The amazing Hull based Karen Okra -Community Activist, Cultural Leader, Equality Advocate has been named An AFRICA4U AMBASSADOR FOR AFRICA4U CIC and The Hull Coordinator for AFRICA4U.

She was name Africa4u Ambassador and Hull Coordinator at OUR AFRICA4J AWARDS FOR AFRICANS IN EAST YORKSHIRE on Tuesday the 21st of April 2026 at the Mary Seacole Lecture theatre, Wilberforce Building , The University of Hull, in partnership with The Wilberforce Institute for Slavery and Emancipation

INFORMATION ABOUT KAREN OKRA CAN BE FOUND BELOW

Karen Okra Community Activist, Cultural Leader, Equality Advocate.

Karen Okra is a community activist and cultural leader with extensive experience in arts, heritage, and community engagement. She played a key role in Hull’s successful bid for UK City of Culture 2017 as a candidate on the Derry~Londonderry Panel, and later served as a Director of both the Hull 2017 City of Culture Board and the Freedom Festival Arts Trust.

Her work focuses on promoting racial and gender equality, with a strong commitment to advancing awareness of Black History and Black achievement. Karen actively addresses challenges faced by Black and minority ethnic communities through education, advocacy, and inclusive programming.

She has a particular interest in the history of Trans Atlantic slave trade and Diaspora Studies and collaborates with the Wilberforce Institute for the Study of Slavery and Emancipation (WISE), the University of Hull, and Hull Museums to support learning and community engagement initiatives.

Karen is an Honorary Fellow of the Wilberforce Institute and a member of the Wilberforce House Advisory Group. Her work is grounded in connecting people, places, and shared histories to create a more inclusive and accessible future

A SUCCESSFUL AFRICA4U AWARDS FOR AFRICANS IN EAST YORKSHIRE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HULL

It was a pleasure to organize OUR AFRICA4J AWARDS FOR AFRICANS IN EAST YORKSHIRE on Tuesday the 21st of April 2026 at the Mary Seacole Lecture theatre, Wilberforce Building , The University of Hull, in partnership with The Wilberforce Institute for Slavery and Emancipation

CONGRATULATION ONCE AGAIN TO OUR AFRICA4U AWARD WINNERS – A LIST OF THE AFRICA4U AWARDS WINNERS IN EAST YORKSHIRE can be found below

Angela DuncanIn memory of Vernon “Shabaka” Thompson a respected cultural leader.

Dawda Jatta MBEIn memory of Professor Dumbor Ngaage highly accomplished Consultant CardiacSurgeon and Clinical Lead at Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Hekima BusaraMusician songwriter and community Development Worker.

Dr Franklin OnukwughaDr Franklin Onukwugha is a Senior Lecturer, Community Leader and Founder of YouthAspire Connect.

Severine KipiliCommunity Leader, educator and advocate supporting refugees, women and marginalised communities.

Cecil Jones CJCommunity Leader Singer/ Songwriter, Choir Director and multi – instrumentalist.

Saidu KoromaChair of Sierra Leonne Association building relationships and initiatives between Hull and Freetown.

Cline-Bailey Contemporary Jazz musician, songwriter, drummer and radio presenter ScarboroughFM.

Stella MunthaliProminent racial equality advocate, community leader, founder and director of TheBlack Heritage of Hull Collective

.Cecile OxaalLong-standing member and former chair of the Hull Amnesty Group, retired teacherand researcher, with a particular interest in family and black history.

Abidemi Amosu Professionally known as Abidemi Sax contemporary Saxophonist, musicologist andperformer.

Temi MakindeHull Community Leader and BAME Officer for the Labour Party Hull North.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR INSPIRATIONAL SPEAKERS OF THE EVENING – DR Sohail Abraham Ahmed – FOUNDER OF BRADFORD4BETTER AND ANTHONY LANE – OUR NEURODIVERSITY COACH

A BIG THANK YOU ALSO TO KAREN OKRA FOR ALL HER SUPPORT. KAREN OKRA HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AS AN AFRICA4U AMBASSADOR AND RTHE HULL CO-ORDINATOR FOR AFRICA4U

THE SOUL OF ANY COMMUNITY LIVES WITHIN THE HEART OF ITS PEOPLE

www.myfernandez.com

Championing diversity, inclusivity, and equality in our community.

Beats Bus Records is a multi award-winning Social Enterprise that teaches and raises awareness of Black History and tackles issues around racism all year round with their work in schools and community’s in the Yorkshire and the Humber region teaching the values, elements and history of Hip-hop.

Black History Month  2023 Beats Bus piloted a ‘hip-hop’ School of Excellence in  for young people excluded from school and/or in Youth Justice system. 

Happy Birthday Darling JANET

The Dawn is an awakening of a new celebration

The sweet scents from fresh daffodils kiss the day with a wild warmth

Blessings that embrace the best seasons of joy and partnership

And blessings that cherish the tender fruits of peace 

The dawn is an awakening of a new celebration

And the best of birthdays of this new season

Musical Artist
Chiedu Oraka is a British rapper from Hull, Yorkshire, known for his introspective lyrics and grime style, which often explores his experiences as a Black person in Northern England. He is the co-founder of the music collective and record label, ROOM 73.

Career highlights
Musical themes: Oraka’s music addresses topics such as his identity as a “Black Yorkshireman,” mental health, and working-class life, particularly on his 2024 mixtape, Misfit.
Collaborations and performances:

In 2025, he was chosen to be an opening act for Coldplay’s stadium shows in Hull.
He has performed at major festivals like Glastonbury and Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
He has supported prominent artists including Stormzy, Akala, and KRS-One.

Awards and recognition:
Oraka won the “Newcomer of the Year” award at the Northern Music Awards in March 2025.
His single “Darcy” was featured on Spotify’s “Grime Shutdown” playlist for over 300 days.
He was the first artist to perform a freestyle for BBC Radio 1’s “Future Flex”.

Personal life and influences
Background: Oraka was raised by his mother on a council estate in North Hull and is of Nigerian descent. He has frequently spoken about experiencing racism and feeling like an outsider in a predominantly white city.
Inspiration: He has cited his mother as one of his greatest inspirations.
Social advocacy: He uses his platform to speak on racial issues and to provide representation for marginalized communities in Northern England
ready to get.

Happy 57th Wedding Anniversery to My Parents – Mr and Mrs Fernandez

We have been waiting for this festival,

Ever since the morning opened its eyes

New dreams embracing a soulful celebration

Where love teaches us the different shades of new music

We have been hungry,

To feed from the wisdom of your many stories,

Warm days shaped in the nutshell of fresh parables

New days blessed with old dreams

This season is so much more than a reunion

It is a festival blessed with the petals of love

For we have been waiting for this festival

And this new landmark of many more Wedding Anniversaries

Lots of love

Tony

CELEBRATING CECILE OXAAL – Championing diversity, inclusivity, and equality in our community.

Former Chair of Hull Amnesty Group Cecil Oxaal’s family history, is one of mixed heritage from wealthy white slaveholders. Cecile spent more than thirty years teaching in High schools.

Cecile is a member of HULL WOMEN’S LITERARY CLUB which was founded in 1960 for women interested in literature and other arts. A keen historian and author, Cecile explores the background of Dr. Murdoch, a Scottish medical doctor who settled in Hull in 1896 and who galvanised the suffrage campaign in Hull and East Yorkshire and she is known for her book Not Just Wilberforce: Champions of Human Rights Hull and East Yorkshire co written by Ekkehard Kopp (Hard cover, 2014).

Cecile continues to campaign for humanity and human rights, during Black History Month and throughout the year with Hull Amnesty Group.

We are pleased to inform you that Abidemi Amosu (Abidemi Sax)  shall be performing at our AFRICA4U AWARDS FOR AFRICANS IN EAST YORKSHIRE TAKES PLACE AT MARY SEACOLE LECTURE THEATRE, UNIVERSITY OF HULL ON TUESDAY 21ST OF APRIL 2026

INFORMATION ABOUT Abidemi Amosu (Abidemi Sax) CAN BE FOUND BELOW

Abidemi Amosu (Abidemi Sax) 

Abidemi Amosu, professionally known as Abidemi Sax, is a contemporary saxophonist, musicologist, and performer known for his expressive sound and distinctive blend of cultural heritage, spirituality, and modern musical influences. With decades of experience, he has developed a unique artistic voice that resonates with diverse audiences across the United Kingdom and beyond.

He holds a National Certificate in Education (NCE) in Music from Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Ibadan, and a Master of Music degree from the University of Hull, United Kingdom. His academic background, combined with extensive performance experience, has shaped his versatility across genres including jazz, gospel, and Afro-influenced contemporary music.

Abidemi Sax has performed at a wide range of events and venues, earning recognition for his rich tone, stage presence, and ability to communicate emotion through music. His performances are often described as engaging, soulful, and deeply reflective.

As a recording artist and composer, his works include Temi, Smile, Selenkejo, Ife Osupa, and Trust in God. These compositions reflect a fusion of personal storytelling, cultural identity, and innovative sound, positioning him as a creative force within the contemporary music space.

Beyond performance, Abidemi is passionate about musical development, collaboration, and using music as a tool for cultural expression and inspiration. His growing body of work continues to attract media attention and appreciation for its authenticity and artistic depth.

Artist Name: Abidemi Sax
Location: United Kingdom

Title: Is your environment a limitation?

Elijah ( code name) has a start-up company in Frankfurt. He wants to expand to Kenya, but everytime he hangsout with his group of friends they say things like, “you are a dreamer, oversabi, you aren’t bold enough, just stay where you are. As a result, his expansion plan is lying fallow, deadlines with business partners abandoned. Elijah has lost faith in himself and he believes not expanding is the safest decision for his business.

Methaphorically speaking, environments can be our social circle, the things we consume, residence and more. These factors can shape our thoughts and have a significant impact on the outcome of our lives.

Change starts with you and the fastest way to freedom is to pause for a moment, conduct a self-analysis, tell yourself the truth and move away from the things that aren’t working.

Questions

▪︎Are you in the right environment?

▪︎What are you going to do about it?

Practical steps towards change

▪︎Batch out 30 minutes daily for the next 30 days. Do a self-analysis once a week

▪︎Write out the cost of this limitation. Eg my self-esteem has dwindled, I’m stressed, broke etc

▪︎Mental reasoning is on the decline. How many percent?

▪︎Change something every day. Observe your progress & repeat until the shift is complete

I hope you enjoyed this piece.

Sharing practical tips to help you achieve new milestones.

Regards,

Esther Ukaria

CELEBRATING HULLS BLACK HISTORY – Championing diversity, inclusivity, and equality in our community.

We are the Black History Partnership – a community organisation dedicated to celebrating and preserving the rich heritage of Hull’s Black community. Supported by Hull University, we strive to educate, inspire, and empower through engaging events, thought-provoking discussions, and impactful initiatives. Join us as we honour the past, embrace the present, and shape a future where diversity is celebrated.

TO FIND OUT MORE EMAIL – blackhistoryhull@gmail.com
OR VISIT http://www.hullblackhistory.org