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Black Butterfly, Saint Leonards (2026)

15/04/2026

We stand with small-scale farmers and civil society organisations worldwide to demand an end to public financing of industrial agriculture like battery farming, factory farming and extractive monocultures.

Whilst the continues to pour billions into harmful food systems, we stand in solidarity with all those who raise their voices - in fields, urban centres, at policy tables, and in public squares, advocating for regenerative, agroecological futures.

We call for:

• An end to subsidies for industrial animal agriculture.
• A just transition of finance toward agroecological, Indigenous and Afroecological practices.
• Investment in localised, community-led food systems that centre food sovereignty, not corporate profit.

The World Bank must stop bankrolling cruelty and collapse. Instead, finance the practices that restore soil, respect animals, and nourish communities.

Sign the petition on the Stop Factory Farming page:

12/04/2026

Where “safeguarding” is not safe.
Where “protected characteristics” are not protected.
Where “care” is absent from health and social systems bearing its name.

This is our everyday!
These are the systems that we, Afrodescendant peoples, have to navigate every day/week.

From the UK to the US and further afield, the patterns are ALWAYS the same. The geographies are different, but the systems of control/exclusion/harm come from the same playbook. 🤦🏾‍♀️

Westernised structures (social, political , education, economic, health), built on imperialistic, colonial systems-thinking, can and will NEVER make us the centre of protection or safety, despite the witnessed/statistical evidence.

The abuse against us is always the litmus test for future, wider structural abuses.

EXAMPLE:
- Over-‘policing’ was practiced and normalised decades before against class/race-based justice and civil rights protests.
- Children routinely removed from families by ‘health care’-‘social’ services (often raised in white-centred settings).
- Intentional social destabilisation by eroding services, spaces, transportation services in certain high-demographic areas.
- High incarceration rates of young men due to over-policing in certain areas and among specific demographics.

Make “safeguarding” truly safe.
Make “protected characteristics” truly protected.
Make “care” for everyone central to health and social systems bearing its name.

📹 -

10/04/2026

Save Ridley Road Market!

you talk a big talk about culture and celebrating the diversity of London, so how can you watch evict market tenants/traders for site “redevelopment”. Cultural communities helped bring vibrancy, culture and food heritage to markets (often in underserved communities) across London, including: Dalston, Brixton, Peckham, Brick Lane, Ladbroke Grove, Shoreditch, Upton Park, Roman Road, Shepherd’s Bush and so many other locations across London.

Markets have had such a long, rich history in the capital city. Amid political turmoil, social hostilities and economic shocks, markets helped create a sense of belonging and camaraderie for so many people - long-term residents, new arrivals, businesses, employees and visitors. They have always played a vital role in London’s economy, fashion, enterprise, local politics and food sectors. As London continues to change due to alleged ‘development’, the ongoing ‘sanitation’, social cleansing’ and ‘gentrification’ is taking the soul out of London.

We stand in firm solidarity with the traders and locals who are fighting to ✊🏾❤️

28/03/2026

✊🏾❤️
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✊🏾❤️
✊🏾❤️

26/03/2026

Via

Yesterday, on the International Day for Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the adopted a new resolution (brought by Ghana), declaring:

‼️The Transatlantic Trafficking of Enslaved Africans as the gravest crime against humanity‼️

[Note the opposition votes and abstentions.]

For over 400 years African countries were pillaged, r***d and plundered - populations decimated, family lineages lost, economies destroyed and ecosystems eroded - all to benefit the insatiable greed of competing European nations amid the devastation of their ‘new world’ conquests.

Denied their basic humanity, cultural heritage and even their own names, enslaved Africans were forced to endure generations of exploitation, trauma, killings, child/sex trafficking, servitude and loss with repercussions that reverberate today, including persistent:

- Land-grabbing
- Economic / political / social destabilisation
- Forced indebtedness
- Inequitable trade deals
- Anti-Black racism
- Resource extraction
- Environmental degradation/ Ecocide
- Systemic discrimination.

There is a reason why we continue to say: DECOLONISE!

Calls for reparations are more than just about money. The term stems from the word REPAIR. This UN Resolution is a small, but important step in the right direction.

11/03/2026

We’re really glad to have played a part in the development of this timely report from national organisation, Locality. [Link in bio to read the full report.]

As many of you will know, we recently lost our community-led, cultural arts space , the only regeneration space in the Hastings area which promoted community-centred, culturally-rooted, environmentally-conscious, and place-based approaches. This report addresses some of the issues and barriers that are regularly faced by organisations like ours, which are led by, and for, cultural/racialised communities.

We are constantly challenging and circumventing the varied systems (local and national) of exclusion, while doing the necessary, transformative work of holding space for community-centred and nature-based approaches, standing in solidarity with impacted communities, all while offering culturally-competent services to support wellbeing. Unfortunately, this is generally ignored and/or overlooked by local, top-down systems, so we’re grateful for the national acknowledgement and inclusion.

Our thanks to Locality for initiating this report and ensuring that lived experience expertise was core.

Thanks also to Esmée Fairbairn Foundation () for the financial resourcing to support this research.

21/02/2026

Someone 🤦🏾‍♀️

We didn’t want to comment any further on this nonsense, but this ad keeps popping up on our timeline, so...

AI-generated art (vs a town overflowing with human artists) used in a paid-for ad, regarding the somewhat hastily prepared Town of Culture engagement process? Well done to all involved!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

The metal Christmas Tree / Levelling Up funds fiasco was one thing, but is on a roll - once again, aided and abetted by

The way in which the top-down systems in this town make decisions (especially the quick ones), overlook local creative talent, businesses and residents, and wastes money should be studied in academic / education settings.

17/02/2026

With less than two weeks to go, it’s our final event - a farewell to Hattons Yard…as we knew it.

We’re sad to be going, but also proud of our numerous achievements, efforts and collaborations.

We tried to do a cool thing during/post Covid to support community wellbeing and the creative / cultural sectors. Once again, we showed the immense power of communities to lead, be empathetic, and act swiftly to address local need with radical care:

- from food sovereignty / distribution to ethical sourcing,
- bolstering local supply chains to participatory high street regeneration,
- immersive storytelling/heritage spaces to culturally-rooted systems reimagining,
- catalysing localised systems change to spatial transformations,
- environmental stewardship to mental/physical wellness activities,
- implementing decolonial practices to advocating circular and solidarity economy frameworks.

Five years of striving for beneficial change, in spite, and because of, the constant barriers and entrenched systems of exclusion that we and so many others regularly face.

However, we didn’t do this alone, we did this in solidarity with various groups, organisations, creatives and a plethora of community developers who provided activities for several hundred people every week.

Imagine what we could have done if we had been properly resourced and supported, rather than gaslit, overlooked, blocked, excluded and/or omitted. Imagine if…

Come visit the space one last time during our tenure, so that we can have a collective goodbye…in community and in solidarity. 🙏🏾🙏🏽❤️

06/02/2026

“Let ‘em know!”

Today, we spotted the transformation of a former Afro-hair barbershop on Kings Road (St Leonards on sea) into a new Caribbean-style cafe/restaurant called: Jerk & Bean.

The owner, O.J. is one of the longest trading business owners on the street. For the last two decades, only a few have survived the trials of tribulations of local, national and global economies and/or societal shifts.

O.J. stopped to have a chat and a coffee - a rare moment in his solo efforts to carry out the big renovations before the official launch on Valentine’s Day.

He’s always been passionate about food, having been part of the early stages of local eatery, Mama Putts, and another food venture on Norman Road - great food, portion sizes and prices. Now, it seems, his food passion is taking centre stage and the barbering will continue on a lesser scale at another location.

This transformation is the realisation of a long-held passion and dream, and we love to see it coming to life!

Local peeps and visitors, let’s show some love to O.J. and support this local, long-serving, business owner as he begins a new journey. 🙌🏾🙌🏾❤️

05/02/2026

Last year reporter, Charlotte Wilkins, reached out to for comment regarding claims that there is a culture of racial bias and discriminatory practices, including economic exclusion. The response back then claimed that there would be an “introduction if diversity training and diversity policy to widen representation.”

The existing Neighbourhood Board - for the new Pride in Place fund - is comprised of leaders from different sectors of the town and 100% white-led. Does this mean that there are no non-white people in the town in leadership positions? There are about 60 decision-making boards in the town and the picture is almost always the same…and has been thus way for decades.

For this ‘new’ Neighbourhood Board, one wonders if the racial and/or cultural diversity is expected to come from the ‘community’ board members. New members, who will have played no part in the early decision-making processes regarding priorities. Who chooses the new members…the current board members? Will those new members also participate in the proposed diversity training? We have so many questions about the planned training, the trainers, the selection process and more, but we’ll stop here.

So many questions. So many opportunities for change.

12/09/2025

Seeds of Sovereignty ✊🏾🌱 🇵🇸🇸🇩

We are grateful to and others and .island2palestine for raising the profile of the necessary reforestation, regenerative agriculture and solidarity work being supported by the following amazing organisations :

Please consider following these accounts and show support by helping to raise solidarity finance for farmers, landworkers and producers on the ground.

We have been fortunate this week to spend time and chat with Mr Rouf Omar, a displaced Sudanese farmer and member of the Gezira and Managil Farmers Alliance, a union which supports farmers returning to their lands, including supplying heirloom seeds.

Our chance meeting with him was at the Global Nyeleni Forum on Food Sovereignty currently taking place in Sri Lanka. The final slides are of him sharing seeds and knowledge about traditional planting practices and cooking/natural medicinal uses.

Uncle Rouf, as he affectionately became known to some of us, is a symbol of the Sudanese struggle and a torchbearer for future generations. Despite his years, he has used his time at the Forum to sit with anyone who would meaningfully listen to his story about the plight of 20 millions internally displaced and malnourished Sudanese peoples, the millions of hectares of destroyed farmlands and the project of reclamation and revitalisation called, WE MUST PLANT! We are grateful that he entrusted some of his seeds ands knowledge to us. 🙏🏾❤️

We’ll post info shortly about our fundraising efforts in support of these initiatives. Alternatively, check out the bio for more info about ways to support.

Black Butterfly

15/04/2026

12/04/2026

10/04/2026

28/03/2026

26/03/2026

11/03/2026

21/02/2026

17/02/2026

06/02/2026

05/02/2026

12/09/2025

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