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- Archive 2019
- 2015 Elections: 11 new BME MP’s make history
- 70th Anniversary of the Partition of India
- Black Church Manifesto Questionnaire
- Brett Bailey: Exhibit B
- Briefing Paper: Ethnic Minorities in Politics and Public Life
- Civil Rights Leader Ratna Lachman dies
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- Gary Younge Book Sale
- George Osborne's budget increases racial disadvantage
- Goldsmiths Students' Union External Trustee
- International Commissioners condemn the appalling murder of Tyre Nichols
- Iqbal Wahhab OBE empowers Togo prisoners
- Job Vacancy: Head of Campaigns and Communications
- Media and Public Relations Officer for Jean Lambert MEP (full-time)
- Number 10 statement - race disparity unit
- Pathway to Success 2022
- Please donate £10 or more
- Rashan Charles had no Illegal Drugs
- Serena Williams: Black women should demand equal pay
- Thank you for your donation
- The Colour of Power 2021
- The Power of Poetry
- The UK election voter registration countdown begins now
- Volunteering roles at Community Alliance Lewisham (CAL)
In memory of Ron Cushnie: The people's champion
Yesterday evening at the Stephen Lawrence centre the sun briefly came out as Doreen Lawrence unveiled the Nubian Jak blue plaque in memory of her son.
There were a number of tributes, not least by Lewisham Mayor Sir Steve Bullock and Stephen’s local Pastor Reverend Cruise. Chair of the Trust, Symon Sentain said that,
"the symbolism of Stephen is much more than Stephen the bright student, his death symbolised all that was wrong in society: racial hatred, police corruption, and unaccountability, and lack of political interest to race inequality. But, he suggested that “he also symbolised what is good: his parent's iron will to seek justice, the community's compassion, the shared pain of all parents who lost loved ones in violent attacks."
I was honoured to be there.
Just as I was about to leave some guy –Murray Cadette- called me over,
“Simon,” he said, “how are you man! I’ve not seen you since Ronnie, and I interviewed over in Wilsedon at Invincible Radio’. I barely recognised the man but of course I knew Ron Cushnie. “How’s Ronnie,” I inquired, “ I know he was unwell a while ago?” There was a long silent pause. “Ronnie died nearly years ago, Simon. Didn’t you know?”
Right there, you could have blown me down with a feather. At that moment, I felt grief and guilt in equal measure. Grief, that such a good man was gone. Guilt, that I didn’t know, and that I didn’t attend his funeral to pay my respects to this very special man.
There are some people in the world who only know how to give to others. They give their heart, their soul; they would give you their last penny if you needed it. Ron Cushnie was such a man. For as long as I knew him he helped run a community radio station, that probably never covered the cost of running it. But for Ron, it was his way to promote anything good in the community. "Simon, Brother “ he would say, “you’re a force of nature. Come on the show and tell the community why they should get involved in politics.”
It wasn’t just me that he ‘bigged up'; Ron would encourage all those he thought could move the Black community to be more empowered, to be in a more positive place. Moreover, using his journalist skills he almost never failed to be at our political events with his sound recording in one hand, ready to quiz the politicians as why they were not doing more to combat racism.
Not content with being a community champion Ron cared much about Africa, and set up a charity, Hearts of Africa, that would enable young Africans the possibility of going to school for the very first time. This work, above all made Ron smile.
I’d often see Ron around Bethnal Green where he lived, walking through the park with his children. “We do this for them”, he would say with his arms around their shoulders. As he began to get increasingly ill and slow down from his work, he came into the office one day with a bag of CD’s. “ These are for you, Simon. Some of the many recordings I’ve done over the years.”
I guess it was Ron’s way of saying that ‘I might not beat this illness, and I want to you have these recordings.’ We hugged and then talked about the next voter-registration campaign we’d do together, when, I said ‘you’re fully fit.”
I never saw him again, and never got to say good-bye.
Sometimes your life including my own, is busy that you barely stop to take stock, thank those who deserved to be thanked, and care about the good people around you. Ron wasn’t like that, he always found time. He was a true people's champion and a good friend to all of us.
For sure, Ron, your memory and all the people you touched both here, and in Africa will live on.
Ron Cushnie RIP who died in Aug 2011.