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Power in Darkness

Adrian Goldberg reflects on how music can act as a force for unity and resistance – as it did in the 1970s when the National Front was at its height

Hassan Mahamdallie found a sense of belonging in British society at ‘Rock Against Racism’
Photo: Punk Days

In troubled times, art – in all its forms – can be the light that guides us to a better future.

I was reminded of this recently when watching the world premiere in Birmingham of Hassan Mahamdallie’s Punk Days, a play-cum-musical-cum-documentary about his own coming of age.

Mahamdallie was a mixed-heritage teenager growing up on the streets of London in the 1970s, when racism was rife and danger lurked on every corner for kids with his skin tone.

‘That Fills Me with Hope – That Human to Human, We Can Find Connection, Understanding and Empathy’

Jasmin O’Hara founded the not-for-profit organisation Asylum Speakers to amplify the voices of refugees and debunk common myths and misconceptions around migration. She spoke to Josiah Mortimer about her journey from the fashion industry to providing a human platform for those whose stories are a vital counterbalance to damaging media and political narratives
Josiah Mortimer

Does the Mamdani Moment Signal an Off-Ramp for the Carousel of Scapegoats?

Some Democrats, aided by well-funded think tanks, believe listening to voters means having to accept Trump’s divide-and-conquer strategy. Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win in New York City shows another way is possible, writes Matt Gallagher
Matt Gallagher