBE in 2022 for her services to domestic abuse survivors, dedicating her award to the victims who lost their lives.
Speaker 1:And most recently, which actually led me down this rabbit hole in the first place, is our beloved, the beautiful Keisha from the group Sugar Babes. Keisha from the group Sugar Babes. She revealed that she was physically assaulted on at least three occasions between January 2012 and January 2015, one of which reportedly required physiotherapy. 2015 to 2018, including restrictions on her diet, appearance, such as not being allowed to wear red lipstick, finances when she showered, gym access, tv use and social media. Later, harassment via emails, text messages and social media continued from 2021 to 2023, including demands for £25,000. The initial hearing was in May 2025, and he is set to stand trial in April 2016.
Speaker 1:These are the Black Caribbean heritage women in the spotlight, but the statistics show us that there are also black caribbean heritage women in the shadows. Who is protecting them? Who is looking out for them? Where are the male advocates? Naively, while preparing this material, I felt like no one was talking about it, too wrapped up in our african-american counterparts, our contemporaries like diddy and cassie or dG and Halle Bailey and Kiki Palmer. Then I remembered no, there is an organisation that is loud about it, advocating on the front line, and over the years, I've had the privilege of getting to know them, even providing funding for their protection Sister Space. Have you heard of them and their great work? I mention the funding for their protection because they've been broken into twice, targeted because of the Buckingham Palace incident in late 2022.
Speaker 1:If you are unaware, during a reception at Buckingham Palace for the UN's 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, ngozi Fulani was reportedly asked by Lady Susan Hussey, the late Queen's Lady-in-Waiting and Prince William's godmother, where she was really from, while lifting her hair to check her name badge. Ngozi described this as a form of abuse and deeply traumatic. Lady Hussey resigned and issued an apology, and the palace described the comments as unacceptable and deeply regrettable. Others defended Falani and noted that the questions about backgrounds are common in many cultures, but stressing the need for cultural sensitivity in modern institutions. However, fulani's disclosure led to a flood of online abuse directed at her and her charity, prompting Sister Space to temporarily suspend operations due to safety concerns.
Speaker 1:It became about scrutinizing Sister Space. Some commentators even questioned her choice of name and dress and calling it cultural appropriation how idiotic. Yet no one was talking about the disproportionate domestic violence figures in our community, and for 10 years Sister Space has been a lifeline for black women and families of African and Caribbean heritage, offering support, research, resources and hope for many survivors of domestic abuse. I wish that my family members, when they were going through DV, had an organisation like Sister Space. I could tell you stories about female members of my family being dragged by their hair down Brixton, having to flee to refuges, having to install iron gates for protection. Fast forward now. We have sister space, so if you don't already, make sure you follow them and support any activations they have coming up this year, be our sisters keepers.
Speaker 1:Question what percentage of black African women and black Caribbean women have either directly been a victim of DV or sexual abuse or know a family member who has been a victim? 86% of Caribbean or African heritage women in the UK have directly been a victim of domestic violence or sexual abuse or know a family member. Let that sink in for a moment. And commentators want to talk about the choice of a name and or dress. Further statistics show that 85% of those women didn't feel supported by non-Black domestic violence advisers due to a lack of cultural and situational understanding. Further statistics show that 57% just over half would report an offence to the police despite the lack of support. So it's crazy to think that our statistics are so high and yet only 57% say that they would report an offence to the police. So our statistics may be even higher, and yet people want to talk about name choices and dress choices.
Speaker 1:Community, we are in a state of emergency. People online talk about discourse online and talk about gender wars online, when there are actual gender wars going on in people's homes, in families' homes, in some of our kids who attend school, in some of their homes. So where did all of this come from? We're seeing the fruits, but what are the roots? Early signs of TV are evident in the book the Lonely Londoner. For context, the Lonely Londoner is a 1956 novel by Trinidadian author Samuel Selvon. His publication was one of the first to focus on the experiences of working class black people within Britain was one of the first to focus on the experiences of working class black people within Britain.
Speaker 1:The scene I'm going to read from is Lewis and Agnes, and it can be found on page 52. I'm telling you, moses, say ruthlessly you think if I was married I would ever do night work? You don't know, london boy. And after another half an hour hour, lewis gone to the foreman and say he have a headache, that he can't do any work, that he have to go home right away. And as soon as he get home he's starting to beat up Agnes, though the poor girl don't know what.
Speaker 1:For Every night Lewis have something on the mind and it does plague out Moses with talk and questions. I know who it is, you know. He say confidently it's a fella who does pass round by the house with a motorcycle. Another night, I sure I see the fella he does drive a car. Well, two to three times when he beat up Agnes, she went and stayed by Toleroy's house with Tanti and her mother, but in the end she always comes back. Why don't you leave that man for good, tanti, says he always beating you for nothing. Why he beat you this time? The same reason? Agnes says he says that he does encourage other men while out working, and I swear to God I never talk to another man.
Speaker 1:Moses Louis said one night If you was in my position you wouldn't do the same thing. No, moses said why in my position you wouldn't do the same thing? No, moses say why? Well, you only suspect the wife. You don't know anything for sure. Listen, women in this country not like Jamaica. You know they are right over here and they're always shouting for something. You hear how he mentions Jamaica and how behaviour there in the 1950s count Guam here in Britain. One of the things we've had to unlearn from our post-traumatic slave syndrome is how we child-rear Not to be so heavy-handed. Equally, I question whether we have unlearned how not to be so heavy handed with our women.
Speaker 1:Question what countries have the highest femicide rates in the world? Fortunately, depending on what source you look at, jamaica is usually in the top five, along with murder rates. A manifestation of post-traumatic slave syndrome? Yes, but also something else. These statistics are from the Jamaican Observer and the article is from MP Lisa Hanna and it's titled Personality Disorders and the Roots of Violence in Jamaica. Have a look at it in its entirety. Have a look at it in its entirety. It states that 41.4% of Jamaicans live with a personality disorder. Further to that, jamaica has three formally trained child psychiatrists for the entire island. That's one child psychologist for every 267 000 children with mental health challenges. As I mentioned, femicide the killing of a woman or girl, in particular by a man and on account of her agenda, jama, jamaica has reported of having the second highest femicide rate globally in 2017, according to data from the UN Office of Drugs and Crime.
Speaker 1:So I say that to say we have brought our pain and our traumas with us across oceans to different countries. We've passed it down generation after generation and it needs to stop. So what do we do? What does an individual do? Where do we start? First, follow sister space they're celebrating 10 years to this year and just support any activation they do. Like everything, share everything, because this is not normal. In addition, if you're a parent, be gentle, I say, be fun, but firm, because discipline is not cruelty.
Speaker 1:If you're a teacher, learn to spot trauma. Be a source of safety. I think about my friend and his testimony and how, in his household, there was immense domestic violence and his sister spoke out at school to a ta who she trusted with her safety. So if you work in any capacity of young people, be their source of safety. If you're public, facing so like a policeman, etc. Protect with empathy.
Speaker 1:People you encounter are living with untreated trauma and I've learned this lesson most recently when you know a contemporary someone that's in my field, someone that's a black entrepreneur, someone that's a female, someone who I thought was kindred in their mission and their purpose, started to really backbite on my mission and started to be really nasty for no apparent reason. And it wasn't until I spoke to a few other individuals months later that I discovered she was doing the same thing to other contemporaries within our space and our field and it brought me back to this moment that sometimes we're encountering people that are living with untreated trauma and, as I mentioned, with the statistic from Jamaica, 41% of Jamaicans live with a personality disorder. So lead with wisdom, but lead with love and care and understanding. With love and care and understanding, if you're in parliament or you deal with policies or politics, fund early and sustain intervention, not just late punishment. And if you're a citizen, demand better, do better, talk about brain health Support policies that prioritise prevention.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for listening. I know that the material can be heavy, so I just want to encourage you right now to take a deep breath in and exhale. Deep breath in and exhale. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Ken Kawasaki and this is the Black Wash.